「work-life balance」との言葉は今日的な話題です。
一昔前に言われた「猛烈社員」との表現はもはや死語、でも未だに日々仕事に追われ
プライベートな時間が充分でない日本人は一般的と言えるでしょう。
会社の為なら何でも犠牲にできた時代から、自分が主役として
仕事をコントロールする大切さが強調される時代へと、この国も
確実に変化しつつあるようです。
work-life balance
I've heard work-life balance mentioned recently, but what is work-life balance really ?
There are many people who don't really know when someone asks them.
Work-life balance is the condition when you can strike a balance between work and life.
Work is necessary for supporting your life and makes you feel worthwhile. And private
time is also necessary for leading a full life. Work-life balance means how you work and
live make you feel fulfilled.
Speaking of work-life balance, we tend to focus on having a rich private time. It doesn't mean
that you should abstain from work to enrich your private time,and you shouldn't do
overtime work because life time comes first.
It means you should aim to enrich both work and private time by reexamining your
working time and your way of working.
Companies emphasize the importance of work-life balance, so we seem to put so much
effort into the way we work .
(教師から)
I think the concept of work-life balance is relatively modern.
As we have improved our understanding of what it means to have a healthy life, and as we figure
out what makes a good upbringing for children, we have come to realize that work -life balance
is very important.
But in reality it is very hard to achieve because work often focus us to stay at the office late
into the evening.
And if we can't maintain a good work-life balance, our family unity may suffer. Furthermore our
stress may increase and mental health symptoms such as depression may arise.
So we should do what we can to achieve a good work-life balance.
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実際にこの国の入国管理局で起こった悲劇的事件について
書かれています。
海外では大きく報道されましたが、日本国内の主要メディアでは
限られた報道でしたので、ご存知ない方も多いのではないでしょうか。
現在、遺族は日本政府の回答に承諾せず、真相究明のためカンパと署名
を募っています。ネットでは「#JusticeForWishma 名古屋入管死亡事件」で。
Immigration
I am interests in two problems experienced by people from different countries in Japan.
One is Muslim's graves and the other is the Japanese Immigration Services Bureau.
There are about two hundred thousand Muslims in Japan. But they feel anxious about keeping
their religious customs in Japan. Especially they have problems with their graves.
While Islam prohibits cremation,cremation is a typical Japanese custom.
There are only a few graveyards in Japan where they can be buried ,and it is too expensive
(about one million yen per person). Interment is not prohibited in Japan.
The approval of a local government and local residents are required to make a graveyard.
But a lot of Japanese people oppose making an interment only graveyard due to the land pollution
and reputational rumors in the neighborhood. It is difficult for Japanese people to understand
Muslim's stubborn faith because the majority of Japanese people are atheist. So, a lot of Muslims struggle
to bury their deceased family members.
Another problem is that foreigners have been treated in humanely by the Japanese Immigration Services Bureau.
In March,Wishma Sandamali,who is a Sri Lankan Woman, passed away in Nagoya Regional Immigration detention.
She ran away from her husband due to domestic abuse and asked the police for help. But the officer did not protect
her and reported her expired visa to the Immigration Bureau.
Ms.Wishima had been detained for half a year, and then she died without adequate medical care. Also, a few years ago, Deepak Kumar,who is an Indian man, committed suicide in another Immigration Bureau after nine months of detention. And then about 70 detainees went on hunger strike following his death. The environment inside the detention facilities and the treatment of detainees are too terrible. And a long-term detention harms their health. Someone who is angry at these troubles drew graffiti "Free Refugees" on a road near the Tokyo Immigration Bureau.But the officer were blind to their own faults and posted on Twitter,"Drawing graffiti on public objects is illegal".
I wonder if they understand the true meaning of "Free Refugees".
I think that a lot of Japanese people are indifferent to these problems experienced by foreign residents. It is not well known in Japan that recognition of refugee status and keeping one's religious customs are difficult. We will never improve our labor shortage in Japan without foreigner's cooperation. So,we should find solutions in order that foreigners can live with peace of mind in Japan.
(教師から)
I think immigration is wonderful thing . I ‘m from America, which is a country that was built on immigration. But at the same time I understand that movement to another country is something that should be carefully controlled.
For example, when you enter another country you have to understand that the language,food,services, and way of thinking will be different from what you are used to. So you will have to try to prepare yourself for entry into another culture by educating yourself and changing your expectations.
Some people seem to be able to do this relatively easily ,but others resist. The former type ,those who can a dapt
flexibly, are good immigrants, and they should be accepted with open arms.
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簡単なようで、
説明するには抽象的過ぎて・・・
17才にして、これだけ冷静に論理的に
定義できることに、驚きです
日本語でも難しいのに、
説得されてしまいました!
Can money buy happiness?
In my opinion money can't buy happiness. In contrast,some people may think happiness is able to
be bought by money because whatever you want can be bought with money. Despite this, I think money
can't buy happiness. I have two reasons why I think this.
The first reason is that the answers of what is happiness are different depending on the people.
For example, some people say sleeping is happiness,others say laughing is happiness. In my
case,winning a tennis match or getting a high score on a test are happiness. Therefore,money
can't buy these kinds of happiness.
The second reason is that even if money could buy happiness,you would be tired of being happy
because you have to work hard to get money. For instance, some people say " I have money but I
don't have any free time, so I'm not happy". In particular,Japanese workers say this.
Therefore,rich people are not always happy.
Fore these reasons, I think happiness is not able to be bought by money.
There are a lot of definitions of happiness,so it is not necessarily something bought with money.
教師より
I think poverty can be terrible and it can cause a lot of sadness and depression,but money doesn't
buy happiness.
If a person has enough money not to be considered "poor", then they should look for happiness in
themselves. Of course, shopping is fun,and getting something you want to buy is pleasant,but this
kind of enjoyment is not the same as happiness.
Instead , happiness comes from having a dream and working to achieve it.
If you can succeed in your life's goals, then you'll feel happy.
However,money does buy comfort. Food,bed, transportation,medicine, and clothing are all bought
with money,and without these things, life would be uncomfortable.
]]>
The most important change in Japan recently
The number of two-income families has been increasing in Japan,so I think this is the most important change in Japan recently. Most Japanese people used to think that the man earned money to support his family and woman did house work or took care of children. I have two reasons why the number of two-income families has increased.
The first reason is that it takes more money than before to support a family because living costs, such as food and child-care expenses, have increased while income have decreased. For example,recently,some worker's salaries have gone down , and what was worse,the number of people who are unemployed has been increasing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, it became difficult to support a family with one person's income.
The second reason is that companies improved the working environment for women. Thanks to this improvement,many women find work more easily. For instance,women have the opportunity to take childcare leave. Furthermore,women can leave their workplace earlier than usual when their children have a fever or get injured.
For these reasons the number of two-income families has been increasing. Both parents should help each other when they do housework. I guess two-income families will continue to become more numerous in the future.
教師より
Perhaps the greatest change to occur in Japan recently is the introduction of English in elementary school. This is a sign that the Japanese government is taking English more seriously.
In the past,English was mainly taught in high school as a subject that students has to study if they wanted to take a difficult university entrance exam. In those days, English was seen as a way to test students' intelligence. So the subject focused on grammar and difficult vocabulary. But it wasn't practical and few students actually learned how to use English in a practical way.
But now it seems that the Japanese government intends to teach English as a practical tool of international communication. If this continues,Japan will change greatly because it will become a nation of bilingual people with a more global mindset.
]]>
If I was a super hero
If I was a super hero,may be I would know everything.
Some super heroes usually say "Believe in love" or "Don't do that" to people. I think that is because they know we should "Believe in love" or "Not do that".
And they always attack bad people because they know that people want them to attack bad people. They must know what crimes the bad people have done.
Super heroes must know how they can save people.
They know the limits of their own power.
But, if this wasn't true they would make an effort to "Believe in love"
or "Not do that ". They would judge themselves, and attack themselves.
They wouldn't know how to save people. They wouldn’t know the limits of their own power.
How cool ! They have a lot of courage to act , so super heroes encourage people.
教師より
If I was a super hero, I would have big muscles and a colorful costume.
I think it's very interesting that super heroes are stronger than everyone
else,but it's really funny that they all have colorful costumes. I wonder where they got them from. Is there a super hero clothing store?
Also, I think it's a little strange that super heroes usually have a normal girlfriend or boyfriend. If I was a super hero, I would find a super hero girlfriend. Then we could wear the same funny costumes.
Finally, super heroes usually have special abilities. If I was a super hero I would try to learn how to communicate with and control insects. Then I would send mosquitos and cockroaches to attack the bad people.
Also,I would tell all the insects to leave me alone-I would never be bitten by a mosquito again.
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Should people who have committed crimes be allowed to vote?
Giving the right to vote to people who have committed crime is a controversial topic. People
who have been sentenced to imprisonment or a heavier punishment will lose their voting rights
in Japan. However I partially agree with the idea that people who have committed crimes be
allowed to vote. I have the following three reasons to support my opinion.
Firstly, I agree with the idea because human rights should be protected,even for people who
have a criminal record as well. People who have criminal record will live in society after they pay
for the crime. However,if they lose their voting rights even if they have paid for the crime, I
think that means their human rights are being revoked. Human rights are the rights that all
human beings are born with. Therefore, I think the right to vote should be guaranteed,
basically,even if they have committed crime.
Secondly,they pay taxes after they are released from prison and contribute to society. It
makes no sense not to give voting right to people who are supporting the social system and
cultivating society. I think people who are supporting society should have the right to vote,and
to support the social system. Some people may say that even if they pay taxes
they shouldn’t be allowed to vote. However, they already have paid for the crime. Also, if they
are not allowed to vote,it is like saying that any mistake that you’ve made will never be
forgiven. It should be forgiven.
Thirdly, there are always reasons why criminals commit crime. For instance, some criminals
steal food and drinks because they haven’t eaten for a week and they are starving,then they
get arrested. It might your responsibility if you couldn’t get things to eat and drink. However,
it might be the environment,government,or society’s responsibility as well,because they can’t
handle the inequality.
However, if criminals commit murder they shouldn't be allowed to vote. This is because they
have taken away someone’s precious life. Life is not substitutable. If they take a life ,their
human rights should be taken away.
In conclusion, I think criminals should be allowed to vote depending on the severity of the
crime , like in Japan. There are always reasons to commit crime and it is not only their
responsibility. However, Killing someone is an unforgivable crime for whatever reason. It is an
inhuman act. Therefore, I partially agree with the idea.
教師より
I think it’s wrong to revoke someone’s right to vote just because they
have committed a crime.
I can understand the reason for wanting to do this, and it may depend on
the society in question, but democracies depend on fairness for all. If you
have completed your sentence, all rights should be returned to you.
Some people may say that we should not let people vote if they cannot
follow the rules.
But should we deny the right to vote if someone isn’t intelligent? What if
someone had a mental illness? The fairest policy is to let everyone vote,
and the majority wins.
Also, in countries with a lot of diversity, like the US, the ability to revoke
the right to vote can be used as a kind of discrimination.
White police will arrest black people for no reason other than to take away
their right to vote.
In a democracy, everyone must have equal rights.
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ご紹介の方は、思い通りの旅行ができなくても、
「読書」からも大切な何かを学べると
What motivate you?
I think my curiosity is what motivate me.
Traveling and reading are my hobbies,because these satisfy my
intellectual curiosity.
When I go to travel, I usually stay in the same place as long as possible
and spend time getting to know the native culture and its background.
Unfortunately, time and money are limited, so reading is only a casual
measure to fill my satisfaction that comes from my curiosity when I can’t
travel. My favorite reading genre is reportage. Actually , I am not
interested in fantasy or SF.
Traveling and reading let me know that what seems like common sense
surrounding me is not really so common.
Therefore, they provide different perspectives to my daily life. I believe
that broadening one’s outlook brings deeper thoughts.
Last year, I suddenly encountered a famous quote by Mahatma Gandhi.
He is famous for fighting for India’s Independence from England.
He said “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live
forever.” I was impressed by the words and would like to practice the
quote in my life.
教師より
I feel motivated by other people who have incredible talent.
When I see someone who can play a musical instrument, or is an expert of
technology, or anything really, I think it’s very amazing.
Then, may be I feel a little jealousy and regret that I don’t have any
incredible skill or special ability.
I would like to be someone who has an incredible ability,not because I
want other people to see what I can do- I don’t really care about that
very much-but I would feel a lot of satisfaction doing something
perfectly.I think it much be a great feeling to play an instrument like an
expert, or to speak a foreign language like a native speaker.
I don’t have any incredible talent yet,but I’m motivated, so hopefully
someday, I’ll get there.
]]>
A turning point in my life.
I have two times that are turning points in my life.
First, I decided my job (what I'd like to be in the future)when I was 18 years old.
Then I started to live by myself in Okayama,and studied about nursing,
I thought that it's too hard to live by myself because I have to study,
do homework, and part-time work every day and I was only 18 years old.
Therefore, I can live by myself now easily,and I could become a nurse.
Second is the time when I came back to Hiroshima.
I changed my office, and I started a new job.
I have many friends and coworkers in Okayama so I was agonizing over
whether to stay in Okayama or to go back to my hometown,I chose my hometown.
Now I'm happy because I can meet my family any time.
教師より
The turning point in my life came while I was working as a secretary in
Washington DC.
Before this moment, I had intended to go to law school and eventually
try for a life in politics. I even took the law school entrance exam and
completed my application.
But while I was working with the politician in that office in Washington DC,
I realized that politics were not what I had hoped.
Political people seem very selfish and arrogant, and their priorities don't
seem very good.
So, I changed direction, and decided to seek a job abroad, working in education.
This seems much more honorable to me even though it's not very glamorous.
Intercultural marriages
I would guess that intercultural marriages might be romantic but hard to maintain for a big time.
My wife and I have the same culture, since we're both Japanese.
However, it took a long time to get used to each other's daily habits.
We quarreled about trifles, for example, the way of folding clothes
seasoning, and other things I don't remember as they were so trivial.
Now I understand I needed more tolerance for the differences between us.
Back to the inter- cultural marriages, it must require much more tolerance for both.
One of my wife's friends married an Iranian. It seemed she struggled to
cook for her husband, who is Muslim.
On the other hand, I imagine she could expand her world view through the life with her Iranian husband.
I personally expected that my wife's brother's son would have an intercultural marriage
because he studied at a college in the US.
But he will get married to a Japanese woman this autumn.
教師より
I don't think there's any difference between intercultural marriages,
and marriages between people of the same culture. I think the success of a marriage depends on the couple.
Every kind of marriage must be difficult ,because it involves two people with different thoughts,expectations,and habits living together. They'll have to learn how to compromise, sacrifice, and help each other through difficult situations.
Of course an intercultural marriage may seem to be more challenging to some people, because it will involve more difficulty communicating and a wider gap between families. But for people who are curious about cultural differences, and actually have an interest in experiencing new things, it will become more satisfying and rewarding.
People who like things just a certain way, should marry someone of a similar culture and background. But if you're open-minded and accepting of unusual experiences, an intercultural marriage will be better.
]]>
A new holiday I would like to make.
I would like to make a new holiday that says you don't
have to spend money on food or games, but can have a
free day.
This is because when I have a normal holiday and play
with my friends we usually watch a movie and spend time
at the food coat.
At such a time, I spend a lot of money. May be I use
almost all the money that I have in my wallet.
By making a new holiday I think we can go out more
easily.
Also I want to make a holiday that says you can't use
electric devices so everyone can study more.
教師より
If I could make up a new holiday, I would make it a day to
celebrate people named "Eric". It would be called "Eric's
day".
This would be like a birthday for everyone named Eric.
People named Eric would receive presents from everybody
else.
Also, all the Erics would be able to go shopping or eat at
restaurants for free. Almost everyone knows somebody
named Eric, so they should understand how lucky they
are.
That's why we should make this holiday-not just because
my name is Eric.
]]>
新年の決意とともに始まる寒い冬も、暖かい春への
準備として備えることで、美しい桜を愛でることができる
でしょう。
初心者から話題にできる、親しみやすい題目について
書かれたエッセイのご紹介です。
Spring in Japan
Japanese spring is famous all over the world.
Many foreign tourists also look forward to it every year.
Spring is warm and the most comfortable season in Japan. Therefore, many plants bloom beautifully.
For example, cherry blossoms,canola blossoms,narcissus and lily of the valley. Many colorful flowers can be seen all over Japan.
In addition, the fiscal year changes in April in Japan.
The era name is chaging from "Heisen" to"Reiwa" this year. So Japan is bustling more than usual.
Sporing time in Jpan is not only a beaty,it also has a power that makes people feel refreshed.
教師より
I think spring has a special place in people's heart in many countries. We can find myths about the arrival of spring in many different cultures.
I also happen to love spring in Japan but I prefer autumn colours to charry blossoms. Even though the scenery is beautiful,my hay fever is certainly not a fan of this season in Japan.
]]>
夏の疲れが出る頃、皆さまくれぐれもご自愛くださいませ。
さて、本日紹介させていただくessayですが、2016年に受講生によって書かれたものです。
2019年の今、香港での大規模デモは長期化・泥沼化しており、緊張状態にあります。
私たちが暮らす日本においても、改憲が議論され、"human/civil rights"について今一度考えなくてはならない時期だと感じています。
英語を道具として使えれば、世界中のニュースや歴史、人々の考えなどを学ぶことができ、私たちの世界はもっと広くなるのではないでしょうか。
"Human/Civil Rights"
Human rights are one of the basic rights that many societies think every person should have, to be treated in a fair equal way without cruelty, for example by their government, or the right to vote.
People have been struggling to obtain them over a long period through many battles against their leaders. Nevertheless, human rights are still likely to be violated by the government, evil people and other countries.
Those who live in unstable political conditions are facing serious danger with their right to live, which is the most fundamental one.
Recently, the migrant crisis is becoming a great concern all over the world. Ironically, human rights might need a strong government to support them, where people win their rights to a free and equal society. The scene of many migrants at European borders and the coast lines tells us of the humanitarian catastrophe of the citizens who lost their stable nation. Besides, people who can’t escape from the battle zone, face a more horrible situation.
To guarantee human rights, no matter where we live, it can’t be fairly performed by only one country. Nowadays we should help each other and support one another beyond the borders. In doing so, all of humanity who live in this world can enjoy human rights and grow properly together and enjoy the diversity.
教師より
You wrote some excellent points about human rights. Certain leaders or groups have advocated and rallied for human rights for numerous years.
In the case of the current migrant crisis, many critics cite that Western governments intervention is the main reason.
Many young US citizens are desperate for charge and agree with Bernie Sanders, as the current state of capitalism foreshadows basic human rights to free education, health care and so on. Recently, a young advocate for the “million student march” called Darletta Scruggs pointed out that the US government has enough money to spend on War but not on free education like in other countries such as Sweden etc.
Much to the protest of a fox news reporter, if profit cannot be made, then the government, stock holders have no interest.
Through history, power corrupts and it’s always the less fortunate that suffers. The world has become more dystopian but there is still hope that people will work together and fight for human rights.
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主にインターネットからのみ知ることができる、今日この国の
大都市で頻発する「hate speech」、英語という外国語を知ること
で彼らの考え方から学ぶことが出来れば、国粋的で偏狭な視点
に同調する方は減ることでしょう。
受講生のご意見、担当教師のコメント両方から何かしらを
吸収頂ければ幸いです。
Japanese national pride
I think the Japanese have two things that they're proud of.
First, it's not only their pride but also their everyday habits,the Japanese tend to be on time. At Japanese schools, we have been taught to begin every action 5 minutes before we have to do it(for examples,if the meeting begins at 10 am,we have to enter the meeting room by 9:55 am).
On business or social activity scenes people who are always late for the promised time lose their social trust.
The most obvious characteristic feature of being on time is Japanese public transport. Particularly,Japanese train(subway)systems are very punctual. If a train is late for timetable,even a few minutes,the driver must apologize to passengers for being late.
Second the Japanese take pride in their pacifism.
Few months ago,a member of Japanese Congress, was criticized for his inappropriate speech about the Northern Territory by fighting a war. His speech offended the Japanese and was an insult to all the efforts the people made to maintain a peace approach.
I think that the criticism of his speech shows the Japanese people's pride in their peace-loving attitude.
教師より
There're lots of things to be proud of for Japanese people.
Majority of the population is organized, clean and polite.
Of course it depends on the person but I think we can say
these for most of the nation. It's normal to be proud of
one's nationality as long as they respect other nationalities too.
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最近は、新入学生、新社会人の方などをよく見かけます。
少し緊張しているけど、希望に満ちた表情を見ていると、私も何かに挑戦したい気持ちになります。
何かと忙しく、気候の変動も大きい季節ですので、皆さまお身体にお気を付けください!
さて、今回紹介させていただくessayは
"Atheism and agnosticism"です。
普段使うことはあまり無いtopicですが、私自身も外国人の友人に聞かれ、返答に困った経験があります。
皆さまは、どのように考えますか???
I don’t know exactly what the difference between atheism and agnosticism is even in Japanese. If atheism and agnosticism are translated from English to Japanese, atheism is ‘Mushinron’ and agnosticism is ‘Fukachiron’. Both words are not familiar to me. According to the Internet, atheism is the belief that God does not exist. Agnosticism is to believe that people cannot know whether God exists or not.
We, Japanese, don’t usually think God exists. Most Japanese are not religious. When you want to pass the university entrance examination, you go to the shrine to pray. The funeral is held according to the Buddhist rites. Many Japanese celebrate Christmas.
The Japanese don’t seem to believe God exists, but when we are having trouble, we ask God for help. The Japanese usually don’t have consciousness of the existence of God, but once we get in trouble, we believe in the existence of God. The Japanese seem to be an agnostic.
教師より
I would define agnosticism as “the existence of God is unknowable.” Technically, we can consider the Japanese as followers of Shintoism and Buddhism, but as you stated, this is valid only when they have a reason to ask for help.
Generalisation cannot be completely accurate, of course there are some religious Japanese people. But in general, we cannot run into people who are extremely religious often in Japan.
Atheism is becoming more and more poplar all over the world. But especially with the rise of terror attacks, extreme atheism is also increasing.
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3月に入り、暖かい日も増えてきましたね!
街中では、新生活に向けて忙しそうな方も増え、春が近づいて来ているのを感じる今日この頃です。
さて、本日紹介させていただくessayは、"mood"についてです。
私は自分で"moody"だと自覚しており、それが悩みの種でもあります。。。
皆さまはどんな"mood"をお持ちですか?
People around me say I’m a sociable person. They say “you need only three minutes to make a friend.” I’m glad to hear that because I had hoped to be a sociable person. My mother said “your appearance is cold whey you are silent.” Therefore, I try to speak to people actively.
English school is a good place to be sociable. We have to talk about our opinions with people we don’t know every time. I’m getting used to that situation. At that time, I feel less shy and also I feel like I’m getting older. I’m glad about that because I have to communicate with people I don’t know well in my job.
My goal is to become a person who is easy to talk to. I’m trying my best.
教師より
Being sociable comes with benefits and I’m sure you experience these advantages at work and in your private life.
I have to disagree with your mother on how you look like when you’re not talking. I believe social skills help us to improve our lives and make everything easier for us.
When we say “mood”, we talk about “how someone feels at a particular time.” So, you can say you have a sociable mood but somedays you are in a bad mood so you try to avoid meeting people on those days. For example, I am in a cheerful mood most of the time, but when I’m tired or hungry, I get in a very angry mood.
]]>本日紹介させていただくessayは、とっても前向きで素晴らしいと感じました。
日々の生活に甘んじてしまい "、Ideal future" という言葉さえ考えることのない私でしたが、このエッセイに出会い「何歳になっても目標を持って生きていかなければ!」と思いました!
皆さまはどう思われるでしょうか、ぜひ読んでみてください!
I want to be a researcher in the future. I want to know various things and elucidate mysterious things. However, I’m still hesitated to choose what to study. I am interested in several fields of study. I have to decide on one of them to devote myself to it. The first one is biology. I like creatures. (Come to think of it, my tadpoles have become frog yesterday. They are so cute.) Creatures are not only cute, but also interesting. They have features that people can’t produce. For example, snail’s mucus are used to make a wall which doesn’t get soiled. Also, I’m interested in microscopes. Microscopes show us things we can’t see directly. I want to know the details of living organisms with its help. The second one is medicine. I think if I study it, I can save people suffering from intractable diseases. A lot of study is needed to make medicines. So, it is difficult to become a pharmaceutical researcher. However, I think it’s worth a try. The third one is the universe. To understand the universe is to understand places we can’t go. We can’t go to the edge of the universe unless we develop “the anywhere door”. However, many researchers brainstorm and research about it. Studies about the universe always excite me. I would like to see more of the beautiful universe. I find things I listed above interesting. No matter which one I choose, I think that I can enjoy doing my research. I want to study more to make my ideal future come true.
教師より
It’s so interesting to learn about the ideal future of a young woman. You have very attractive interests and I can imagine you being successful in those areas. You are also aware of the possible challenges of those fields and still willing to pursue them! I’m sure you can be very happy with your career if you keep your attitude. Science fields need more women to improve them. Your essay had a very nice structure and the contexts of the paragraphs were appropriate. Good job!
]]>あけましたおめでとうございます!
今年もWILL ENGLISH SCHOOLをよろしくお願いします。
新年最初に紹介させていただくessayは
"If you could be any animal what would you be and why?" です。
私も犬を飼っているので、このessayを書いてくださった生徒様と同様、飼い犬が何を考えているのか、とっても知りたいです。
皆さまはいかがですか?
If I could be any animal, I would like to be a dog which is kept by rich people. I want to know how it feels to be a pet. I wouldn’t need to worry about my food. I could eat hearty food. I could take a walk everyday with my master. My master would take me to the dog salon once a month. I would have a happy life.
And I would want to be a hawk. It’s a cool bird. I would want to look down at the big nature from the sky, and would want to go hunting.
I’d prefer to be an animal that doesn’t have an enemy.
教師より
It was wise of you to add “being kept by rich people” when you were talking about being a dog. That’s a lifestyle one can get used to easily!
Yet, your wish about being a hawk intrigued me more because it made me think about all the freedom the hawks have.
My personal choice would be “a bear.” So, I could sleep all winter and enjoy all the warm seasons by eating honey and being lazy.
But just as you mentioned, animals have various enemies including other animals and humans. I would be very scared of humans if I were a bear.
]]>
"Nature"と"Nurture"
この似て非なる2つの単語ですが、「どちらの方が大事」とは言えませんね。
本日紹介させていただくessayは、教師同様に私も "Your baby is incredibly lucky!" と感じたessayです!
I have one responsibility since I got pregnant: raising a child, especially educating him.
I think that humans have innate abilities and learned abilities. I’d like to grow my child’s natural abilities and to help him blossoming out these abilities by himself. I decided that I’ll try to observe him carefully for it.
But we have talents which we don’t notice by ourselves. Therefore, we have to experiment and improve our abilities. For this reason, I’d like to try to give him many chances and leave nurturing to professionals.
The thing I can teach at home is how to see the world. I want my child to be someone who can find answers by himself.
Finally, I think manner develops only by nurture. Thus, I’ll teach him manners.
教師より
Nature and nurture are both very important when it comes to shaping a child’s character. We all have some characteristics that come from our genes, but also we cannot deny the fact that we are who we are thanks to the circumstances we have experienced.
I’m sure I would be a completely different person if I was raised by different parents. Your baby is incredibly lucky. I’m sure you’re going to do an amazing job as a mother.
]]>2018年も残すところ約2か月、年々過ぎるのが早くなるように感じるのは私だけでしょうか・・・
本日紹介させていただくessayは、元高校球児の生徒様が書かれたものです。
とてもポジティブな内容で、"bad things"と捉えるか、"good things"と捉えるかは、自分次第なのだと教えていただいたessayでした!
One of the good things that happened to me last year was what I became a selected player in my baseball team. Only 20 people are chosen from 120 people every year. I wasn’t chosen when I was a first grader and a second grader. So I did a lot of practice every day. So I was delighted when I was chosen.
One of the bad things was that I couldn’t go to the National High School Baseball Championship. It was our target from when we were first graders. So we all cried including the people who were not chosen as players when we lost the game.
But they all became the best memories in my life. And I want to go back to those days. So I think that last year was good year.
教師より
I can tell that you had a pretty exciting year. It’s an important talent to look back at past defeats and remember them as good memories. It must be really honorable to be selected as a player in your team. Life is beautiful with its ups and downs. You have many more good years ahead of you.
]]>今回の topic は TV についてです。
最近では、インターネットを見る時間も増えたとはいえ、やはりTVは私たちの生活に欠かせないアイテムの一つです。
お子様がいらっしゃるご家庭では、TVとの付き合い方を一度は考えたことがあるかもしれません。
そこで、今回の問いかけは "TV is not good for your brain." Do you agree? です。
皆さまは、どう答えますか?
Since having TV hasn’t been difficult to purchase for normal family, it has become essential for us. TV channels work very hard because there is no day that we don’t watch TV. It shows news for the dad in the morning, gossip news and soap operas for the mom after that, and in the evening, variety shows, sports programs, anime, dramas and movies are useful for the family to have a good time.
Some people say that watching TV spoils the ability of imagination in one’s childhood. They also say that reading books and imaging the scenes from the book are important to improve this ability. I remember that my mom said that. If they are true, many of today’s people are less clever than people before TV. I don’t think so, human beings have still enough power to improve their intelligence.
TV has brought us a new method of facing facts. That is live broadcast. It shows real events that happen somewhere in the world at the same time without any editing. For instance, watching disasters and incidents like terrorism on live broadcast is shocking, because we understand that is a real-time event. Newspapers cannot convey the same feeling. That is a strong point of watching TV.
It is hard to say if TV is good or bad for your brain totally. However, there is one important thing about watching TV: not using brain while watching TV, just killing your time without thinking, is not good for your brain.
教師より
TV has really become an important part of our lives. Even though I personally don’t watch TV, I remember how it shaped by personality when I was a child. I agree on how reading improves the imagination of children but as you stated, you should remember the merits of TV in terms of communication.
I believe the biggest problem about watching TV is how it puts us into a passive position. Some people use TV as a nanny. This is how people turn out to be addicted to TV. If we choose educational programs over reality shows and teach our children how to keep balance between reading and watching TV, I believe their brains wouldn’t be washed. Moreover, if we choose the shows wisely, TV channels can’t continue making TV shows that are harmful for our brains.
]]>8月は夏休みをいただき、essayをお休みさせていただきました。
日本のみならず、近年では世界中で自然災害が起こり、自然との向き合い方が見直されつつあると思います。
そこで本日紹介させいただくtopicは "Ways to protect nature" です。
生活が便利になっている一方、私たちは自然を破壊し続けているのかもしれません。
皆さまは、どのように考えますか?
Nowadays, there are a lot of problems about the environment because of global warming. The reason of global warming is that people are cutting many trees. Green plants carry out photosynthesis which is a process that changes CO2 to O2.
On the one hand tree cutting makes me happy so I can use furniture, on the other hand it makes me unhappy as a person living in the earth. What should we do?
I think there is one way not to exacerbate the environmental problem. It is not using too many trees for making furniture.
Long time ago, we did not have plastics, but now there are not only trees but also plastics. So we do not have to use many trees. However plastic is made from oil. There is a limit to oil. Also we are creating too much waste.
The best way is not to make too many things, but it isn’t easy. So we should be careful about not buying many things.
教師より
Our problem would be solved quickly if we stopped using plastics and planted more trees. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade, that’s why our waste is piling up. Before the advent of plastic, people were cutting down trees moderately and they were planting new ones too. So, it was completely sustainable. Oil companies like Shell get their oil from Arctic. They melt the ice and cause other problems by producing plastic. I wish we could get rid of all the plastic in the world.
]]>今年の夏は異常な暑さですね。
先般の豪雨災害で、お亡くなりになられた方々にお悔やみ申し上げますとともに、甚大な被害を受けられた皆さまに対して、心よりお見舞い申し上げます。
まだまだ猛暑日が続きそうですが、お身体を壊されないよう、くれぐれもご自愛ください。
本日紹介させていただくessayは "technology" についてです。
確実に日々進歩している technology ですが、その反面、自然災害など、人間にはまだ太刀打ちできない領域はまだまだありますね。
生活が便利になるのはもちろん嬉しいですが、地震予測や気象予測、またセキュリティ面で technology の開発が進むことを期待しています。
"How you think technology will evolve in the future?"
In the last century, it was the most progressive and important era for technology in our history. After the Industrial Revolution, our life has been dramatically changed and the technology is making us comfortable even today.
However, I think today’s technology is a bit different compared to how it was decades ago. The previous technology affected our life directly. For instance, the developments of transporters are able to take us further and faster. Home electric appliances release housewives from long hours housework. They are simple and understandable profits for everyone.
Today’s technologies are based on complicated combinations of those previous technologies and are difficult to understand. How many people can explain the technology of an automatic driving? Car, computer and sensor – they are some components consisting of the driver-less car, but one most important component is missing. It is a driver, a human’s intelligence that is missing. It is regrettable that the technology of intelligence is far from a real human’s.
I think the distance from a human’s intelligence and the artificial one would be closer in the future. This symbiosis will help with new discoveries. Technology will evolve in the future while all the mysteries will be solved.
教師より
Your essay answered the topic well.
Technological advancements have certainly increased productivity, communication efficiency and made our lives more convenient.
In future, the symbiosis of human and artificial intelligence poses the question of how much we allow the technology to function in society. It will be interesting to see what new gadgets, transport and entertainment evolve with the future of technology.
]]>こんにちは!
梅雨に入り、ジメジメと蒸し暑い日が続きますが、皆さま体調など崩されていませんか?
本日紹介させていただく essay は、TOEFLコース 用の topic です。
日本語でも論理的に文章を書くことは難しいですよね。
日本語でも英語でも、「練習あるのみ」だと思います。
興味のある方はぜひ、WILL ENGLISH SCHOOL のホームページも覘いて見てください!
"All students should be required to study art and music in secondary school, for or against? Why?"
In my opinion, all students should not be required to study art and music in secondary school.
There are two reasons why I disagree with this statement.
If we spent time on teaching art and music, it would be better to let them acquire logical thinking. If we spent time to do art or music, we would be better off teaching some ethics to students. It would be much better to let students acquire a critical thinking process. Logical assumption is what is necessary for the future generation. If you can acquire critical thinking, you would barely be in a panic because you have the daily habit to “think”, thus, you would analyze the situation around you. If you could decipher what kind of issues you are facing, you would find some solutions more easily.
It would be way better to teach ethics. Ethical thinking is also important for the future generation. If there are some terrible things that happened, such as terrorism, it would be better thinking with logic and ethics than to just sympathize. If you could think logically, and ethically, you would find these events as “odd”. That is what will be needed for the future.
However, art and music can teach them “suffering of creation”, so it is not absolutely unnecessary.
To sum up, we would be better off to learn ethics and logical thinking.
教師より
You have provided a clear reason why you do not think art and music should be a mandatory subject at school.
Of course, there are some fundamental subjects which are necessary for students to learn, but I think giving students the option to learn the subjects they are interested in is equally as important. Forcing a subject on students might have the opposite effect. Art and music can incorporate critical thinking and ethics after rudimentary knowledge has been taught.
]]>
今回紹介させていただくessayは "Judging people by appearances" です。
職場や学校でも初対面の方に会うことが多いこの時期、皆さまはどのように人を "judge" していますか?
I think that appearances are an important element of judging people because we can’t avoid that feeling from our eyes. If I meet a man who looks smart & clean, what do I think about him? I think that maybe he is kind, clever and rich because he looks nice. Appearances are influenced from our lifestyle and frame of mind.
However, appearance is not everything. I saw an experiment movie on YouTube about a lost child in Europe.
In the movie, the first scene shows a little girl wearing clean clothes and she is in the park alone. A lot of adults asked her “where are you from?” “Where are your parents?” but in the second scene, she wears dirty clothes, no one asked her about that, even though she is the same girl!
It’s an extreme experiment, but this experiment tells us that we have to be careful about judging people by appearances involuntarily.
Appearance may help us when we judge people. However, we have to judge by looking at a person’s personality and behavior, not only their appearance. And I also have to be careful about my appearance and behavior!
教師より
This was a very good essay. The examples you mentioned are very indicative (showing or suggesting) of human behavior.
I think everyone judges others by their appearance naturally. It might be positive or negative depending on the person judging, and how that person appears.
Appearances are of course very important for certain situations and formal occasions. The personality and behavior of someone gives us a more accurate assessment of that person.
Sometimes well-dressed individuals can have terrible personalities. Someone who is not very wealthy might be really kind and vice versa. Someone who looks dangerous can help us avoid contact with that person.
Homeless or poor people are often viewed negatively so I guess that’s why the girl in the video in the second scenario was ignored.
To “never judge a book by its cover” is not always easy. As you said we have to make sure our own behavior and appearance is suitable too.
On the other hand people shouldn’t judge others based on their nationality but a lot of people do so intentionally or unconsciously.
]]>早くも4月になり、桜がキレイな季節になりましたね!
4月から、入学や就職、転勤など、新天地で生活をスタートされた方もいらっしゃるのではないでしょうか?
「住めば都」という言葉がありますが、住んでみると、その土地土地の魅力がありますよね!
今回のtopicは"Whether I prefer city life or coutry life"です。
私は「若いうちはcity life、老後はのんびりcoutry lifeなんて素敵だな〜」なんて考えていますが、皆さまはいかがですか?
I prefer city life only in cases in which it has a lot of nature, different kinds of parks, boulevard trees, and rivers.
City life is easier to live in than country life. It’s more convenient, closer to my office, more cafes, shops, restaurants, and clinics. We have so many choices.
On the other hand, in the case of country life, we need a car, it takes a long time to go to the office, clinics, and we don’t have any choice about shops.
However, I know the advantage of country life. Nature heals our mind. We can have a house, garden, fields. Compared to the city, the air is cleaner, time is slower, and things that add stress are lessened.
Nethertheless, the reason why I chose city life is that the atmosphere is vibrant. So I’d like to live in the city and visit to various cities in the world.
When I’m becoming older in the future, I would like to visit various rural landscapes around the world. The itinerary would have leeway.
教師より
I think in the future. I’d like to live close to the countryside or a small city.
As you said, the city is very convenient and we have access to a lot of public facilities.
The problem of the city is that it may become over crowded or pollution increases. Our work life might be very stressful too.
The countryside is very peaceful but public facilities are few and far between. Although it refreshes our minds and we can relax. Often public transport is not very good either.
Therefore, there are positive points to living in either area. It might come down to the needs of the person.
]]>日本語ではよく耳にされたヴォルテールの名言、
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”
を今一度忘れないようにしたいものです。
Do you trust your government?
I don't trust my government.
Before the election they told us their promises, but I never
heard that they wanted to change our government.
When they try to change something,many people agree or
disagree,so they can't make a decision immediately.
In addition, I heard a lot about governmental activities on
TV,but most of them are "lies".
There is a big "dark power "behind our government.
So I can't trust our government easily.
------------------------------------------------
(教師から)
You have every reason not to believe or trust your
government."Politics" is just a fancy name they use
for lies.
There are some transparent governments in the world
that they don't lie to their people but unfortunately our
governments are not in that list.
I don't trust my government either and I don't think I will
ever be able to do so.
I believe almost every country has its own"deep state"
and as people, we are being fooled everyday.
2018年もWILL ENGLISH SCHOOLをよろしくお願いいたします。
今年最初に紹介させていただくessayは、「ギクリ」とされる方もいらっしゃるかもしれないtopicです。
"Things bad for us"については、議論が尽きることが無いのではないでしょうか。
皆様はどう思いますか?
“The Government should highly tax things that are bad for us such as cigarettes and alcohol.” Do you agree?
Yes, I do to a certain extent because cigarettes or strong liquor aren’t necessary for most people. Those who are eager to smoke cigarettes or to drink alcohol can pay, even if they are expensive. And a high price of cigarettes can work as a deterrent for potential heavy smokers.
Things that are bad for us should include things that are bad for the environment. Imposing a heavier tax on oil fuel leads to less consumption of oil and we can expect to delay global warming.
However, I hope that beer and wine are lightly taxed. They are essential for so many people to enjoy their lives.
教師より
You stated some good reasons why ‘things that are bad for us’ should be highly taxed.
Actually, the example you wrote about imposing a high tax on cigarettes worked in New Zealand and Norway. For example in NZ a carton of cigarettes (20) costs 1,530 yen and in Norway 1,324 yen. That really helped reduce the number of smokers in both countries.
I also think fast food should be highly taxed. I wish ‘health foods’ had a lower tax too.
]]>街はすっかりクリスマスムードで、2017年も最後の月になりましたね。
今年もたくさんの方にブログを読んでいただき、ありがとうございました!
来年も、1つでも多くのessayを紹介したい思っていますので、引き続きお付き合いいただけると幸いです。
先日、ICAN=核兵器廃絶国際キャンペーン がノーベル平和賞を受賞し、授賞式では、広島で被爆したサーロー節子さんが演説されました。
サーローさんのメッセージは世界中に発信され、多くの人々の心を動かしたと思います。
今回紹介させていただくessayは、世界に平和の大切さを伝えるボランティア活動しておられる生徒様のものです。
英語を道具として、大きな目的を果たされている姿勢に、とても感銘をうけましたので、ぜひ皆様も読んでみてください。
"What kind of volunteer work would be interesting for you?"
I’m interested in the volunteer work which is useful for people and also an inspiring one.
For such reason, I belong to HIP, Hiroshima Interpreters for Peace.
HIP is a group of volunteer interpreters and guides who are trying to send out peace messages to people all over the world.
Mainly, HIP members guide at Peace Memorial Park in English responding to requests from various groups and organizations from abroad. It is non-profit private organization that does not belong to any political groups, or religious organization.
Most of the members are so eager to study and steady. Also, they have the same sense of value as mine that it wouldn’t be enough if we try to just tell the tragedy as an “A-bomb attack and its victims’ story” to guests.
In World War ?, we were not only victims, but also we were the aggressor. We need to have this sort of sensibility especially for Asian guests.
HIP is slated to hold a meeting once a month. We have a lecture or a study meeting on that day. When an offer to HIP comes in, the staff members inform us and arrange guides and assistants in charge.
Some guests are in hurry with their tight schedule while others are so interested and take much time with us. In any case, I think it might be their first and last experience visiting Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. Our responsibility must be high.
How appropriately can we tell our guests the facts on 6th August in 1945? How can we support them to feel the real suffering, grief and anger of victims? How can we hand down the victims’ prayer for World Peace to them? Time left for us is going to be up. Every year, the survivors are dying.
I’m a newcomer at HIP. Recently, I made up my mind to challenge myself to be an assistant guide on 13th May. I’m very nervous whether I could do well on that day with getting eye-contact with all of my guests or not. I know I need to acquire the ability of correct pronunciation and to learn how to speak in appropriate way. Studying to get such knowledge is my pleasure and also, inspires me a lot.
教師より
It’s great that you volunteer for a cause which interests you and also enables you to use your English and communication skills. You are a very good talker, that’s why I don’t think you should be worried.
I wish I had the abilities required for the volunteer work I want to do like you. I would like to volunteer for wildlife in Africa but I’m not brave enough I believe the most challenging part of your volunteer work must be telling those horrible times.
]]>更新が遅れてしまい、申し訳ありません・・・
本日紹介させていただく topic は "Who inspires you” です!
この topic に対しては、人物だけでなく、本、映画、音楽、演劇などなど様々だと思います。
私は音楽に影響を受けることが多いのですが、洋楽の歌詞ももっと理解できたらいいなぁと思っています♪
それでは、essayを紹介させていただきます!
I love American music especially 1960’s and 70’s soul, R&B and blues.
One day, maybe almost 20 years ago, a friend of mine had invited me to a 60’s music lover’s event, so I went to the party. During that moment, I listened to cool music which DJ’s played, I was so excited.
In addition, girls on the dance floor were in cute retro fashion and dancing so nicely. I became to love this 60’s music event so much. The people who I met there are still my good friends now. They made me love music more and I became eager to play the drums in a band.
Then some girls and I made a 60’s garage band and we were touring around Okayama, Osaka and Nagoya. It is still a good memory.
By the way, I’ve been still playing music with other friends in a band. I’m trying to be better though, my energy doesn’t last so long. Sometimes, I’m becoming nervous about our next concert. When I’m in a situation like that, I don’t only practice but I watch a movie to be inspired.
A good movie makes my mind change and gives me good imagination. My favorite film director is Shuji Terayama. He is regarded as an avant-garde and the most productive and provocative creative artist by many critics. I have watched only 4 of his films. If I watched another one, I would be inspired and make 2 more songs. I should watch all of his works!
教師より
This was a good essay. The examples of what inspires you are very interesting.
It’s quite funny when Japanese people ask me what type of Japanese music I like. I usually tell them it is music from the 1960s and 1970s. They become a bit surprised because I guess they expect me to answer that I like modern J pop or anime soundtracks.
Shuji Terayama’s works are very imaginative and philosophical. Thank you for recommending his works. There are a few film makers that inspire me too. For instance, Jan Svankmajer, Jean Pierre Melville or the Brothers Quay.
I’m usually inspired by creative people who are thoughtful about life.
]]>暑さのピークも過ぎましたが、今年の夏はいかがお過ごしでしたか?
私は夏らしいことができず夏が終わってしまい、何だか不完全燃焼気味です。
ただ、これからは何をするにも良い季節です!
夏にやり残した分、アクティブに過ごしたいです♪
さて、「海外で暮らしてみたいと思いませんか?」って感じのタイトルですが
誰もが一度は考えたことがあるのではないでしょうか?
「自分なら英語でどう表現するだろう・・・」と考えながら読んでみると面白いと思います!
"Whether I would like to live in a foreign country and why / why not"
I would like to live in a foreign country. It’s my dream because we cannot truly understand a foreign country’s culture and life from only traveling. I want to know about a country more deeply. I think it is useful for the mutual understanding with foreigners.
I learned cultural anthropology at university. My professor always said that understanding a foreign country’s culture requires living in that place for at least three years. He had been in Africa for seven years!
I had been in Shimane, Miyagi, Ehime and Akita during my childhood. It gave me trouble because I was an introverted child.
However, it was a great experience and that relieved the trouble. I learned new dialects, peculiar food (like a Tonburi, it is a food’s texture) in each district. I could see a lot of beautiful scenery in four seasons. And I could learn that many different cultural events occur in Japan.
It’s my treasure, and I want to have more treasures in future from the great experience of living in a foreign country.
That is why I want to live abroad.
I have lots of ideas about the counties where I want to live, for example Ireland, Spain, Morocco, India, Cambodia... life is too short! And I have to make money and time!
教師より
Living abroad can be a great experience. It can also be challenging and exciting.
I hope you can experience and realize your dream of living abroad.
The countries you chose would be interesting to live in.
I think the most challenging thing about living abroad can be the differences in thinking compared with your own culture.
However, I think the positive points outweigh the negative points.
]]>気付けばもう8月、こんなに月日が流れるのが早く感じるのは私だけでしょうか・・・
さて、本日紹介させていただくessayは"pet"について。
私は"bunnies"が大好きです!
それでは、早速essayを紹介いたします!
"If I could have only pet"
I love penguins so much! Of course if I could have any pet, I’d choose penguin at first.
They move in a very cute way and they also look cute. I’d be very happy when they are in the living room when I return from work.
But, they need a big pool and a cold room. It’s difficult to live with penguins and maybe they don’t want to live with humans. They feel happy when they are in the sea with freedom.
I also like cats. I didn’t like cats before. But I had been living with my sister two years ago. She has a black cat. He is called “Zigen” (It’s the name of a famous animation character from “Lupin the Third”.) He is capricious and cool, but when he feels lonely, he comes to my knee. I fell in love with him. Then, I started to love cats very much.
Animals can heal us. I don’t have any pets now, but I want to live with cats someday. And if I can become very rich, I will build a big house. I would like to live with penguins!
教師より
Your essay is clear and even though there are grammar mistakes, the reader never gets confused.
Having penguins as pets is a great choice! Have you ever seen “Mr. Popper’s Penguins”?
By the way, I have cats so I exactly know what you mean. They sense people’s emotions and heal them.
If you ever get that rich, please call me so we can play with penguins and watch “Lupin the Third” together!
]]>こんにちは!
今月紹介させていただくessayは "Judging people by appearance" です。
是非が分かれるtopicですが、皆様はいかがですか?
I don’t think judging people by appearance is bad.
I think that appearance shows our mindsets. We automatically express ourselves by using clothes, attitude, face expression etc.
In my case, my first impression of someone doesn’t change only when I like the person at first. I may judge people by atmosphere, their clothes, face expression, etc.
In society, manner is important, too. That means many people tend to judge other people by their appearances.
At the same time, we control our appearances.
I’d like to be a person who pulls off various styles. I think it’s effective in business life. And if I can do that, my life can be more colorful.
教師より
You have a good paragraph structure but I recommend you to state your opinion once again in the conclusion paragraph.
You give good reasons to support your opinion and I agree with most of them.
Of course this is a personal opinion and I’m a true believer of first impressions but sometimes “appearances are deceptive.” So, a person can look like a very good person but actually he can be a criminal. On the other hand, a homeless person can look very dirty and dangerous but he/she can turn out to be a very kind and sweet person. But still, we should pay attention to how we look like and use it in our advantage like you said.
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本日紹介させていただくのは、TOEFLテストに向けlessonを受講されている生徒様のessayです。
WILLのTOEFL Writingでは、TOEFLテストで求められるポイントを分類して、教師が丁寧に添削・採点しています。
日本語の文章でも、順序立てて論理的に書くというのは大変です。これを時間内に英語で書くとなると、やはりたくさんの練習が必要ですね。
"What is a very important skill a person should learn
in order to successful in the world today? Choose one skill."
In my opinion, what we have to learn is how to be polite.
Although, some people would ask, “what is propriety?” I would like to raise three most important things to be appreciated as a “modest person,”.
First, greetings. Second, be very responsible with your words, and third, do not do what you do not want done to you.
Greeting is very important to maintain the relationship between your family, colleagues and friends. According to my mother, people who cannot greet properly are way worthless than someone who can greet. This statement sounds very extreme, though, it is true.
When I said “Hi” to my ex-classmate, she ignored me and went into the classroom. I have never forgotten how I felt on that day, I felt unpleasant irritation and frustration, totally different from the stress from too much assignments examinations. I had been hating her since the day she ignored me. Therefore, a greeting has a great effect on someone and is the most basic way to be polite.
Be very careful what you say. If you said something rude to your family or your friends, and you have forgotten, you will be in trouble. Even if you forgot what you referred about to your friend, he or she hardly forgets about this. Humans are more vindictive than the elephants, so we have to be very responsible for what have we spoken in order to retain a good relationship to the people around you.
Do not do something you do not want done to you. If you have been treated badly, what would you think? You would feel frustrate, annoyed or lamented. When you did that to other people, you have hurt some people consciously or unconsciously. Thus you have to think about how you want to be treated and act accordingly.
In conclusion, as long as we are polite, we can make a good relationship with the people around us.
教師より
Our conduct and polite manner is something we should all learn and maintain.
I think regardless of the reactions of other people, if we maintain a good level of propriety, it speaks volumes about our personality.
I concur that we should treat others how we would like to be treated. A polite character really helps form close relations with other people. Without this skill, co-operation would cease to exist.
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桜も満開に咲き誇り、すっかり春らしい陽気になりましたね。
道を歩いていると、新しい制服やスーツに身を包んで歩く人々につい目が留まります。
私は4月になっても特に変化のない生活ですが、何だかソワソワとする季節です
"Is the taboo on recreational drugs justified?"
Recreational drugs mean the substances used for enjoyment rather than for a medical purpose. The term is generally applied to alcohol, barbiturates, amphetamines, THC, PCP, cocaine, and heroin but also includes caffeine in coffee and cola beverages.
As this word covers a large area, I’d say No, on the illicit drugs. They must not be justified because they create a high level of dependency and very often they lead to disaster or crime.
On the other hand, I’d say Yes, in the case of coffee and cola, for being quite harmless to other people.
Recreational drugs are the matter for which we shouldn’t depend on as a personal choice. I believe that there is no right to keep them in society. In Japan, illegal herbs (or dangerous drugs) have been increasing since the number of arrests until 2014. There were many serious traffic accidents caused by users of such drugs.
As the regulations became tightened dangerous drugs are mostly extinct and the number of arrests with THC developed again 2015, the Metropolitan Police Department reported .
In criminal cases, it indicated that cases of theft are reduced by 10% compared with the previous year, 11.5% reduced for the number of murder cases, setting the lowest record after World War ?. On the contrary, drug crime tends to increase.
There is no room for justifying recreational drugs that are harmful. nothing justifies illegal drugs, even though some claim that they have a right to enjoy themselves. We should not make excuses for using drugs just to entertain us though it’s nothing new and there has to be regulations in place.
教師より
You’ve made some valid reasons why recreational drugs should be restricted. Especially when they are to the detriment of the health care industry and people in society.
It’s quite sad but not surprising that the distribution of drugs and violent crime occur in poor urban areas of some cities in North and South America.
It is said that when the black panther movement flourished in the U.S the C.I.A was involved in supplying drugs to those areas to subdue the black population. Freedom of people and anti war sentiments are a deterrent after all.
Some people say Marijuana can be used for medical purposes or recreationally. However that may give reason to use other drugs and cause a lot of health problem even though statistically the users are less prone to violence.
I must admit, I really like coffee so that’s quite difficult to give up.
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3月に突入し、春の気配を感じる日も増えて来ましたね。
先日は満開の河津桜が綺麗に咲いているのを見ました。
来月から進学や就職、転職など、新生活をスタートされる方もいらっしゃるかと思います。
何かとバタバタとする時期ですが、お身体に気をつけてお過ごしください!
"Japan secrecy law"
A new problem has occurred thick and fast with the state secrecy law.
Our personal information should be protected but on the other hand, it has an advantage, if we use it properly.
Nowadays personal information is being watched with keen interest because the government decided to introduce the national ID number system alias my number system.
Japanese citizens are assigned 12 figure number. It is a system that controls information concerned about social security, taxes, and medical insurance.
It aims to make office work run efficiently. Public service is supposed to take a long time usually, I hope it becomes faster but many people are concerned about the leaking of information and the misuse of privacy.
My number system has just begun. The problems will happen in the future, but I hope it becomes a good system.
教師より
This was a good essay. You’ve stated the reasons for concern that many Japanese citizens have about the ‘my number system’.
It’s rather disconcerting that the NSA (National Security Agency) and the Japanese government can search for information about any citizen they like.
Yet as we have seen, the Japanese government has concealed a lot of information from Japanese citizens.
Ownership of media is a draconian tactic and its an attempt to indoctrinate and pacify the population.
It also allows the government to freely do what they want without a public referendum or consensus. It’s not surprising that some people really dislike the Abe regime.
I hope that everyone’s privacy will be protected and that Japan has a better government in future.
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それでは、早速essayを紹介させていただきます!
"The Advantages and disadvantages of computers"
My generation is the first generation that used computers and we have been familiar with them since our childhood.
Of course, most of our first computers were video game consoles. However, it is probably true that we didn’t hesitate too much to use unknown computer-based machines compared to the previous generation.
The biggest advantage of computers are their calculation speed and correctness. Also, computers don’t complain, if they work 24 hours, 365 days without having rests. Therefore, many jobs that use calculations are replaced by computers and people come to work more efficiently. In fact, hand calculations used to be necessary only in my school life.
On the other hand, one of the disadvantages of computers in that they’re too inflexible instead of being correct. They stop working, if there is an insignificant mistake. It sometimes causes big trouble like failure of launching a rocket because of the wrong digit in its computer program.
My thought of another disadvantage of computers is they are designed by human beings. That means computers can’t surpass human beings. For instance, artificial intelligence is today’s key technology, but its process of thinking is made by human beings. I still don’t rely on an automatic car controlled by A.I., because there is no complete human being in the world.
教師より
Your essay contained some valid reasons on the topic.
As you wrote in your essay, computers have helped increase productivity, the storage of information and improved the accessibility of communication.
Although computers have many advantages it may take time before they can be trusted to work autonomously without being monitored by humans.
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生徒様をはじめ、本年も大変お世話になりました。
2017年も、より多くの方の英語に親しむきっかけ
作りが出来ればと思っております。
"Endangered animals"
There are many endangered animals in the world. The penguin is one of those animals.
I like the penguin because it’s very cute, comical and beautiful. The Emperor penguin is a variety of penguin that lives in the Antarctic. It breeds in the inland of Antarctica.
A penguin couple cooperates with their mate in child raising. One of them sits on the eggs, while the other goes to the sea and gathers food. The sea is far from their colony. It has to walk a long time.
However, Global warming effects their life in recently years.
The land mass around the colony has changed as huge icebergs are melting. Penguins need more time to go to the sea. Some of them couldn’t return to the colony.
Of course, I know that global warming is a result of human activity. Not only penguins, but many animals are in danger of extinction from global warming. I think that we have to change our life so that it doesn’t have a bad influence on animals.
教師より
This was a good example to use in your essay.
The habitats of many wild life species are in danger.
The ‘rock hopper’ penguin found near the Cape Horn of South America and in New Zealand has dropped in numbers by 25% in the last 30 years.
Other endangered animals include the giant tortoise, tigers, rhinos, gorillas, leopards, elephants, dolphins, whales, monarch butterfly, Arctic wolf etc. I hope that not only these species of animal can be protected and survive but also the variety of plants that are necessary for our existence.
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とはいえ、街はクリスマスムード一色でワクワクする季節でもあります♩
今年も残すところ約1カ月、悔いなく楽しく過ごしたいものですね!
"Honesty is the best policy" Do you agree?
Absolutely. I believe it is one of the most precious aspects of our nature. If we really want to have a place where we do belong, honesty is a key to obtain acceptance.
On the other hand, it also requires us to keep on showing our honesty through bitter events. This has been brought up in so many books, and I find it invaluable in acquiring various lessons from them. You never know what to expect in your life, and tomorrow, you may receive a chance for a new opportunity.
I must admit that being honest is not an easy task. Some people abandon honesty so easily because of bad luck or obstacles they can’t overcome. I can’t say where the limit for being honest is for someone, as it would depend on their personality or spirit.
And receiving honesty from others is much more difficult. So, it’s real fortune having a person with whom we can exchange honest opinions with at any time.
When it comes to the leaders of nations, they have a good reason to be honest to the people and are required to be as a part of their duty. I regret to say, it’s too unusual to see. We can’t blame them. If we don’t believe in politicians but don’t vote or just keep on voting by habit, it’s not their fault, it’s ours.
Honesty must be the best policy in our society. At least, we mustn’t change it for the pursual of the battle field, where the word “honesty” never exists.
教師より
Your essay described the importance of honesty and why people should apply it to their lives.
However, perhaps in certain situations a small lie might be used to protect another person’s feelings.
I agree that it is not in the best interests of world leaders to be honest as it would undermine their objectives.
]]>最近は朝晩が冷え込んで、いよいよ本格的な秋ですね。
気温の変化に体がついていかず、風邪をひかれている方も多いのではないでしょうか?
私も、喉が痛い朝が度々あります。皆さま、くれぐれもご自愛ください!
"Fortune favors the bold" Your thought?
Basically, I agree with that sentence. Being positive is better than being negative to do everything. Whether the result after doing it positively is a success or failure, you maybe obtain something that is useful in your life.
However, you have to think about the meaning of the word “bold” carefully. Just challenging something without any thought is not called “bold”. Imagine, you just start a role-playing game and you are a hero of the game. You don’t have any sword, any armor nor any other items to recover your health. No one would think you could defeat the final enemy.
I think to be bold is the same as how confident you are in preparing. In the example I mentioned before, after you raise your level and have strong equipment, then you get the chance for victory. Also, you should think about risks in the case of failure in real life, because restarting after failure in real life is not as easy as in games.
Without preparing to success nor thinking about risks, it’s far from “bold”, it’s just called “reckless”.
教師より
This was a good essay. the example of a role-playing game definitely acts as a metaphor for the topic.
I agree that it is better to proceed carefully and thoughtfully before taking on a challenge. Maintaining a positive attitude no matter what the outcome would be the best approach. We can always learn and grow from any situation.
Tip: Although “get” is a useful verb, in formal writing it is better to avoid using it. English speakers only use “get” for spoken conversation.
]]>久しぶりに良いお天気で、秋らしい気候になってきましたね。
昨日はWILLに長年通っていただいている生徒さんと、久しぶりにお話する機会がありました。
最初にお目にかかって10年以上、世界でご活躍され続けている姿は、相変わらずとてもかっこ良い女性でした!
WILLの生徒様方は、お忙しい中時間を見つけて英語をbrush upされている方達ばかりです。
「私も向上心を持って生活しなければ!」と、自分自身を見直した一日でした。
"The greenhouse effect"
The greenhouse effect means the gradual warming of the air surrounding the earth, which is necessary to heat the earth. If the greenhouse effect doesn’t exist around the earth, it is said that the temperature of the earth drops to minus 18 degree.
However, the greenhouse effect recently works too much due to the increase of carbon dioxide, which becomes a serious problem to cause global warming. Therefore, we should consider how to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide.
I think there are several solutions to solve this problem.
Firstly, each country should cooperate. Many countries recently discussed this problem and defined the regulations concerning the emission of carbon dioxide.
However, some developing countries disapprove of these regulations because they prevent those countries from growing. Those countries say only advanced countries should control the emission of carbon dioxide. It is difficult to solve this dispute.
I think it is important for each country to discuss this problem and accept the regulations.
Secondly, each of us should contribute. There are many actions that we can do to contribute. For example, walking or cycling instead of driving a car leads to decrease the emission of carbon dioxide. Saving water is also important. We should stop wasting water when we don’t use.
教師より
This was a well written essay and you discussed some important issues when regarding the ‘Greenhouse effect’.
I completely agree that each country should follow regulations for reducing carbon emissions.
The idea that developed countries had their industrial revolution, so why can’t developing countries? isn’t the point. We only have one planet and each country on Earth needs to do their best to protect and save our bio diversity.
Each person can do certain things to protect the environment like you mentioned. I hope the World co-operates on this issue because its far more important than fighting wars.
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When it is manipulated by the government, we should be looking at what's happening. What concerns me especially, is the censorship of history textbooks.
History repeats itself. It needs close inspection and analysis by specialists.
The important thing is whether they can remain neutral all the time in doing so. No one feels happy to face the dark episodes of their own country's history. If we want to see history only as a glorious and proud one, then it doesn't deserve to exist.
History guides us through bitter and regrettable events, so not to make the same mistakes as our predecessors.
From this point of view, censorship should be performed sincerely on history.
On the contrary, the Japanese government seems to be scheming to distort the facts and intentionally downgrade the nasty incidents. It appears that such intervention by the government is growing these days. There has to be a much more cautious system to utilize censorship.
I'd like to insist that an independent organization surveys the government controlling the censorship of history. It is desperately needed.
教師より
This was a good essay. The censorship of historical textbooks is a grave issue and can lead to a lot of misinformation.
In such cases, history seems to repeat itself.
Each country has their own interpretation of historical events, so I think there needs to be an independent international panel that discloses facts without bias, I completely agree with your idea.
The revisionist history that Abe's government is endorsing is very misguided. I'm disappointed when governments decide to re-interpret history for their own purposes.
Russia did something similar in recent years by issuing new historical textbooks for school children.
They claimed Stalin was the savior of the Russian people and liberated Europe from Nazi Germany.
In fact, he was a cruel dictator who murdered and starved approximately 20 million of his own people.
The United States and Israel, the UK and many other countries have had their own interpretation of history but a lot of the rhetoric we learn at school is not always historical fact.
Although, Germany had a shameful history, at least they acknowledge their wrong doing.
I hope Japan will have better leadership in the future.
]]>更新が大変遅れてしまいすみません(´・_・`)
こんにちは!
日々暖かさも増し、ゴールデンウィーク中は真夏のような暑さの
日もありましたね
私は5/4にフラワーフェスティバルに行ってきました!
快晴でとても気持ちよく、色々なステージを楽しむことができました!
さて、本日からはWILLも通常通りのレッスンに戻ります。
essayも更新していきますので、よろしくお願いいたします!
"The importance of music in people's lives"
In life, music is very important. A song we listen to for the first time in life will be a nursery song from our mother.
I listen to songs from various genres, Japanese music, Western music, classical etc... Music helps me relax and have a pleasant feeling.
A nursery rhyme to sing with a child becomes a tool of good communication.
I remember my school days when I listened to old music. When I listen to old music, my old memory is revived. When I was sad during my school days, I got motivation from a song.
Music connects people more than anything else. We can listen to our favorite songs even if we don’t understand the words.
教師より
This was a great effort. Well done!
Music is definitely a powerful communication tool. The feelings and mood of a song can reach people in many different countries, even when the language that’s song is different.
I also like a variety of music. Good music comes in all shapes and forms.
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Time is always moving forwards into the future. And it never goes backwards into the past. The present becomes the past in the future. People tend to regret what they've done because time waits for no one, the stream flows on by. Everybody thinks that they wish they could go into the past to change something they regret, but they can't do that. That's why some people write a book about if they could travel into the future and the past. There are also films about time travel. You must have read and seen that.
It's something that everybody wishes for.
When I was thinking I should have done or shouldn't have done something, I'm dying to travel into the past and undo what I have done.
If I could freeze time. I sometimes think I wish I could freeze time. I think about this a lot when I don't make the last train.
教師より
Very interesting essay. Time only flows in one direction, forward. As you said, many people go through life with major regrets about their past, wishing that they could go back and change something. Becoming obsessed with the past is not productive, it's better to focus on the future and how you can change
Ecology and economic development.
The 3R's, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, can be called ecology.On the other hand, consuming products is necessary to sustain economic development. But making energy systems, for example solar power systems is good for both ecology and economic development.
And ecofriendly products have a better reputation nowadays. In fact, "eco" is one factor we think of when we select products.When we do something ecological, we need to think whether that is really good for the environment or now.
For example, some people say PET bottles should be thrown away without recycling because PET bottles helps
to burn rubbish.Thus we need to study more about what is good for ecology.
教師よりEcology and development is a difficult topic to write about but you did a good job here.I think at the moment we cannot balance these two needs.It may be a long time before economic growth can be eco-friendly at the same time.
My biggest fear
I think my biggest fear is losing our daily lives. Japan is a very peaceful country.But this year is difficult because Japan had a big earthquake in the Tohoku area. I went to the Tohoku area last weekend. I saw terrible scenes. A lot of cities lost all their houses and many people. I think daily life is wonderful. I want to spread peace. I experienced things that money cannot buy.
教師よりIt's worrying when suddenly our daily routine and lives are turned upside-down. It happened to the people in Tohoku. I was surprised today when I woke up. There are riots in London and other places in England. Nature is powerful and scary but people are more scary sometimes.
今年の夏は特に暑い日が続いているように思いますが、