Enjoy Every Moment

Some common English mistakes in Japan

After teaching English here in Japan for nearly 20 years, I've noticed that there are some common mistakes that keep coming up. Fighting off the urge to roll your eyes, a teacher needs to understand this is a teachable moment. This is like finding a nugget of gold while swimming in the river. Because they are common errors, we can make a dent in this fault in the local language skills by explaining why they are wrong.

Here are a few that have come across my path in the last week or so;

"I choiced to go to school in Kansai." -> It is common to hear students mistakenly use 'choice' as a verb. I will challenge them; choice is a noun, what is the verb? If they can't come up with it, I'll introduce choose-chose-chosen. (Success/succeed has the same problem)

Safety Driver. In a similar vein, for years the Japanese police and other safety-concerned agencies have made stickers to put on cars saying 'safety driver'. Safety is a noun- safe is the correct adjective.

Do you drive MY CAR? Rather than saying 'your own' they often will staple 'my' in front of words like 'home' or 'car' for instance. I think a few clever advertising campaigns are to blame for this problem, but, hey, let's remember that 'my' means that is the speaker's own possession.

I overworked yesterday. While many may argue that it is overworking, the truth is, what the speaker wants to say is, "I worked overtime yesterday."

These are just a few examples, but there are a lot more. I will keep note as I encounter them and post again on this topic in the future.

What is the best rate of study?

I had an epiphany while I was standing in the rain watching my son's team practice for soccer. My son was in junior high school at the time and he has been doing soccer since he was in kindergarten. I had been a teacher and language coach for around 16 years at the time but I never could settle on how much was the best amount of time to study to really achieve results. So, there I was standing in the rain watching my breath dissipate in the air in front of me wondering why the heck they had to practice every day. My mind flashed to Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers and his theory about needing 10,000 hours to become proficient at something. That was it, not only the amount of time but the total immersion of the mind and commitment to a regular rhythm were a key to reaching the next level.

Doubtlessly the more time you dedicate to something, the more you can see improvement, but the rhythm of soccer practices suggested to me that constant and frequent repetition is also important. I thought this was the way to get the students at the company I was teaching at to remember some words for their TOEIC goals. I set up a practice sheet where every three days they had to focus on a single word. The first day, they look up the word in English (afterwards Japanese was permitted) then on the second day they had to come up with a practice sentence. If they followed this program, they would think about the word on successive days and interact, making a better chance to remember. On the third day they would get another chance and they would find some synonyms for the word. The following day was a new word and the cycle began again. The problem is that the students didn't follow the theoretical path and only studied everything on one day, before their class. The most serious students did follow it and I thought it was a good program. The beauty of it was that the students should be thinking about English everyday. They established a rhythm, even if just for 10-15 minutes. If I were stricter about it, I think we would have seen more results.

Looking through the Internet at ideas about how much to study, theories range between 20 minutes and 3 hours per day. An interesting post by Ouino (We know, get it?) language says 30 minutes of active studying and 1 hour of exposure is good. Of course they are promoting their business so it's merely a theory. If you don't subscribe to Medium, you will be trapped by the pay wall, but this post says 1-2 hours is best for rapid language acquisition.

I will say it again though, I believe that the true key lies in the daily rhythm more than the amount of study, though logically more time spent should yield more results.

Get it right and make the right impression

When you are trying to communicate with your guests, it's great that you want to help your foreign guests feel at home by using English. However if you put the wrong words out there, it sticks out to your foreign guests and can do more harm to your brand image than it does good.

For example here are a couple of pictures;

This picture asks us to eat 'quiently' unfortunately 'quiently' is not a word. 'Quietly' is likely the target. Now, your foreign guests are having a chuckle and the importance of your message is diminished.

This water be good to drink. 'Be'? I have some elementary school students that can see the mistake, 'is' would be correct. The grammatical error may not stop people from drinking the water, but it, again, affects your brand.

It's easy to avoid such mistakes by checking your English beforehand. If you use our sign checking service, it will not only be done at a reasonable cost, but we can offer some more suggestions that might add a more authentic, native voice to your signs. For instance the first sign could be, "Please respect other guests and refrain from making loud noises." The second sign could be, " It is safe to drink this water, please enjoy!".

Let us know if we can help you.

Broadening experiences

On a personal note, I really feel that I enjoyed a large growth as a language facilitator over the last 5 years. By taking on new experiences and prodding the English language from different angles and opening up to new experiences, we can grow our awareness and become better teachers, coaches and vessels that help to transport our charges through language acquisition.

The 4 and half years I spent as an instructor working from within a Japanese company helped to give me a more practical experience of how English is experienced in an international company. I could find some areas that English training could be useful that I hadn't considered before and how to prepare my students better for international communication or travel. COVID 19 really shifted that whole scene, which I have touched on before, but business travel is still needed.

One of the most unique experiences I took on in that time frame was developing a curriculum for an English Communication School that wanted to operate in a VR environment using Microsoft's ALT Space. Sadly as my contract finished, Microsoft shuttered their venture into the metaverse and when I offered to adapt my plan to a different platform, the company did not seem interested.

We used the MEXT website as a reference and found the target vocabulary and grammar points and developed a fun program for grade 3 students. One idea was using mini stories to illustrate the targets to kids in a fun way. I was able to record the voices for the characters and it was really fun to develop.

The best experience helped me to finally collaborate with my sister on something.

For the program we wanted to use songs, but the staff said that due to copyright issues, it was difficult, could you make songs? Sure! I thought up lyrics in each unit as I made the course plan and after that was done, I set out to think up a tune. With my iPhone, I recorded some sketches that fit the rhythm and the lady in the staff actually had some musical skills so helped fix them so they were more technically sound. They wanted to use an AI singer but I suggested using my sister as the singer as she has some experience with singing. I was quite proud of the results. Unfortunately only about half of my songs were recorded.

The first two songs had a few hits in the first few weeks, but seemed to stop getting interest soon.

Every program needs a hello song. We used a traditional tune but it still came out alright.

Sadly, I thought this last song was the best one but it had only 230 hits. I learned a lot about naming. If I named the song Colour and fruit song, it would have 1000 times more hits.

That was a great, fun experience and I learned a lot about thinking about an entire language training program, even if it was just for 3rd graders.

Use that idiom properly

So you just learned a new idiomatic expression and you know that the best way to remember is to try to use it. You have to tread carefully and make sure it comes out sounding naturally. While most people will forgive you for making a mistake, you run the risk of forever using it incorrectly after that.

For instance Jun picked up the phrase, " a fish out of water", which means to feel out of place in a setting. It is usually used when talking about a human's feelings but he accidentally used it talking about an object that was out of place in the office. "That clock next to the door is like a fish out of water," he says. His colleagues know that he is trying, so no one corrects him and just nod awkwardly. After that he continues to use it in the same context to the point that it becomes habitual and it is tough to stop once he becomes aware of the situation.

So how to avoid it? Here are some ideas;

Listen actively, try to catch how other people use the expression

Google the new phrase, maybe you will find a video using it.

Ask a teacher or strong English speaker

Read! It's a great way to feed not only new vocabulary but also ideas of how to use words and phrases.

And, on the other side, if you are a bit higher level than your friend or coworker, it doesn't hurt to correct them.

Don't let this post make you feel anxious about using the new expression, you have to make mistakes to learn. Just take the time to research it and always communicate with open ears and an open mind.

Signs, signs everywhere a sign

My previous post about unusual signs was just scratching the surface, strange English can be found in a variety of places such as on t-shirts, menus or bags. Here are a couple more examples (courtesy of my acquaintance WM).

This sign is very near in their communication but it just feels very... well... generated using Google Translate or Weblio (my bane, some of the translations from this site have confounded me over the years). The most glaring error is the phrase, "what a so tasty". Why the heck is the 'a' in there? And it just doesn't work. It should be "What a tasty treat!" or simply, "How tasty." If I were to make this more natural I would probably say, "Congratulations! You have selected one of our shop's most popular treats. We are dedicated to seeing our customers' happy faces as they say, "How tasty!" We will never give up on our pursuit of making tasty treats. We are only satisfied if our customers are and we extend all of our efforts with the hope of seeing our customers' smiles. We are looking forward to your next visit." With a little more time I would smooth it out even further and leave your foreign guests feeling welcome with your strong and natural English.

With this sign, they really tried and again were not far off the mark. The section about the 'batch setting system' is a little awkward, I would change that sentence to say, "The air conditioning system is controlled centrally, so you are unable to adjust the temperature yourself." And the last part used 'fade away' when it should probably be 'turn off', so it should read- ' the green lamp will turn off when you push the power button and turn off the air conditioner. The monitor will also automatically turn off after a short time. '

Clear communication contributes to your branding and helps your foreign guests feel confident in your company. If you don't have the time and you want a native speakers input at a reasonable cost, we can help!

Chat GPT's counterpoint

So, I told Chat GPT, "I have written a report speaking about why using you would be a bad idea for Japanese businesses who want to compensate for their lack of English skills. How do you feel about that?"

I got this response;

"As a machine learning model, I don't have personal feelings or opinions. However, I'd be interested to know more about the points you've raised in your report. If you could share some specific concerns or arguments against using AI language models like me for Japanese businesses compensating for their lack of English skills, I could provide information or clarification on those points. Keep in mind that while AI models like mine can be powerful tools, they do have limitations, and their effectiveness depends on various factors.

Okay, I highlighted that there some reports of fake book reports, lists of non-existing companies or references for a report, security, the ability to gain corporate secret information or open source license concerns.

Chat GPT says;

"Your concerns are valid, and they touch on important considerations when using AI language models in a business context. Here are some points to consider:

Authenticity and Accuracy:

AI models generate responses based on patterns learned from vast datasets. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, errors and misinformation can still occur.

It's essential to verify information obtained from AI models, especially when dealing with critical business decisions or relying on the generated content for official documents.

Security:

There is a potential risk of sensitive information being inadvertently shared with the AI model. Organizations need to exercise caution when inputting proprietary or confidential data.

It's crucial to educate users on the types of information that should not be shared with AI models and implement measures to protect sensitive data.

Ethical Use:

Users should be aware of ethical considerations when utilizing AI. Generating fake reports or providing false information can have serious consequences and goes against responsible AI use.

Open Source License Concerns:

Depending on the specific implementation and usage, it's important to check and comply with any open-source licenses associated with the AI model or related software.

Bias and Fairness:

AI models can reflect and sometimes amplify biases present in training data. Organizations should be mindful of potential bias and take steps to address it, especially in contexts where fairness is crucial.

Data Privacy:

Organizations must adhere to data protection regulations and ensure that any personal or sensitive data processed by AI models complies with privacy laws.

User Training:

Proper training and guidelines for users on the appropriate use of AI models can help mitigate risks. This includes understanding the limitations of the technology and promoting responsible usage.

By addressing these concerns and implementing best practices, businesses can leverage AI language models more effectively while minimizing potential risks. It's important to strike a balance between the benefits of automation and the need for careful oversight and human judgment in critical business contexts."

I begrudgingly admit that was pretty good.

The path to a memory

Harumi came across the word 'confound' in her book. She had no idea what it meant.

She would typically pass it over and try to get by without understanding but this time she decided to dig into it.

First she made a note in her book, opened up her dictionary app and looked up the word in Japanese. She wrote it down.

She had heard that it is good to try to study in the native language as much as possible so she looked it up in an all-English dictionary as well. She made a note.

The next morning it was out of her head. She was determined to start growing her English skills, so she picked up her notebook and looked again. There were about 4 such words she had written so she took some time to look at them all.

That day in English class the teacher asked one of the boys, Tomoharu, a question and he looked confused. She saw her chance and she chimed in, " Tomo-kun is confounded."

She got a reaction which made her feel good. Her classmates blinked at her in confusion and the teacher looked surprised, then grinned.

Her experience had ensured she would remember the word. She had made a memory.

Effort is an under-rated gateway to success, especially in study and work.

Idioms, a key part of language

I noticed a lot of textbooks don't have enough idioms. Particularly on a junior level. It's kind of crazy when you consider how common they are in our daily conversation in the realm of natural English.

So, here are a few that might be of interest to students;

When it rains it pours -> This can be used in both negative and positive situations. We use this to describe that when one thing happens, another or a few events seem to follow. For instance a student came down with COVID 19 and her air conditioning broke down a day later. When it rains, it pours, eh?

Kill two birds with one stone -> This idiom meaning to accomplish two things in one action is easy to imagine. In fact there is a similar idiom in Japanese, as there is for the previous one, so when your students study this, they will say, 'oh, I get it!'

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. -> This is more of a proverb than an idiom but it is a good way to encourage positive thinking. The basic idea is when you are met with trouble (lemons), you should do you best to turn it into a positive situation (refreshing lemonade).

Take it on the chin -> When you are down or something bad happens to you, accept the situation and don't complain or turn it into a big problem. Be positive even in adversity.

I like to focus on positive expressions and situation as sometimes learning a language can feel like a very negative situation, especially for some beginners.

Teachers can teach idioms by making a guessing game (can you guess the meaning of this idiom), or finding ways to draw these out in the course of discussion in class. Make sure the students make a note and try to quiz them later or provide them with an opportunity to use them in a class.

Engage and Enjoy!

Being serious about developing an English training program and approaching curriculum building and lesson time with 100% buy in doesn't mean that the lessons are going to be no fun.

Quite the contrary. Coming into Japan, most students have studied a lot of English and have interacted with a lot of vocabulary, but they don't know how to use it because there is a heavy leaning towards passing the school tests. A lot of students have never traveled and they have not discovered how satisfying and fun it can be to actually communicate in another language. We need to engage them. Sometimes stray from the path you blazed if a productive conversation springs, but remember to find teaching points as you go.

make your lessons fun. Add games and discussion activities or do meeting simulations.

involve the students. Find out what they hope for and make a point to accommodate.

Mix it up. Have one class that is totally different. Try to avoid making it routine.

Don't lose sight of your target, the textbook still needs to be used, time needs to be controlled but the students don't need to be aware you are thinking of this.

Make sure the students understand the benefits of the activities you are doing or the goal. Sometimes students appear to be having fun but turn around and complain to their HR department. Sell them on what you are doing.

If we teach them how to have fun and how to communicate while growing their skills, they will gain a more natural motivation and interest in your class. You can't win them all. Some students are forced to take the class by their boss or other persons of influence, but you will win over more than you lose if you keep this in mind.