December 31, 2016　=========

☆   embark  乗り出す

============================

Oh my goodness, it’s the end of 2016 already! As I talked about earlier in the month, a lot of the people around are very happy to see the end of 2016 and to embark on a new year, with new goals and opportunities. So, what are you excited about for 2017? What are you going to embark on? A new job? A new location? A new goal for English?

It’s summer holidays (not winter!) for us in Australia right now, so I guess we will be going camping and to the beach, but hopefully I’ll also have time to embark on a few new projects thatRead more about embark 乗り出す[…]

December 30, 2016　=========

☆   emulate  真似る

============================

To emulate someone or something means that you imitate them because you admire them a lot. This is a formal word, and you’d hear it in news reports or read it in books, rather than use it in every day English. The very simple word to use instead of emulate if you are speaking, is “copy.” You could also use “imitate” however, copy is more common. Here are some example sentences using emulate.

She tried to emulate the recent success of her friend.
Please just be yourself, don’t try to emulate me.
He attempted to emulate his boss, in order to get a pay rise.

Have you ever tried toRead more about emulate 真似る[…]

December 29, 2016　=========

☆   fall into place  うまくゆく

============================

“Fall into place” is an idiom that means that means that everything in a situation happens satisfactorily, without any problems. For example, if a project is well-planned, then everything should fall into place.

Next March, one of my clients will be coming to Australia to give his workshop in English, to entrepreneurs and small business owners here. It’s a big project for us, but everything is falling into place and I think it will be a huge success. I’m hoping that this is not the first and last time for this kind of event. If everything does fall into place, then I’d like to doRead more about fall into place うまくゆく[…]

December 28, 2016　=========

☆   accelerate  加速する

============================

If a process or rate of something accelerates, it gets faster and faster. You have probably heard of something called, accelerate learning. This is where the way that we learn things is faster and speeds up. PhotoReading and Mind Mapping are a couple of great ways to accelerate your English learning.

What other ways are there to accelerate your English learning? Some of the ways I recommend is to find out what your preferred learning style is and then learn using the techniques that suit your natural learning style.

Using mnemonics is another way to accelerate your learning. Mnemonics are a memory tool that help students remember informationRead more about accelerate 加速する[…]

December 27, 2016　=========

☆   run up against  衝突する

============================

This word is used when you are talking about problems. When you “run up against a problem” you start to experience that problem. This is the more informal, everyday word that you can use instead of “encounter” as in “encounter a problem.” Here are some example sentences:

My ideas ran up against a lot of opposition at the meeting.
We have run up against technical difficulties, so there will be a delay in production.

By the way, it is important not to forget the “up” because if you “run against” someone it means you are competing or working against them to achieve something. Or in politics, youRead more about run up against 衝突する[…]

December 26, 2016　=========

☆   mention  言及する

============================

When you mention something, it means that you say something about it, but just briefly. For example, “When she gave him the CD he mentioned that he didn’t really like pop music.” It is often used with words like “forget”… as in “Sorry, I forgot to mention that I had to leave early.”

It is also used in the phrase, “don’t mention it.” “Don’t mention it”, is a polite reply to something who has just thanked you for doing something. It’s an alternative to saying, “You’re welcome.” For example:

A: Thank you very much.
B: Don’t mention it.

Bye,

Chris

December 25, 2016　=========

☆   complex  複雑な

============================

Merry Christmas!

As you may have guessed, I’ve written this a few days early. Actually, it’s a kind of complex situation, because I’m not religious, but I do have a holiday and celebrate Christmas, so I had to write this email early.

Another situation that is complex around Christmas time, is about Santa. I asked you earlier in the month if Japanese kids believe in Santa. In western culture, most kids start to wonder if Santa is real or not around the age of eight or nine years old. I recently read a lovely article about how to explain Santa to kids that are getting older and notRead more about complex 複雑な[…]

December 24, 2016　=========

☆   delicate  繊細な

============================

Delicate can be used in a few different ways. Firstly, it can describe something that is small and beautifully shaped. For example, “She has very delicate hands.” Or “I love the cherry blossom flower, it is so delicate.”

It can also describe something that has a color, taste, or smell which is pleasant, and not too strong or intense. For example, many people think that Japanese food has a very delicate, subtle flavor (I think so, too!)

If a thing is delicate, then it is easy to break or damage and needs to be treated carefully. For example, the coral in the Great Barrier Reef looks quite hard,Read more about delicate 繊細な[…]

December 23, 2016　=========

☆  indirect  ひねくれた

============================

When someone is indirect, they suggest or refer to something without actually mentioning or stating it clearly. I often feel that the Japanese language is very indirect, and that communication goes in an indirect way before getting to the final point.

Is this true, or is it a stereotype that I have believed by mistake? I found this interesting article about cultures and direct versus indirect communication styles:
https://www.watershedassociates.com/learning-center-item/direct-communication-vs-indirect-communication.html

It even has tips for direct people and indirect people for talking with others, which could be helpful if you do feel that you use an indirect style but have to deal with other people or cultures that use aRead more about indirect ひねくれた[…]

December 22, 2016　    =========

☆  dynamic  活動的な          

============================

Someone who is dynamic is full of energy or full of new ideas. Do you know anyone you would describe as dynamic? I have a neighbor who I often run with who is full of energy, but I’m not sure that I would describe her as dynamic, I think in her case I would say she is energetic.

Even as a native speaker, I’m not really sure why I would say she is energetic rather than dynamic – my dictionary lists them as having the same meaning. However, I think the difference is that someone who is dynamic has a lot of enthusiasm and determination. InRead more about dynamic 活動的な[…]

December 21, 2016　    =========

☆  savvy  抜け目ない

============================

This is an informal word, but it is often used in everyday English. You can describe someone as “being” savvy or as having “savvy.” If you describe someone as “being” savvy, it means you think that they show a lot of practical knowledge. For example, “His wife is a very savvy woman.”

On the other hand, describing someone as “having” savvy means that you think they have a good understanding and practical knowledge about something. For example, “He is known for his business savvy and strong management skills.”

On other words, when someone is savvy, it is talking generally about all their skills and knowledge. When someoneRead more about savvy 抜け目ない[…]

December 20, 2016　    =========

☆  perceptive  敏感な

============================

When I was writing this email this morning, I wrote the English word as “perspective” and then when I looked at the Japanese translation, I thought something seemed wrong. And that made me re-check my copy of the Eigo Techo, and that was when I realized that I had written the wrong English word. That was very perceptive of me, don’t you think?! 🙂

Someone who is perceptive is good at noticing or realizing things. Of course, we usually say someone is perceptive when they notice things that are not so obvious, so perhaps me realizing that I had written the wrong English word wasn’t allRead more about perceptive 敏感な[…]

December 19, 2016　    =========

☆  skeptical  疑い深い

============================

If you are skeptical about something, you have doubts about it. Other adjectives that have similar meanings are: doubtful, cynical, dubious, incredulous, unconvinced, and disbelieving.

What kinds of things do you feel skeptical about? For me, it is the obvious things like advertisements that say you can “get rich quick” or “lose weight fast.” But, to be honest, I’m also skeptical when my kids tell me that they are going to clean their rooms! Lol.

By the way, skeptical is the American spelling. In Australia and the UK, we spell it with a c not a k, as in sceptical. If you are skeptical about this, youRead more about skeptical 疑い深い[…]

December 18, 2016　    =========

☆  advice  アドバイス

============================

Advice is guidance, help, opinions, recommendations and suggestions that you give to others when they ask for help. I’m curious about why this word is in Katakana. I always thought that katakana words were for words that didn’t originally exist in the Japanese language. In other words, I learned that katakana was for foreign words that the Japanese language adopted.

But, surely the word advice already existed in Japanese, right?? So why would this kind of word be in Katakana? Can you give me some advice on this? You may have noticed that these emails are automatically being uploaded to the Facebook page (I finally gotRead more about advice アドバイス[…]

December 17, 2016　    =========

☆   trust  信頼

============================

Trust is another word that is commonly used as a verb as well as a noun. As a verb, to trust someone means that you believe in the, that you know you can depend on them.

As a noun, trust can also mean: confidence, assurance, belief, certainty, expectation, and faith. Your trust in someone or something is your belief and confidence that they will not deliberately do anything to harm you.

If you betray someone’s trust it means that you have done something – usually deliberately – to harm them or the way. On the other hand, if someone has complete trust in you, then it meansRead more about trust 信頼[…]

December 16, 2016　    =========

☆   strategy  戦略

============================

Your strategy is your plan to achieve something, in particular, something that may take a long time to achieve. So, when we set mid- to long-term goals, we usually decide on our strategy, plan, approach, or procedure, to get us to our goals. Here are some example sentences:

The government will meet to decide on a strategy for reducing unemployment.
What do we want our marketing strategy to achieve?
Involvement of everyone in the department is important to the company’s strategy.

Have you started thinking about your goals for 2017? What is your strategy for reaching them?

Bye,

Chris

December 15, 2016　    =========

☆  influence  影響

============================

Be careful with today’s word. It is most commonly used as a verb, but today’s usage is as a noun. You use influence as a noun to talk about the power that someone or something has to affect people’s behavior or decisions. For example:

His wife had a lot of influence.
Its’ an old book, but it still exerts a strong influence on people who read it.

When you want to talk about the person or thing that is affected, we use “on”. For example:

He was a bad influence on my friend.
In class today, we will be looking at the influence of religion on society.

Can you use influenceRead more about influence 影響[…]

December 14, 2016　    =========

☆  privacy  プライバシー

============================

When you have privacy, it means that you are in a place or situation which allows you to do things without other people seeing or disturbing you. When we talk about people disturbing that privacy, we usually use the verb, “invade.” Invade is used to describe when armies attack other countries. So, as you can see, invading someone’s privacy is a pretty bad thing to do! Just like starting a war!!

This is describing the situation in western culture; privacy is highly valued and invading someone’s privacy – interfering in their life without permission – is considered a terrible thing to do. How about in Japan?Read more about privacy プライバシー[…]

December 13, 2016　    =========

☆  environment   環境

============================

This month we’re talking about reaching for the stars, I take this to mean reaching for your goals and doing your best to achieve them. Of course, if we’re reaching for the stars these are not easy goals, but ones that challenge us to do our best and become the best we can be. So… how important is your environment to this kind of thing?

Does your work or home environment affect whether you reach your goals or not? For me, it does. I don’t like clutter, and when there is too much clutter in my home or work environment, I can’t concentrate. And of course,Read more about environment 環境[…]

December 12, 2016　    =========

☆  ambiguity  曖昧さ

============================

If there is ambiguity in something, it is unclear or confusing. Sometimes English sentences have a lot of ambiguity. Here are some fun examples for you to look at:

“I saw a man on a hill with a telescope.” Can you see that this sentence is unclear, and has a lot of ambiguity about the meaning?

It could mean, “the man is on a hill, and I saw him through my telescope.” Or it could mean that “I can see a man, who is on a hill and has a telescope with him.” Or, it could even mean, “I can see a man, who is on aRead more about ambiguity 曖昧さ[…]

December 11, 2016　    =========

☆   backfire  裏目に出る

============================

When a plan or a project backfires, it has the opposite result to the one that you intended. As you know, it’s Christmas season here, and so everyone is in a frenzy, shopping for presents. Rather than guess what my mom wanted, I asked her. Unfortunately, the plan backfired on me! She wanted a Fitbit. That’s OK, but it was more money than I was planning to spend – since it is just Christmas, not her birthday.

Then after buying it for her, she said she’d like it now, rather than at Christmas time, so she can start using it… so now I don’t have anythingRead more about backfire 裏目に出る[…]

December 10, 2016　    =========

☆  enable  可能にする

============================

If someone enables you to do something, they give you the opportunity to do it. For example:
The new test should enable doctors to detect the disease early.
We have a new training program to enable new recruits to make the most of their potential.

As you can see, to enable someone to do something, or to enable something to happen is a positive thing, right? However, recently, this word has been used by doctors and psychologists to been used to describe negative behavior. When someone tries to help another person, who has a problem such as gambling or alcoholism, they may just enable the situation to continue.Read more about enable 可能にする[…]

December 9, 2016　    =========

☆    convince  説得する

============================

When you convince someone of something, you make them believe that it is true or that it exists. For example, “He tried to convince his boss to give him a raise.” Or, “The police were not convinced that he was innocent.”

Another way that this word is used is to mean, “persuade” as in you convince (persuade) someone to do something. For example, “Her mother convinced her to marry him.” Interestingly, this word is mostly used by Americans in this way. If you are talking to a British (or Australian) they would use “persuade” instead.

Bye,

Chris

December 8, 2016　    =========

☆   point out  指し示す

============================

There are two ways to use this word. Firstly, if you point out something, you make people look at that thing, or show them where it is. For example:
We drove through my old neighborhood so I could point out where I grew up.
While on vacation, my friend kept pointing out things I should photograph.

The second way is to point out a mistake or a fact. This means that you want to tell someone or draw their attention to that mistake or fact.
Luckily, he pointed out that my calculations were wrong, before I submitted the report.
Before we start, I want to point out that thisRead more about point out 指し示す[…]

December 7, 2016　    =========

☆  reset  リセットする

============================

Although “reset” is generally used to talk about computers and other similar devices that you can adjust back to the original settings, or factory settings so that it works again, we can also use reset to talk about our own “system.”

When we try to reach for the stars, as in this month’s topic, we may need to reset our lives. It’s hard to do this, but some things that you can do are eliminate things in your life that do not bring you joy. Breaking bad habits is another way to reset your life. And perhaps one of the best ways to reset your lifeRead more about reset リセットする[…]

December 6, 2016　    =========

☆  eliminate  取り除く

============================

Today’s word means to remove something that you do not want or need. It is a formal word and often heard in the news, politics, or meetings. For example:

The new legislation does not completely eliminate discrimination in employment.
Our company is down-sizing and eliminating some departments that are no longer profitable.

You might also hear it used by doctors or dieticians, for example, in order to create a healthy diet, you might need to eliminate certain foods or drink from your diet.

For me, right now, it’s Christmas time, and everyone is going crazy spending lots of money and buying so many unnecessary presents, so I feel thatRead more about eliminate 取り除く[…]

December 5, 2016　    =========

☆   assume  想定する

============================

I’m fairly sure I’ve told you this in a previous year, but for our new readers, and as a reminder for you, here’s a great way to remember “assume”.

When you “assume” something, it means that you imagine it to be true, without actually confirming that it is true, and usually it is not. So, here is how we remember this word:
To “assume” something is to make an “ass out of u (you) and me” and in this case “ass” means fool. So when we assume something without checking if it is true or not, we (you and me) are fools.

So, if ever someone says toRead more about assume 想定する[…]

December 4, 2016　    =========

☆  pushy  大胆な

============================

Today’s word is an informal word, to describe someone who tries to get things done in a forceful way. For example:
My old boss was so pushy, I’m glad he quit.
My mother encouraged me, but she was never pushy.
I really hate pushy salespeople!

Do you know anyone who is pushy? Is pushy a characteristic of Japanese people generally? What country would you most associate pushy people with? Come and tell me on Facebook.

Bye,

Chris

December 3, 2016　    =========

☆  receptive   受け入れる

============================

A person who is receptive to new ideas or suggestions is prepared to consider them or accept them. For example, you might talk to your boss about your ideas and he might seem receptive to your ideas, meaning that he will consider them.

Sometimes a word might seem hard to remember, in that case, it’s always a good idea to list up some alternative words you could use instead. This is a great way to increase your vocabulary, too. So, get out your thesaurus and check for words with a similar meaning. Here are some:

open
interested
open to suggestions
sympathetic

Do you know any others? Come and tell me onRead more about receptive 受け入れる[…]

December 2, 2016　    =========

☆  unacceptable  受け入れられない

============================

If something is unacceptable, you disapprove of it and feel it should not be allowed to continue. We can describe the following kinds of things as being unacceptable: behavior, conduct, actions, and situation.

When we talk about something being “socially unacceptable” we mean that it is not OK to do that thing in social situation. This is interesting for different cultures, for example, foreigners living in Japan might do something that is socially acceptable in their home country, but totally unacceptable in Japan. Can you think of any behavior that is unacceptable in Japan that might actually be acceptable in another country? If you can, commentRead more about unacceptable 受け入れられない[…]

December 1, 2016　    =========

☆  meticulous  几帳面な

============================

Welcome to December! How has 2016 been for you? Many people around me have been saying 2016 was a terrible year and they can’t wait for 2017… I’m happy to wait – I don’t want to miss out on Christmas! 🙂

Today’s word is meticulous. If you describe someone as meticulous, you mean that they do things very carefully and with great attention to detail. So, speaking of Christmas, my kids still believe in Santa, and they keep asking me questions about him and how he knows where everyone lives and what presents to give them and so on… I guess I can start telling themRead more about meticulous 几帳面な[…]