Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.

June 26, 2013
Dear Friends
"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
Henry Ford
father of the US automotive industry
1863-1947

Great minds of Nihon.

June 25, 2013
Dear Friends
Our great minds are working on  a new venture.

日本の今後の外国語教育の在り方についてかんがえる。グローバル人材育成の重要性。

吉田建作上智大学外国学部長先生
June 24, 2013
Dear Students and Friends
I think each university student should know what to do for their homework.
Let me write some points of Professor Yoshida Kensaku's talk that took place in Nihon University College of Humanities on Thursday, June 20, 2013.
First he talked on the Japanese government policy and guideline under the previous regime and they stress inevitable need of English as not only communicative skill in internet or transportation but in various fields like environment, energy, or medicine and extended to almost all the fields in this globalized world.
He mentioned the need of revising the entrance examination but not in detail, so it will probably take longer.
He contrasted the Japanese TOEFL iBt score of Japanese students in Asia and obviously Japan ranks the lowest with 90 out of 120 points. He compared the other two tests score and both not impressive. One was IMD ( the world competitiveness index), out of 59 nations Japan rank 58, but I was surprised to see the mobile phone fee is 59, the lowest. He was not concerned with it. Business English Index was the worst of all regions with 3.40 out of full mark of 7 and Korea is 5.24. From these it is obvious that we have problems teaching English.
(to be continued)
gto

Positive thinking: all of the graduates of SJC 1973 have positive thinking

SJC 1973 graduates reunion at Senzankaku
After 40 years SJC graduates can sing their school song.

グローバル人材育成の重要性

June 20, 2013
Dear Students
Today I went to a special talk by Sophia University dean of Language Center, Professor Yoshida Kensaku. He talked about English education today and how to improve the learning and acquisition of English not like native speaker but as a Japanese English speaker.

Nihon University students should go over Chapter 9, Multi-cultural Britain and answer these questions:
1. What did you find most surprising or interesting in this chapter?
2. Do you agree that the UK is"lucky" to have had so much immigration?
gto

Life is not easy for any of us.

                                         Prince Chichibu at Yokohama Country Club around 1927

June 19, 2013
Dear Friends and Students

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that?  We must have
perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves.  We must
believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must
be attained.
Marie Curie
Polish scientist
1867-1934
誰にとっても、人生は楽なものではない。だが、それがなんだというのだ。
わたしたちは、忍耐と、そして何よりも自分への自信を持たねばならい。
私たちは、何かのために才能を授けられているのだから、それを達成せねばならない、
と信じるべきだ。
I think this is Positive thinking.
What do you think of this statement?

Today I went to Ferris University and covered the section on Terrorism from 9.11.  We saw the documentary on it with Youtube. The question they had for the end of the chapter was on the opinion of
democracy.  I thought it was irrelevant so ask the question on terrorism.
After the class I went up to the documentary section to print some conversational drills for the Water workers. I drove the car to Yokohama/Kanagawa office to prepare for the nursery classes. Their attention span is very limited so I must switch every 10 or 5 minutes to a different topic; reminded me of interaction exercises in university conversation drills, shows that the Japanese students' attention span is surprisingly limited, too.
On the road I saw an ad of Hitoko Yokohama International School. I was surprised to see the name as well as there are so many Pre schools emerging in this country.
gto

Fortune leaves always some door open to come at a remedy.

                                         A picture of swimmers of Yokohama Country and
                                         Athletic Club, 1930's?
                                        ( most of them were SJC students/graduates)

Fortune leaves always some door open to come at a remedy.
(from Don Quixote)
Miguel de Cervantes
Spanish novelist and playwright
1547-1616
運というものは、改善される余地を常に残している。

Today I went up to Nihon University to listen to the students' presentation from my blogs and amazed  with their well done work.
I would ask them to work on the questions in the end of chapter of Welcome to Britain.
To the conversation students of Meiji University Surugadai I would like them to prepare a speech on the question number 5 of Unit 18 of our textbook. You should answer 2 to 3 questions of the listed words.
gto

United Nations University looking from Aoyama Gakuin University, June 14, 2013

June 17, 2013
Today we covered "positive thinking" in Ferris University. We spent most of time with textbook on " positive thinking" with "Ningen banji Saiou ga Uma" ( famous Chinese story with horses and a son of a Chinese peasant, lucky or not depends on the situation we can not judge).
Students should work with the digest edition of Newspaper and Journal plus answer questions of the textbook.
We would start summarizing the Real Newspapers starting from July with Ferris students.

I would try to write blogs of the class of the day covered.

I would come with some system of bilingual approach of writing and using English/Japanese to perfect my communication skills in English/Japanese by the end of  this month. Let you know.
gto

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.(from Romeo and Juliet)
William Shakespeare
English dramatist and poet
1564-1616
別れと歯、かくも甘美な悲しみかな。
June 16, 2013
Today in rain I went to the Yokohama General Foreign Cemetery with Leslie, Elizabeth, and Toshiko Helm.We went to all the graves of the Helms including two small ones. I remember the Helms as a giant real estate of Yokohama. They had an impressive Helm House built for Tokyo Olympic of 1940 and many houses and stevedore business in pre war days.
They were the witness of pre war and post war Yokohama or should say of Japan.
Don Helm, their father and husband, did his best in keeping the business and feeding many of his relatives
but the world was changing.  It was a prelude to the changing era of Japan in 1973.  It was a chapter one of the changing Japan. The shareholders of Helm Brothers in Hong Kong sold the company to Taiwanese and he sold the Helm House to the government of Kanagawa to make some profit. At the same time Don Helm was going through a lot of stress and filing a divorce with Leslie's mother's.  He sold his 400 tsubo(or about 1200 sq.m.) of his house and plot right across the Foreign Cemetery, today it is Juubankan restaurant and vicinity houses. I asked Leslie on Taiwanese businessman after he bought the Helm Brothers and made a profit out of it.  He told me that the business gambled and lost a huge amount of money. Evil money never stays with you.
I heard every family has a lot of story to tell but few can write it and share with others, and on top of it very few can come with a descent book.
He strongly suggest that I should follow his line and produce a writing to share there is a hundred and one story in this world and especially those who are buried in the cemetery.
gto

To Aoyama students: remember to work on your reallyenglish and topic of news.
This week the concentration will be Interactions!
To Ferris: work on the unit questions, news and journals.
To Nihon Universities:
the last three questions of Britain Today.
  Meiji University:
presentation on News
ACE: no class this week, two units of Problems

The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.

                                         蔦のからまるチャペル、あのころの思い出
　　　　　　　　　　青山学院、旧チャペル
The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.
意志の代わりに愚直的な言葉を投げつけた最初の人間は、文明の創始者だった。
Sigmund Freud
Austrian psychiatrist
1856-1939

June 14, 2013
Dear Friends and Students
Today I went up to Aoyama and found out that many did not understand what they should do in their
Reallyenglish drills. Basically in IE I,  they should concentrate in doing the 25 Listening drill and complete it by the beginning of July.
I think you are not working as hard as you should do in Core Class.  Remember to complete Journals every week with three entries of which one can be a Newspaper vocabulary with summary.
Remember to select a book for the final book report.
We should complete our Interaction Reading textbook within June and next month with Interchange.

My Opinion:
I went to the Yokohama Water Workers but I felt it is neither my job nor Ferris University.  It is the job of Conversation Schools. I don't think we should get involve. I am definitely not going to continue.
I think they want somebody like David Burleigh. He is an expert and a  professor. Don't ask Lecturer level.
I think the mergers of schools are going to happen in near future.  I think the era of any
university to  run a school is finished. It is time to see which university or school to continue.
And the Open College or Life long education should be done only by competent schools(universities)
and sad to say the university I know should not continue doing so.
gto

I do not know which makes a man more conservative---to know nothing but the present, or nothing but the past.

私には、どちらの場合が人をより保守的にするのかわからない。現在のことしか知らない場合
か、過去のことしか知らない場合か。
John Maynard Keynes
British economist
1883-1946

Nihon University students
Today  we read Politics and government in Britain.
Our questions are(1) what do you think of age to vote?
(2) What do you think of rule of not voting, as making compulsory rule to vote?
(3) What do you think of the House of Lords in Britain?

ACE students should complete the First Section of Mr. Mark's textbook, that means
chapters 5 and 6.

Remember all should Cut and paste, copy vocabulary, and summarize Newspaper.
Very soon I will provide regular newspaper, most probably in a few weeks.
gto

Started teaching Yokohama City Water Workers

Started teaching Yokohama City Water WorkersJune 12, 2013
Yokohama Water Workers started leaning English.  We used the textbook, "Internationally Speaking" and NHK Education TV "Otonano Basic English" Video to work on the skit. The textbook emphasizes the pair work.

Ferris Students:
We studied about the economic depression/recession  that took place in 1929 in the USA and Japanese bubble economy of 1989.  Both gave us the hint of danger that exist in unrealistic economic venture.
I want you to read the chapter and come with your opinion on the bubble economy and your view on the
latest "Abenomics".
Ferris University Monday class:
Write sentences about a place that is changing.
Read and discuss on Positive thinking.

Nihon University:
We would cover Britain Today.

Aoyama and Meji Students on Journal
One would be on the news
Two topics would be (1) Compare your life with the future.
(2) TV is a waste of time.

Good Day
gto

Leslie Helm and George Okuhara-Caswell at YCAC, Yokohama

June 9, 2013
Dear Friends and Students
Today I had a chance to listen to Leslie Helm's talk.  He wrote an excellent book.
I learned a big difference before and after the world war II of Yokohama. There were so many
questions raised from the audience but a major one was how to educate someone bilingual.
He answered it is difficult and cannot answer right away. The most difficult part is mastering Japanese.
He suggested to attend Japanese school for four years and switch to English speaking school. He said that spoken language is not difficult but to attaining educated level of written language takes years.  I myself is taking years to acquire proficiency in two languages and still pursuing it even now.
The another important point audience mentioned was his way of adopting Japanese infants from orphanages and steps involving in adopting them and how world accepted them as his children.
This will be a big impact for all of us; and to those without any children it can be a big hint to have one like him.
I will strongly suggest all to read his book.
gto

Pictures of St. Maur students in 1940's during the war.

June 7, 2013
Dear Friends
I received these pictures from the son of the graduate of St, Maur during the war.
I want to do something about the old documents and pictures of international schools in Yokohama.
My strong view point is to establish archives of them at the Yokohama General Foreign Cemetery
Archive museum.

A "No" uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a "yes" merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.

                              A picture of "Omote sandou",
A no" uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a "yes" merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.
Mahatma Gandhi
Indian political and spiritual leader
1869-1948
 June 7, 2013
Dear Students of Aoyama
1. Active Listening class should concentrate with Reallyenglish and start listening to the news
of NHK or BBC.
2. Core one should work on 2 plus 1 base of Journal where Number One of each Journal topic should be done and News should be cut and paste, copy vocabulary and summary you use for InterAction.

Today I went to Omote sandou  to see the shops, church(Tokyo Union Church) and the famous Oriental Bazaar, It was supposed to rain but it didn't. I always wanted to visit for many years but had no chance to do it. On the way I saw Pay Pal and E-bay offices located in the modern Kinokuniya building. I hope I can see Paul Chang working there.
What is your plan for noon?

gto

picture of Yohi 1949

A picture of YoHi
1949

Science, Inventions and business:Our business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance but to do what lies clearly at hand.

SJC alumni meeting,2013

June 6, 2013, Thursday
人生で重要なのは、遠くに茫然と存在するものを見ることではなく、手近なところにはっきり存在するものに取り組むことである。
Thomas Carlyle Scottish essayist and social historian
1795-1881

To the students of"Welcome to Britain"
Discuss:
1. What do you think is the most useful British invention?
2. Choose two more British inventions you think have made the world better?
3. Do you think Japan should be more open to investment from foreign companies?

gto

The airline business and dream to be an ANA pilot.

June 5, 2013
Hasegawa kun wanted to be a pilot from his boyhood.  His mother was a flight attendant and married an office staff  from ANA. He grew up in his mother's hometown of Komaki where used to be Nagoya International Airport. He tired to be a pilot twice and failed but did not give up. He is now a pilot student of Air pilot College in Miyazaki.
The airline business is not like that  in 1960's or 70's when it was the brightest job if you had a good command of English.  This was very limited in Japan where English was not well taught after the war. So the graduates of  St. Joseph College chose the job in the airline business.  In 1958 about 40 percent of the graduates entered this business, mostly in European and American airline companies.
My cousin entered ANA when the airline was only a domestic airline for many years, but in 1970's they started to fly a charter airplane to Hong Kong or Guam. She was not a university graduate and so as many others who spent as year of school training was able to enter ANA.  ANA has a system to be on board from Tokyo or Osaka.  She was Osaka base, so lived in Ikeda city.  Her roommate, Yamaguchi san will be later the first manager and director of all the flight attendants of ANA. My cousin, like many other flight attendants, met a well to do young businessman from Kyoto and got married and later her son went to America and returned after college and successfully became an ANA pilot. This type of a success story among flight attendants and their income of over 10,000,000 yen at the age of 29 in 1990's also attracted many cabin attendant candidates.
JAL before they got bankrupted send the black limousine hired taxis to pick up not only  pilots but also cabin attendants. No wonder they were very attractive jobs for girls, but  caused the bankruptcy of JAL.

I think many of the students would like to work in an airline company.
I want you to discuss merits and demerits of working in an airline company or a tourist company.

A Visionary/writer with a mission

June 4, 2013
Dear Students and Friends
Today I would like to send assignments for Ferris Monday students.
One is to cut and paste a newspaper article, copy the vocabulary, and write a summary on it.
Second:
1. Think about a place that immigration is changing. write the name of the place.
2. How is immigration or international culture changing this place?  Think about the place now and in the past. What are some changes in businesses, restaurants, supermarkets, languages people speak, music, art, schools, and families? Also remember changes you read about in the unit.

Meiji English Conversation students: remember we covered units 11,12,13,14
and our speaking for the coming class will be what you had for Sunday and Monday breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Coming lesson will be "education".

Nihon University Economics College:
We covered women and presentation on it.
Next will be newspaper summary with "Mary Poppins".
This is also true for College of Humanities.

ACE will work with Prof. Mark's textbook with his Software plus extra.

Aoyama will be the book report.
Active Listening group will start the News and Urban problems.
Remember to do Reallyenglish.

gto

Keisei Rose Garden in Yachiyo , Chiba, take a Tozai sen Ride from Nihonbashi.