Need to read in English more, but don't have much time? Then go to Peanuts and read the daily comic strip. Smile while improving your vocabulary.
OWAD's Word a Day
Make building vocabulary fun with OWAD. Try to guess the meaning of the day’s word and learn not only its definition, but also the word’s history.
Yesterday’s term was one I was not familiar with: Bristol fashion.
Bristol fashion
noun phrase
- in good order; efficiently arranged
Collins Dictionary
Note: This phrase is often written in the extended form: “ship-shape and in Bristol fashion"
PHRASE ORIGIN
The phrase "Bristol fashion" (from 1827) has an interesting etymology rooted in the maritime history of the city of Bristol.
Although the earliest recorded use of this phrase dates back to 1827, the concept certainly existed earlier.
Maritime hub: During the 18th and 19th centuries, Bristol was a major port city on the west coast of Britain. It boasted a thriving maritime industry with high standards for ship maintenance.
Quality craftsmanship: Bristol's ship suppliers, providing materials and equipment, were renowned for their craftsmanship and attention to detail. This contributed to the city's reputation for ships being kept in top condition.
Bristol also has the second highest tidal range in the world, causing ships to lean over heavily at low tide. There is speculation that "Bristol fashion" humorously referred to ships being "righted" and put in good order after the tide came in.
The two phrases “ship-shape” and “Bristol fashion” merged in the mid-19th century and have become a standard phrase in English meaning “in excellent order”.
Beginning, Middle, End
I’ve been playing with a new software called Doodly. If I can get good enough at making videos with it, I’ll try to use it for my university classes next year.
Here was my second attempt. Not bad, but not great either.
Nightly News: Kids Edition
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS: KIDS EDITION is a digest of the top headlines, broken down for kids to best understand the world today.
History of the English Language
Mother Goose
マザー・グースとは、🇬🇧で古くから口誦によって伝承されてきた童謡や歌謡の総称で通称。英米で広く親しまれている。元来は「Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes」と。現在では🇬🇧発祥のものばかりでなく、🇺🇸発祥のものも加わり、600から1000以上の種類がある
https://nurseryrhymesmg.com
Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles are a quick and easy way to practice your vocabulary skills and this site has a large number of puzzles ranging from “very easy”, which features the most commonly used words, to “difficult”. Why not give one a try?
Student Recommendations
The other day, my students were talking about YouTube sites they liked.
One recommended AK English:
Another recommended James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke:
How to Improve Your English
Students often ask me how to improve their English. Here are some quick tips that you can do regularly at home which don’t take a lot of time.
生徒さんによく英語の上達方法を尋ねられます。ここで、お家で簡単にできる、英語上達方法をご紹介します！時間があるときにやってみてください。
A. Watch TV dramas and shows on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
Netflix（ネットフリックス）、Hulu（フル）、 Amazon Prime（アマゾンプライム）で海外テレビドラマやテレビ番組、映画を見てみよう！
1. Watch without Japanese subtitles
（まずは日本語、英語どちらの字幕もつけずに見てみよう。リスニングに集中です）
2. Watch with English subtitles
（次に、英語字幕をつけて見てみよう）
3. Watch with Japanese subtitles
（続いて、日本語字幕をつけて見てみよう）
4. Watch without subtitles
（最後にもう一度、どちらの字幕もなしで見てみよう！）
B. Read a lot of “graded readers”.
簡単な英語で書かれた本や絵本をたくさん読もう。音読が大切です。
C. Think in English.
英語で考えてみよう。What should I make for dinner tonight?（夜ご飯何にしようかな？）とか
D. Keep a simple diary in English
一行日記を英語で。週に２、３回ぐらい。できたら…
E. Watch NHK English programs.
NHKの英語番組はよくできているので、好きな番組を録画して勉強してみてください
F. Watch dramas on NHK in English or DLife, etc.
例えば、NHKのおさるのジョージは二ヶ国語放送なので、英語に変更して見てみよう！我が家の子供たちは、カーズやトイストーリーなどディズニー映画は全て英語で見せます。全て理解できなくても、ヒアリング力を上げるために英語の音を耳に入れることが大切です
G. Preview the textbook before your next lesson.
教科書の予習…チラッと目を通すだけでも違いますよ
H. Speak up in class. Don’t be shy!
レッスン中はいっぱい話してください！恥ずかしがらないで
I. Review your notes regularly! And quiz yourself.
定期的に自分のノートの復習しましょう
I also recommend taking test like the TOEIC or EIKEN. What’s important about these is NOT the score, but the MOTIVATION it will give you to study.
時間がある方には、TOEICや英検に挑戦するのもオススメします。点数にこだわる必要はなく、英語を勉強するためのモチベーションになります。
Eigo Beat
子どもたちが時々見ている英語番組。
リズムに合わせて簡単な英文を覚えられます。
小島よしおのインパクトが強すぎて、
「But, but, but, but,,, It doesn’t matter!（でも、そんなの関係ねぇ！）」
が、一番頭に焼き付いているようです。
More:
http://www.nhk.or.jp/eigo/beat/
TED Talks
TED provides a collection of their easier Talks to help you learn English. (Tip: Select subtitles in English so you can read along.)
Bi-Lingirl
バイリンガール！いいネイミングですね。僕の奥さんが彼女のYoutubeを聴きながら絶賛しています。
American vs British English
Unlike Japanese, English doesn't have radically different dialects (方言). The average American can understand the average Brit with little difficulty. An Irishman can converse easily with someone from New Zealand.
There are some words, however, that are different.
Why We Struggle Learning Languages
This is a good presentation. Well worth watching.
"If you want to learn a language efficiently, then you need to give that language LIFE. Every word needs to connect to sounds and images and scents and tastes and emotions every bit of grammar can't be some kind of abstract grammatical code. It needs to be something that can help you tell your story. And if you do this, you will find that the words begin to stick in your mind and the grammar it begins to stick."
NBC News
Watching the news is a good way to improve your listening ability & keep up with current events abroad. NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt streams short videos daily. Click on the "CC" button for English subtitles (英語の字幕).
American Comic Strips
Comics are an great introduction to reading in English and comics AZ Central has all the most popular comic strips including Bloom County, Garfield, Doonesbury, and so on.
Eiga de Eigo
映画で英語ドットコム is a wonderful site that explains key lines from popular movies. For example:
１、You’re mad, bonkers, off your head! But I’ll tell you a secret: all the best people are.
あなたは気が狂って、おかしくて、正気じゃないわ。ただ、あなたに秘密を教えてあげるわ。すばらしい人々ってのは実はみんなそうなのよ。
アリス・キングスレイのセリフ
２、I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.
昨日になんて戻れないわ。だって昨日の私は別人だもの。
アリス・キングスレイのセリフ
３、I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.
私は自分にいいアドバイスをするんだけど、ほとんどそれに従わないの。
「seldom」は「滅多に～しない」といった否定形の副詞です。
４、I am not like others girls.
私はほかの女の子たちとは違うの。
I am not like～で「私は～のようではない」というフレーズになります。
５、Oh dear, I do wish I hadn’t cried so much.
ああ、こんなに泣かなければよかった。
Most Common Words
List of 100 Most Common Words
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_common_words_in_English
List of 1000 Most Common Words
https://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-vocabulary/top-1000-words/
List of 3000 Most Common Words
https://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-vocabulary/top-3000-words/
Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary
1. Read, read, and read.
The easiest way to do this is to read about things you like in English. If, for example, you like gardening, then read about gardening in English. You can find all kinds of websites, magazines and books on that topic.
Another way is to read what are called Graded Readers. These are often simplified versions of famous novels. Oxford Bookworms have books in five levels 1~5. Penguin, too, has a similar series. There are also graded readers for children. The Step Into Reading series is recommended.
2. Keep a dictionary and thesaurus handy.
3. Use a journal.
4. Learn a word a day.
5. Play some games.
6. Engage in conversations. That is, talk A LOT with MANY different people.
7. Use Online Vocabulary Building Tools, such as:
Dictionary.com's Word-of-the-Day
Free Rice: Learn Vocabulary, Donate Rice to UN World Food Program
Vocabulary.com: Free Word Puzzles and Activities
WordPlays.com: Word Games
This is a quick and easy way to check how many English words you know.
(http://testyourvocab.com)
● Most adult native test-takers range from 20,000–35,000 words
● Average native test-takers of age 8 already know 10,000 words
● Average native test-takers of age 4 already know 5,000 words
● Adult native test-takers learn almost 1 new word a day until middle age
● Adult test-taker vocabulary growth basically stops at middle age
● The most common vocabulary size for foreign test-takers is 4,500 words
● Foreign test-takers tend to reach over 10,000 words by living abroad
● Foreign test-takers learn 2.5 new words a day while living in an English-speaking country