English Study

This page is to help your English when you are not at Imagine.
I'll keep this updated with some English points, links and learning ideas.

If YOU have any ideas for other students - tell us!

British English

"That's not bad..."
"Quite good..."
"I almost agree..."

What do these phrases mean? They are nice examples of very British English, and even another English-first language speaker (e.g. American or Australian) may be confused by the real meaning.
British English uses understatement and irony and the resulting phrases can sound positive...but in fact are hiding some negative attitude.

Have a look at more of these on this funny website - a list of British English phrases...with what Europeans think it means...and then on the right column what it actually means.
I think this was made as a joke...but most of them are very accurate!
Anglo-EU Translation Guide.

Draw a Stick Man!
"Stick Men" are the simple drawings we can all do of a human - a circle for the head, sticks for the body, arms and legs. 
I just found this fun website which takes your stick man and creates an adventure, it is also good English practice! Try it by clicking on this link. Draw a Stickman.





Flying/False starts

What do you say?

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"Bolt happy after flying start..."
?????????
What? Usain Bolt is happy with a flying start?
In Japan everyone last week saw Jamaican star Usain Bolt's terrible mistake when he started the race too quickly and was disqualified.
But, if you enter the words "Bolt" and "flying start" into Internet search engines - you get good news stories...like this 

Why?

In English the bad start is called a "False Start" - a "Flying Start" is still fast, and ahead of other athletes - but it's a GREAT, GOOD start!!
Why does Japan use the wrong word???????

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Have you seen these posters on the Sapporo subway?
They are promoting good manners: " Be considerate. Connect the threads of kindness".

Unusually for English in public places in Japan - these are actually GOOD English! I am guessing that Sapporo Subway Office used a non-Japanese copywriter.

Next time you are travelling by subway look out for them and enjoy some quick and easy study.

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Tickets are on sale for the London Olympics in 2012.
You can buy tickets via the Pia Ticket website.It is a lottery system. You apply and get a number. There are 3 weeks to make the application. Then the lucky applicants will be contacted by e-mail on August 5th.

Obama is Dead!!!!

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Err....no.

Last week some  TV and radio presenters mixed up the names of the terrorist and the president.

CNN, Fox News...even the BBC made the mistake.
Language experts say it is because:
* both names are not English.
* the names are very similar.
* both men are leaders connected by events.

The mix-up was usually "Obama" instead of "Osama" because the when someone wants to say Osama the "b" of "bin Laden" is in their  mind already...but the "b" slips into the speaking too quickly and changes the name.

Interesting!
We all do this with our second or third language. You mix up English words, I mix up Japanese words...but this is an example of English-speaking professional journalists doing it on TV.
Here is the link to the full story with some　video clips.http://mobile.salon.com/news/feature/2011/05/04/osama_obama_linguistics/index.html

Topical English

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The spring flowers are coming up.

Useful Links

Here are some useful websites for English.

English Listening websites

Elllo Listening Lab

ESL Cyber Listening Lab

ManyThings.org

England

British Council Japan

BBC News Round

Visit Britain

The Cotswolds


Topical English

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There is a carpet of flowers in a garden in Sumikawa!