Tag - english

 
 

ENGLISH

Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jul 20, 2016
Eiken broadens language tests to address criticisms
As the Eiken Foundation tries to meet the demands of a growing number of test-takers, what do students, parents and teachers make of the tests?
COMMUNITY / Voices / COMMUNITY CHEST
Jul 20, 2016
Readers' letters: Rote learning, vocab and Eiken's aims
Some readers' responses to last month's article by Hans Karlsson, 'Is the Eiken doing Japan's English learners more harm than good?'
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jul 11, 2016
Getting things just right in Japanese with 'kagen'
Introduce the meaning and usage of the noun u52a0u6e1b (u304bu3052u3093).
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Jul 11, 2016
No charges for Hokkaido parents who left son in forest
Police have said they will not file neglect charges against the parents of a 7-year-old boy who was found safe after going missing for six days in a mountain forest in Hokkaido.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jul 11, 2016
Let's discuss the chances of a drought in Kanto
The Kanto region may experience a serious drought this summer due to an 'unprecedented' shortage of water in lakes and reservoirs supplying the area.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jul 6, 2016
Tokyo is squandering resources on its 2020 Olympic English drive
Misguided training program appears to be aimed at turning city workers into unlicensed tour guides.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 4, 2016
Free Japanese lessons await those who keep their eyes and ears open
To glean new vocabulary and useful insights, you have to make sure your mental switch remains in the 'on' position.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jul 4, 2016
Adding that little bit more with conjunctions 'sore ni' and 'sore de'
Introducing the meaning and uses of the conjunction particles u305du308cu306b (and, on top of that) and u305du308cu3067 (therefore, and then).
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 27, 2016
In Japanese, you can find the inner child in everything
It's not news that Japan is running out of children. Though the country's total fertility rate has recently shown some slight signs of recovery, this is unlikely to halt the overall trend of 少子化 (shōshika), which is the common term used to describe the dwindling number of kids. But no worries...
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jun 27, 2016
The generally positive influence of 'koso'
Today, we will introduce Xu304bu3089u3053u305dY and Xu3066u3053u305dY, two patterns that are used with the particle u3053u305d.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 20, 2016
Helping foreign students to learn Japanese
The education ministry's proposal to establish hub schools where foreign students can learn Japanese is a good idea, but the plan will hinge on getting good teachers.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 20, 2016
Repetition and role-play are crucial for speaking success in Japanese
Applying repetition to speaking practice will help you sound more natural and bring phrases to your tongue more easily.
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jun 20, 2016
Divining the difference between 'tama ni' and 'tamatama'
Introducing two adverbs, u305fu307eu306b and u305fu307eu305fu307e, that sound similar but have rather different meanings.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Jun 20, 2016
Japan to take 150 Syrians as students
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says that Japan will accept 150 Syrians over five years, treating them not as refugees but university students.
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jun 20, 2016
Let's discuss what young Japanese want from work
Google, All Nippon Airways and Toyota have emerged as the ideal workplaces for Japanese millennial talent, according to a survey.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 15, 2016
Japan's dispatched ALTs struggle without a safety net
In late March, 65 English assistant language teachers, or ALTs, effectively lost their jobs after dispatch agency Interac lost a contract with the Sapporo Board of Education.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jun 13, 2016
Just say 'no' to top off informal questions, answers and requests in Japanese
Introduce some proper uses of the sentence-ending particle u306e, which is used in informal conversation.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Jun 13, 2016
Healthy aging has little to do with age
When it comes to maintaining health in your older years, age means little and obesity may not be so bad after all.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Jun 8, 2016
Is the Eiken doing Japan's English learners more harm than good?
Critics argue that the Eiken proficiency exams focus too heavily on vocabulary, grammar and the written word at the expense of fluency.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 6, 2016
Trilingual actress Yuho Yamashita proves that sheer drive can bring fluency
Yuho Yamashita, who has acted in Japanese, English and German during her career, talks about her approach to learning languages.

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan