Get your elbows off the dinner table! Please.

Hello everybody,

On pages 30 and 31 of Headway 3, we looked at good manners, and bad manners, at the dinner table.

In England:

It is good manners to ask people to pass you things. e.g. "Please pass me the salt".

You shouldn't reach for things.

Also, it is bad manners to put elbows on the dinner table, or pick up your knife and fork, before the food arrives.

How about in Japan? Please give me some advice, because people in restaurants keep looking at me, in a surprised way!

Thankyou, and best wishes,

Johnny

You should/You must....

Hi everyone,

On page 28 and 29 of Headway 3, we looked at things we "should", and "must" do.

Imagine I am going backpacking, for a month, around Japan.

What should I do, or not do? What must I do, or not do?

E.g. "You should buy a backpack"

"You mustn't take a suitcase"

"You should go to Nara"

"You shouldn't climb a mountain alone"

Do you have any more advice for me?

Thanks!

Happy travels!

Johnny

You have to....

Hi everyone,

On pages 26 and 27 of Headway 3, We practiced the following language:

"You have to/You've got to..."

"You don't have to/You haven't got to..."

Can you remember which one is formal, and which is casual?

Also, take a look at this train map, of Yokohama:

http://www.welcome.city.yokohama.jp/eng/tourism/walking/1090_1.html

What do I have to do, to:

a) get from Kannai to Tsurugamine?

Answer: You have to take a JR train, or Subway, to Yokohama. Then you have to change to the Sotetsu line, and go eight stations, to Tsurugamine.

b) get from Kannai to Kanazawa Hakkei?

c) get from Kannai to Kikuna?

d) get from Kannai to Aobadai?

e) get from Kannai to Tsurumi Ono?

Good luck! And best wishes,

Johnny

Favorite Books and Movies

Hi everyone,

on pages 24 and 25 of Headway book 3, we looked at some of the best movies, and best books.

Here is the list of the ten best movies ever, from:

http://www.imdb.com/chart/top

Now, what Genre is each movie? Western? Historical? Comedy? Gangster? Romance? Musical? Science Fiction? Suspense? Horror?

I will start by helping you. Can you finish the list?

1) The Godfather. GANGSTER MOVIE

2) The Shawshank Redemption. PRISON DRAMA

3) The Godfather, Part II. ?

4) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. ?

5) Pulp Fiction. ?

6) Schindler's List. ?

7) One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. ?

8) Star Wars 5 - The Empire Strikes Back. ?

9) Casablanca. ?

10) Shichinin No Samurai. ?

Good Luck! Talk to you soon.

Johnny

Hemingway and Picasso

Hi, everybody,

On pages 22-23 of Headway 3, we looked at biographies of Ernest Hemingway (the American writer), and Pablo Picasso (the Spanish painter).

The biographies were quite long - so it might be a good idea just to choose four or five main points.

Here are five main points about Hemingway's life:

i) He was born in 1899, in Illinois, USA.

ii) He was injured, in Italy, during the First World War.

iii) After moving to Paris, he started to write novels.

iv) He won the Nobel literature prize.

v) In poor health, he killed himself in 1961.

How sad...

Can you write four or five points about Picasso?

Good luck. Enjoy Golden Week.

Johnny

Wednesday April 2, 2008

Hi everybody,

On page 20-21 of Headway 3, we look at things people do, every day.

What do you do, every day? What time do you get up?

Make a list, of about 8 or 10 things, you do, each day, and say if you enjoy doing them.

The picture above is Reginald Perrin, a British TV character. What do you think his job is? Do you think he enjoys it?

Enjoy your week.

Johnny

Unit 3 - Folk tales

Hi everybody,

This week, we have begun Unit 3, and have looked at the Tale of Gluskap, and the Baby. It is a North American Native story.

I asked you to write a Japanese story at home. Maybe Kaguya Hime,, or Momotaro, or another story, but in no more than ten sentences. Could you do it?

The picture above is from a famous story from England. Do you know the name of this story, and do you know how the story ends?

Let me know, if you do.

Best wishes,

Johnny