Phrase of the Week: Needs Work

“Your math scores are really good, but your English needs work.” “The car still needs some work before I will be able to drive it.” If something “needs work” it means there are tasks that must be completed in order for it to be good quality. It can also mean that a...

Idiom of the Week: Jump the Gun

“He jumped the gun by assigning blame before seeing the evidence.” To “jump the gun” is to start running before the starting gun of a race. We can use it to describe any situation in which someone does something too soon. 「証拠を確認する前に犯人を決めつけたのは早とちりだった。」 「Jump the...

Phrase: Spark a debate

“The accident sparked a debate about the current safety measures.” A spark can start a fire. (Perhaps you’ve seen someone start a fire by striking two pieces of flint together to make a spark.) In this phrase, something starts not a fire but a debate. We talk about...

Iguana, kangaroo, jellyfish! Learn phonics sounds with the Phonanimals! イグアナ、カンガルー、クラゲ!フォナニマルと一緒にフォニックスの音を覚えましょう!

Classroom Tip This song from Happy Valley Phonics Book 1, Unit 4, introduces vocabulary that begin with the i, j, and k sounds. Use gestures for the words and do them as you sing along. Put the flashcards on the ground and ask What does Iggy want? Have students say or...

Idiom of the Week: A Bun in the Oven

“She has a bun in the oven.” This sentence means that she’s pregnant! The bun is not actually a small piece of bread, but a baby. The oven is the mother’s belly. This phrase first appeared around the 1950s. 「She has a bun in the oven. (直訳すると:オーブンにパンがあります。)」...