ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

Family is so important to everyone. If we had no family we would feel so alone in the world. Your family is your support system, when all else fails, and will be there for you in your darkest days to hold you up and cheer you on. Family can not be replaced so easily and can not be undone. I love my family dearly and respect my family. They have cheered me on for so long and it has given me the courage and strength to fight for my future desires and my future goals. Cherish your family and love them and they will never try to leave you.

Thank you for reading!

Leigh  

Hello every one and happy Friday!

It looks to be another beautiful day. I hope everyone is in a great mood , I know I am . I love just waking up happy. I hate it when i wake up with a headache or still very tired and feeling lazy. Today I woke up very happy. So I am going to send all my happy vibes to all of you.


Here is a cute picture that will hopefully make you smile.

Have a great GEM school day

Zee  

If you have been following my posts, a couple of articles I wrote about my experiences in Sagada. Just East of Sagada was a really interesting city called "Banaue." I was able to meet villagers as I did a home stay in one of their villages for a few nights before venturing off to the actual city.

As shown in the pictures above show the amazing people I met and the beautiful landscape. The last picture is an ice cream dessert that is called "Halo Halo." This is what every person should have while traveling to the Philippines - it is a must.  

Japan has a lot of beautiful place and many theme parks as well, but have any of you heard of a place called Medieval Times? It's this place in North America that puts on a spectacular show and serves dinner. I've been to this show three times now and it changes every so often. The knights do battle and many different animals perform. The show is amazing. I highly recommend anyone to go see it. There are only nine locations though. One of them is in Canada. This picture is of the show I attended in California.

  

When I was in America, a group of friends and I enjoyed getting together to sing songs; basically karaoke. The thing is, there weren't really many places we could go as a group to go and sing. We actually had to buy a game system just so we could sing. Not here in Japan, though. You don't have to go to far to find a karaoke bar, and that is awesome. I can go and sing every night if I wanted to. Just another reason for me to be happy that I am in Japan, :D  

This week I have been thinking about science a lot! In the past five years science has taken giant leaps and bounds in almost every area! How could you not think about it! Human ingenuity is amazing and it will never calm down! To name just a few scientific advancements that are simply crazy are the TALOS pretty much an Iron Man suit in real life! So cool! Another example of humankind's awesomeness is Quantum Stealth; we can now become invisible to the naked eye when its worn! The final thing I will mention is Graphene. Graphene is an amazing discovery that will revolutionize the world! It is a substance that is harder than diamonds but more brittle that a sapphire! I cannot wait to see how these three inventions alone change the world in the next 10 years! Science changes everything!  

This week I have been thinking about science a lot! In the past five years science has taken giant leaps and bounds in almost every area! How could you not think about it! Human ingenuity is amazing and it will never calm down! To name just a few scientific advancements that are simply crazy are the TALOS pretty much an Iron Man suit in real life! So cool! Another example of humankind's awesomeness is Quantum Stealth; we can now become invisible to the naked eye when its worn! The final thing I will mention is Graphene. Graphene is an amazing discovery that will revolutionize the world! It is a substance that is harder than diamonds but more brittle that a sapphire! I cannot wait to see how these three inventions alone change the world in the next 10 years! Science changes everything!  

Sometimes by the end of class our kids are tuckered out (sleepy). Nap time is probably the best time in the world. I love sleeping and everything that comes with it. Especially dreaming. I wonder what Kevin is dreaming about...
Also when you are older, like my middle school students you might need a rest. Going from school to clubs to English class then home to do homework is very tiring so right before class I usually catch my students having a nap. They wake up and are more energetic and have open minds after naps. I think everyone should have a nap during the day. It makes things so much easier.
  

Setting goals in life can help you achieve a lot. However, when you're learning a language it can be hard to set tangible goals. A common goal is to "be fluent", but what does "fluent" mean? If you can order lunch at a restaurant are you fluent? If you can give an academic speech at a university are you fluent? If you can read and understand a novel are you fluent? What if you make a small mistake, are you not fluent?

Here are some examples of good goals you can set in your English learning:
- Memorize a song you like and be able to sing it at karaoke
- Finish a chapter of a book in English and take note of the words and phrases you're unsure of (then ask your teacher about it!)
- Write and give a speech in English
- Pass an exam at a certain level (for example, TOEFL)
- Memorize 10 vocabulary words
- Practice speaking/reading/writing for 10 minutes a day

What are your English learning goals?




  

Last weekend, I went to a Bamboo Forest in Soja, Okayama. It was very interesting. I have never been to one and there aren't any in the United States.

I enjoyed the fresh air and green bamboo as well saw a small shrine there. I thought about how much history Japan has compared to the United States. There is a lot to do and see in Japan. I hope I can travel more.

I told my students about my experience at the forest and they suggested I go to Kyoto and see the huge one there. I have been to Kyoto before with a friend, but I didn't get to go see it. It can get very hot there.

It has been hot lately in Japan. 80 degrees. I hope I can eat a lot of ice cream to cool down!
Have you been to a forest?
  

It's really amazing how much our moods depend on the weather, at least I think so. This winter was so cold, wasn't it? But now kind of all at once it's finally summer, warm weather. The beach in Kanonji is full of young families, with kids running around, playing in the playground. So much nicer than winter, isn't it? I understand those who are into winter sports, and enjoy the bracing cold, and keeping warm with vigorous activity, but otherwise it's just unpleasant. Thank God it's warmer, and we can enjoy it. There are so many nice places in Shikoku as well, so much to see, so much to enjoy. Let's enjoy it, shall we?   

It's strange, the rainy season still hasn't started. Not that I am complaining; I really love this time of year in Kagawa. I have no allergies, and the temperature and humidity suit me perfectly. After the rainy season it is simply too muggy for me. So rain, rain stay away, and come back... well in a couple more weeks.  

Throughout history hats have been a major part of the fashion society. I really enjoy hats of all shapes and sizes but my favorite hats of all are top hats. Hats are very useful because they block the sun, but the majority of hats aren't so useful as they are meant for fashion only. The hat pictured above is a top hat that my sister owns. This hat is meant for fashion. I hope you enjoyed my little post on hats. What kinds of hats do you like to wear?

Thanks for reading,

Leigh   

Hello,

It is a lovely Friday today. I hope everyone is doing well.




As the weather is getting warmer i do hope many people don't catch hay fever. I know i am trying my best not to get sick or catch it. And wearing a mask will not hurt .

Have a great weekend every one  

Hello,

It is a lovely Friday today. I hope everyone is doing well.




As the weather is getting warmer i do hope many people don't catch hay fever. I know i am trying my best not to get sick or catch it. And wearing a mask will not hurt .

Have a great weekend every one  

I love sports, and coming to Japan has made it harder to follow many of the sports back home - Baseball, Basketball and Hockey. But the one sport that I can follow easily is Soccer. Soccer is truly a world sport that no matter where you go you can follow everything about the sport from International club matches, local matches (Kamatamare Sanuki!) and of course the world cup. Due to my parents being born and raised in Portugal before immigrating to Canada, Soccer does run very deep in my family. So I am exciting to experience the World Cup from Japan as I will be cheering for Japan and Portugal this year.


- Let's do this

James Barbosa  

Mt. Mayon, yes that is what you see in the pictures above. It is considered one of the wonders of the world. It is a perfect shaped volcano while still active. I had the privilege to climb to the tip of the volcano. Unfortunately, I do not have any photos of how steep it can get on the way to the top. It took over a day to reach the top while accompanied by a few other local Filipinos.  

Mao and I are good friends. We love hanging out together. We always have so much fun. It's because of that that she has come to love English and has tried hard to learn. When we play we speak English and she does well. She just keeps practicing. This is a picture of us in a store in America. She was very happy to find and play a Hello Kitty guitar.

  

So, earlier this week, I drove in Japan for the first time. I was worried it would be difficult, but it really isn't too much different from driving in America. Yes, the steering wheel is on the right instead of the left, and I kept turning on the windshield wipers when I want to use my turn signals. And yes, I have to constantly tell myself to drive on the left side of the road, so I don't end up in an accident. But aside from that, not much different. Though I'm sure there are many more things about driving in Japan that I need to learn about.

Now, I'm not really fond of driving. I mostly do it out of necessity and convenience (and boy, is it convenient!). But there are things you can't see, sights you can't enjoy, without being able to drive around. If I were to keep seeing stuff like this...

as I am driving around, I may be more inclined to drive just to sight see. That is, of course, once I get my own personal vehicle.
  

Hello,

I hope every one is doing well. Today I was asked what kind of girl am I? That question was a good one for I am a very complex girl. I can tell you what kind of girl i am not. That is an easier answer to give. I am not the girl who walks around in pink, the kind of girl who is scared to break a nail or get dirty. I am not the kind of girl who acts like a princess and flirts with every guy she meets. No I am a hard working girl who is not scared to explore the world and do things on my own. I am the kind of girl who is good , loyal, honest and yet i walk my own path to the rhyme of my own drums. I see beauty in most places where others do not. I am just me and happy for it.