Let the kids talk!

Three videos here, highlighting how even very young learners can quickly become content creators in their English langauge learning journey! Each of these examples are a result of after reading projects, from graded readers, which all of our students at Luna invest in. We use these readers in a myriad of ways - not 'just' reading...we try to 'milk' them for all the're worth!

Misaki's Cake is the outcome from Oxford University Press' Read & Imagine graded reader called 'The Cake Machine'. Inventor Grandpa has a fairly calamitous baking experience...our children do better with a drawing project (homework) & then guided with a writing task in class to describe their lovely, dreamy, cake creations.

My approach as teacher is to do the background prep quickly, then let the students take control of the creative process, using the iPad + Chatterkids app intuitively. Recording themselves & criticising their own speaking (want to be smoother, or quicker, or not stop in the middle or get a word wrong...) is an easy fix - just re-record against the thirty-second limit. Their own pressure, not teacher's! As you can hear, the focus is on far more than just a list of ingredients - a proper description. As a quick finisher, Misaki was first - after that, she was first assistant & bling direction for whoever finished next. Teacher - job done (help the slower finishers with gentle suggestions & corrections).

 

What do you think of Misaki's cake?

A twist on this exercise I love with slightly older young learners, is to have them interview each other about their after reading projects. Here is Moe's description of her favourite animal (her real pet), from OUP's Read & Imagine title 'In the Treehouse'. Here the pressure is on both learners to ask, and answer, a set of questions quickly...so of course they want to practice a few times before hitting the record button - who said 'drilling' is boring?! Love Moe's "Wolfie"?

And from another class, Yuri & Koharu tackle the same task from their reader. 

Extensive reading has obvious benefits - so does intensive reading...the two do not need to be mutually exclusive. As you can hear, students are empowered with being able to share their imaginations and are unencumbered with stage fright, instead collaborating and being bold. Love these outcomes!

Let the kids think!

 I'm a firm believer in teachers waiting for students to actually ask for support. If you're playing a game, and really want to take your turn & progress, then the motivation is high...but teacher, don't jump in to facilitate. Instead, wait for the language to percolate, language attempted, missing word isolated.

And wait for an actual request (weaker learners who are unable to verbally ask for help will indicate no-verbally they need a boost - watch carefully). Other students might be able to help - if not, then chances are they'll all need to use this same 'unknown' word again soon and will listen/practice/rehearse before their turn comes around.

Similarly, let students self-correct. Accept what they are trying to say, and let them reflect on their output/pronunciation/accuracy. Maybe teacher indicates that something was not quite right, or it needed to be faster or more fluently delivered? Not teacher driven, but students striving to 'get it right' on their own.

Teacher's role in any game, for my money, is to facilitate as much English with as little active participation as possible. Encourage, keep the focus, make sure we're playing nicely and having fun. For sure, allow books open to glance at key structures, question or sentence structures...but let the players do all the work. Can't see any English here? Because it's all been absorbed already :)

Where are all the words?!

My take on a recent online Cambridge SE certification session - I'm biased!

 

As we all know, with work & family commitments we can't always be available when we intended to be - same is true for Cambridge Speaking Examiners (SEs) & their certification commitments/requirements. Despite numerous face-to-face meetings throughout the year, and around the country, some of our valued team members have simply been elsewhere. Great to be able to reintegrate valuable assets who've been out of country.


For SEs 'in good standing' we are able to offer occasional online meetings to ensure our team maintains compliance. Obviously doing so via zoom requires quite a bit of preparation by the Centre and participants, and managing activities differently - the variety I have tried to incorporate into F2F sessions this year won't work in break-out rooms for example. Also bandwidth & screen(s) size can negatively impact the core details of the job - delivering exams per scripted format & procedure, managing unforeseen circumstances (always new ones!); and applying assessment criteria consistently.

In the latter regard, discussing performances with a wider cadre is motivating - we can get a bit used to the same faces that we usually bump into annually. It's also vastly reassuring that the same messaging & 'examiner-speak' is in play no matter where SEs are physically based in our network...#Kanto, #Ryukkyu, #Kyushu, #Chubu, #Hokkaido, #Tohoku


An added benefit of conducting our annual get-together online is that we can also assess the possibilities of remote assessing, and workshop such eventualities realistically. Well done our JP026 team recently!

(NB online certification is not 'an alternative' to F2F certification. Essentially, all SEs must attend certification meetings in person, annually).

A very non-veggie Japanese teen - a healthy diet?

DIET

I think my diet is bad. I'm not a vegetarian. I don't usually eat vegetables because I don't like them. I like unealthy food, which have have a lot of calories.

HEALTH

I think I'm healthy. I don't get many colds or fevers. I sometimes get headaches, but that's when I'm very hot.

EXERCISE

I don't follow an exercise proram. I have to take three hours of P.E. every week at school. I should do more exercise.

Postcard from - Shenzhen, China

 Hi Jim sensei,

I came to Shenzhen, China for a short business trip. I stayed here for three nights and had three appointments.

My passport will be expired in a year, so this will be my last trip with the current passport. I had lots of trip with good memories!

Tomoko

The food I eat - a teen's report on his diet

 DIET

I think my diet is good, bacuause I eat salad every morning and I always eat healthy food, but I like burgers & pizza.

SNACKS

I sometimes eat fruit or yogurt for snacks. I don't eat ice cream in front of the TV. I try not to eat unhealthy snacks like potato chips.

DRINKS

I usually have milk with my breakfast and I often drink tea with my dinner. I like grape juice and Japanese plum juice, but my mother usually buys them.

Posted for a teen!

Magic Ingredients! App-smashing with a reader

One app I really enjoy using with our graded readers as a boost to after reading projects, is to make sure that all of the students have taken time (and been shown how) to produce full, grammatically sound, sentences.

In this case, after reading OUP's Read & Imagine beginner level title The Cake Machine, easy homework was to draw their own 'dream' cake. The blank space below 'describe your cake' is a forbidding prospect without guidance...teachers job to ask leading questions, and then help everyone agree on their responses (all different, of course, but simliar in structure.

Obviously, most of the structures & vocabulary they need are high frequency from the book they've just read (and enjoyed) + the Picture Dictionary at the back a rich resource. "New words" (our own ingredients) an easy share on the whiteboard.

Bit of teacher speed needed to photo & crop drawing into the app, and then gave a example of 'how to' for early finishers, who get on with their project enhancement. Then they help the slower finishers through the tech hurdles and encourage the narrating part (they read their own writing into a 30 second limit). 

 

A teen's report on his diet

My diet

I think my diet is bad, because I don't eat vegetables. I often eat rice & ramen. These have many calories. And I often eat fast food, too.

Drinks

At home, I usually have milk with my breakfast and dinner. I sometimes drink tea. I love milk, and my sister likes milk too, but it has a lot of calories.

Possible changes

I love chicken and I often eat chicken when I eat breakfast. I probably shouldn't eat so much chicken at breakfast because it's unhealthy. I should eat vegetables at breakfast.

Posted for a teen!

Professionally proud - speaking examiners recognised

I'm really pleased to be able to share that no less than four Cambridge Speaking Examiners have been awarded with Certificates of Excellence. These awards are very well-deserved, and are in recognition of availability & dedication to turning up to 'unfashionable' exam sessions...the mid-week ones in the middle of nowhere; the awkward ones with long lunch breaks and not allowed to step out to get lunch; the full-on ones when it's almost dark by the time you notice; the ones with the students who do not know what to do or the ones with the chemistry lab layout!

Jim with Gavin Addison

I'm pretty sure, between, them, these four champions have been there, and done that, and got the t-shirt!

Jim with Colin Malaney

I met both Gavin & Colin in 2016, at their first training session with a Centre called Z-Kai (no longer offering Cambridge exams, unfortunately). I remember one of those training sessions vividly, as I was not able to connect my laptop to the big screen as we were stuck in a hallway, and I could not grab an HDMI cable from any of the locked rooms. Awkward.

Claire Jansen & Toni O'Connor with JP026
SE Personnel Manager, Keiko Ohashi

Claire Jansen has been associated with Kawaijuku probably longer than I have - we have been working together since 2018, and was also awarded a Bronze Certificate for long service (to be honest, several other SEs deserve this recognition!). Toni O'Connor joined the team in 2020 and has been very busy ever since.

I am really proud of all the hard-working Speaking Examiners across the country, some obviously busier than others but each & every one a valued member of the team. It was very nice indeed to be able to be able to demonstrate to the team that we do notice, and we do care!

Miyuki's profile of Jaz Santos

Jaz Santos is a young football player.

She started playing when she was about six years old. She plays as a forward and loves trying to score goals. Her best moment was when her team scored. It made the team feel happy.

She didn't give up when she had problems around her. However, sometimes she had hard times. She felt it was hardest to keep motivated.

The most fun part of football for Jaz is being with her team. She loves passing, playing & laughing with her friends. Jaz playes for her team & her parents!

She will continue playing football & everyone who watches her feels encouraged.

Posted for Miyuki

Remembering Kobe - Taisei's childhood visit

When I was younger, we sometimes went to Kobe, in Hyogo in Kansai (central Japan). It is an excitingcity.

We went there by my father's car. It took four hours.

Kobe is different now. In the past, there were nice cafes. Now, there isn't the cafe.

Kobe today is a popular city to live and work. I still want to go to Kobe someday.

Posted for Taisei

When the student is the teacher - reviewing a presentation

My last couple of evening classes with one of my private students have been a revelation. She's a very dedicated mid-wife/intensive care nurse at the wonderful Nagano Children's Hospital (in Azumino).

I've had a long association with the hospital, its staff & patients, as I've taught various groups of doctors, and nurses there over the last twenty-five years or so, as well as groups of their children (some of whom are doctors themselves now!)...and also classes to long-term in-patients in the charming little school they have there. That itself was a career changing experience for me & some of my lucky colleagues.

Makiko's presentation was on zoom, to a group of about 300 Indonesian care providers/NICU professionals. In English. She was dealing with a really tender topic - tiny tiny babies' management. She really is the experts' expert, from arguably the best premmie unit in Japan - she absolutely knows what she's talking about, and presented a powerful powerpoint with excellent on the job photos & graphics to highlight her crucial top tips for managing the precarious state of very premature babies - "premmies".

I was awed by the levels of layered care required, and provided - and the nature of such often surprised me. Obviously medical - but how to provide to an infant so small who doesn't actually have a 'skin'? What parameters to heat/light/oxygen saturation? Resistance eg a small incubator with walls to press against & stimulate muscle tone? Sleeping positions & constant observation. Honestly, labour of love & devoted professionalism.

I am never going to complain when students like Makiko tell me they're tired! No-brainer. Constant shift work & emotional drain, my job is change the subject, find something to enhance her use of English...stuff she can use next year when she will present at the Premmy Conference in Jakarta next year! Yep, she did such a good job they want her to present to the BIG room. And she'll steal hearts & win minds :)

Nagano's premature babies are in very,very good hands - actually not physically, but you know what I mean!

Eric Carle - a fan club member appreciates his artwork & stories

 I'd like to talk about Eric Carle, a famous children's author & illustrator.

Eric Carle was born in the United States in 1929. When he was six years old, his family moved back to Germany.

As a child, he loved nature & animals, and he often explored forests with his father. This experience influenced many of his books later.

At school, he especially enjoyed art classes. One of his teachers secretly showed reproduction paintings such as Picasso, Paul Klee & Kandinsky whose work had been banned by the Nazis. He was inspired by this teacher & studied commercial art at an academy.

When he was twenty-three, he returned to New York. He worked as a graphic designer, art director and illustrator. After meeting the picture book creator Leo Lionni, he became interested in children's books.

When he was thirty-eight, he illustrated his first book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?". This experience encouraged him to focus on creating picture books.

Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar

In 1969, he published his most famous book, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". The idea came to him while he was playing with a hole punch. Interestingly, the main character was originally going to be a worm, not a caterpillar!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been translated into more than seventy languages and it is loved by children around the world. Eric Carle went on to create more than seventy books.

I chose Eric Carle because I recently visited his exhibition in Tokyo. I love his artwork and its atmosphere. I was also interested in him because I remember reading about him in my English textbook when I was in junior high school. I enjoyed learning more about his life & artwork.

Posted for Nene.

Remembering a childhood place - Nishinomiya

When I was younger, we lived in Nishinomiya, in Hyogo, Kansai (central Japan). It's an interesting city.

We went there by my mother's car. It took four hours.

Nishinomiya is different now. In the past, there weren't English schools. Now there are some kindergartens. Nishinomiya now is very fun, because the annual high school baseball tournament is in the Hanshin Tiger's stadium.

Posted for Sawa

Jaz Santos vs The World - profile of the player

You may have heard the name Jaz. Her name is Jasmine Santos-Campbell. She is a famous football player who played in the World Cup.

When she was eleven years old, she approached some people and formed a team.

Their coach was Rhiannon. She taught them that the things a player does off the field are as important as the things they do on the field. Some players become role models for young people.

In the final against the Silverton Shiners, at her first tournament, Bramrock Stars FC, where Jaz is a captain, played fairly and fought as a team. The game finished 2-2, and finally they won it on penalties.

She trusts her team, building good relationships.

Posted for Ritsuko

Message to Jaz Santos

Hello Jaz, 

I read your story for Jaz Santos vs. the World.

I’ve been watching your football journey, and I really like your personality on and off the pitch.  After reading the book, I felt warm and encouraged. You are not afraid to challenge and try difficult plays. 

At the same time, you have problems in your personal life and you may struggle when things don’t go your way. 

Sometimes your choices and actions might not have been perfect, but I suppose there’s 

nothing we can do. I also made many mistakes in my life when the problems happened. In that situation, you and I did what we selected from many choices. I made choices and took action, but in the end, I often regret them and feel like I made the wrong decision. I believe that's just part of life. I’m starting to believe that we move forward through all of these experiences.

To take part in the soccer tournament, you had some problems, such as gathering members and finance. However, you overcame these by coming up with great ideas and working together with your teammates. After your great work, you were able to join the tournament. In the end, you won the matches! That’s truly wonderful!!

If it were me, I think I might have given up quickly, so I truly think what you did is so amazing.

For the future, I believe you have great potential. You can reach a high level and succeed in football.

Keep pushing forward and enjoying the game!

A profile of Yayoi Kusama - Japanese artist (& influencer!)

Yayoi Kusama is a famous painter from Japan.

Yayoi Kusama

She was born into a wealthy family in Matsumoto in 1929. From the age of ten (in 1939), she began to suffer from hallucinations, such as the surrounding landscapes being covered with polka dots and flowers, and dogs talking to her. In order to escape from fear, she maintained her mental balance by copying the hallucination into a sketchbook.

She went to New York in search of freedom. In 1958. In New York, she won high praise for her 'net paintings' which continues to draw meshes on the canvas. In addition, she presented spatial works using mirrors with electric decorations, and created many works such as body painting & fashion shows.

She returned to Japan in 1973. She was away from the front stage for a while, but she was doing activities such as writing novels and poems.

"Cosmic Nature"
 at NY Botanical Gardens

Her painting was exhibited at the Venice Bienniale, Japan pavilion in 1993 and increased its international reputation.

Even now, polka dots are called "The Shape of the Universe" and continue to send message of infinit space and peace through museums & public art around the world.

Posted for Ayumi

Yuki reminsces about Okinawa

 When I was younger, we went to Okinawa in south japan for our vacation. They are little islands in the Sea of Japan. We wnt there by plane. It took two hours.

Yanbaru, Okinawa

Okinawa is different now. There was nature. There are cities now.

Okinawa today is a popular place, but I miss the peaceful forests that I visited as a child.

Posted for Yuki

Profile of a famous footballer - Honore Sawa

 Honare Sawa is a famous football player from Japan.

Honore Sawa

She started playing when she was six. When she was little, she played with boys on her brother's team. She played as a midfielder. She was number 10 on the national team.

Her best moment was winning the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011. She helped Japanese soccer become world champions.

She says that practice is hard, but playing with her team & winning game is fun. She wants to teach children for them to follow their dreams.  

Posted for Chinatsu

Journey in Denmark

 Late yesterday, I arrived in Copenhagen Denmark, and the hotel was comfortable for me. There was no issue with my room’s plumbing, and the area around the hotel seemed safe.

I woke up late and missed the hotel’s breakfast service. The bread I bought at a convenience store near the hotel was delicious, but tomorrow I'll take my time and enjoy the hotel breakfast. After eating the bread, I visited the canal side district of Nyhavn in the afternoon. There were fewer tourists in the afternoon, so visiting in the afternoon was probably a good decision. The houses along the canal were colorful, and I enjoyed my walk. It was a little cold today, so the walk warmed me up. The chocolate that I ate at ABC café for rest tasted so good.

Tomorrow, I'd like to go and look for a chair as Denmark is famous for its furniture. I’m looking for a chair that will make me feel comfortable and relaxed that can use for a long time and won’t get tired of.

This is what I want to do in Denmark.

* Taste various chocolate

* Go to shops where have dishes of Royal Copenhagen

* Visit Krongborg

I am going to talk to a local person to know his/her recommendations in Denmark.

Reminiscing about...Snap Cafe, HCMC, Vietnam

When I was younger, we often went to the Snap Cafe in Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam, for lunch. It's a
cafe which has a playing area.

Snap Cafe, Ho Chi Minh City

I think we walked there, but now I have to use the plane because I live in Japan.

Snap Cafe is not different now. The ice cream shop I loved is still there and playing area looked the same, when I went back there three years ago.

Snap Cafe today is a cool place for families. I hope it continues running.

Posted for Nanaha

Please welcome Lois, joining our staff this month

My name is Koishi, and I go by Lois. I’m originally from China, and before moving to Japan, I studied philosophy in Hong Kong and the United States. In my free time, I love reading, writing poetry, playing guitar, and spending time around plants and nature. 

I also really enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds and hearing their stories, so I’m looking forward to creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere where everyone can feel comfortable chatting together.

My cousin's wedding

I'm going to talk about when I attended my cousin's wedding. 

The wedding was held in the city of Tokyo on a sunny day. The place was a very spacious and beautiful building. From there, I could see the bay and the morning sun was very beautiful. At the ceremony, my cousin and my cousin’s wife were wearing very beautiful dresses and tuxedos, and they were very bright.
I ate a lot of food at the wedding. I ate seafood salad, cold corn soup, beef steak, foie gras, stewed seafood, sorbet, cake, and so on . I also drank Sudachi's non-alcoholic cocktail. The colour was blue and it was very refreshing.

There were two entertainments for the wedding. The first is to guess the colour of the dress that the bride will change. We choose which dress the bride will wear with a penlight. The dress, which was originally white, has become a very beautiful blue dress. The result,l could not collect,but the dress looked very good on the bride and was beautiful. The second is dancing. My cousin's classmate danced in costume. It was very fun and exciting. Everyone in the audience was laughing.

It was a very fun wedding with a lot of food and everyone laughing.

Posted for Ayumi

Sherlock Holmes - The Sign of Three (a year later...)

One year later, things have changed a bit for the characters. John and Mary are very busy taking care of their baby. John still works as a doctor, but he spends more time with his family now. Mary has become a good mother. They felt worried before having the baby, but they are happier.

Sherlock is still solving many crimes. He has changed a little because he understands friendship more deeply now and cares more about other people’s feelings. For Sherlock, John and Mary are still his best friends and very important people to him.

Janine didn’t start dating the man in the white jacket and blue shirt at the end, but she is more confident now. She enjoys meeting new people.

Sholto survived the crime and now lives more carefully. He will continue to feel guilty about the deaths of young men in Afghanistan for the rest of his life. But after the wedding incident, he felt a little better and started to trust other people more.

Jonathan Small is in prison to atone for his crimes. But he never forgave Sholto and doesn’t regret trying to kill him.

Posted for Nene

A respected football player - Daizen Maeda (Celtic & Japan)

 I will introduce a football player I respect. On Friday, May 15th, JFA (Japan Football Association)
announced the national team members for the FIFA World Cup 2026, starting June 11. Daizen Maeda was selected as a member of the Japanese national team. You may have seen news recently that he scored a goal in the most recent match against Hearts, which helped secure the Scottish Premiership title.

In 2016, Maeda started his career at Matsumoto Yamaga FC. After joined Mito HollyHock on a loan deal, gaining valuable experience, he contributed to Matsumoto Yamaga’s championship victory and promotion to the J1 (first tier) League in 2018. He played for Maritimo in the Portuguese League and Yokohama F. Marinos, and is currently playing for Celtic in Scotland.

When 18-year-old Maeda joined Matsumoto Yamaga FC, he declared that his dream was to become a member of the Japanese national team. Almost all of the supporters didn't think it would ever happen and it would just end up as a dream. However, he made his dream come true. The ex-director of Matsumoto Yamaga FC said that Maeda remained humble and serious even after he became famous. I think that he put a lot of effort into getting to where he is today, and learned that it is important to say a dream and act to make dreams come true.

He and the national team are seriously aiming to win the FIFA World Cup 2026. I truly believe that dreams come true someday, and I want to fully cheer him and the team.

Postcard from the end of the line; O Shi station in Gunma

 

I found a rather unusual station in Golden Week, in Gunma - near Kusatsu onsen. It is no longer in use (it closed in 1971). However, it is still interesting!

The building behind the platform sign used to be three storeys high, into which iron ore was dumped from the local mine. Then, it was loaded into the wagons below, to be transported down the line through Naganohara for processing. 

There is some old rolling stock & the platform has been restored - there are no trains running now. Obsessives can get their stamps, and memorabilia in the quaint little museum which used to be the ticket office, with some really cheap prices for tickets to Niigata or Yokohama! There are some great black & white photos on display too.

I really liked this chance to see some of rural Japan's industrial past - before it gets too hot this summer!

Postcard from Canton, China

Hi Jim sensei,

I am on the business trip to China with Tomoko from April 12 to 16.

This photo when we went to Canton Fair on April 15 and had lunch there. There were a lot of people from various coutries!

See you again in the class.

Thanks! Chinatsu & Tomoko

 

Let's welcome Ana to Luna!

We are delighted to announce that Ana has joined our teaching team at Luna; please say hello when you see her & introduce yourself!

"Hi everyone! Nice to meet you

My name is Anastasiya, but you can call me Ana. I'm from the Netherlands, and I'm married to a Japanese person. I really enjoy living in Japan. I like visiting shrines, and my favorite food is sushi. My hobbies are cooking, baking sweets and traveling.


I also have experience working as an English tutor in Seoul, South Korea. I teach on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, so please feel free to say hello anytime! I'm looking forward to studying English with you~ ♪"

My cousin Shou

I’ll introduce my cousin,Shou.

He’s the son of mother’s brother. He was only six when I was born, so he’s been more like a brother to me than a coupon. He is twenty six years old now.When we meet, we always play sports and games,which makes me happy.

He was born in Chiba prefecture, and he studied electronics in high school and enjoyed playing tennis club.He was very good at tennis and participated in the prefectural tournament. On holidays, he walks with his pet and plays sports with me when I was junior high school student. He started work when he was eighteen years old as a mechanic.

I think he is good-looking. He's quite tall with beautiful black hair, he’s cool and gentle and has beautiful dark brown eyes. I think that he is a really kind character. He is always smiling and always tries to help someone who is in trouble. He works hard and he plays hard, he is always cheerful. That’s why he’s always popular because he has friends around him.

His current lifestyle is really good. He still works as a mechanic, and is married to a nice woman. He also enjoys traveling in Japan with his wife. He wants to do his best until the end, even if it’s difficult. So I’m proud of him.

Posted for Ayumi

Jim's awayday in Tokyo - challenging examiners

Limited thinking time for Speaking Examiners to consider lexical resource components (words!) into CEFR bands...if only there were a website for that? https://lnkd.in/gH_AYdaQ

Speaking Examiners vs CEFR on Wordwall

Interesting disagreement about 'brass' - common in Japan as it is a 'club activity' in JHS/HS (brass band)...and in Yorkshire our number one obsession (money!), and my age group who loved The Pretenders/Chrissie Hynde! High end phrasal verb 'brassed off', idiom 'brass neck', or 'top brass'.

Here's the link https://lnkd.in/gn5efxzT - if you can beat the high score & live in Japan/teach English, get in touch about joining the SE team ;)

Thank you to Chris & the JP040 SE team for your patience with my attempts to spice up/gamify certification & re-invent the assessment wheel. 

Visiting Matsumoto - local advice

Let me introduce Matsumoto city!

Firstly, Matsumoto castle: it was built in the medieval age. You can rent traditional clothes like yukata, and take a photo with a samurai!

Nakamachi is the next place to visit. You can enjoy beautiful views and eat delicious food, like crepes & pancakes. You can also drink fresh spring water from one of the many wells.

Soba is a traditional Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. You can eat it hot or cold with soy sauce & wasabi.

Nawate Street is another beautiful place to visit. There is a big frog statue. You can take photos, drink coffee, and visit the nearby shrine.

You will want to visit Matsumoto. Now, enjoy your visit.

Posted for Ceilidh 

Teaching - and assessing - Young Learners

Calling all teachers of Young Learners in Kanto...here's a great opportunity for you to share your teaching skills, add some internationally recognised PD to your CV. And top up your bank account from time to time. Bingo?!

Cambridge Assessment English's most active Centre in Japan, Kawaijuku JP026, needs YOU! Training for Speaking Examiners to deliver & assess the Young Learners suite of speaking tests is only being run once this year in Tokyo over the July 11-12 weekend - so get cracking with signing up before all the seats are snaffled up > details https://lnkd.in/gH_-Fte3 Please check you meet Minimum Professional Requirements - applicants must reside in Japan & be eligible to work ie have the relevant visa....and enjoy teaching children!

Breaks my heart to have to say that Luna is no longer a Cambridge Centre for Young Learners (nor any other exam) as we basically saved this brand in Japan. 

My big sister Fuu

I have an older sister who was born one year before me. She and I used to go same school until high school. I moved after that and she keeps to live in Miyagi. She said “ I don’t want to leave from hometown! “ But I can’t really understand that one. We are totally different in our preferences, personalities, and ways of thinking.
She studied in the nutrition department at university and now works as a nutritionist at a kindergarten in Sendai.

She loves eating, but it seems like she doesn’t really enjoy cooking, even though she’s a nutritionist!

She looks positive and optimistic, but I think she is actually a little conservative and responsible, and she doesn’t prefer big changes.

To be honest, we didn’t used to get along very well.We fought a lot when we were children.However, as we grew up and started living apart, I realized that this is just the right distance for us. Now we message and call each other, and we can enjoy spending fun time together more than before.

I hope we can keep this natural relationship.

Cross-posting from LinkedIn - Speaking Examiner training

It's taken a few days to get my voice back!March 28th - training for Cambridge Assessment English speaking examiners (SEs) at A2 & B1 levels in Tokyo was such a popular ticket that Kawaijuku JP026 doubled the registration and were STILL over-subscribed.

Participants rubbed shoulders with colleagues from JHS & HS settings, ALTs as well as homeroom teachers; language school & Eikaiwa teachers; university teachers/lecturers/assistant professors from across the Greater Tokyo area + a journeyman from Osaka. PhDs, Masters, DELTAs & CELTAs in abundance + a blizzard of different passports & previous teaching experiences...all of which went into the mix so that we can deliver these speaking tests to globally recognised standards & assess with analytical confidence.

Great to see some SEs getting back into the team after being sidelined by work elsewhere, and others joining us from Centres overseas &/or stepping up to add new levels having proven their own "Can Do". And the newbies realising they were in the right place, just stuff was a lot harder than imagined?

March 29th - Certification - is 'prove it' day. Many learnings to take in during training, a chance to fine tune interlocution chops & table management/non-verbal skills...and thoroughly apply detailed assessment criteria to two individual performances in a paired format, quickly.

As usual, I learned a lot. Inevitable, in a room of 32 teachers, each of whom has 3,000+ classroom hours under his/her belt - that's a LOT of experience :)
Frequently bailed out by my TL colleague Damian Gowland, and corrected by our superb SE Personnal Manager Keiko Ohashi & big TY to all participants for staying the course & coming out smiling!

Can't wait to start processing applications for B1 & B2 training, Tokyo, July 11-12. Find all the details (and apply soon - this session is bound to be much sought after!) https://lnkd.in/g-i8U6MW

Postcard from...Nagurumi Castle ruins, Gunma

 This is an outstanding preservation job on a hilltop castle (site), perched over the Tone River, in Gunma prefecture. The overgrowth has been cleared away, and the site of buildings & fortifications gentrified & identified, clearly identiable with really good signage.

Although the actual footprint of the site is quite small, it sits on a significant ridge with natural (steep!) defensive features, which were enhanced with cross-contour ditches. These have been bridged, which makes this an easy stroll of exploration. The view from the tip overlooking the valley is stunning, and I imagine this location would have been very difficult to overwhelm.

The connections with Sanada, of Ueda Castle fame, is quite something, given it's a long hour's drive around the mountains via the Agatsuma valley today and chilly enough even as spring is breaking.

This information from JCastle info:

Originally a fortification on this site was built by the Numata in defense of Numata Castle. The present fortifications date to Sanada Masayuki who fortified them to launch his attacks on Numata Castle. As an ally of the Takeda, Sanada Masayuki took control of the area by taking Iwabitsu Castle, Nagurumi Castle and finally Numata Castle in 1580. This area was heavily disputed between the Sanada and the Hojo until 1589 when Hideyoshi ended hostilities by giving the area, including Nagurumi Castle, to Sanada and the remainder to the Hojo. This decision did not sit well with the Hojo commander Inomata Kuninori who attacked and took Nagurumi Castle in late 1589. This was the famous spark that set off Hideyoshi's campaign to end the Hojo. Hideyoshi defetaed the Hojo the following year (1590) thus unifying all Japan. The Sanada were given Numata castle and Nagurumi was abandoned.

Please visit that great website for more castle info & places to explore!

I want to follow the BFG’s example! ~Talking About the Amazing BFG~

 

The BFG is different from the other giants.
First, he doesn’t eat people. Even when he is very hungry, he keeps eating snozzcumbers, which taste very terrible. He hates their taste, but he still eats them because he does not want to hurt people.

Also, while the other giants are violence, but the BFG is kind. He catches dreams and sends good dreams to people so that they can sleep happily at night. This shows his warm heart.

In the end of story, the BFG works together with Sophie and talks to the Queen of England about the man-eating giants. With the Queen’s help, the giants are caught, and people can live in peace.

If I were the BFG, I might not be able to eat bad food when I was very hungry. The BFG is amazing because he values his kindness to protect people more than his hungry.

Like the BFG, I’m going to resist hungry, eat vegetables (though vegetables have greater taste than snozzcumbers!), and try to my diet :)

What “Shopaholic” shows us

 

Due to quickly growth of Internet, we can buy something online very easy. We do not have to give real cash to shop staff, so it is difficult to feel how much money we really used. Because of this, people may spend more money. There are full of goods from all over the world, I think that many people can become ‘’ Shopaholic’’ like a Beckey.

I almost become a Shopaholic. I loved collecting goods of Pokémon, and I was exited everywhere I pressed the ‘’buy’’ button. I can’t stop myself. Next month, I saw my credit card bill and I was very surprised and scared. The bill showed me clearly the result of my actions. I learned that it is important to look back at what we spend money and think if it was really needed. （Even so, there are times when I feel like I can’t control myself to say , “I want that.” The internet is scary!!! ）

In the story, Beckey keep shopping and ignoring credit card bills and letter from the bank. I think this is a bad habit. In the end, Beckey tries to pay back her own debt, but she loses many important things such as trust from friends and family. One wrong choice, I feel that I might have become like Becky. This story teaches us to think carefully about how to use our limited money.

 

A Giant to be respected

 Virtually all Giants love to eat people and eat people every night.  One night, fourteen boys and eighteen girls disappeared from their beds at school. However, the only Big Friendly Giant doesn’t eat people in Giant Country, and he eats a strange vegetable called a snozzcumber to relieve hunger though it tastes terrible, and he really hates it. Delicious things like apples and oranges don’t grow in Giant County.

It may be quite easy for the BFG to eat people to satisfy his hunger. However, it is important and wonderful that he didn't do anything that he thought was wrong.

I see a similar situation in our development for our customers. We supply goods in North America, South America, the U.K., Europe, Australia, and New Zealand mainly. The U.K. and Europe have a very high eco-consciousness, and their products use minimal plastic, but the U.S. is the opposite. The plastic parts are much cheaper than the non-plastic parts, but the U.K. and Europe take wonderful action to save our future. I respect them who do something that makes the future better though it causes some impact in cost, efficiency etc.

Is shopping a good way to feel happy?

 I don’t think shopping is a good way to feel. 

I understand that it is easy to feel happy if we go shopping, but good feeling is not maintained for a long time. Our material desires have no limits. For example, when we buy clothes, accessories, or small gifts for ourselves, we may feel more confident or satisfied. 

This is why some people use shopping as a way to reduce stress or improve their feeling. Sometimes, I do shopping when I feel stressed. 

On the other hand, people might feel regret if they spend too much money or buy things they do not really need. Shopping can be addictive, and some people cannot stop even if they want to. Many people suffer from this problem for many years. 

It is often said that true happiness comes from experiences rather than things. Such as spending time with family and friends, achieving goals, learning new skills, or helping others. These activities can improve our feeling of happiness in the long term. If shopping is done not to satisfy our own desires but for the sake of others, I believe it can have a very positive effect on our feelings.

In conclusion, shopping can make us happy for a short time, but it should not be our main happiness. Buying small things is okay, but true happiness comes from people we care about, good experiences, and growing for our skills. 

I know the good way to spend money for my feelings, but I cannot stop my material desire!!