July 31, 2016　=========
☆ tried-and-true 確かな
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The Q&A for this month asks you this question, “What is your tried-and-true method for getting things done?” There are the examples in the Eigo Techo; using a timer, using Post-Its, and talking to a friend about a plan… how about you? What is your tried-and-true method? Do you have a trick that means you will definitely stay motivated to get something finished?
For me, I think my tried-and-true method is using a timer. If I really need to get X done that day, then I set the timer for 25 minutes and do my work, then take a 5-minute break. Then I repeat this until I finish. After four sets of “25-5 minute” sessions I take a longer break. This is my tried-and-true method. Actually, it’s not “my” method… it’s called the Pomodoro Technique and it really works for me. Have you heard of it?
So, what is your tried-and-true method?
See you next month,
Chris

July 30, 2016　=========
☆ frequently 頻繁に
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If something happens frequently, it happens often. Other words you can use instead of frequency are often, habitually, many times, and repeatedly. You can use “frequently” when you want to compare things, so something might happen “more frequently” than something else. Or boy might make a mistake “most frequently” compared to girls.
If you know the exact amount of times something happens, for example, four times a week, then you might want to just use the exact expression. However, if you’re not sure how frequently something happens, or if you just want to be less precise, then use “frequently” instead of giving the exact number of times. For example, if you get this ezine each day, but don’t find time to read it each day, instead of saying, “I read it every day.” you could say, “I read it frequently.” 🙂
Bye,
Chris

July 29, 2016　=========
☆ accountable 責任がある
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If you are “accountable” it means that you are responsible and must justify your actions. The word accountable is often used with “for” and “to.” You can be “accountable for” your actions, or “accountable to” someone for something that you do.
Here are some examples:
The drunk driver should be held accountable for his actions.
The department store should be held accountable to their customers.
If we lose the game, the coach will hold you accountable!
I can’t go this weekend, I’m accountable for a big project at work and I need to get it finished!
Try using accountable in a sentence about something you are accountable for.
Bye,
Chris

July 28, 2016　=========
☆ unreasonable 理屈に合わない
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If you say that someone is being unreasonable, you mean that they are behaving in a way that is not fair or sensible. If a decision or action is unreasonable, then it seems unfair and difficult to justify. In Australia, our petrol prices often seem unreasonable. One day the price is just $1.05 per liter, then suddenly, without warning, the next day the price is $1.60 per liter. It’s crazy, and very unreasonable!
How about in Japan? Is there something that is unreasonable in your mind? A price rise or a government decision? Or even a person in your company that might be making decisions that seem unreasonable and unfair to you? What do you do when this happens? How do you deal with unreasonable situations?
Bye,
Chris

July 27, 2016　=========
☆ immediately すぐに
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If something happens immediately, it happens without delay, at once. Immediately is usually used as an adverb. For example, “I have to go to Tokyo immediately, it’s urgent.” Or “He finished his beer and ordered another one immediately.”
When you say that something happens, “immediately after” something else, it means it happens as soon as the other thing is finished. For example, “I have to meet with a client immediately after lunch.” Or “She contacted me immediately after the meeting last week.”
What do you have to do immediately now that you have read this email? That’s right, you have to use “immediately” in a sentence, immediately! 🙂
Bye,
Chris

July 26, 2016　=========
☆ careful 注意深い
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If you are careful, it means that you give lots of attention to what you are doing in order to avoid making mistakes. When we add the suffix, “-ful” to a word, you can imagine that the person or thing is “full” of the original word. So in this case, full of care. Other words like this are helpful, playful, and beautiful.
So, do you know the suffix that is the opposite of “-ful”? Of course you do. It is “-less.” So for today’s word, “careful” becomes “careless” to describe someone who is “less” care; without care. Some other “less” words are for example, aimless, bottomless, and heartless.
Bye,
Chris

July 25, 2016　=========
☆ helpful 役立つ
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When you describe someone or something as “helpful” it means that the person or thing helps you in some way. The person might be helpful because they do some of your work for you, or because they give you advice or information. A thing or object might be helpful because it is useful or makes a situation easier for you. Here are some examples of how to use it:
Thank you, you’ve been really helpful.
Your son is such a helpful child.
The woman at the information center wasn’t very helpful.
Group discussion regarding the situation might be helpful.
I found the following information helpful; hope you do too.
Can you use helpful in a sentence?
Bye,
Chris

July 24, 2016　=========
☆ take ～ into account 考慮に入れる
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“Account” is used in many different phrasal verbs, and if you look in your dictionary, you’ll find a lot of different ways to use it. So today, let’s look at “take something into account.” If you take X into account, it means that you are considering X when deciding what to do about a situation. It can be used either as “take X into account” or “take into account X.” Here are some example sentences:
The city planners need to take into account the opinions of the people who live in the area.
We will take your many years of experience into account when making our decision.
I have to take my mother into account when planning a vacation as she is not well these days.
I hope you’ll take my ideas into account before you make your choice.
Can you use “take into account” in a sentence?
Bye,
Chris

July 23, 2016　=========
☆ have a lot on one’s plate することが山ほどある
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Have you heard of this verb phrase (kind of an idiom, I guess) before? It’s a popular one for busy people to use. It is used especially when people want to say “no” to someone who needs their help.
June 30th is the end of the financial year for Australians. My sister is an accountant, and she has a lot on her plate around the end of June. In other words, she is extremely busy. As for me, I’m a working mum, with two young kids who do a lot of sport and out-of-school activities that I need to take them too, so I too have a lot on my plate most of the time! How about you? Do you have a lot on your plate? If so, is there anything you can delegate so that you can get control of your time again?
Bye,
Chris

July 22, 2016　 =========
☆ declutter 取り除く
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Last month, I read KonMari’s book, “Spark Joy” – I’m not sure what the Japanese title is, but it is the book which has illustrations on how to do the “KonMari Method.” To be honest, the illustrations weren’t that useful, but the content was good motivation to start to declutter my house again.
I am pretty good at decluttering, but when I have decluttered my house in the past, I have been thinking about whether to throw something away, whereas KonMari suggests that you think about whether to keep something. I think this is a very subtle difference, but it is important for people who want to declutter. To me, I feel that if you think about “should I keep this?” it seems like a positive way to declutter. Whereas, if you think about “should I throw this away?” it seems like a negative nuance, and wasteful…
What do you think? Are you good at decluttering? I wish I were better at decluttering – I love the idea of being surrounded by only things that I love!
Bye,
Chris

July 21, 2016　 =========
☆ reassess 見直す
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If you reassess something, you think about it again and decide whether you need to change your opinion about it. After reassessing the situation, you may or may not change your mind, it depends on the situation. Here are some example sentences:
I’ll have to reassess the situation when I get home.
After the disaster, police are reassessing security in the area.
The government has decided to reassess the proposed new taxes on small businesses.
He said he needed time to reassess his decision.
Can you use reassess in a sentence?
Bye,
Chris

July 20, 2016　 =========
☆ rank ランク付けする
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Ranking things in order or priority can be a good way of making sure that the important tasks get done first. Do you ever rank items on your to-do list? One thing I’ve found useful is to rank the top three tasks. Have you ever heard of an MIT? This is your “Most Important Task” for the day.
Some time management gurus suggest that you have only one MIT per day, and others suggest having three MITs for each day. If you have three, and they are going to take a bit of time to finish then it is important to rank these three tasks in order of importance too. Have you ever tried this? How was it? If you’ve never tried, do you think ranking your to-do list items would be effective for you?
Bye,
Chris

July 19, 2016　 =========
☆ establish 設定する
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When you establish something, such as an organization, or an activity, you set it up, in such a way that it will last for a long time. For example, “The company establish criteria for hiring new employees.” Or “The school was established in 1989.”
Sometimes there are really simple versions of the word of the day that you can use if you have trouble with the word. For example, earlier in the month, we had “execute” which is a great word to know, but you could just say “do”… and then today, “establish” is another useful word to know, but if you cannot remember it easily, then you could easily just say, “set up”. Choose what word works for you – better to use the word you can remember easily than not to speak at all, right?
Bye,
Chris

July 18, 2016　 =========
☆ consolidate 集約する
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When you consolidate a number of things you make them into one larger thing. This can be done to help strengthen a position – for example, often smaller companies are consolidated into one large organization to create one stronger, more profitable organization.
Often companies will consolidate some operations within the company itself, so that it can streamline things better. And if you are looking at your own to-do list, you might find that there are things on it that can be consolidated into one task to make your own workflow more organized and efficient.
Bye,
Chris

July 17, 2016　 =========
☆ workflow 仕事の流れ
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Your “workflow” is the steps in a task that you are doing that will lead to the completion of that task; the final outcome. For example, in a publishing business, the workflow might be that a writer produces a document, then the editor edits it, and the proofreader checks it.
During each stage of the workflow someone has a task that they have to do. Often, computer systems can be set up to facilitate workflow and to make everything run smoothly. In the publishing company example above, the computer system might automatically send the document from the writer to the editor to the proofreader to production. Once each person has completed their task, the workflow system makes sure that the next person in the process gets a notification and information about what they need to do. Do you have this kind of workflow set up at your work – or house?
Bye,
Chris

July 16, 2016　 =========
☆ input 提案
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These days, the most common use of “input” is for when you talk about information that is put into a computer – that is “input”. However, another very useful way to use this word is when you are talking about information or resources or help that you receive to assist you in doing something. Here are some example sentences:
I’d love your input on this project.
You shouldn’t make the decision without input from your family.
I’m going to ask for his input later today.
She didn’t even consider my input!
Can you use input in a sentence?
Bye,
Chris

July 15, 2016　 =========
☆ expectation 期待
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Your expectations are your strong hopes or beliefs that something will happen or that you will get something that you want. Last month I read Jack Canfield’s book, The Success Principles for Teens. He talked about expectations, he mentioned about scientists that researched the brain. In the past, scientists believed that the brain responded to information that it received from the outside world. In fact, new research has shown that the brain is reacting to what it “expects to happen next.”
In other words, our expectations are what the brain is reacting to, not what is actually happening around us. So, when we have expectations such as, “I can’t do this.” Or “I don’t have enough skill” then this is what our brain expects to happen, so the chances are high that we will not succeed.
Changing our expectations is the first step in being more successful – especially with English. If you are in a situation where you need to use English, have a positive expectation, and remind yourself, “I can do this!” and “I am good enough.”
Bye,
Chris

July 14, 2016　 =========
☆ consequence 結果
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A consequence is the result or effect of something. One consequence of me not having a to-do list like I talked about yesterday is that I send myself a lot of emails! It’s quite funny, when I have an idea or remember something that I need to do or buy, I will send myself an email… then of course, I get a notification saying “new email” when I check my account later in the day. I get excited wondering who has emailed me… Lol… it’s usually an email from me to me!
Do you ever think about the consequences of doing something or not doing something? Thinking about the consequences is a great idea and can help with decision making, but I wonder how many people really do that? Do you? Does it help?
Bye,
Chris

July 13, 2016　 =========
☆ to-do list やることリスト
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Do you use a “to-do list”? I used to… but nowadays I seem to write my to-do list on whatever I have with me at the time. So a Post-It note sometimes, an email to myself at other times, and the back of a receipt if I don’t have any paper with me. As you can imagine, it is a bit of a nightmare keeping up with all these lists!!
How about you? Do you have a to-do list that works well? What is your secret to keeping it all in the one place? Or maybe you don’t have a to-do list at all? In that case, how do you remember what tasks you need to do? As I said, I don’t really have a to-do list at the moment, but my iPhone has got lots of reminders on it that pop up to remind of tasks that I need to do at certain times, which is helpful. What is your system like?
Bye,
Chris

July 12, 2016　 =========
☆ task 課題
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A “task” is an activity or piece of work that you have to do. A task is usually part of a larger project (for example, there are many small tasks that need to be done in order to create a website) but it can also be a once-off task (for example, emailing someone a copy of a document.)
When you come across a simple word that you already know, one thing you know that I always recommend is finding other words with similar meanings. So let’s have a look:
job
assignment
chore
duty
exercise
activity
Do you know any others?
Bye,
Chris

July 11, 2016　 =========
☆ approach やり方
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Your approach to a task or problem that you must do is your way, manner, method, style or technique; your “way of doing” something. Often in business, when something is not working, the boss or manager will say something like, “We must look at different approaches to doing this.”
In fact, finding a different approach to something is exactly how society and people progress, right? Long ago, the approach to sharing information was in written media such as newspapers, but now, we have a completely new approach, which is online social media – anyone and everyone can share their “news.”
Has technology changed your approach to anything you do in your daily life?
Bye,
Chris

July 10, 2016　 =========
☆ significant 重大な
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If something is significant, then it is important or big. You could say that it is the opposite of yesterday’s word. So, here’s an example comparing them:
This food has a significant amount of protein. (a lot)
or
This food has a minimal amount of protein. (almost not protein)
Or, using another example from yesterday, “This drug has minimal side effects, however it has a very significant effect on the disease.” Meaning that it is a good drug for the patients.
One other way to use “significant” is to use it in the noun, “significant other.” In this case, “other” is your partner (spouse or girl/boyfriend.) For example, “He is my significant other.” means that he is your partner or someone you are having a relationship, in other words they are an “important” person to you.
Bye,
Chris

July 9, 2016　 =========
☆ minimal 最小限の
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Something that is minimal is very small in quantity or value. Here are some sentence examples to help you use this word:
When he left his job, he only got a minimal payout.
We want to renovate our house, but with minimal expenditure.
He is always trying to make money with minimal effort!
This drug has minimal side effects.
The company is doing well, despite minimal resources.
We are trying to live in an environmentally-friendly way, with minimal waste.
Can you make a sentence using “minimal”?
Bye,
Chris

July 8, 2016　 =========
☆ due 期限がきた
============================
When talking about time management, one of the most important things to know is when things are “due.” If you have a report to give your boss, if you don’t know the due date, then you might deliver it late. So, a common question to ask is, “When is it due?” In other words, when do I need to complete it by?
You might hear this word used when something is late, as in this example, “The report was due last Friday!” Or even, “I can’t go out tonight as I have an assignment that is already due and I’m not finished yet.”
Do you have anything that is due at the moment? What is it? Will you get it finished in time?
Bye,
Chris

July 7, 2016　 =========
☆ comprehensive 包括的な
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Something that is “comprehensive” includes everything that is needed or relevant. For example, we often talk about travel guides using this word. For example, “This website is comprehensive guide to the Tokyo region.” In other words, you can get all the information you need on this one website and you won’t need any other.
In fact, this word is often used with English learning tools, too. “A comprehensive guide to English grammar.” Another common use is with insurance, in Australia, we have “comprehensive car insurance” which is insurance cover for (almost) everything, rather than just basic insurance. What other uses of “comprehensive” can you think of?
Bye,
Chris

July 6, 2016　 =========
☆ step-by-step 段階的に
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This week’s Useful Phrase uses today’s word:
Can you give me step-by-step instructions, please?
This is an important phrase if you work in an English-speaking environment. If someone asks you to do something, and you’re not sure if you really understood what you need to do, then you could ask, “Could you repeat that, please?” However, that might actually not be very helpful, because if they just repeat the same thing, then you might not understand again.
So, instead, you could ask for me detail, by using this kind of word. “Sorry, but I need step-by-step instructions if you have time.” Or if you are giving the instructions, you can say, “Here are the step-by-step instructions.”
Bye,
Chris

July 5, 2016　 =========
☆ particular 特別な
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You can use “particular” in a couple of different ways. Firstly, when you want to emphasize that you are talking about one thing, not another similar thing. For example, “I remember a particular book about time management…” This means that I have read a lot of time management books, but I want to tell you about one in particular that I remember well.
Secondly, you can use “particular” to talk about a quality or something that belongs only to a person or thing. For example, “This particular job involves a lot of responsibility because….” Or “Fatigue is a particular problem for new mothers.” Can you use “particular” in a sentence?
Bye,
Chris

July 4, 2016　 =========
☆ pending 保留中の
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This is another formal word, meaning that something is waiting to be dealt with or settled. In the past, this word was only used in formal situations such as law courts. However, recently, this word has become more popular in the time management genre and it is used to talk about tasks that are waiting to be done for some reason.
An item could be pending because you are waiting to hear from someone else. Or a company might have “pending price rises” for example, if they are waiting for a certain date, or a certain result before they increase their prices. And in our everyday life, if we have a huge To Do list, somethings are often put in the “pending tray” because you need to do something with them, but can’t do it right now.
Bye,
Chris

July 3, 2016　 =========
☆ execute 実行する
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If you “execute a plan” you “carry it out” or “do it”. This is the formal word for Nike’s slogan, “Just do it!” You’ll hear this word used to talk about “executing orders” or “executing someone’s wishes” or “executing a maneuver.” It’s not commonly used in everyday English, but it is used in business situation, or other formal situations when talking about orders and plans.
Another meaning for this word that is totally different, means to “kill someone as punishment for a serious crime” and this is actually the more common use of the word! In countries that have capital punishment, the word “execute” is used most often in this kind of situation. So be careful not to mix up your meanings of this word! If you’re not sure, just say “do.” 🙂
Bye,
Chris

July 2, 2016　 =========
☆ maintain 維持する
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We often talk about tips and tricks for maintaining motivation, but how about a system for maintaining your To Do list and priorities? Have you heard of David Allen and his GTD (Getting Things Done) system? I’ve talked about him before in these mails. His system for maintaining current lists is to do a “Weekly Review.” He recommends doing it on a Friday afternoon – this is the perfect time because it’s the end of the week, so you’re probably tired and not motivated to do much work. It also means that Monday morning you are organized and ready to start work straight away.
How do you maintain your system of To Do items and keep it current? Do you have one big list that you just keep adding to? Or do you have lots of little lists all over the place? I love the idea of the Weekly Review, but sometimes it is hard to maintain this as I’m actually quite busy on Friday afternoons! Perhaps I need to choose a different day?!
Bye,
Chris

July 1, 2016　 =========
☆ order 順番を付ける
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Hello there! Welcome to July! So, this month we’re talking about prioritizing. One simple tip that time-management gurus suggest is to list up the things that you need to do – it could be things for a project, or just the things you need to do that day – and then order them according to what needs to be done first, then second, and so on.
Ordering tasks works well for projects because often you need to do “Task A” before you can do “Task C” but “Task B” can be done anytime. So if you don’t think about how to order your tasks, you may end up trying to do “Task C” before “Task A” and end up with a big mess! Are you good at ordering tasks so that everything goes smoothly? To be honest, I still need practice at this! How about you?
Bye,
Chris