Blog
Word of the Week: Indeed
“Did you get my letter?” “I did indeed.” “My friend had told me his dog was big, and I saw that he is indeed a very big dog.” “Did you draw that? It’s very beautiful indeed.” “Indeed” can be used as emphasis or to confirm something as true. 「手紙は届きましたか？」 「届いたとも。」...
Picture of the Week: Camellia
The camellia is a flower from Asia. You shouldn’t give camellias to people recovering in the hospital. It’s easy for the whole flower to fall off, which isn’t a good image for recovery. ...
Phrase of the Week: Make You Pay
“Did you just shoot a blue shell at me? I’ll make you pay for that!” “Calm down. It’s just a video game.” To make someone pay (for something they did) is to get revenge (for what they did). Of course, it can sometimes mean to force someone to pay money for something....
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“Can you hear me? Please _____” Fill in the blank. A. call back B. write back C. tell D. respond 「聞こえていますか？返事をしてください」...
Flower, game, hat! Find some phonics sounds around the house! お花、ゲーム、帽子！お家の中でフォニックスの音を探しましょう！
Classroom Tip This song from Happy Valley Phonics Book 1, Unit 3, introduces vocabulary that begins with the f, g, and h sounds. Put the flashcards on the ground and ask the students, What does Filly want? Have them say or touch the words that starts with the same...
Trivia of the Week: Peanut Brittle
Peanut brittle is a flat candy with peanuts in it. “Brittle” means “hard and easy to break”, and peanut brittle is broken into pieces, rather than cut. Peanut brittle is popular in the U.S. but in other places other nuts are more popular, such as pecans or almonds....
Word of the Week: Fidget
“I want my kids to enjoy music so I took them to a classical concert, but they were bored and fidgeted the whole time.” “At the job interview, the chair was so uncomfortable, it was hard not to fidget. I hope nobody noticed.” To fidget is to move around slightly,...
Picture of the Week: Tangerines
Tangerines are closely related to mandarin oranges and Japanese citrus (mikan). They say you should eat them in winter to get some vitamin C and strengthen your immune system against colds....
Phrase of the Week: How About You?
“I liked the movie. How about you?” “I’m allergic to peanuts. How about you?” “Betty has a cat. How about you?” “How about you?” can mean many things, depending on the topic of the conversation in which it is used. In these examples, it could mean: “Did you like the...
TOEIC Practice Question of the Week
“This coupon titles the holder to one free small soda with the purchase of any sandwich.” Find the mistake. A. titles B. holder C. purchase D. any 「このクーポンを提示したら、サンドウィッチ購入時に無料でSサイズのソフトドリンクがついてきます！」 クーポンを見ると、大きな文字で「FREE* SODA!」と書いてあり、小さな文字で「*with...
