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Basic English Conversations Teacher’s Guide

CONTENTS

Introduction 2

Using the “Introduction” Section of the Book 3

Teaching Part 1 (Topics) 4

Teaching Part 2 (Situations) 7

Teaching Part 3 (My Conversations) 8

Conducting and Grading Speaking Tests

Conducting the Part 1 Final Test 9Grading the Final Part 1 Test 9

Conducting the Part 2 Final Test 11

Grading the Final Part 2 Test 11

Translations of Japanese Parts of Basic English Conversations

Orientation—Getting Ready to Learn English 13

Conversations with the Teacher 19

Topic 1—What’s your name? 21

Topic 2—Where are you from? 22

Topic 3—What do you do? 23

Topic 4—Do you have any brothers or sisters? 24

Topic 5—Do you have a part-time job? 25

Topic 6—What do you do in your free time? 26

Topic 7—Do you like sports? 27

Topic 8—What are you doing this weekend? 28Topic 9—Do you have any plans for the summer? 29

Situation 1—Conversations with a New Teacher 30

Situation 2—Conversations with a Tourist 32

Situation 3—Conversations with a Business Person 34

Situation 4—Conversations with an International Student 36

My Conversations (Introduction) 38

Conversations with Friends 40



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Introduction

If you have read the introduction to Basic English Conversations, you will know that the

central aim of the book is to teach the students the language they need for simple

conversations so that you can then teach them how to actually have those conversations.

At first glance, you may feel that the example conversations rely too heavily on an

over-simplified “question/answer” format. This is a valid observation, but it is my belief

that students need to learn simplified dialogues such as these to practice basic language

before they can move on to deal with the subtleties of authentic exchanges. A criticism I

often hear of contemporary conversation textbooks is that they seem to presume that

the students know the language already and simply need an opportunity to practice it. If

you have felt this to be the case with textbooks that you have used in the past, you may

well find that you prefer the more “old-fashioned” approach taken in Basic English

Conversations.

There are four main parts to the book:

The “Introduction” section is designed to give students an orientation to learning

English conversation and introduce them to language that they will need in order

to communicate with their teachers.

Part 1 of the book is a series of nine units based on simple questions about personal

information. The example conversations present the language of basic questions

and answers, and at the end of the unit, there is a page for students to write their

own answers to all the questions they have learned. This section of the book is

designed to lead to a final “interview test” with the teacher.

Part 2 of the book gives examples of conversations in four situations that Japanese

students of English could possibly find themselves in. This section is designed to

lead to a role-play test at the end of the semester. The final section of the book is designed to encourage students to try using English

with each other outside the classroom. A Japanese introduction explains why this is

a good idea, and a series of example conversations presents students with language

that they could use with their friends.

If you have any questions or comments about Basic English Conversations, please email

me at [email protected].

David Barker, April 2009



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Using the “Introduction” Section of the Book

This part of the book should be introduced at the beginning of the course. One method

for introducing the students to basic classroom English is described below.

1. Ask the students to read the conversations and the Japanese points that follow.

2. Play the recordings of the conversations and ask the students to read as they listen.

3. Play the recording of Conversation 1 and ask students to read aloud along with the

CD.

4. Choose a student to read through the conversation with you. Make sure that his or

her pronunciation is correct. Demonstrate again with a few other students.

5. Repeat the process for all the other conversations.

6. Put students in groups or pairs and tell them to take turns playing the role of

teacher and students as they read through the conversations. Tell them to practice

each conversation until they can do them all without looking at their books.

This will probably take up most of the first lesson. Tell students that they should read the

“Orientation—Getting Ready to Learn English” section before they come to the next

class and be ready to discuss it.

In the next class, review the classroom language by asking students to practice it in

pairs or groups and then testing individual students to see if they can do the

conversations with you without looking at their books.

When you have finished that, put them in groups to discuss what they read in

“Orientation—Getting Ready to Learn English.” If you have low-level students, it is

probably wise to suggest that they do this in Japanese. As they talk, go around each

group to ask if they have any questions for you about what they have read. (Note that an

English translation of the orientation is included at the end of this guide.)

When you are satisfied that the students have understood and discussed theorientation, tell them to turn to page 21 and read the explanation of the Part 1 test. (If

you are going to follow a different procedure for the test, give them a handout

explaining it, and tell them to paste it over the explanation in their book.) Explain that

you will be covering one unit per week, and stress the need for students to practice the

conversations extensively in order to pass the test.



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Teaching Part 1 (Topics)

The following is a description of a somewhat old-fashioned (but highly effective)

method of teaching the basic conversations:

1. Ask the students to read each of the conversations and the Japanese points that

follow.

2. Play the recordings of all the conversations and ask the students to read along

silently.

3. Play the first conversation again, and ask students to read aloud with the CD.

4. Practice the conversation with a few individual students.

5. Repeat this process for all the conversations.

6. Put students in pairs or groups to practice each conversation.

7. Ask students to write their own answers to all the questions at the end of the unit.

Walk around and check as they do this. Make sure they know that you both want

and expect them to ask you to check the answers they are writing.

8. Put students in pairs or groups to practice each conversation, this time substituting

their own answers for the answers in the book.

9. Choose a couple of strong students to demonstrate how to practice putting

together questions from different conversations (and varying the style of their

answers) to create an original dialogue. For example, one variation of the

conversations in Topic 1 might go something like this:

T: Hi, I’m David.

S: I’m Takamasa Watanabe. Please call me Taka.

T: Okay. Nice to meet you, Taka. How do you spell your family name

S: Sorry?T: How do you spell your last name?

S: Oh, it’s W-A-T-A-N-A-B-E.

One very effective way of practicing these conversations is to have students sit in

rows facing each other with the role of teacher assigned to one row, and the role of

student assigned to the other. After a set period of practice, simply rotate one side so

that everyone is now working with a new partner. When you have rotated the line fully,

swap the roles so that teachers are now students, and students are teachers.



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As students gradually master the language they need for the basic exchanges, you

will be able to provide instruction to individuals on how they can make their

conversations sound more natural. At the end of the class, choose a few students to do

mock run-throughs of the test based just on the material they have covered in that

lesson. Give the class feedback on how those students’ performance would have been

graded on the test. If you do this every week, students will begin to get a feel of what

they are going to have to do to pass the test.

As you move through the topics, begin each class by testing two or three students.

Ask them questions covering all the topics they have studied so far, but not necessarily

in the same order as the book (or in exactly the same way). It is a good idea to

deliberately include questions that the students will not understand in order to get them

used to saying “Sorry?” and “I don’t understand.” When the students have finished

practicing the language from each new topic, give them time to practice building up

conversations that include everything they have studied so far. It is important for

students to understand the importance of constantly reviewing and practicing

everything they have learned.

If you take two classes at the beginning of the semester to cover the introduction,

you should finish all the topics in week 11. This will give you at least two or three weeks

to do practice tests and give feedback on individual performances. Once students have

learned the language they need, you will find that you have more time to focus on

points like responding appropriately, giving extra information, and using non-verbal

communication.

Note: “Let me see…”

Some teachers who have looked at Basic English Conversations have commented that no

attempt is made to teach the kinds of expressions that native speakers often use as the“glue” that holds real conversations together. This is a deliberate omission. Expressions

such as “Let me see” and “Sounds good” undoubtedly play an important role in

conversations between fluent speakers of English, but using them correctly requires a

very high level of communicative and pragmatic competence. In the hands of students

who do not have this level of competence, their usage often sounds comical and absurd.

For example, it is all very well teaching students that “Let me see” is a good expression

to gain thinking time in a conversation, but what about an exchange like this?



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A: What’s your name?

B: Let me see…

Any native speaker would know that this is inappropriate, but how would a student be

able to make that judgment? In fact, the above conversation is a real example that I

heard countless times in tests of students who had been taught to use this expression

when they wanted time to think. Here are two other examples from a more recent test

that stick in my mind:

A: How long are you staying?

B: Only five days.

A: Oh, sounds bad.

A: What’s your wife’s name?

B: Yuko.

A: Oh, sounds good!

These are obviously mistaken extensions of the phrase “Sounds good,” which is a

perfectly natural expression, particularly in American English. However, as the examples

above demonstrate, it is actually extremely difficult for students to judge when it is

appropriate to use this expression and when it is not. I would argue that the same is true

for many of the other expressions that are commonly taught to (and generally misused

by) elementary level students. If you disagree, try writing an explanation of the

conditions that need to apply for “sounds good” and “let me see” to be used

appropriately. This should make it clear how complex the usage of these expressionsactually is.

To summarize, the philosophy of Basic English Conversations is that while there may

be value in teaching simple techniques like repeating the last part of what someone has

said and using “Really?” to show surprise or interest, students of the level at which the

book is aimed need to achieve fluency by learning how to say what they want to say,

not by trying to make up for not knowing enough language by plugging in random

expressions.



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Teaching Part 2 (Situations)

Part 2 of Basic English Conversations can be taught in a very similar way to Part 1. The

two main differences are (a) the extra page for students to write their own ideas about

questions to ask, and (b) the need for students to create identities for each of the

situations in order to help one another practice. If you have extremely low-level students,

you may choose to ask them only to memorize the questions in the book, but for most

students, it will be more interesting if they try to create additional questions that they

can ask in the test.

The biggest difference between Parts 1 and 2 is that in Part 2, students have to lead

the conversation, which means they will have to vary what they ask according to the

answers they are given. It will not be possible for them to learn how to do this if they

only practice the conversations as written in the book, so each student will have to

create an identity for each of the situations. If every student creates their own identity

(including name, nationality, age, etc.) then everyone will be able to get the practice

they need simply by continually changing their practice partner. Creating new identities

can actually be a lot of fun, and it makes the practice more interesting for all the

students when they have no idea how their partner is going to respond to their

questions.

After students have listened to the recordings and practiced reading the

conversations from the book, the next step will be for them to cross out the answers in

the book and write new ones. Once they have done this, you can use the same technique

of putting them in rows to practice with each other. You can then go around and give

feedback on the two key points of (a) responding appropriately to somebody’s answer

and (b) putting questions together in a logical and appropriate order to build a

conversation.If you have very low-level students, you can easily adjust the difficulty of the book

by changing the number of situations that students are required to cover in a semester,

but we have found that four is not unrealistic even for very low-level non-English

majors.



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Teaching Part 3 (My Conversations)

This section of the book can be introduced at any stage of the course, but the earlier it is

done, the more time you will have to convince students of the value of using English

with each other outside the classroom.

The easiest way to introduce this section is simply to ask students to read the

introduction beginning on page 92 and then discuss its contents with you and/or their

classmates. Although it is not realistic to expect that every student will take to this idea,

it is entirely possible that one or two might be persuaded to give it a try. If this happens,

others may be convinced to join in when they see the progress their friends are making.

You can show students that you are serious about the idea by asking them to write a

translation of a conversation they have had with a friend in the “My Conversations”

section every week for homework. You can then set aside time in every class for

students to show you and each other what they have written. If you see one or two that

are particularly useful, you can write the corrected version on the board and ask

everyone to copy it.

As explained in the Japanese introduction to this section, it is not possible to to

become fluent in English with only two or three classes a week. Of course, it is not easy

to persuade students to use English with each other outside the classroom, but I believe

that it is every English teacher’s duty to at least try, if only for the sake of your own

motivation. I have been successful in doing this with only a very small number of

students, but those students provided me with some of my richest teaching experiences.

From discussions with other teachers and observations of my own students, I have

concluded that Japanese students generally do not try to use English with each other

because they do not believe there is any value in that kind of practice, and teachers do

not really push the idea because they do not believe that students would ever do it. Thisis an unfortunate cycle, but it is one that can be broken if the teacher makes a concerted

effort to sell the idea to students. If and when you are successful in doing this (if you

haven’t been already), you will be amazed at the progress students are able to make even

over the course of a single semester.



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Conducting and Grading Speaking Tests

Conducting the Part 1 Final Test

The structure of the Part 1 test is very simple. You will need around three-four minutes

to test one student, although if you have a big class, it is possible to reduce this to around

two and a half minutes.

At the beginning of the test, ask the student to sit down, and switch on your timer.

Ask the student a variety of questions from the book, and ask appropriate follow-up

questions depending on his or her answers. At some point of the test, include a more

difficult question to test the student’s ability to ask for clarification and say that they do

not understand. (Explaining in the class that you are going to do this in the test actually

makes it much easier for the students to get used to doing this in practice.)

When you think you have heard enough to make a judgment of the student’s grade,

say “Thank you. That is the end of the test.”

Grading the Final Part 1 Test

Over the past ten years, I (and teachers I have worked with) have experimented with

every kind of rubric that has been invented. Inevitably, we have found that using

complicated and detailed rubrics in such short tests, particularly where the grader and

interlocutor are the same person, is actually counter-productive. For this reason, I

recommend using a very basic guide for grading final speaking tests.

The criteria given in the explanation of the speaking test in the book are very simple.

A student who is able to (a) understand most of the questions you ask, (b) provide

accurate answers to most of them with a reasonable degree of fluency (i.e. show clear

evidence of practice), and (c) seek clarification when he or she does not understand willpass the test. A student who can do all of this and who also impresses you in one area of

their performance will be awarded a “B” grade, even if they have some weaknesses. A

student who has no real weaknesses and who impresses you in two or more areas of their

performance will be awarded an “A” grade. Some examples of areas of performance in

which a student might impress the examiner are given below.

Pronunciation

Fluency

Accuracy



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Correct use of more advanced vocabulary or structures

Particularly natural non-verbal communication

A failing grade will only be given where one or more of the following applies.

The student repeatedly fails to comprehend basic questions from the book.

The student repeatedly makes mistakes with (or is unable to produce) simple

answers to basic questions.

The student is unable to seek clarification when asked a question that he or she

cannot understand.

The student’s answers lack f luency to a degree that suggests a complete absence of

practice.

The student’s pronunciation is so poor that it is frequently difficult to understand

what he or she is saying.

The student’s non-verbal communication is so inappropriate as to make the

examiner feel uncomfortable.

If you are using Basic English Conversations in tandem with other teachers, you

may find it helpful to swap classes for the test to avoid any danger of bias. (We have

found that doing this also makes students take the test more seriously.) If you have

access to video cameras, it is an excellent idea to record all the tests so that teachers can

get second opinions on students they found difficult to grade. Videos of your own

students being tested by another teacher also provide valuable feedback for you on what

you have taught effectively and what your students appear to have missed.

If you do not have access to video cameras, all the teachers will need to be

standardized before the test. This can be done in the last lesson before the tests with allthe classes in one large room so that students and teachers can all get a clear idea about

what is required. Choose a few “volunteers” from each class and do a mock test with

them at the front of the classroom. Let students listen as teachers discuss how they would

grade that test. After you have done this a few times, you will find that it is not all that

difficult to get everyone on the same page. If you do not have much experience of

doing speaking tests, you may like to go through this procedure one time earlier in the

semester using only the topics the students have studied up to that point. This will give

both teachers and students useful feedback on what they need to work on.



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Conducting the Part 2 Final Test

The logistics for the Part 2 test are very similar to those for Part 1. The biggest difference

is that when students walk into the test room, they are presented with four cards lying

face-down on a table. On each of the cards is written either “New Teacher”, “Tourist”,

“Business Person”, or “International Student.” The student picks a card, turns it over,

and shows it to you. Give them a minute to compose themselves, then start the timer

and say “Please begin.”

Before the test, you will need to create identities for each of the situations. (Let

students know prior to the test that you are not going to be yourself.) As the student

asks you questions, respond and, where appropriate, ask questions in return. (Many of

these will be basic questions from Part 1 of the book, so make sure that you remind

students to review these throughout the second semester.)

When the set period of time has elapsed, choose an appropriate point to end the

conversation, and say, “Thank you. That is the end of the test.” We have experimented

with asking students to end the conversation appropriately, but found that this was

actually an extremely difficult skill for them to master. We also found that allowing

students to control the length of the test was problematic because some of the less

motivated ones would memorize just enough to get through one minute or so perfectly

and then finish the conversation. However, if your students have a higher degree of

motivation, you may like to make the ability to finish the conversation naturally a

requirement of the test.

Grading the Final Part 2 Test

The final test should be graded according to the criteria given in the explanation in the

book. “C”, “B”, and “A” grades should be awarded on the same basis as in the Part 1 test.Students should be awarded a passing grade if they are more or less able to meet the

stipulated requirements. Failing grades should be given to students to whom one or

more of the following conditions apply.

The student repeatedly makes mistakes with basic questions that they should have

memorized.

The student’s lack of fluency suggests that they have not put sufficient effort into

practicing for the test.

The student freezes and is unable to continue the conversation even when given



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sufficient time (and smiles of encouragment!)

The student asks questions in a completely unnatural order and/or continually fails

to respond to or follow up on answers. (This will happen with students who have

just made a last-ditch effort to memorize all the questions the night before the test

and who are thus unable to do anything other than ask them in a set order with no

regard to the tester’s responses.

The student’s pronunciation is so poor that it is frequently difficult to understand

what they are asking.

The student’s non-verbal communication is so inappropriate that the tester feels

uncomfortable talking to them.



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Translations of Japanese Parts of Basic English Conversations

Orientation—Getting Ready to Learn English

If your goal is to learn English, you will need to do a lot of study of the language, but

there is something else that you will need to learn in addition: you will need to learn

how to learn a language. People often ask me how long it took me to learn Japanese,

and they are surprised when I answer, “about six months.” However, that was the period

after I finally figured out how to study effectively. Before that, I spent around two years

of total frustration using poor methods of study and an inappropriate approach. In other

words, it only took me about six months to learn Japanese, but it took me two years to

learn how to learn it.

When you are learning a language, starting off with the wrong way of thinking can

result in a lot of frustration and wasted time, and many people even give up altogether

because of this. In this section, I will answer the questions that Japanese people often ask

me about learning English, and I will also correct some commonly held misconceptions.

Why can’t Japanese people speak English even though they study it for six years?

This is a question I am often asked, but the answer is really quite simple. Japanese

schools focus not on learning English, but rather on the analysis of English as a

linguistic system. The aim is to understand basic principles of English grammar and

make comparisons with Japanese through direct translation. In other words, what

Japanese people study in school is actually a completely different field to the study of

English as a foreign language. (By the way, this is not because high school teachers want

to teach in this way, but simply because that is what they need to teach in order to get

students through university entrance examinations.) However, this is not the only reason that so many Japanese people cannot speak English after studying it for six years.

Foreign languages are not something that can be mastered with a couple of lessons a

week in a classroom. In fact, far from being surprising that someone has not learned

English after six years of this kind of study, it would actually be miraculous if they had!

This is easy to understand if you compare learning a language to learning a sport.

For example, if someone studied the techniques of skiing or snowboarding in a

classroom two or three times a week, we would not expect them to actually be able to go

to a mountain and instantly do it no matter how long they had been studying. Learning



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a language is very similar. What you learned about English in junior high and high

school was certainly not meaningless, but you should expect to do about ten times that

amount of work if you really want to be able to communicate in English.

We Japanese are not good at English!

This is something I often hear, but it is completely mistaken. As I explained above, no

one in the world can learn a foreign language simply by studying it a couple of times a

week in a classroom. Actually, British people, Americans, Australians and other people

from countries where English is a first language all study at least one foreign language at

school, but hardly any of us can speak the language that we studied.

Japanese culture places great importance on the concept of humility, but in the case

of English, this has developed to the point of being an inferiority complex. If you

actually look around you, you will find countless Japanese people who speak English

extremely well. If you add the numbers of people who, whilst not being completely

proficient can at least communicate at a basic level, that number increases tenfold. In

other words, Japan is doing much better at teaching and learning foreign languages than

many other countries.

The idea that ‘We Japanese are not good at learning English’ is simply not true.

Learning a foreign language is difficult for people of any nationality, but if you are

prepared to do the necessary study and practice, it is something that any normal person

can achieve.

Don’t you have to study abroad to speak English?

This is absolutely not the case. There are many fluent Japanese speakers of English who

have never left Japan, and there are many Japanese people who have lived inEnglish-speaking countries for years without learning the language. Of course, with the

same level of effort and application, a person living in an English-speaking country

would expect to improve quicker than somebody living in Japan, but effort and

determination are much more important than environment in the learning of a foreign

language. (If you want to learn more about how you can learn to develop your English

without studying abroad, please read “Using English outside the Classroom” beginning

on page 92.)



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Making mistakes is embarrassing.

This is a very understandable feeling. However, as with things like learning a sport or

musical instrument, making mistakes is an integral and unavoidable part of learning a

foreign language. In Japanese schools, mistakes are treated as being a bad thing, so

many Japanese people naturally want to avoid making them. However, if you think

about it, there is nothing embarrassing about making a mistake in a foreign language.

After all, you have mastered your native language, which is all that anyone really needs

to do.

Speaking from experience, it seems to me that the biggest barrier to learning English

for Japanese students is a lack of confidence. For example, my hearing is not great, and

sometimes I cannot catch what a Japanese person has said. But as soon as I say “Sorry?”

most Japanese people just assume that their English was incorrect and that I haven’t

understood them, and they give up, even though the problem was not their English, but

my hearing! I think that that way of thinking comes about because of an inferiority

complex regarding the learning of English.

If a Japanese person who cannot speak English feels inferior to a Dutch or Swiss

person who can speak four or five languages, then that is understandable, but there is

absolutely no need whatsoever for Japanese people to have an inferiority complex when

talking to native speakers of English who can only speak their own language (i.e. most

native speakers of English!) If you are trying to speak English to someone like that, you

should try to think like this:

I am from Japan, so I can speak Japanese. In order to communicate with you, I am

making the effort to speak English. However, it is not my native language, so I will

probably make some mistakes. That is unavoidable, so please do your best to understand me. If you are not prepared to make the effort to understand me, I will be happy to speak

to you in Japanese, and I will not worry about your mistakes!

If you can start thinking like that, it will help you to overcome any complex you

have about speaking English, and studying English will become more fun.

By the way, how do you feel when you hear someone from another country trying to

speak Japanese? Do you think “Ha! He made another mistake! This guy’s Japanese is

weird!” I’m guessing that you don’t. Actually, you probably think, “Wow, this guy is



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trying to speak my language. That’s impressive.” That is exactly what most native

speakers of English think when we hear Japanese people trying to speak ours.

How are native-speaking teachers of English and Japanese teachers of English different?

In university, English communication classes are often taught by native speakers of

English. Many of you will have met native-speaking teachers of English in high school,

but in university, you may have only native-speaking teachers for your communication

classes for the whole year, and your grades will be decided by those teachers. Of course,

many Japanese teachers can speak English just as well as native speakers, but problems

sometimes arise between native-speaking teachers of English and their Japanese students

because of their different cultural backgrounds. For example, in Japan, a student who

listens attentively to what the teacher says will be considered a “good” student. In many

Western countries, however, you need to be much more active in class (asking the

teacher questions and volunteering answers) in order to be thought of as a “good”

student. In Japan, teachers usually nominate a student to answer when they ask a

question. In most Western countries, however, many students will immediately raise

their hands when the teacher asks a question. For that reason, a native-speaking teacher

who sees no one raise their hand when she asks a question in Japan may think that the

students have no interest in the lesson. Of course, native-speaking teachers and Japanese

students need to learn about each other’s cultures, but be aware that native-speaking

teachers of English may have a very different idea of what constitutes a “good” student

than you have been used to in the past.

An Example of Cultural Differences

If you asked 100 native-speaking teachers of English what they would like Japanesestudents not to do, I think you would see a very clear winner. When a Japanese student

is asked a question by a teacher, even if they know they answer, they have a tendency to

confer with a friend before answering. This is not a problem in Japanese culture, and it is

easy to understand the student’s feeling, but to Western people, this can seem very rude.

Most teachers get annoyed when students do this repeatedly. If a teacher speaks to you

directly, you should think of that as a conversation between just you and the teacher. If

you do not understand what the teacher is asking, just say “Sorry?” and the teacher will

repeat the question. If you still don’t understand, just say, “I’m sorry, I don’t



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understand.” No teacher will think that you are being rude if you do this. In fact, the

teacher will probably be really impressed. If, on the other hand, you turn and start

talking to someone else when the teacher asks you a question, the teacher will feel like

you are ignoring her. Just learning how to say “Sorry?” and “I’m sorry, I don’t

understand” is a big step in improving your English, so please try using these

expressions.

Tips for Learning English

Unfortunately, the only way to truly learn English is to study hard and practice a lot.

There are no short-cuts. However, when you look at successful language learners from

different countries, it is possible to see some commonalities in their study methods.

1. Actively look for chances to use the language.

I often hear Japanese students complain that they have no opportunity to use English,

but I have also met many Japanese people who have created for themselves here in

Japan an environment similar to living in a foreign country. Even if you do not have

any native speakers to practice with, there are many ways to make English a part of

your everyday life. Successful language learners mould their environment to suit their

needs and goals.

2. Thinking about the language in your everyday life.

If the only time you ever think about English is in the classroom, you will never learn

to speak it. Successful language learners go through a period where English is all they

think about from morning to night, no matter where they are or what they are doing.

3. Try to use language you have learned

When you learn a new word or piece of language, don’t simply write it down andforget about it, experiment with it and test the boundaries of its usage. Students who

do this are always asking their teachers “Can I say this?” “How about this?” “Is this

okay?” This makes teachers very happy! In some fields of study, all you need to do is

listen to and understand what the teacher tells you. In learning a foreign language,

however, if you have no questions for the teacher, then you are not learning.

4. Don’t give up!

As with so many other things, regardless of how keen you are at the outset, all your

effort will be wasted if you do not keep going. Language learning is sometimes a lot



18

of fun, but at other times, it can be boring and frustrating. This is true for every

person who learns a foreign language. The difference is not whether you have these

feeling or not, but simply how you deal with them when they arrive.

5. Don’t try to translate everything into your own language.

When I first started studying Japanese, the thing that slowed me down the most was

my habit of trying to translate everything I was learning into English. For example,

in the class where the teacher was trying to explain kore, sore, and are, I couldn’t get

beyond thinking “kore=this, sore=that, so you don’t need the other one!” It took a

long time, but I eventually decided to stop comparing all the Japanese I was learning

with English. From that instant, my speed of learning increased. If I had been able in

that lesson to think “Okay, so English only has ‘this/that’, but Japanese uses a

different system; let’s try and understand how it works” I would have been able to

avoid a lot of stress. If you can go beyond thinking “How does this English expression

compare to Japanese?” and start looking just at how native speakers use it, you will

find that your English starts to improve much more quickly.

6. Do the boring stuff that needs to be done.

Behind anything that is generally thought of as being “cool”, such as sports or musical

instruments, there is always a lot of very “uncool” practice and training. Learning a

foreign language is the same. Far more important than the materials you use or the

kind of practice you do is the amount of effort that you are prepared to put in.

Languages were created by the human brain, so your brain is quite capable of learning

all of them. In other words, learning a foreign language is purely a matter of how

determined you are to succeed. If you decide to learn English, and if you are prepared

to put in the required effort, your success is guaranteed.

If you have understood all of these points, you will be ready to start studying English

conversation. However, before you learn about the speaking test, let’s look at some

language that you will need to use to communicate with your teacher in the classroom.



19

Conversations with the Teacher

Conversation 1

When the teacher calls your name, answer in a loud voice in English. You only

need to say, “I’m here,” but raise your hand and reply in a loud voice.

Conversation 2

If one of your classmates is absent, let your teacher know. If someone is not well,

you can respond like this. If you don’t know why he or she is absent, just say,

“She’s absent today, but I don’t know why.”

Conversation 3

[Translation of “He/She asked me to tell you that…” and explanation of what

follows “that” in this kind of sentence.

Conversation 4

[Translation of underlined phrases]

Conversation 5

In Japan, some students do not say anything when they enter the classroom late.

In Western cultures, it is good manners to apologize when you are late, so always

do this if you are late for an English class.

[Translations of common reasons for being late]

Conversation 6

If you know you are going to be absent, it is good manners to tell the teacher. Allyou need to say is “I will be absent next week.”

[Translation of underlined expression]

Conversation 7

[Translation of underlined phrase with added explanation that teachers might not

always be so understanding, so it is best not to forget your book]



20

Conversation 8

[Translation of underlined phrase]


Conversation 9

If you want to go to the toilet, use this expression. However, some teachers may

not want you to ask for permission, so ask your teacher in the first class, “Do we

need to ask you if we want to go to the toilet?”

Conversation 10

[Translations of underlined phrases]

[Translation of underlined phrase and explanation of why students need to know

where the part-time teachers’ room is located in their school]

Conversation 11


Conversation 12

If you don’t think the teacher knows who you are, introduce yourself like this.

[Translation of useful phrases]

[Translation of “extra ones”]



Conversation 13 [Translation of underlined phrase]


Conversation 14





21

Topic 1—What’s your name?

Conversation 1

“What’s your name?” is not grammatically wrong, but asking this suddenly can

seem rude in some situations, so it is better to give your own name before you ask

for the other person’s. In many cases, just saying your name will be enough, as the

other person will then just respond by telling you their name. Note that if you say

your own name first, the “your” in “What’s your name?” should be stressed.

When someone asks your name, you can reply with just your name or “It’s …”

Replying in full sentences can sound strange in conversation.

If you cannot catch what someone has said, say “Sorry?” or “Pardon me?” The

following responses are rude in Western cultures.

1. Answering in Japanese

2. Saying nothing

3. Conferring with someone else who is not a party to the conversation

When you say your name to someone from another country, say it slowly and

clearly so that the person can understand you. If you say it too quickly, the other

person will probably say “Sorry?” or “Pardon me?”

If you pronounce the English alphabet using katakana, people will not understand

you. Practice saying the alphabet with the correct pronunciation.

When you shake hands with someone, always use your right hand. Grip the other

person’s hand so that the area between your thumb and forefinger is touching the

same area of their hand. Grip the other person’s hand with a reasonable amount of

pressure. A handshake should last around 1-2 seconds.

Conversation 2 In questions about two alternatives A and B, your voice should rise before “or” and

fall after it. If you are asked a question with this intonation, you are being asked to

choose one of the alternatives, so do not answer with “yes” or “no.”

[Translations of the English words for talking about names]

Conversation 3

When you say your name in English, you can use the English style of putting your

first name first, or you can just follow the Japanese style, but please tell the other



22

person what they should call you. However, if you only say your first name, you

do not need to do this. Do not say, for example, “My name is Taka. Please call

me Taka.”

If you are speaking to someone who is familiar with Japanese names, they will

probably not ask you about spelling, but if you are in a foreign country at, for

example, a hotel or an airport, it is very possible that you will be asked how to

spell your name. Practice doing this for both of your names until you can say

their spelling fluently.

Conversation 4

If you say your full name, it will be helpful for the other person if you explain your

name like this.

When you say “Nice to meet you” it is okay to shake hands, but it is not always

necessary.

Conversation 5

Use this way of asking when you think that you know someone’s name, but you

are not sure. If you are asked this in the test, just say, “Yes, I am” or “That’s right.”

If you have met the person before and you can remember them, say where you met.

If you don’t think you have met them before, just say, “I don’t think so.”

Topic 2—Where are you from?

Conversation 1

In a situation where your nationality is obvious (such as when you are talking to

your teacher), do not say, “I am from Japan” in response to this question. In Japanese, “shi” or “cho” are usually added after the names of cities and towns,

but we do not usually do this in English.

Explain where your hometown is by saying how far it is in which direction from a

major town or city.

Conversation 2

[Translation of underlined phrase and suggestion for another way of asking]

“Where are you from?” is a slightly vague question in English. Sometimes it can



23

mean “Where were you born?” but sometimes it can mean “Where do you live

now?” It is likely, therefore, that you will be asked “Are you from there originally?”

as a follow-up question.

Conversation 3

In Conversation 1, we said that it is not necessary to add “City” and “Town” to

place names. The exception to this is cities that have the same name as a prefecture.


If you are asked whether you live with your family, use that as a chance to

introduce them.

Conversation 4


If you ask someone to repeat something but still do not understand what they are

saying, do not panic; simply say, “I don’t understand.” As soon as you have said

that, the other person will try different ways of explaining until you understand.

This makes it much easier for you!

Conversation 5

Use this structure if you are living by yourself away from your family.


Conversation 6

Although we said previously that it is not necessary to respond in full sentences

when having a conversation, it can sound rude if you only ever give one-wordanswers, so try to strike a balance. (Note that if you add information after saying

“yes” or “no” the problem does not arise.)

If you live a long way from school, it is likely that you will be asked about your

commute.

Topic 3—What do you do?

Conversation 1

In English just “What do you do?” is enough to ask about someone’s occupation.



24

Conversation 2

“What grade are you in?” is also possible, but that is normally used for junior high-

and high-school students.

In America, “freshman” and “sophomore” are used to talk about university

students. However, people from other English-speaking countries may not

understand this, so it is safer to use “first-/second-year.”

Conversation 3

If you are not sure what you want to do in the future say, “I don’t know yet” or

“I’m not sure yet.” If you know what you want to do, make sure that you know

how to say it in English.

Conversation 4


Conversation 5

When you are talking about your university, use this expression.

If you want to show a reaction of surprise or interest to something that somebody

has said, use “Really.”

Topic 4—Do you have any brothers or sisters?

Conversation 1


Conversation 2 This is another “A or B?” question, so it has the intonation shown below.

You do not need to respond with a full sentence. Just “both older/ both younger” is

fine.

Conversation 3

If you have brothers or sisters, expect that you will be asked their names and

occupations on the test. (It is fine for you to give this information before you are

asked.)



25


Conversation 4

You will find yourself in trouble on the test if you are not able to explain what your

brothers and sisters do.


Conversation 5

In English, people often express interest or surprise by repeating with rising

intonation the last part of what somebody has said.


“Tell” can mean “give information” or “make a judgment.” “I can’t tell

what/who/when … ” means “I am unable to judge.”

You can ask either “What’s he studying?” or “What does he study?”

Topic 5—Do you have a part-time job?

Conversation 1

If you do not have a part-time job, it is likely that you will be asked if you have ever

had one.

[Translation of underlined phrase and explanation that the past tense of quit is the

same (and has the same pronunciation) as the infinitive]

Conversation 2

When the meaning of the question is clear from the context, it is common to ask

one-word questions such as “Where?” [Translation of underlined phrase]

Conversation 3


[Translation of underlined phrase and structure for answering the question]

However you respond to “Do you enjoy it?” it is possible that you will be asked

“Why?” If you expand on your original answer by giving this information before

you are asked, the conversation will go more smoothly.



26

Conversation 4

Having been asked about your part-time job, if you are then asked “What do you

do?” this means “Tell me more about your role at your place of work.”


Conversation 5

Use “ ... yen per hour” to talk about pay. In a conversation about a part-time job, it

is not strange for a teacher to ask a student whether their pay is good or not, but

remember that in the West, as in Japan, people generally do not ask others about

their salaries.

Make sure that you have a good answer to this question prepared for the test.

Topic 6—What do you do in your free time?

Conversation 1

“What is your hobby?” is not incorrect, but native speakers of English generally do

not ask this. “What do you do in your free time?” is more natural.

Conversation 2

In a conversation about books or music, it is likely that you will be asked “What

kind of ? … ” and “Who is your favorite? … ” so make sure that you have answers

prepared.

Most Japanese people use the question “Do you know? … ” as the translation of

“shitteimasu ka?” The natural way to ask this question is “Have you heard of ? … ”

Conversation 3 If you say “play with my friends” it sounds very childish. A more natural way to say

“tomodachi to asobu” is “spend time/hang out with my friends.”

If you want to say “… no tomodachi” use “friends from …”

Conversation 4

In a conversation about things like sports and musical instruments, it is very likely

that you will be asked, “How long have you been? … ”

[Translation of underlined phrase and suggestions for how to answer]



27

Conversation 5


Instead of “do my part-time job,” it is more natural just to say “I work.”


Conversation 6

In British English, “at the weekend” is used.

“Like to do” and “like doing” have the same meaning. However, when reference is

made to something that is done habitually at a specified day or time (on Saturdays,

when I get up in the morning, etc.) native speakers generally use “like to do.”

Topic 7—Do you like sports?

Conversation 1

[Translation of underlined phrase and suggestion for another way of saying the

same thing]

Conversation 2

“What kind of sports do you like?” refers to the type of sport (team sports, outdoor

sports, etc.), so “What sports do you like?” is more common.

This is another example of the “A or B?” type of question. Do you remember the

intonation pattern?

Conversation 3

Explains that both of these English phrases can be used with the same meaning.

[Translation of underlined phrase and suggested structure for answers]

Conversation 4

Both “training” and “practice” can be used to talk about sports.

In addition to “How long have you been? …” people who do a sport may be asked

what they like about it. If you like sports, make sure that you have an answer

prepared.



28

Conversation 5

Many Japanese people say “play ski,” but “play” is only normally used for ball

games. Sports such as skiing, surfing, and snowboarding can be used as verbs by

themselves (I ski) or used as gerunds with “like.” For martial arts such as kendo, use

“do.”

Topic 8—What are you doing this weekend?

Conversation 1

Many Japanese students think that “will” is the way to talk about the future in

English. However, if we are talking about plans or schedules, native speakers of

English generally use “be going to” or the present continuous tense.

Conversation 2

In Japanese, you would say, “I have to do my part-time job” but in English, we

would just say, “I have to work.”


Conversation 3

Notice that questions like “Who are you going with?” can be abbreviated to just

“Who with?”

Remember that “… no tomodachi” is “friends from … ”


Many Japanese people say “by my car” but this is incorrect. The expression is “by

car.”

Conversation 4

As explained on the opposite page, “going to” and the present continuous tense are

generally used to talk about plans and schedules in English.


Conversation 5

[Translation of underlined phrase and suggested ways of answering]

Use this expression if you have not made firm plans.



29

[Translation of underlined phrase and reminder that “by my car” is incorrect]


Topic 9—Do you have any plans for the summer?

Conversation 1

When you intend to do something in the future but your plans are not finalized,

use “be going to.”

Conversation 2

“Vacation” is American English. People from Britain, Australia, and New Zealand

would say “holidays.”


Conversation 3

“By yourself?” is an abbreviation of “Are you going by yourself?”

“How long are you going for?” can be abbreviated to “How long for?” or “For how

long?”


Conversation 4



Did you remember the correct translation for “tomodachi to asobu”?

Conversation 5 Many Japanese people say “go to there,” but “there” is an adverb, so you only need

to say “go there.”




30

Situation 1—Conversations with a New Teacher

Conversation 1

In Japanese, you address teachers by putting “sensei” after the person’s family

name, but you cannot translate this by saying “teacher” after an English family

name. (Just calling somebody “teacher” is also unnatural.) Some Japanese people

may feel strange calling a teacher by his or her first name, but in the West, this is

not a problem. If you are not sure what to call your teacher, ask him or her “What

should we call you?”

Conversation 2

There are three kinds of teachers teaching English at Japanese universities: teachers

who work full-time at your university; teachers who work full-time at another

university and part-time at your university; and teachers who work part-time at

several universities including yours.

For teachers who do not work full-time at your university, use this question to f ind

out how to get in touch with the them if you need to ask them about something.

Conversation 3

It is also possible to ask, “How long have you been teaching at this university?”

Conversation 4

In order to keep a conversation going, you will need to react to what the other

person says. “Really?” is a useful expression, but adding comments such as “That’s a

long time” will make the conversation more natural. However, that is not to say

that you must always add a comment. Forced comments such as “That’s a shorttime” will sound unnatural. If the teacher has really been in Japan a long time say,

“That’s a long time.” If he or she has only been in Japan for a very short time, say

for example, “Only three weeks!” There is no need to add more.

[Translation of underlined phrase and suggestion of alternative]

If the teacher says that he or she used to do something, ask if he or she still does it.

If you and the teacher have a common interest, say “I like … too” to make the

conversation more interesting.

[Translation of underlined phrase and explanation that “so-so” can sound a bit



31

unnatural]

Conversation 5

Because the teacher has said “Since I came to Japan,” the next question is

abbreviated to “What did you do before that?” The full question would be “What

did you do before you came to Japan?”

[Translation of underlined phrase and suggested variations]

Conversation 6


“How was that?” is a useful question that can be used to ask about a range of topics.

Conversation 7

As in Japan, people in the West do not generally ask people they have just met

whether they are married or not, so “Do you have family here in Japan?” is a more

appropriate question. Of course, the teacher may also respond by talking about his

or her brothers or sisters.

This question is obviously relevant if the teacher’s husband or wife is not Japanese.

However, there are also Japanese couples who met abroad, so it is okay to ask this

question to any teacher.

Conversation 8



Conversation 9

If you want to ask about a teacher’s Japanese ability, “Can you speak Japanese?”

and “Do you speak Japanese?” are both okay.

This is an example of a negative question. Negative questions are used when

common sense would suggest that something is the case. For example, you would

ask somebody who was wearing a jacket in the summer, “Aren’t you hot?”, and you

would ask somebody who has not eaten breakfast, “Aren’t you hungry?”



32

Conversation 10

[Translation of underlined phrase and suggested variation]


Situation 2—Conversations with a Tourist

Conversation 1

Many Japanese people forget that not all Caucasians are native speakers of English.

Some people may be offended if you just go up and start talking to them in

English, so the first thing you should do is ask if they speak English or not.



Conversation 2

If you have been abroad yourself, you will be aware that English is often used as an

international language between people from different countries. If you speak

Japanese to someone who looks Asian but they do not appear to understand you,

try speaking to them in English. Even if they don’t know any Japanese at all, most

people will have studied at least some English in school, so they may be able to

manage simple conversations.


Conversation 3


The most basic questions to ask a tourist are “When did you arrive?” and “When

are you going home?” Of course, you can also ask, “How long have you beenhere?” “How long are you staying?” and “When are you going back?”

Conversation 4


Conversation 5





33


Conversation 6



Conversation 7


[Translation of underlined phrase and explanation that Japan’s bullet train is a

major attraction for some tourists]

Conversation 8


“And after that?” is an abbreviation of “And where are you going after that?”

Conversation 9

[Translation of underlined phrase and explanation of the structure]


In English-speaking countries, the response to a compliment is a simple “Thank

you.” If you start being humble and protesting that the compliment is undeserved,

it can actually sound as if you are fishing for more compliments.

Conversation 10

Caution is required when talking about food. Note the following points:

1.

Japanese food is popular in other countries as well, so many people are already familiar with it before they come to Japan.

2. Japanese people enjoy talking about food. However, people from other

countries may feel uncomfortable being asked their culinary preferences by

someone they hardly know.

3. It is okay to touch on the subject of food, but do not fall into the trap of

asking if someone likes something and then continuing to ask about a list of

other foods by just saying “How about? … ”

4. Please remember that chopsticks are common in many other countries besides



34

Japan. Chinese food is popular all over the world, so many people can use

them. Asking a person whether they can use chopsticks or not in any situation

other than at a restaurant can be of fensive.

[Translation of underlined phrase and reminder of point 3 above]

Situation 3—Conversations with a Business Person

Conversation 1

“Where are you from?” can be used in any of the situations. The question can be

followed up by “Which part of ? … ”, but do not ask this if you are not familiar

with the geography of that country.


Conversation 2

“What business are you in?” is a slightly less direct way of asking someone about

their occupation, but “What do you do?” is also acceptable.


Conversation 3



Conversation 4

This question can also be used with a tourist.

Responses such as “That’s a nice hotel” are an important part of any conversation.

Practice a range of variations. [Translation of underlined phrase and advice that it is more natural than “How are

you going to? … ]


Conversation 5





35

Conversation 6



[Explanation of structure of underlined phrase and examples of variations]



Conversation 7

Business people from other countries who visit Japan probably also visit other

countries, so ask about their experiences.



Conversation 8

Abbreviated responses such as “Just Tokyo?” may sound strange to Japanese

students who have only learned to speak in full sentences in school, but in English

conversation, this kind of language is common.



Conversation 9

There is a strong possibility that someone headed for (or already in) Japan will ask

your advice on where they should go and what they should see.

If you are asked if you have any recommendations, find out what that person is

interested in. [Translation of underlined phrase]

Conversation 10


[Explanation of structure of underlined phrase and suggested variations]

In this context, “card” clearly means “business card.” If you want to ask for

someone’s business card ask, “Do you have a business card?” Note that unlike Japan,

there are no special rules about exchanging business cards in the West. For example,



36

there is no problem with taking a business card from somebody with just one hand.

Situation 4—Conversations with an International Student

Conversation 1


If you are familiar with the place the person comes from, explain why. Remember

that “have heard of” is generally more appropriate than “know” in this context.

Conversation 2

Use this structure to say that you have never been to a place but would like to go in

the future.


Conversation 3

You can ask where a person is from by just saying the name of a famous city in

that country. If you are wrong, the other person will tell you where he or she is

from.


Conversation 4


Tell the other person which department you are in or what you study. If it is the

same, say, “Me too.”


Conversation 5


“Where are you staying?” and “Where are you living?” have the same basic

meaning, but “staying” sounds more temporary, so it is probably more appropriate

for international students.

Conversation 6

“How long have you been here?” can be used as an alternative to “When did you



37

arrive?”



Conversation 7


[Translation of underlined phrase and note on its status as a set phrase in English]

Conversation 8

It is a good idea to ask an international student why he or she wanted to come to

Japan.


Conversation 9


It is a good idea to ask about the other person’s university.


Conversation 10


Conversation 11

[Translations of underlined phrases]



38

My Conversations (Introduction)

I often hear Japanese students say that they cannot practice English because they do not

have any foreign friends. This is a major misconception. It is possible to do very

effective English speaking practice with another Japanese person, and even by talking to

yourself. In fact, if you do not practice extensively outside the classroom, the English

you have been taught in your lessons will never really stick. Many people find this hard

to believe, so let me explain what I mean. Have you ever had the experience of knowing

what you want to say but being unable to produce the language that you need even

though you know that you have studied it before? The reason for this phenomenon is to

do with the structure of the human brain.

Imagine that there is a tiny man living in your brain. (Of course, it might be a tiny

woman, but in my brain, I have a feeling that it is a man.) This tiny man’s job is to find

information that has previously been stored in your brain when you ask him for it. Now

this man is a very hard worker, and he keeps the files in your brain very well organized.

The secret to his success is that he keeps information that is requested regularly in places

that are easy to access, and pushes information that is rarely called for towards the back

of his storeroom. For this reason, he will not be able to produce English words and

grammar if the owner of the brain is someone who rarely uses English. When a person

like that asks him to produce English, he has to go rushing around areas of the storeroom

that he rarely visits brushing dust off files that he has never had to produce before.

If your goal is to be able to express yourself in English effectively, you will need to

persuade the tiny man that English files loaded in your brain should be kept at the front

where they can be readily accessed. The only way to do this is to increase the number of times that you ask him to produce them. The more you ask him to produce the files, the

higher the priority he will give to keeping them in a place where he can find them

quickly. Many Japanese people express frustration that they cannot use English even

though they have studied it for years. The simple reason for this is that the files they have

stored in their brains have not yet been organized for easy access.

If you begin to ask the tiny man to produce English files regularly, he will start to store

them in more readily accessible places. If you continue doing this, you may even find in



39

some cases that some English phrases become even more accessible than their Japanese

equivalents. For example, one of my students who had been speaking English with her

friends for several hours before going shopping mistakenly said “No thank you” to the

woman on the checkout of a supermarket when she asked if she needed a bag. The

student was very embarrassed, but it was a good example of the tiny man doing his job

inside her brain.

Still, many people still believe that going abroad is the best way to develop good English

speaking skills. Unfortunately, this is simply not true. I know teachers of English who

cannot even have simple conversations in Japanese even though they have lived here for

more than ten years. Similarly, there are many Japanese people who never manage to

learn English no matter how long they live in an English-speaking country.

A colleague of mine, Koichi Tanaka, has studied the English of Japanese students who go

to New Zealand to study. He has found that students who make the effort to use English

as much as possible improve steadily, but that those who do not make little progress. In

other words, it is not the case that just living in a foreign country enables you to learn

the language of that country. There is also research suggesting that the complexity and

accuracy of the language that students produce does not change significantly when they

study in a foreign country. However, because they are using English every day, their

speaking becomes faster and more fluent.

Some Japanese students simply want to do enough in their English classes to pass the

test and get the credits they need to graduate. However, there are many others who

genuinely want to learn to speak English. Those in the former group will be able toachieve their aims simply by paying attention in class and doing a little practice.

However, those in the other group will not be able to achieve their aim so easily. To

those students, I send the following message:

If the classroom is the only place where you use English, you will never learn to speak

the language. If you do not process outside the classroom the input you get in your

English lessons, those lessons will be largely meaningless. Although you may have

reservations about using English with other Japanese people, you will be surprised at how



40

quickly you can get accustomed to it. If you use English with your friends every day,

within a few months, you will see a huge difference in the level of your English speaking.

If you are really interested in English, by all means persuade your friends to try using

the language with you outside the classroom. I promise that you will be amazed at the

results you see in just one week.

Conversations with Friends

Conversation 1

“What time is it?” is a common everyday expression, so asking each other in

English is a great way for students who want to practice English outside the

classroom to get started.



Conversation 2



“If you want” is a convenient expression that can be used at the beginning or end

of a sentence. It is similar in meaning to the Japanese expressions “moshi

yokattara” and “moshi so shitai nara.”

Conversation 3



Conversation 4 (text message conversation)

“Where are you?” is one of the most common questions in text messages. To avoid

writing it out in full, native speakers of English often abbreviate “are” to “r” and

“you” to “u.” (It is also common to abbreviate “your” to “ur.”)


[Translation of underlined phrase and explanation of usage]

When arranging to meet somebody, it is common to say “I’ll meet you in/at/by

<place> in <number of minutes>. (“mins” is an abbreviation of “minutes.”)



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Conversation 5

If somebody has said previously that they want to do something, you can use this

expression to find out if they still want to do it.

[Translation of underlined phrase and note that it is a very common expression]


If you just say the day, it is okay to say “I’m free on Monday,” but if you specify a

part of the day, you no longer need “on,” so you just say, for example, “I’m free

tomorrow morning.”

Conversation 6

If you are talking about something the other person should also be aware of, you

can say, “remember?” with question-like intonation at the end of a sentence.


“Haven’t you done it yet?” is a negative question. You would say this in order to

express surprise to someone who obviously has not done the homework. Asking

“Have you done the homework?” in this context would be very unnatural.


“You’d better” is an abbreviation of “you had better.” “Should” can also be used

with this meaning, but “had better” stresses the idea of negative consequences if

you do not do the suggested action.

Conversation 7


[Translation of underlined phrase and reminder that “so-so” is not very common

in English] [Explanation of structure of underlined phrase and notes on usage]


Conversation 8



Most Japanese people think that “maybe” is the English translation of “tabun”, but

“maybe” is actually closer in meaning to “kamoshirenai.” When the probability of



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something is higher than that, use “probably.”

[Translation of underlined phrase and note that it can be used for both legitimate

and non-legitimate absences from work/school]

Conversation 9

When talking about part-time jobs in English, it is usually not necessary to use the

phrase “part-time job.” Native speakers of English would normally just say “Are

you working?” or “I was working last night.”



Conversation 10

[Translation of underlined phrase and suggested alternative]


Suggested alternative to the underlined phrase

Conversation 11


In Japanese, it is possible to say “fudan nani wo yaru?” or “fudan nani wo yatteiru.”

In English, however, only the present simple tense “What do you do?” would

normally be used. If you were to ask, “What are you doing in your class?” it would

infer that you were asking only about a temporary period around now such as “this

week” or “at the moment.”

Many Japanese people use “I envy you” as the translation of “urayamashii,” but this

is not a very natural expression in English. “Lucky you!” and “That’s nice/great!”are more common.

Conversation 12

When you want to bring up a topic that you and the other person are already

familiar with, you can use “You know … ” The intonation of this kind of sentence

rises at the end like a question. For example, “ You know Sachiko’s new car?” “You

know the report we have to do for the economics class?” etc.




[Translation of underlined phrase and note that “text” is used instead of “mail” in

English when talking about cell phones]

Conversation 13

When you are talking about starts and finishes of things that can be checked on a

timetables, use “What time do you? … ”

Use “find out” rather than “know” when you want to ask “itsu wakaru?” in

English.


Conversation 14





[Translation of underlined phrase and related phrase]


Conversation 15


[Translation of meaning and usage of underlined phrase]


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