Tag: Natural English

Teacher’s Diary – Yes. I mean no.

Posted on by Jeff

It is hard to make corrections if you don’t know what your mistake is.

Often my students will make a mistake.  I will indicate that they made a mistake.  Then, they try to correct the mistake with a series of corrections.

Here is an example:

Student:  I will go to America in Monday.

Teacher:  In Monday?

Student:  At Monday?

Teacher: …

Student:  On Monday?

Teacher:  Yes, that is right.

 

Do you think the student will remember this correction?  Probably not.

Usually, I find the student doesn’t remember the correct phrase because they just guessed until saying the correct one. 

So, what should we do as students?  And, what should we do as teachers?

 

First, as students we should acknowledge that we do not know the answer.   We should realize that this is an opportunity to learn and improve.

Second, we should ask why the wrong answer is wrong and why the right answer is right. 

Third, we should practice using the correction in different contexts.

Finally, we should review it regularly. 

 

Here is an example of good practice:

Student:  I will go to America in Monday.

Teacher:  In Monday?

Student:   Hmmm.  What should I say?

Teacher:  Monday is a day.  For days we use “on”.

Student:  I see.  “On” is used for days.  So, I will go to America ON Monday.

Teacher:  Yes, that is right.  What will you do on Tuesday?

Student:  On Tuesday, I will see the Grand Canyon.

Teacher:  What else will you do?

Student: On Wednesday, I will watch a concert in Las Vegas. 

 

What should teachers do in these situations?

First, stop the student from randomly guessing the answer.

Second, ask the student why they chose that word or phrase.   Maybe they learned a rule incorrectly or maybe they don’t know the rule at all. 

Third, give the student context for using the word / phrase.  Show how the word / phrase can be applied in different situations.

Fourth, have the student use the word / phrase in their own examples.  If possible ask the student to explain what they now understand.

Finally, review the correction regularly with the student to make it stick.

 

So, try not to skip over these learning moments.  These situations clearly show that improvement can be made.  It just takes a little effort.

 

Natural English used in this post:

make it stick = remember it

skip over = not do something on a list or procedure

 

Teacher’s Diary – This / Next / Last

Posted on by Jeff

 

THIS weekend.

Do you know which weekend I’m talking about?

Am I talking about LAST weekend or NEXT weekend?

 

The answer for this is easy.  Just look at the tense of the question. 

What DID you do this weekend?  ← past tense.  The person is asking about past events.

What WILL you do this weekend?  ← future tense.  The person is asking about future plans.

So far, so good. 

 

THIS, NEXT and LAST.

Here is where it gets a little tricky. 

To understand how to use these words, we have to think about how far away in time the weekend is.

 

Using THIS and NEXT:

Imagine that today is the 15th (Thursday) or 16th (Friday).

If I ask you:  What will you do THIS weekend?  I’m talking about the 17th-18th.

If I ask you:  What will you do NEXT weekend?  I’m probably talking about the 24th-25th.

The 15th (Thursday) and 16th (Friday) are close to the weekend (17th-18th).  So, instead of using NEXT, we may change it to THIS.

 

Now Imagine that today is the 12th (Monday) or 13 (Tuesday).

If I ask you:  What will you do THIS weekend?  I’m talking about the 17th-18th.

If I ask you:  What will you do NEXT weekend?  I’m also talking about the 17th-18th.

The 12th (Monday) and 13th (Tuesday) seem far from the weekend (17th-18th).  So, using THIS and NEXT are both OK.

 

Using THIS and LAST:

Imagine that today is the 12th (Monday) or 13th (Tuesday).

If I ask you:  What did you do THIS weekend?  I’m talking about the 10th-11th.

If I ask you:  What did you do LAST weekend?  I’m probably talking about the 3rd-4th.

 

Now Imagine, that today is the 15th (Thursday) or 16th (Friday).

If I ask you:  What did you do LAST weekend?  I’m talking about the 10th-11th.

I won’t ask you:  What did you do THIS weekend?  It may sound unnatural because Thursday and Friday seem far from the previous weekend.

 

 

What about the days in the middle of the week (Wednesday, sometimes Tuesday)?

That’s a good question.  It is not so clear.  So if you have any doubt, you should clarify.

Common clarifying phrases for these situations are:

  • Do you mean THIS weekend or NEXT weekend?
  • Do you mean THIS weekend or LAST weekend?

 

Here is an example conversation:

Situation:  Today is the 14th (Wednesday).

A:  What will you do next weekend?

B:  Do you mean this weekend or next weekend?

A:  This weekend.

B:  I see.  I’m going to a baseball game this weekend.

 

Situation:  Today is the 13th (Tuesday).

A:  Hey, what did you do last weekend.

B:  Do you mean this weekend or last weekend?

A:  This weekend.

B:  Oh.  I went skiing in Nagano.

 

As you can see, speaking naturally in this situation is complicated.  With practice you will get the feel for it.  In the mean time, make sure you are listening to the tense of the question and don’t forget to use the clarifying phrases. 

So, what will you do next weekend?

 

Natural English used in this post:

so far, so good = the situation is good from the beginning to now

tricky = difficult

get the feel for = learn / get used to

in the mean time = the time before an event

 

Teacher’s Diary – Nice to Meet You

Posted on by Jeff

First impressions are important.  So, what is the first thing you say when you meet a person?  Do you say, “Nice to meet you”?  I’m not surprised if you do.  Most of my students use this phrase right off the bat.  Many textbooks suggest it.  However, it’s not natural and it might be a little awkward. 

 

Japanese introductions have two common phrases: 

はじめまして (Hajimemashite)

よろしくお願いします (Yoroshikuonegaishimasu)

 

The common structure for introductions in Japanese is:

A: Hajimemashite, Kenji desu.

B: Hajimemashite, Jeff desu.

A: Yoroshikuonegaishimasu.

B: Yoroshikuonegaishimasu.

 

For English introductions, there is only one phrase: “Nice to meet you”.  So, if we use it in the beginning on the introduction, what will we use at the end?  The phrase “hajimemashite” is basically equal to “nice to meet you”. There is no English phrase for “yoroshikuonegaishimasu”.  So, Japanese introductions and English introductions must have a different structure.  Speaking English requires thinking differently.  

 

This is a common, but unnatural student introduction:

Student:  Nice to meet you!  I’m Kenji. 

Teacher:  Hi, I’m Jeff.  Nice to meet you.

Student:  Nice to meet you too.  

 

Have you done this before?  You probably have.  Many textbooks make this mistake too.  So, its not your fault.  

Here is a more natural conversation:

Student:  Hi!  I’m Kenji.

Teacher:  Hi!  I’m Jeff.  Nice to meet you.

Student:  Nice to meet you too.

 

If you like, you can say: “Nice to meet you” at the same time.

A: Hello.  My name is Masa.

B: Hey.  My name is Kara.

A + B:  Nice to meet you!

 

There are some alternatives to:  “Nice to meet you”.

Good to meet you.  <– This sounds a little more casual.

It’s a pleasure to meet you.  <– This sounds more formal. 

 

We all want to make a good first impression.  By using this natural introduction, you will be off to a good start. 

 

Natural English used in this post:

Right of the bat = immediately

Off to a good start = to start well

Awkward = uncomfortable in a social situation

 

Teacher’s Diary – Ago / Before

Posted on by Jeff

Last time, we talked about how we can use IN to talk about FUTURE events. 

If you want to review the article, please click here.

 

Today, we are going to practice talking about PAST events. 

A common mistake is using “BEFORE” to describe one event in the past. 

Here are some examples:

 

I went to Canada two weeks before.

I arrived at the station 20 minutes before.  

 

With these phrases, the listener will be confused.  The listener thinks you are talking about the time between two events.  They will be waiting for you to explain the second event. 

So, In these phrases, we should use “AGO” instead of “BEFORE”. 

For example:

 

I went to Canada two weeks AGO. 

I arrived at the station 20 minutes AGO. 

 

The easiest way to talk about when an event happened in the past is to use “AGO”.

Here are some more examples:

 

The store closed 10 minutes ago.

I started learning English 5 years ago.

The rain stopped an hour ago.

 

So, how can we use “BEFORE”?

Just like using “AFTER”, we can use “BEFORE” when talking about two events.

Here are some examples:

 

I made dinner 20 minutes BEFORE you came home.

BEFORE going to Canada, I studied English conversation.

Let’s grab a coffee BEFORE watching the movie.

The store closed 10 minutes BEFORE I arrived.

 

So the structure can be:

(Event # 1)  BEFORE  (Event # 2).

 

For example:

Event # 1 –> Buy a ticket

Event # 2 –> get on the train

Buy a ticket BEFORE getting on the train. 

 

We can add time with this structure:

(Event # 1)  (time) BEFORE  (Event # 2).

 

For Example:

Event # 1 –> Arrived at the restaurant

Time –> 10 minutes

Event # 2 –> Last call.

I arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes BEFORE last call. 

 

 

So, when was your last day off?

When did you arrive at work?

When did you eat dinner?

Try answering this questions about PAST EVENTS using “AGO” or “BEFORE”.

 

Natural English in this article:

Grab a coffee = Buy / get a cup of coffee.  From a cafe, vending machine, etc. Can be used with other drinks and food too.

Last call  = Similar to “last order”.   Your last chance to order food / drinks because the bar / restaurant will close soon. 

 

 

Teacher’s Diary – In / After

Posted on by Jeff

 

Often my students have difficulty talking about FUTURE EVENTS.  

In lessons, I hear students use phrases like these:

 

My friend will come to Japan AFTER two days. .

I will go to Hawaii two weeks AFTER. 

 

Both of these may get the point across, but both are UNNATURAL when talking about future events. 

 

There is a much easier way to talk about future events –> using “IN”

Here are some examples:

 

I will go to Hawaii IN two weeks.

My flight is IN 20 minutes.

We will arrive in Honolulu IN two and a half hours. 

 

So,  when you are asked about future events, try answering with “IN”.

 

A: When are you going to New York?  

B: I’m going IN three weeks.

 

A: When will you finish the report?

B: I will be finished IN 30 minutes. 

 

 

Now, you may be asking:  How can we use “AFTER”?  

We can use “AFTER” when talking about TWO events. 

Here are some examples:

 

I will make dinner AFTER I finish watching this movie.

AFTER visiting Italy, I started studying Italian history.

Let’s go for a drink AFTER work.

AFTER you finish the report, hand it to the manager.  

 

So the structure can be:

(Event # 2)  AFTER  (Event # 1).

 

For example:

Event # 1 –> Eat dinner.

Event # 2 –> Pay the bill.

I will pay the bill AFTER eating dinner. 

 

Event # 1 –> Charge my phone.

Event # 2 –> Call you.

I will call you AFTER I charge my phone. 

 

For the opposite structure, use –> THEN

The structure can be:

(Event # 1)  THEN  (Event # 2).

 

For example:

Event # 1 –> Eat dinner.

Event # 2 –> Pay the bill.

I will eat dinner THEN pay the bill. 

 

Event # 1 –> Charge my phone.

Event # 2 –> Call you.

I will charge my phone THEN call you. 

 

 

So, when is your next vacation? 

When is your next break? 

When will dinner be ready?

Try answering this questions about FUTURE EVENTS using “IN”.

 

Next time, we will learn phrases for PAST EVENTS.

See you then!

 

Natural English in this article:

Get the point across  = To communicate, to be understood.

Go for a drink = This phrase is used when inviting a person for an alcoholic drink.  The phrase indicates having only one drink, but in reality more than one drink may be consumed. In Western culture, the drinking alcohol is often downplayed.

Hand (verb) = To give something to another person.