05-12-2025

How to Learn Vocabulary More Effectively (Without Just Memorizing) Many English learners try to memorize long vocabulary lists—but then forget the words quickly. A better way? Learn words in context. Here’s how: Learn words in sentences. Instead of memorizing: “run = 走る”, try: “I run every morning before work.” This helps your brain remember how the word is used, not just what it means. Group words by topic. Learning words by theme (like “at the airport” or “ordering...

05-11-2025

Listening Tip for Japanese ESL Learners: Train Your Ears for “Connected Speech” Many Japanese learners say: “I can read English, but I can’t understand it when people speak fast!” One big reason is connected speech—the way native speakers link words together in real conversations. For example: “I’m going to eat it.” sounds like → “I’m gonna eat it.” “Did you eat yet?” sounds like → “Didja eat yet?” These changes happen naturally and quickly in spoken English,...

05-11-2025

Common Grammar Mistake for Japanese Learners: Forgetting the Subject In Japanese, sentences often begin without a subject—because it’s understood from context. But in English, every sentence must have a subject, even if it seems unnecessary. Common mistake: ❌ “Is cold today.” ✅ “It is cold today.” In English, “it” is needed—even though it doesn’t refer to anything specific. This “it” is called a dummy subject, and it’s used for things like weather, time, and...

05-10-2025

How to Practice Pronunciation: Simple Steps to Sound More Natural Improving your pronunciation doesn’t mean aiming for perfection—it means being clearly understood. Whether you're learning English or any other language, the key is consistency and awareness. Here are a few simple but powerful ways to practice pronunciation: Listen actively. Before speaking, train your ear. Watch videos, movies, or podcasts with native speakers and pay close attention to how they pronounce words, their...

04-08-2025

When you learn a new language, it’s normal to worry about grammar. You might want to speak perfectly, with no mistakes. But speaking is actually more important than perfect grammar. The reason we learn a language is to talk to people. You don’t need perfect grammar to do that. If someone understands what you mean, that’s more important than saying everything 100% correctly. Speaking also helps you become more fluent. When you speak often, you learn to think in the language. You get faster...

03-21-2025

Doing Business in Japan: What You Need to Know Japan is a great place for business. It has a strong economy, advanced technology, and a rich culture. However, doing business in Japan is different from Western countries. Understanding Japanese business culture will help you succeed. Respect and Politeness: Respect is very important in Japan. People bow when they greet each other. A firm handshake is not common. Always use polite language and show good manners in meetings. Business Cards:...

03-10-2025

Mastering Business Negotiation: Essential Tips for ESL Learners Negotiation is a key skill in business. Whether you are discussing a contract, setting a price, or resolving a conflict, strong negotiation skills can help you succeed. Here are some essential tips to improve your negotiation abilities in English. Prepare in Advance Before a negotiation, research the topic and know your goals. Think about what you want and what the other party might want. Preparing key phrases, such as: “Our main...

03-04-2025

The Importance of Customer Service in Business Customer service is an essential part of any successful business. It refers to the support and assistance that a company provides to its customers before, during, and after they purchase a product or service. Good customer service helps businesses build strong relationships with their customers, increase customer satisfaction, and improve brand loyalty. Why Is Customer Service Important? Customer Retention – When businesses provide excellent...

01-20-2025

Hello everyone and welcome to 2025. Todays idiom is he/she caved. This refers to someone agreeing to something they previously resisted or were unwilling to accept. Example 1 He caved to the idea of going to Disneyland for the company party. Example 2 The management caved to the demands of the union.

12-12-2024

Another year has gone by. How much did your English improve? The idiom we will introduce today is heads up. This means to inform or warn about something before it happens. Example 1 Give me a heads up before you decide to quit. Example 2 Please give me a heads up if there are any changes.