What's New at Kyoto NHK ESS?

Dear Kyoto ESS members,

This is the announcement of the practice on September 8th.
1 Genre:Talk
2 Title ; Five questions
3 Description;
the questions are

1 If you could get 100 million yen, how would you use it?

2 If you are going to study the third language, what language will you choose and why?

3 Of all the incidents that have happened in your life, what made you the happiest?

4 What was your biggest trouble in your life?

5 Which foreign country would you like to travel to and why?

Make groups of 4 or 5 members and discuss the questions listed above.
20 minutes later, we stop the discussion
&n! bsp; and each group reports what they discussed.
Choose one reporter in your group and report your discussion for 2 minutes.

I hope all of you enjoy this practice.

Kazue Hashizume

京都ESSの皆様

夏も終盤になってなお、暑さはとどまるところをしらない勢いですね。今年の夏は、「猛烈残暑」の年とも言えそうです。しかしながら猛烈な残暑となっているものの、電気の使用量は昨年と比べて大幅に上回ることは無かったそうですよ。どこの家庭でも企業でも施設でも…至る所で節電対策が実施された結果、冷夏並みの電気使用量であったとのことです。そう言われてみると、いつの間にか「緑のカーテン」が夏の恒例となっている気がしませんか。日本人のライフスタイルに「セツデン」が定着しつつあると感じた夏でした。
さて、涼しい秋の便りを待ちわびながら、ホットな8月のニュースレターを配信いたします。

【8月4日】
プラクティス：　斉藤誠一郎様　Game, “The Hundred poems by One Hundred Poets”
参加者： 34名

【8月11日】
プラクティス：　田中隆一様　Talk and Discussion, “Olympic”
参加者：　33名

【8月18日】
特別講演：　Mr. Matthew Sitcow　”How to Master English Fast?”
参加者：　37名

【8月25日】
プラクティス：　鯰越香織様　Genre：Talk, “Let's use proverbs!”
参加者：　32名


≪TOPICS≫
　会話の中で何気なく発した言葉に対して「その言葉、もう死語ですよ」と言われてハッとしたこと、もしくは相手の言葉を聞いてとっさに「最近言わなくなったよな」と思ったこと、皆さんそれぞれご経験がおありかと思います。そうなのです、言語は生きているのですね。死語がある一方、もちろん新語もあります。さて今月は「今どきの英単語」についてお話しさせてください。つい先日、私も初めて耳にした言葉でした。

　突然ですが、その新語を含んだダイアログを用意いたしました。不明解な単語があっても、現時点で辞書は引いていただかなくて結構ですよ。気軽にご一読ください。
Ken: Do you know how many languages are in the world?
Betty: Let’s see… about 3,000?
Ken: No! More, Betty!! Over 8,000 languages, Wikipedia says.
Betty: So that’s wikiality, isn’t it?
Ken: Exactly.

　いかがでしたか。比較的簡単な単語が並べてある会話文ですが、クエスチョン・マークが配当される箇所があったかと思います。
　先ず “Wikipedia”、こちらは既に多くの方がご存知かと思います。ウィキペディアは、インターネットに繋がる環境であれば、誰でも書き込んで百科事典の内容を充実させることができる、言わば万人参加型の「フリー百科事典」です。
　問題は次ですよね、“wikiality”。この言葉は、上記のWikipediaとreality(現実)から造られた造語です。その定義は「物事の事実はさておき、ウィキペディアのようなシステムを通して多数決原理によって“真実”が形成されること」です。大勢の人が同意するからこそ真実だとされることを指します。2006年アメリカのテレビ番組がきっかけで全米中に影響を与え、話題となった新語だそうです。

　英語に限らず、全ての言語において新しい言葉は形成されます。私たちは言語を持つからこそ他者との意思疎通ができ、また言語は人間が使うからこそ絶えることなく在り続けることができるのです。そう考えると人々の生活に応じた言葉、時代に応じた造語が形成されることはむしろ自然なことなのかも知れません。
　私たちと言葉は切ってもきれない関係なのです。
　新語や造語を覚えても実際に使う機会は滅多に無いかと思いますが、英語の勉強の息抜きに調べてみるのはいかがでしょうか。その国の背景が垣間見える瞬間があるかも知れませんね。
　やはり、言葉を勉強するって奥が深いです！楽しいです！！9月からも英語学習の楽しさをもっともっと発見していきましょう。

【3 Key-Words from News Letter of this month】
1. (新しい言葉｛ことば｝を)作る： coin (動詞)　　※「硬貨」を指すコインと同音異義語
2. 多数決原理：　majority rule
3. ウィキペディアのようなシステム：　Wikipedia-like system

“wikiality”にご興味がある方は、是非こちらをご覧ください。
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/72347/july-31-2006/the-word---wikiality

京都ESS　スタッフ
小寺裕子

Dear Kyoto Ess members;
Hello, this is an announcement of the practice on September 15.
(1) Genre: Presentation
(2) Title: Show and Tell about Your Summer
(3) Description:
Think of your summer Just past.
Did you go on a trip? Did you stay home or lazed around the house?
Whatever you did, you must have had some different precious experiences.
Bring some objects that will give you a lead to talk about your summer experiences.
Show them and tell about your experiences in your group.

Please be sure to bring some objects to show. Photos on your phone will do.

1. Make some groups.
2. Show the object you bring and tell about it in your group.(within 5 minutes a parson)
3. Each member can ask a question after the presentation.

Any object can be used if you have interesting information to present with it.
For example,
Photograph, a map, a ticket, a souvenir, and any keepsakes ---- you brought back from your trip
Photograph, a book, a craftwork, and a recipe card you cooked ---- you enjoyed at home

Have a good time showing and telling, and your listeners will enjoy it too.
Takada Kumiko

Dear Kyoto Ess members;

Hello, this is an announcement of the practice on September 15.

(1) Genre: Presentation

(2) Title: Show and Tell about Your Summer

(3) Description:

Think of your summer Just past.

Did you go on a trip? Did you stay home or lazed around the house?

Whatever you did, you must have had some different precious experiences.

Bring some objects that will give you a lead to talk about your summer experiences.

Show them and tell about your experiences in your group.

Please be sure to bring some objects to show. Photos on your phone will do.

1. Make some groups.

2. Show the object you bring and tell about it in your group.(within 5 minutes a parson)

3. Each member can ask a question after the presentation.

Any object can be used if you have interesting information to present with it.

For example,

Photograph, a map, a ticket, a souvenir, and any keepsakes ---- you brought back from your trip

Photograph, a book, a craftwork, and a recipe card you cooked ---- you enjoyed at home

Have a good time showing and telling, and your listeners will enjoy it too.

Takada Kumiko

Dear Kyoto ESS members,

Hello, this is the announcement of the practice on September 22th.

1. Genre; Presentation

2. Title; Autumn is the season for ○○.

3. Description;


It is autumn!
In Japanese culture, you know, autumn is the season for the arts, sports, appetite and reading.

Now, speak about your grand plan enjoying all of the arts, sports, appetite and reading.
It is okay to have already done.


Arts … Painting, picture, music, poem, play, and so on. Do you go to any exhibition? Do you make any art by yourself?

Sports … Do you watch any sports on TV Do you go to a stadium? Do you take part in sports?

Appetite … Matsutake mushroom, saury, marron, sweet potato, and so on. Where do you eat these? Do you make dishes?

Reading … How many books do you read? What genres the books are?


[Steps]

1. Make some groups.

2. Receive a handout, and think about your grand plan for this autumn.

3. Speak about your plan by turns in your group.


I hope you will enjoy this practice and this autumn.

Emi Hibino

Dear Kyoto ESS members,

This is the announcement for the practice on September 29th

Do you know what the Japanese English Communication level is in the world and in Asia?

Surprisingly, we are so lower level; lower than China, Korea and we are almost the same as North Korea. I’m really afraid that we hardly survive as a leading nation in the world from now on. Please consider the following:

1. Genre: presentation

2. Title: How to teach English Communication Skills to Japanese people, especially young students, to improving our position?

3. Mission: suppose you are asked by the president of English School to teach such a subject and establish a new course for improving our English skills. Then, how do you make a unique and interesting plan, for motivating, encouraging and providing goals. Let’s discuss and come up with some solutions for better teaching!

If your presentation is acceptable, your bonus will be raised.

4. Description:

1) make some groups

2) talk about the causes, reasons for poor communication skills.

3) think of some better solutions for improvement.

4) choose one person from the group, and report on the discussion.

I really hope you’ll enjoy this practice with me.

Thanks, Yoshio Miwa

Dear Kyoto ESS members,

Hello, I’m Yoshio Miwa. I’m very sorry for the late notice, as I had to manage Daigo English Share House and attend TED Kyoto Conference at Kyoto University last Sunday.

This is the announcement for the practice on September 29th
Do you know what the Japanese English Communication level is in the world and in Asia?
Surprisingly, we are so lower level; lower than China, Korea and we are almost the same as North Korea. I’m really afraid that we hardly survive as a leading nation in the world from now on. Please consider the following:

1. Genre: presentation
2. Title: How to teach English Communication Skills to Japanese people, especially young students, to improving our position?
3. Mission: suppose you are asked by the president of English School to teach such a subject and establish a new course for improving our English skills. Then, how do you make a unique and interesting plan, for motivating, encouraging and providing goals. Let’s discuss and come up with some solutions for better teaching!
If your presentation is acceptable, your bonus will be raised.
4. Description:
1) make some groups
2) talk about the causes, reasons for poor communication skills.
3) think of some better solutions for improvement.
4) choose one person from the group, and report on the discussion.

I really hope you’ll enjoy this practice with me.
Thanks,

Dear Kyoto ESS members,

Hello, this is an announcement for the practice on October 6th.
1. Genre : Discussion
2. Title: Choices and discussion
3. Description:
You have two choices, choose one on each question and discuss it in your group. Please talk about backgrounds, related experiences, stories or whatever, regarding your choice.

The questions are;
1. If you could reborn, you will be
A. Male B. Female

2. Which of the invention of “DORAEMON” would you like to have?
A. Dokodemo Door B. Take Copter

3. If only one thing you can have, you will have......
A. Personal computer B. TV

4. Which character would you like to be?
A. A person who is disliked by everyone but smart. B. A person who is liked by everyone but stupid.

5. Which way will you choose to marry?
A. Arranged marriage B. Love marriage

Make some groups as usual.
Choose someone in the group and report your talking for about 2min.
The questions are all familiar one, so please enjoy your talking.

G. Kitaura