05-18-2025
How to Stop Using Katakana When Speaking English Break Free from カタカナ英語 and Sound More Natural! If you're a Japanese speaker learning English, chances are you've used katakana to help with pronunciation. While katakana can be a helpful starting point, it often leads to habits that make your English sound unnatural. So how can you move beyond it? Listen to Real English—A Lot Katakana English is based on Japanese sounds, which are very different from English ones. To get used to how...
05-16-2025
How to Approach Speaking in a One-on-One Online Lesson Speaking in a one-on-one online lesson can feel a little awkward at first, but with the right mindset, it becomes a great opportunity to build fluency and confidence. Whether you're learning English or teaching it, the key is to create natural, relaxed conversation. Here's how to make the most of it: 1. Tell Stories from Your Life Sharing personal stories is a great way to practice natural sentence flow, past tense, and emotional...
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...