January 31, 2017　=========

☆  miss  失敗する

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There are many, many different ways to use the word, miss. Let’s look at the most common ones.

If you miss a chance or opportunity, you fail to take advantage of it.
If you miss the meaning or importance of something, you fail to understand or appreciate it.
If you miss something, you fail to notice it.
In sport, if you miss a shot, you fail to get the ball in the goal or the net, or fail to hit the ball with the bat.
If you miss a train or bus, you fail to catch it because you arrive too late.
If you miss a meeting or a party or otherRead more about Today’s Word: miss[…]

January 30, 2017　=========

☆  aim  狙う

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Today is the first day of the school year for (most of) Australia. My kids will start their new year, with a new teacher today. Does that seem strange to you? We’ve just finished our six weeks of summer holidays! And the new school year starts after summer, so they will change grades and classrooms today.

This morning I was aiming to get them up early and to school on time, they didn’t get up early but we did get to school on time. Now for the rest of the day, I am aiming to finish ALL of January’s work that I couldn’t get finished because IRead more about Today’s Word: aim[…]

January 29, 2017　=========

☆  passion  熱中

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One of this week’s useful phrases is “What is your passion?” … how do you feel about this question? Would you feel comfortable asking someone this question at a party? How about if you were at a business seminar or workshop?

I really like this question, and think it is a great question to ask rather than the usual, “What’s your job?” However, it might be a little too strong or forward to ask this to a complete stranger. So, depending on the situation, you could definitely ask someone what their passion is – and I think it would be a great ice breaker and way toRead more about Today’s Word: passion[…]

January 28, 2017　=========

☆  scheme  行動計画

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A scheme is someone’s plan for achieving something. It could also be called a plan, a proposal, a strategy, a system, or even a tactic. Interestingly, this word sometimes has a negative nuance. For example, you might hear people talking about a “get-rich-quick scheme” or about tourists being vulnerable to scams and schemes by criminals while on vacation.

My advice then, is to use “plan” rather than “scheme” when you are talking about how you plan to reach your goals… unless of course you *are* talking about a get-rich-quick scheme! Then of course, feel free to use the word scheme. Ha ha 🙂

Bye,

Chris

January 27, 2017　=========

☆  approach  方法

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As you know, one approach I like for learning new English words is using Mind Maps. Generally, the words for each month are connected to the topic of the month, so you could actually try using one Mind Map for the whole month. However, you might find that there are some words that don’t fit, so a better approach is to create a few Mind Maps with related words, rather than trying to fit the whole month.

What is your favorite approach, or method, for learning new words? Have you tried Mind Maps? How about writing out sentences in your Eigo Techo using the word of theRead more about Today’s Word: approach[…]

January 26, 2017　=========

☆  clarity  明確さ

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When something has clarity, it is well explained and easy to understand. So, a book or an idea, or a plan to reach a goal might have clarity if they are well explained, and the difficult parts are easy to understand. One thing that helps me get clarity about my ideas and goals is asking good questions. Also, before I start setting goals for the new year, I have a kind of “closing ceremony” for the previous year! Just like the Olympics. 🙂

By reviewing 2016 and having a closing ceremony, where I ask myself some good questions, I can get clarity about the year just finished,Read more about Today’s Word: clarity[…]

January 25, 2017　=========

☆  zeal  熱意

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Zeal is great enthusiasm, especially in connection with work, religion, or politics. So, I guess for most people in Japan, a feeling of zeal would be related to their work and perhaps politics, rather than religion, right?

For me, I have a zeal for books. I just love reading and I love books. However, as much zeal as I feel for books, I am so grateful for my Kindle and my local library! Without them, my zeal and passion for books and reading would mean that my house was FULL of books.

What do you pursue with great zeal and enthusiasm?  

Bye,

Chris

January 24, 2017　=========

☆  tactic  方策

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A tactic is a method that will help you achieve what you want. A tactic could also be called a policy, a method, an approach, a plan, a scheme, or a strategy.

You might sometimes hear about “delaying tactics” and these are things that someone does deliberately to try to delay something starting. For example, in a simple personal situation, my youngest son hates to brush his teeth, so he always uses delaying tactics such as saying he is hungry or thirsty, so needs to eat or drink first. Or he says he is not ready for some other reason, such as still watching TV, still doingRead more about Today’s Word: tactic[…]

January 23, 2017　=========

☆  limit  限界

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Limit can be used as both a noun, and a verb. Like in this month’s topic, Go Beyond Your Limits, where it is used as a noun. In many quotes, it is also used as a noun. Do you know any? Here are some of my favorites:

There are no limits. Bruce Lee (This week’s quote.)
Once we accept or limits, we go beyond them. Albert Einstein (Last week’s quote)
You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get. Michael Phelps
And, I’m not sure who said this quote originally, but “The only limit is the one you set yourself.” is also a powerfulRead more about Today’s Word: limit[…]

January 22, 2017　=========

☆  create  創造する

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To create something means to cause it to happen or exist. When you create something, you produce it. The opposite of destroy. When you create something completely new, we often say that you invent it, which is the word for when you create something new.

Although I often find that I waste a lot of time on Facebook and surfing the Internet, I do love the way we now have access to all the amazing things that people around the world have been creating. There are so many creative people all over the world, and the Internet gives them a way to share what they are creatingRead more about Today’s Word: create[…]

January 21, 2017　=========

☆  undertake  着手する

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Here are the two main ways to use undertake:

When you undertake a task or job, you start doing it and accept responsibility for it. For example;
He undertook the difficult task of monitoring the online sales for the company.
She didn’t want to undertake any action, as she was not clear what she ought to do next.

The second way, is that if you undertake to do something, you promise that you will do it. For example;
She undertook to edit the book herself.
He undertook to exercise more in the future.

There is a third meaning, but this is probably not one you will need to use! To undertake a funeralRead more about Today’s Word: undertake[…]

January 20, 2017　=========

☆  reassess  再評価する

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The other useful phrase this week is, “You might want to reassess the situation.” When you reassess something, you think about it and decide whether you need to change your opinion about it. This could mean that you change your opinion from positive to negative or from negative to positive, regarding the situation.

So, “You might want to reassess the situation.” could have a positive or a negative nuance. A funny example for me, is that my oldest son and I are trying to run all of the “parkrun” (weekly free 5km running races) locations in our state, South Australia. When we decided this goal, I thoughtRead more about Today’s Word: reassess[…]

January 19, 2017　=========

☆  sabotage  ダメにする

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This week’s useful phrase includes this one: I hope I don’t sabotage my diet! This is a really common thing for people (OK, mostly women, I guess!) to say. When you sabotage something, you do something to deliberately stop it from being a success. So, if you say you are sabotaging your diet, what you mean is that you have probably eating healthy food and exercising, but suddenly you are eating cake or drinking too much alcohol.

Sabotage is a common verb to use when talking about goals. So, the example above is a weight loss goal. However, if you have a goal to live abroad forRead more about Today’s Word: sabotage[…]

January 18, 2017　=========

☆  quell  （不安などを）おさえる

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When you quell something, you stop it. This word is usually used when talking about feelings. For example, you can quell an unpleasant feeling such as fear or anger, and this means that you stop yourself (or others) from having that feeling. So, a parent might quell a child’s fear of the dark by talking sweetly to them and letting them have a night light on in their room.

Or if you have an opportunity to speak English, but feel nervous about it then you could quell your fears of speaking English by practicing in advance. Or preparing a few key sentences to say at first soRead more about Today’s Word: quell[…]

January 17, 2017　=========

☆  persist  やり抜く

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Persist means to continue, to carry on, to persevere. Last year I wrote an article about persisting and persevering. Strangely though, I spelled the word, “persevere” wrong Every Single Time!! How crazy is that! I kept trying to put in an extra “r” so I was spelling it “perseRvere” each time. The problem is that it sounds like there is an “r” in there, so I was spelling it how it sounded.

This little lesson taught me that I was good at persisting! I really did persist until I had finished that article, even though it was difficult and annoying! It also reminded me of the ideaRead more about Today’s Word: persist[…]

January 16, 2017　=========

☆  accept  引き受ける

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There are a couple of ways to use “accept” so let’s have a look at those today.

If you accept something that you have been offered, then you agree to take it. For example, “He accepted the job offer and starts on Monday.”

With advice and suggestions: If you accept someone’s advice or suggestion, you decide to do what they suggest. For example, “I hope my boss accepts my proposal.”

With situations and people: If you accept a difficult situation, you recognize that it cannot be changed. For example, “She shouldn’t accept his terrible behavior!” However, we don’t say that we cannot accept a person, when we want toRead more about Today’s Word: accept[…]

January 15, 2017　=========

☆  potential  可能性

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Have you seen the movie, Eddie the Eagle? It is based on the true story of an Englishman who wanted from a very young age to be an Olympian. He didn’t care what sport, he just wanted to be an athlete and go to the Olympics. The problem was that he basically had not skill or potential in any kind of sport!

The movie is about how he tries all kinds of sport and has no potential at any of them, but he chose to be a ski jumper, because Britain had no regulations about qualifying for that sport and there were no other ski jumpers inRead more about Today’s Word: potential[…]

January 14, 2017　=========

☆  momentum  勢い

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If something gains momentum, it keeps developing or happening more quickly. Sometimes we talk about something gaining momentum, and use the saying, “full steam ahead” meaning that you are moving forward with a lot of energy, enthusiasm and momentum. When you give an engine “full steam” it will go at maximum power.

So, how are you going with your English study so far in 2017? Is it full steam ahead for you? Have you gained a lot of momentum over the past two weeks? Or have you lost a bit of momentum since the New Year? My mom is doing great and will be out of hospitalRead more about Today’s Word: momentum[…]

January 13, 2017　=========

☆  headway  進歩

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Oooh, Friday the 13th! Does Friday the 13th have any superstitions attached to it in Japan? In Western culture, it is considered by many to be an unlucky day, but no one is really sure why!

So, today’s word, headway, is used in the sense of “make headway” which basically means to “make progress”. Here are some example sentences:

He is disappointed that they haven’t made any headway in the case.
The police are making headway in their investigation.
Our company’s new product has been making rapid headway in the electronics world.

How about you, have you been making steady headway towards your 2017 goals?

Bye,

Chris

January 12, 2017　=========

☆  exhilaration  ワクワクした気持ち

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Exhilaration is a strong feeling of excitement and happiness. What kinds of things give you a feeling of exhilaration? My list would look like this:

Jet coaster / roller coasters
Bodyboarding at the surf beach
Japanese matsuri festivals during Obon season – I just love the music and the dancing, they really bring me a sense of excitement and happiness – and exhilaration.
Swimming underwater – although, I’m not sure if this is exhilaration, or lack of oxygen. Ha ha 😉

What is your list of things that you feel exhilaration at?

Bye,

Chris

January 11, 2017　=========

☆  aptitude  才能

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Speaking of foresight from yesterday, I wish I’d had the foresight to write these daily emails in advance! Oh well!

So, today’s word is aptitude, and it refers to someone’s ability to learn an activity quickly and do it well. Other words with a similar meaning are: gift, ability, intelligence, and talent. Do you know any others?

What do you have an aptitude for? I feel that I have an aptitude for photography, but I’ve only ever done it as a hobby. But, just recently one of my photographs was used in a Buzzfeed article, so I was pretty happy about that! Has anything ever happened to youRead more about Today’s Word: aptitude[…]

January 10, 2017   　=========

☆  foresight  展望

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Someone’s foresight is their ability to see what is likely to happen in the future and to take appropriate action. So, I have some sad news, but it does relate to today’s word. Last year, my mother had an operation to fix her broken arm. She had the foresight to write out a plan about what she would want to happen to her if something went wrong.

She had the foresight to make a plan that said she didn’t want to have any artificial machines keeping her alive if she got sick. Unfortunately, yesterday she had a heart attack. Luckily, she was found and got toRead more about Today’s Word: foresight[…]

January 9, 2017   =========

☆  mark  目標

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When we talk about a “mark” we are aiming for, we mean our target, our goal, our objective, our purpose. It is more common to use this word in business, to describe the mark you are aiming for, whereas in your personal life you would more likely talk about goals.

This week’s quote is by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and he has good advice on how to reach your mark or goal:

“We aim above the mark to hit the mark.”

This is so true, don’t you think? When we aim to hit our mark, we sometimes don’t reach it, however, if we aim above our mark, then evenRead more about Today’s Word: mark[…]

January 8, 2017      =========

☆  grounded  しっかりした

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Depending on the dictionary you use, you might not find this word in it. You’ll most likely find “ground” and see that “being grounded” means a ship that is stuck and has hit the bottom of the sea and cannot move, or a plane that is grounded, meaning that it is stuck on the runway, waiting to be allowed to take off.

In fact, a more common, everyday usage of this word is to describe someone who is sensible and has a good understanding of what is really important in life. So, do you know anyone you would describe as being grounded? How about you, wouldRead more about Today’s Word: grounded[…]

January 7, 2017 =========

☆  energetic  活動的な

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So, this is kind of funny, or ironic. Yesterday after sending you the “lofty” email, my friend messaged me to say she was feeling energetic and did I want to join her for a run in the hills. I said yes, so she picked me up and we drove about 30 minutes to our run start location… can you guess where she drove us? That’s right, the bottom of Mt. Lofty! Ha ha!

It was a hot day (we are finally getting summer days here) and we ran 23 km around the hills near Mt. Lofty – we didn’t actually go to the top of Mt.Read more about Today’s Word: energetic[…]

January 6, 2017　=========

☆  lofty  （目的が）高い

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When we describe something as “lofty” we meant that it is an important, admirable, or high goal. Do you have any lofty goals for this year? What are they?

On a different topic, in South Australia, where I live, the most famous “mountain” is actually called Mt. Lofty!! The funny thing is though, it is one of the highest mountains in South Australia, but it is just 727m high! That is about 3,000m lower than Mt. Fuji! Some people have the goal of hiking up Mt. Lofty – but to be honest, this isn’t really a “lofty” goal, is it? 😉

Bye,

Chris

January 5, 2017　=========

☆  curious  好奇心のある

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Would you describe yourself as a curious person? I like to think that I am curious, but I’m not sure if I really am anymore. My kids are definitely curious, they are always asking me strange and unusual questions – sometimes I feel like I am their Google!!

Do you know the song “The twelve Days of Christmas”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGtAa3klQNk

Most people think that the 12 days of Christmas are in December before the 25th Christmas day. However, my mum always said they started on Christmas day, and finished today, January 5th. I was curious to see if this was true or not – and it is! The twelve daysRead more about Today’s Word: curious[…]

January 4, 2017　=========

☆  meticulous  几帳面な

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If you describe someone as meticulous it means that they are very careful and pay attention to detail when they do things. Other words with similar meanings are: thorough, precise, well-organized.

Naturally, being meticulous or well-organized can help you reach your goals. When you set out your plan to reach your goal, having a detailed plan of what to do and when to do it can really help. Just so long as you are not too meticulous; you need to be able to change the plan if necessary.  

Bye,

Chris

January 3, 2017          =========

☆  monotonous         変化のない

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Something that is monotonous is very boring because it has a regular, repeated pattern, which never changes. We usually use monotonous to talk about jobs, such as factory work or routine office work. However, it could also be related to your goals. For example, do you have an English goal this year? Is it the same or different from last year?

Most people have the goal of wanting to “speak better English” (or something like that), but if you have that goal, year after year, it will be monotonous for sure! If your goal is the same as last year, try to think of a differentRead more about Today’s Word: monotonous[…]

January 2, 2017      =========

☆  apprehensive  心配な

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OK, so yesterday we talked about what areas of your life you want to grow in 2017. Today, let’s think about what you might feel apprehensive about in terms of those goals. When you feel apprehensive about a goal, you feel anxious, or nervous, or worried that it might not happen, that something might stop you from reaching that goal. If you can list out what you are apprehensive about, it’s easier to find solutions.

One of my goals is to run the 100km trail run that I tried two years ago, and I’m apprehensive because I failed in my first attempt and I’m apprehensive thatRead more about Today’s Word: apprehensive[…]

January 1, 2017　    =========

☆  grow  成長する

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Hello!! Happy New Year!

So, is 2017 going to be your year? I plan to make it my year of growing – both myself and my business. Just like this month’s topic, I plan to “go beyond my limits.” I have a goals planer, and it has 12 sections in it: physical health, mental health, spiritual health, personal growth, marriage/partner, family & friends, career, home, joy, adventure & travel, community, and finances.

I love the idea of “joy” being a goal, don’t you? My main focus for 2017 will be physical health, career, and adventure. How about you? What are your plans for 2017?

What areas of yourRead more about Today”s Word: grow[…]