June 30, 2016　=========
☆ innovative 革新的な
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Something that is innovative is new and original. An innovative person is someone who introduces changes and new ideas. Who would you consider to be the most innovative person in history? My immediate thought is Steve Jobs… but obviously there were many, many more innovative people before Steve Jobs.
Some of the other innovative people I thought of were Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci, and The Wright Brothers. These are all innovative people from the past, but all of them are from western culture. How about in Japan? Who would you pick as the most innovative people in Japan right now and in Japan’s long history? What innovative breakthroughs did they come up with?
Bye,
Chris

June 29, 2016　=========
☆ upbeat 楽観的な
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This is the informal word meaning “optimistic” or “positive.” If a person or their opinion is upbeat, they are cheerful and hopeful about a situation. Although it is an informal word, you could still use it at work, for example, “The boss gave an upbeat assessment of the sales for the year so far.”
Here are some other examples:
I don’t know how you stayed so upbeat during the meeting.
She was in a joking, upbeat mood.
I lost my phone yesterday, but I remain upbeat that I’ll find it!
He’s normally so upbeat, I wonder what’s wrong…
Are you an upbeat person?
Bye,
Chris

June 28, 2016　=========
☆ inevitable 避けられない
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If something is inevitable, it is certain to happen and cannot be prevented or avoided. It is unavoidable. There is a funny saying about staying young at heart (and mind!) “Growing old is inevitable but growing up is optional.”
How do you feel about the way technology is developing these days? Do you think it is inevitable that everyone in the world will be online and connected 24-7 to each other? What about the earth and global warming – is the destruction of the earth inevitable?
As you can see, “inevitable” is generally used with “heavy” topics, such as growing old, global warming, and so on. Although, you can use it in a light-hearted way too, for example, “If you drink too much, a hangover is inevitable!”
Bye,
Chris

June 27, 2016　=========
☆ open (to) （～を）受け入れる
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If you are open to suggestions or ideas, then you are ready and willing to accept those suggestions or ideas. This is a common word that might come up in meetings or discussions about how to solve a problem. Here are some examples:
I think I’ve tried everything, but I’m open to suggestions. (the person has tried many different ways to solve their problem but nothing has worked, so now they’d like ideas or help from others.)
I want to change jobs, but don’t know what work would suit me. I’m open to any ideas!
We need to raise profits in the business quickly, if you have any suggestions, I’m open to them!
Can you use “open to” in regards to a situation in your life?
Bye,
Chris

June 26, 2016　=========
☆ motivation モチベーション
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Earlier in the month, we talked about how to continue our motivation to study English. So did you think about that question? How do you maintain your motivation? In fact, here’s another question. Of course, it is important to maintain our motivation, but what do you do if you are completely lacking motivation but need to do something in the first place?
Some of the things I do to get my motivation started are:
Set a timer – I just have to work for five minutes.
Give myself a reward *before* starting! Sometimes this can work to get me back into a work or study mindset.
Eat a square of dark chocolate. Yum!
These are pretty simple, low-tech motivation tips that I use. What are your motivation tips?
Bye,
Chris

June 25, 2016　=========
☆ freedom 自由
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I’m sure you’re familiar with today’s word already, so let’s talk about some alternative words with the same or similar meaning. Of course, freedom means simply liberty or independence, but there are some more informal words you can use, too.
Freedom can also be:
blank cheque (a blank bank cheque to write out the amount of money you want)
carte blanche (Originally from French, meaning the complete freedom to do as you want.)
free rein (imagine a horse without reins on, in other words, it has freedom to go where it wants. This word also means that we have freedom to act as we want.)
Have you heard of any of these before?
Bye,
Chris

June 24, 2016　=========
☆ struggle 葛藤
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Have you ever heard of the saying, “first world problems”? This is what people write on Facebook and other social media when they are complaining about things that they are actually pretty lucky to struggle with. For example, having to wait to buy a coffee at Starbucks – this is a first world problem, and instead of complaining about the long line we should be grateful that we have the chance to buy hot coffee.
There is a newer version of this saying, “first world problems” that is becoming more popular: “The struggle is real.” In this case, there is irony and comedy of dramatizing a non-critical (but undesirable) situation. For example,
A: I had to catch the train to work because my bike tire was flat.
B: That must have been really hard. (ironic tone)
A: Yeah. The struggle is real. (ironic tone as it wasn’t really that hard)
Bye,
Chris

June 23, 2016　=========
☆ mental rehearsal イメージトレーニング
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Recently I’ve been reading a lot of books about mental toughness for athletes. The ideas all apply to business and personal situations too, of course, not just to athletes. Every book I have read so far has mentioned the importance of mental rehearsal. If you can do a mental rehearsal of the event or game, or even English lesson, then you have a much better chance of success.
The top athletes get to the top by being mentally strong and this involves doing a lot of mental rehearsals – they include it as part of their regular practice. I really recommend you do the same for English. If you are taking the TOEIC or TOEFL test then do a mental rehearsal – see yourself in your inner mind, sitting down and answering the questions easily during the test. See yourself leaving the testing room feeling confident that you have gotten the result you want. Mental rehearsal can boost your confidence greatly, and a confident person is always going to perform better than a nervous person. Give it a try!
Bye,
Chris

June 22, 2016　 =========
☆ choice 選択
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When you have a choice of things, it means there are several things and you can choose the one you want. For example, “I love this department store, there is always a lot of choice.” Or, “The café I’m thinking of has a choice of a buffet or a set menu.” Or, “I really wanted an office with a window, but it wasn’t my choice.”
When we talk about having “little choice” or “no choice” but to do X, it means that you have to do X, or you cannot avoid doing X. In other words, there is no other choice or selection to make. “We’re so busy at work that I have little choice but to work on Saturday.”
Bye,
Chris

June 21, 2016　 =========
☆ control 管理
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Control can be used as either a verb or a noun. As a noun, it is talking about the “power” that someone has over something or someone. Other words with similar meanings are: authority, command, management. Here are some example sentences:
The teacher had no control over the students.
Control of inflation seems to be the government’s main priority.
The firemen worked to gain control over the bushfire.
Many Americans want better gun control but the NRA oppose any form of strict gun control.
Can you use “control” as a noun, in a sentence?
Bye,
Chris

June 20, 2016　 =========
☆ implication 暗示
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The implications of something are the things that are likely to have as a result. An “implication” can also be a suggestion, an inference, or a presumption. The verb, “to implicate” is only used when the situation is talking about something wrong or criminal, however, the noun, “implication” can be used more generally, usually when something is going wrong, but not necessarily related to criminal activities.
For example, in a business situation, when someone is making a report that is not positive about the business, a common question to ask is, “What are the implications?” meaning, “what is the likely result / outcome of the situation, based on the information just presented?” Or in the news, “What are the implications of an ageing society?” in other words, you might not hear this word in everyday conversation, but it is a common word in more formal discussions.
Bye,
Chris

June 19, 2016　 =========
☆ brainstorm アイデアを出し合う
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The most common meaning of “brainstorm” is for when a group of people get together to have a discussion to produce ideas. You can brainstorm on your own, of course, but the original meaning is of a group of people discussing ideas to solve problems.
Obviously, brainstorming to solve problems is a positive idea, right. However, this is kind of interesting, if you use “brainstorm” as a noun (today’s word is a verb), in England, the meaning is quite different. If you have a brainstorm, it actually means that you suddenly become unable to think clearly!! How funny that the meaning of brainstorm is so different in England, compare to the USA.
Bye,
Chris

June 18, 2016　 =========
☆ share 共有する
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If you share something with another person, you both have it or use it. You can share many different things, for example, my two sons share a room. You can share your food or money or other resource with someone.
You can also share a task or a duty or a responsibility with someone. For example, you can share the cost of a present for a friend, if there is just two of you sharing the cost, you could also say, “go halves” in other words you share the cost, 50-50.
You can also share an opinion with someone, meaning that you agree with them. Do you know any other ways to use “share”?
Bye,
Chris

June 17, 2016　 =========
☆ negotiate 交渉する
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If people negotiate with each other, they talk about the problem or situation in order to solve it and come up with an arrangement that suits everybody. Actually, maybe that’s not true! Some people do like to negotiate with the idea of win-win in mind, however, a lot of people only think of win-lose situations, so they are negotiating to find an arrangement that suits them, not necessarily anybody else.
Negotiating is quite common in western culture. Many people try to negotiate better prices and conditions when they are buying things, so in order to really succeed in getting what you want you need to be good at negotiating. Is negotiating an important skill in Japanese culture?
Bye,
Chris

June 16, 2016　 =========
☆ attempt 試みる
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There’s a famous quote using today’s word. I actually thought it was said by Brian Tracy, the motivational speaker and author, however, all I can find on the Internet today is that the author of the quote is “unknown.” Anyway, you might know the quote:
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
Is there something that you would like to attempt or try to do but haven’t because you are too scared you might fail? If it were me, relating to personal health, I’d attempt an Ironman… but to be honest, I’m too scared to attempt it, even though I know it is possible and many people have already done it. Maybe one day!
How about you? What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?
Bye,
Chris

June 15, 2016　 =========
☆ surpass 超える
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When a person or thing (A) surpasses another (B), it is better than the other thing. In other words, it (A) exceeds it (B). For example, “He was determined to surpass the achievements of his older brother.” Or “She hoped to overtake and surpass them later in the race.”
“Surpass” is also often used with the word “expectations.” When something surpasses expectations, it is much better than you expected it to be. “The party surpassed all my expectations and I had a wonderful time!” Has something or someone surpassed your expectations recently?
Bye,
Chris

June 14, 2016　 =========
☆ continue 持続する
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Yesterday I talked about Turia Pitt, she said in an interview that her motivation to do the Ironman was to prove to herself and others that she is fitter now than she was in 2011 when she was trapped in the bushfire during an ultra-marathon. Whenever she felt like she couldn’t continue, she would remember this goal and keep going.
What is your motivation to continue doing something even when it is hard or you don’t want to do it anymore? What about English study for example, do you have any tricks to make sure you continue studying English? Do you have a goal to prove to yourself that your English is better than before? In English-speaking countries, many people study another language at school, but they rarely continue after they graduate. I wonder why are Japanese people motivated to continue to study English?
Bye,
Chris

June 13, 2016　 =========
☆ rise above 突破する
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If you rise above a difficult situation or problem, then you manage not to let it affect you. Usually inspirational stories and TV shows are about people that have faced some huge problem and then risen above it, to succeed no matter what.
I think I told you about the runner, Turia Pitt, who was trapped in a bushfire during a running event. She almost died and spent over 800 days in hospital. But she rose above all the difficulties and learned to walk again, learned to swim again, learned to ride a bicycle again, and then amazingly, just last month, she completed an Ironman competition. In other words, she did a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride, and a 42.2km marathon in 13 hours and 24 minutes. Wow! Now that is what I call rising above any difficulties. Amazing!
Bye,
Chris

June 12, 2016　 =========
☆ brilliant 素晴らしい
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Today’s word is the informal, spoken English version of the word, “brilliant.” In British English especially, but it is also used in this way in America, when we say something is brilliant we meant that it is very good, or we are very pleased about it. Here are some example sentences:
That is brilliant news! (great or happy news, e.g. Got a new job)
I’m reading a brilliant book at the moment, about …. (great book, interesting story etc.)
You should see that movie, it’s brilliant! (exciting, fun, great movie)
So depending on the context, “He is brilliant” could mean that “he is very intelligent” or “he is a funny, interesting guy.”
Bye,
Chris

June 11, 2016　 =========
☆ creative 創造力のある
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A creative person has the ability to invent and develop original ideas. You can also use “creative” to describe activities that involve inventing or making new things. For example, there is a school subject in Australia (and I’m sure not just Australia) called, “Creative Writing.” And many people think that cooking is creative.
Here are some example sentences:
You’re so creative! What a great photograph.
I wish I were more creative…
I’m so lucky to be part of this creative team.
That is a creative use of those old boxes.
Can you make a creative sentence using the word, “creative”?
Bye,
Chris

June 10, 2016　 =========
☆ civilized 教養のある
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Civilized has two meanings. The first meaning is when you describe a society as civilized, meaning that it is advanced, and has sensible laws, customs and education. Countries like Japan, the USA, Australia and England (and many more) would of course be described as civilized.
When you describe a person as being civilized, you mean that their behavior is polite and reasonable. In this sense, their level of education or background is not as important as their actual behavior. For example, someone who is intelligent, went to Tokyo University, and works in top management in a company would be considered “well-educated” but if they go out for drinks and get drunk every night, then you wouldn’t describe them as civilized, as no one considers this to be polite behavior.
Bye,
Chris

June 9, 2016　 =========
☆ major 大きい
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You can use “major” to describe something that is important, serious, or significant. It can be used when describing one thing, or when describing something compared to others.
For example, “The major reason I decided to quit my job was X.” In other words, there were many reasons why they quit their job, but the biggest or most important reason, was X.
Here’s another example, “Getting married is a major decision, don’t rush it!” In other words, there are many decisions we must make in our lives, but getting married is one of the bigger, more significant or more important ones.
Have you made a major decision recently? What was it?
Bye,
Chris

June 8, 2016　 =========
☆ stunning 見事な
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Something or someone that is stunning is extremely beautiful or impressive. For example, “The views from the observation deck at the top of the tower are stunning.” Or “Did you see the stunning fireworks display in Edogawa last year? I’m going again this year.” Or, “We drove through some stunning countryside when we travelled to England last month.”
You can also use it to describe people, for example, you might say to a friend or partner, “You look stunning!” if they have dressed up beautifully for an event. Or, “That dress looks stunning on you!”
Who or what have you seen recently that was stunning?
Bye,
Chris

June 7, 2016　 =========
☆ groundbreaking 画期的な
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“Groundbreaking” is one of those words that is easy to get a visual image for. The origin of the word is from when builders go to a construction site for the first day of construction, there is sometimes a small ceremony, where they break the ground before they begin the new construction.
From this image, you can get the idea that something “groundbreaking” is about breaking up old things in order to do something new. Something that is groundbreaking is providing new and positive ideas, and influencing the way people think about things. Some of the things that we often call “groundbreaking” are new and interesting things like: research, art, books, movies, even political ideas can be groundbreaking. Have there been any groundbreaking ideas in Japan recently?
Bye,
Chris

June 6, 2016　 =========
☆ honest 誠実な
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If you describe someone as “honest” you mean that they always tell the truth and do not try to lie to people. I’m sure you already know this word, so let’s think of some alternatives you can use that have the same or similar meaning. Do you know any?
Here are some:
trustworthy
ethical
law-abiding
reputable
truthful
Do you know any others? If you have time, why not make a Vocabulary Mind Map or write out some sentences using these different words.
Bye,
Chris

June 5, 2016　 =========
☆ desire 願望
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“Desire” is a strong wish to do or have something. In English, we also have the word “wish” which is similar in meaning, but the two words are a little different in nuance. The word “desire” is always used when there is a feeling of longing or craving something, whereas “wish” is usually used when there is a hopeful feeling.
In most cases, you can use either, but if there is a longing feeling (a slightly sad feeling, almost like you think there is no change you will get the desire) then you would use “desire”. Basically, “wish” is more hopeful than “desire.”
Bye,
Chris

June 4, 2016　 =========
☆ fear 恐怖
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“Fear” is the unpleasant feeling you have when you think you are in danger. A few years ago, I read a great book by Gavin De Becker, The Gift of Fear. In his book, De Becker says that we shouldn’t be afraid of having feelings of fear, and that in fact, those feelings of fear can help protect us – they are subtle signals that we should pay attention to in order to stay safe.
One of the key things he says is that “fear” is a feeling about the future, and therefore there is something we can do to help or save ourselves before that thing we are imaging actually happens. And that is what the book talks about; real versus imagined fear and ways to protect yourself from real danger.
Do you ever feel fear when you think about speaking English? If so, remember that there is nothing to be afraid of, you are not in danger if or when you speak English – the fear is all in your mind!
Bye,
Chris
Ps. I believe this book might be in Japanese too, I think the title is: 暴力から逃れるための15章

June 3, 2016　 =========
☆ barrier 障害物
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This chapter is all about breakthroughs. And breaking through barriers is an important part of a successful breakthrough. Barriers can be real, physical objects, such as walls, fences, gates and so on that prevent people from moving easily from one place to another place.
A barrier can also be a rule, or a law, or regulation that makes it difficult for you to achieve something you want. A person can even be a barrier. For example, at a company, you may have dreams of getting a promotion, however, someone else in the office might also want the promotion, so they become a barrier, trying to prevent you from getting the job they want.
In addition, we can have barriers in our minds; reasons and excuses why we don’t reach the goals we set for ourselves. Do you have any physical barriers or barriers in your mind that are preventing you from achieving your English goals? What are they and how can you remove those barriers?
Bye,
Chris

June 2, 2016　 =========
☆ discovery 発見
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When you make a “discovery” you become aware of something that you didn’t know before, or you find something that no one knew about before. In other words, the discovery could be something personal to you only, such as “I made an incredible discovery last night!” or “The discovery of my wife’s illness was a terrible shock.”
On the other hand, the discovery could be something that is important to the whole world, such as the discovery of the ozone hole over the South Pole. Or the discovery of a new plant or animal species. When I was young, I always wanted to make this kind of discovery, but then I found out that people spend years and years and years searching for new discoveries, and most people never find them… so I changed my dream! Ha ha
Bye,
Chris

June 1, 2016　 =========
☆ insight 洞察力
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There are two ways to use the word, “insight.” The first way is to talk about someone who has insight, and in that case you mean that they are able to understand complex situations. For example: Bill has a strong personality, with considerable insight and social skills. (This means that Bill has a good understanding of social situations.)
The second one is when you talk about gaining insight or having insight into a situation. When you gain this insight, you gain a deep understanding of the situation. For example, “I hope my explanation has given you some insight into the sort of work that we do here.”
In the first situation, “insight” is a part of a person’s character. In the second situation, “insight” is understanding that anyone can gain regarding a certain situation.
Bye,
Chris