マスターの生徒さんへ、

今書いているジャーナルの参考にしてください。太文字のところは大切な文法ポイントです。もし分からないことがありましたら、いつでも聞いてください。

Monday, July 24th

Today, I had an interesting conversation about nutrition with a student.  We both agreed that a lot of food that’s sold in the city is not good for you.  We talked about convenience store food, McDonald food and others.  They have a lot of chemicals that are bad for your body. However, I have no choice to eat at those places because I only have little time for lunch.  My choices are limited.  That’s why, for dinner, I try to eat something healthy.  I buy vegetable at a grocery store called Kitsch et Bio.  I put the vegetable in a silicon steamer and microwave it for about 5 minutes.  I put on some flax seed oil and Ponzu for flavor.  Basically, that’s all I have for dinner.  One bad thing is you get sick of it because you are eating the same thing everyday.  I wish somebody would open a nice healthy Deli somewhere near my school.  

nutrition 「栄養」

This food has no nutrition. この食べ物は栄養がない。

get sick of it 「うんざりする」

I’m sick of eating the same food. (同じ食べ物を食べるのはうんざりする。)

Tuesday, July 25th

I hardly go out but tonight I was invited by my former students to go out drinking.  They were my first students when I started my school in 2006 in my apartment.  They are Mayu and Yoshiko. They are little younger than me.   I haven’t seen them in 5 years so it was fun to talk to them.  We talked about our relationship, work, and movies.  We went to a bar and talked.  I don’t drink but I decided to have a glass of wine since it looks stupid if I drank an orange juice at a fancy bar.  I was able to drink a whole glass but on my way home I felt sick.  I got home and went straight to bed.  I woke up around 4 in the morning with a huge headache.  Next time, I’ll just have an orange juice even if it looks stupid!  I hate drinking!!

former 「以前の」

I went out with my former students.  「元生徒達と遊びに行った」

go straight to .. 「~に直行する」

I went straight to bed.  「すぐ寝た」

even if  「たとえ〜しても」

I’ll have an orange juice even if it looks stupid. 「たとえ格好悪く見えてもオレンジジュースを飲む。」

Thursday July 27th

I like to watch movies and dramas but sometimes I feel I spend too much time watching it.  I should be reading more because I think reading is better for my life than watching movies.  There are so many books that I need to read but I have not caught up on reading them.  Reading makes you think and reading makes you smart.  I feel that if you don’t read you won’t grow as a person.  I feel very strongly that reading is a very important thing. That’s why, I think I’ll stop watching Netflix from tomorrow and carry my E-reader with me to lunch.  

caught up on 「追い付く」

I have not caught up on doing my homework.  「宿題がまた追いついていない」

That’s why 「だから」

That’s why, I think I’ll stop watching Netflix.  「だからNetflixを見るのを止める。」

Friday, July 28th

I’m trying to find a good book for intermediate level students to read in English.  I think when you get basic English, it’s important to spend lots of time reading.  When you are reading in English, you are thinking in English.  If you read everyday for 30 minutes in English, you are thinking in English for 30 minutes.  Also, it’s fun to read so the 30 minutes will fly by.  Yesterday, I read a Michale Jackson’s biography that’s written for English students.  It was fun to read.  I think he was a man who was often misunderstood.  The book was interesting but I felt it’s too long and too hard for my students now.  I want to pick something that’s short and easy to read.   I try to keep my journal short and easy  and many students have told me that they are reading my journal so I was glad to hear that.  I’ll keep looking for a book that’s fun to read. 

fly by 「飛ぶように通り過ぎる」

This week really flew by. (あっという間に今週が終わってしまった。）

biography 「自伝」

I read the biography of Michael Jackson.  (マイケルジャクソンの自伝を読んだ)

Misunderstood 「誤解」

MJ was often misunderstood. (MJはよく誤解された。)