Class #12 Eduation

1. Do you think Japan should give more students options to study more languages

(other than English) in Junior and Senior High School?

I don't think so.
I know it is important for Japanese students to learn non-mother languages,

but we have to treasure our languages.

Because I heard that Japanese student tends to fall in "Kokugo-ryoku".

We need to learn about our culture and language.

So I think Japanese students have to study Japanese than now.

2.read the opinion in the November 5th New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/books/review/EParker-t.html?scp=1&sq=japan%20english%20education&st=cse　

Do you agree with the writer Minae Mizumura

(“The Fall of Japanese in the Age of English”)　

The education system, she argues, doesn’t spend enough time teaching Japanese.”Why?
Give at least 3 reasons to support your answer.

I agree with her opinion. I would like to give 3reasons for this.

First, Japanese education system is not so good.

At school, we learned only English grammar at first.

These sentences are not used by native speakers, and usually it is old one.

It is NOT practical English. So I think English which we learned at school can not educate.

We need to study not only grammar but speaking.

Second, our writing skill is declining because of recent technology.

We can send e-mail without writing themselves.

Hiragana is transformed Kanji or Katakana easily when we make contents using a mobile phone.

And we do not need to remember correct form of Kanji.

This situation is causing that Japanese students' ability to remember Kanji.

We have to write letters by our hand.

Third, people who read books are decreased. Nowadays, there are Internet novels.

It is cheap, lightweight and we can read anywhere.

Of all others, mobile phone's novel is bad. This novel do not serious literature.

I think many mobile phone novels are unskillful passage, story, style and language.

So we need to read paper books more, I think....

Class #11 Men & Women

I read an article from the Japan Times and agree this article with the author.

Actually, Japanese girl's live in glacial times.

Because I think that there are a lot of "Sousyou kei danshi" in Japan.

Many my boys' friends are also "Sousyoku kei danshi".

For example, they do not send e-mail to girl who he like aggressively.

And they say "Now, I 'm busy for part-time job." or "I don't have time for meeting."

It is good things that boys have some hobbies and working so hard,

but I think that they can do the compatibility of love and other things.

In my opinion, good relationship with their lover effect their life.

An article from the Japan Times and give your opinion.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/member/member.html?ek20060110ks.htm

class #10 Table Manners

1. Have you ever eaten in a restaurant in a foreign country?

Where? What did you eat?
Did you make any mistakes? Please explain your experience.
Yes, I have. I went to the restaurant and ordered a cream tea in England.

I didn't know how to eat at first, and I ate it putting jam and clotted cream on the scone

without it is broken into two pieces. So that it was difficult to eat.

And I had thought that clotted cream is butter, but it is completely difference one.

It's good taste, and I like cream tea!!!

2. Did you learn any thing?
I leaned that tea time is blissful moment after work for British people.

It so sweet, tasty and suit with tea. However, I learned other bad thing.

I am very partial to sweets. Cream tea is a one of my favorite sweets.

But when I stayed in England, I ate it a lot a lot a lot.....and my weight became heavy.

I learned that delicious sweets are high calories.

November 30th Class Number 8 Weddings

1.Since Japanese weddings are expensive, do you think having a massive wedding like Korea or UAE is a good idea? Why?
I disagree it, because wedding is a time for celebrating two people. I know, sometimes having a massive party in Japan but it is only two or three gorps. Japanese style is expensive. And I would like to spend a lot of money for marriage travel rather than for wedding. Or I want to have it in a foreign location.

2. What do you think about eloping? Is it a good idea or romantic? Why?
I disagree it. I think it is bad idea and not romantic, because it makes my parents sad and confused. So I would like to get married after my parents allow me.

3. Have you ever thought about having a wedding in a foreign location like Hawaii? Would you do it? Why?Or Why not?
Yes, I would like to have a wedding in phi phi Island or England. In phi phi Island, blue sea, tropical plants and white sands is so beautiful!!! After wedding,I want to hold a party on the sea. In England, I would like to have a wedding in an old castle. It's so romantic!!! But it just my dream.

4.What is your ideal wedding?
In my opinion,wedding is a ceremony for starting new life. And it is a opportunity keeping promise and vowing eternal love. So it doesn't matter that the ceremony is big weather not, I think...

5.What would you definitely do, wear or go to on that big day? Why is that important?
Wedding is big big day for them, but I think that we don't need to celebrate very grandly. I wear dress, and then would like to hold a small home party. In this party, I want to invite my family and a few friends. After wedding, I and my partner would like to go the marriage travel.

6. Have you ever been to a foreigner's wedding? What was your impression?
Sorry. I have ever been to a foreigner's wedding, but I would like to participation someday.

November 16th Class Number 7 Superstitions

1.Do you think it is important to talk about superstitions in cross culture communication class? Why?
Yes, because it is different Japan and other countries. For example, a black cat is the symbol of misfortune in Japan, but it have a opposite meaning in Egypt. It is a cross culture!! And I was interested in it in this class.

2.Is communication affected by superstitions?
I don't think so. Because we do not talk about superstitions in every life. And if I happend met that opportunity, I remember it. If the superstitions affect communication, we can have a good relationship. I think the superstitions is one of a culture. So there is no correct or incorrect.

November 9th Class Number6 Time

1. Please explain a time proverb in your culture.
In my culture, a time proverb is known a lot of people, but a few people use in conversation. I think that it is a part of knowledge.

2. What do the following proverbs mean:

a. Time is money.
We say that 「時は金なり」 in Japanese. It means that we don't have to waste of time when we do something. Because time have value equal with money. This time proverb is changing of "Time is Precious".


b. A stitch in time saves nine.
We say that 「時を得た一針は九針を節約する」 in Japanese. It means that we had done anything ahead of time, we could prevent big misfortune. Some people say that it can paraphrase as "A stitch of today saves nine of tomorrow." In Japanese,we say that「今日の一針明日の九針」.

c. There's no time like the present.d.Let's meet at 4. If I'm not there by 5, leave without me at 6, and I'll be there at 7.
I've never hard before it , so I researched it by Internet. However I couldn't find good explains. And then I'd thought myself. In my opinion, it maybe means that let's meet later if I 'm not there on time, so you can go anywhere until we meet again.

d. There's no time like the present.
We say that 「思い立ったが吉日」in Japanese. It mean that now is very important in most valuable time for us. I think that "time" means good opportunity or chance.

e. Fashionable late.
It means that it we should visit house about 15 minutes later of program when we invited someone. Because it is manner to come house 15minutes later in America. Because in Japan, it is manner going to house on time when I am invited someone.

October 26th Friends

1. I will never discuss about religion with friend, I think.
2. Yes, because she have a child. She has been thinking of her child at first EVERYDAY.
And she go to infant school, go to park to play, read some picture books etc.....
We are same age but our life style is quite different.