How to make a blog

Hello, guys.

You have made your own blogs in English so far. I hope you have improved your English and you are enjoying making them every week.

Also, you have given a presentation about your topics which you show on your blogs. Please try to use a lot more English and don't hesitate to speak or write English. The more the better, I believe.

However, the key for a better user of English is that you should read and listen to many kinds of English. Read a lot of books or magazines. Listen to the radio, and watch TV or movies a lot more. If you have time and money, you should study in English-speaking areas, such as the US, theUK, New Zealand and Australia.

Blogs are very good tools for your better English as well. I will show you one interesting blog:

to-do-list

'To-do-list,' as you see, is the memos or checklists to tell you what you should or are going to do. Why don't you try to make 'to-do-list' in English every day. Sasha has made a blog of her own 'to-do-list' and write a book. It's a great idea!

Sasha Cagen was born in Rhode Island and graduated from Barnard College. She is an author and entrepreneur who builds communities around passions and new ideas. She is most well known for coining the term “quirkyalone,” a person who prefers singledom to dating for the sake of dating.

If you are interested in he, you can email her. Please contact her through her blog.

Cheers,
Sasa

How green was my valley.

Hello

Today I'll show you one of my favorite movies. That is an old black and white movie titled 'How Green Was My Valley.' I have watched this movie for many times. Maybe I do watch it once a year these days. It's a very great movie, I believe, but many people don't thinks so. I am very sorry for that.

This movie is an American 1941 film directed by John Ford, who is a very famous great film directer like Akira Kurosawa in Japan. The film stars Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Anna Lee, Donald Crisp, and Roddy McDowall, all of whom you don't know about.

The film tells the story of the Morgans, a close and hard-working Welsh family at the turn of the century as a socio-economic way of life passes and the family unit disintegrates.

You can read the details of this movie when going to the Wikepedia:

The plot

And you can watch a part of this movie on Youtube:

a part of this movie

If you are interested in this movie, I hope you will watch it. Besides, many old movies may show you a fresh viewpoint which is a little bit different from new movies. Please go to the DVD rental shop and get these old movies.

The other day I watched an old Disney movie, 'Pinocchio.' It was new to me, because I forgot many scenes of that movie. It was interesting.

Let's watch movies through English to improve your English.

Cheers,
Sasa

Why English test?

Hello.

I am afraid you are having a cold because it is getting colder and colder in November. Please be careful not to catch a cold.

These days there are many kinds of English language tests in Japan. How many tests do you know about or have you had so far? Eiken is very popular among many people but TOEIC is also a well-known test. TOEFL or IELTS is also necessary for you to study in English-speaking countries. However, why are taking such English tests?

I have found the following website, which is related to many English test including TOEIC:

Speak English -- Free - Free Online Courses for English

On this website, you can take some sample tests or answer some some sample questions. I think it is very useful for you to prepare for some English tests.

Many people don't like tests but they are very important when you study or work by using English. Practice is very important but I think you will get over any problems if you get good knowledge and skills while using English. The most important point is to note the following things:

1) proper knowledge of vocabulary
2) sufficienty knowledge of grammary
3) reading and listening skills
4) practical writing skills

Anyway, as the proverb says, 'Practice makes perfect,' let's make good use of English every day!

Cheers,
Sasa

What is happening in Afganistan now?

Hello.

We are all living together with people all over the world, but not only our family and friends in Japan. Do you have anyone who is living or working in other countries? I think many of you have some friends or acquaintances outside Japan. These days many Japanese people come to work in many places and many people from other countries are living around you.

I have many friends in many places. One of them is in Afganistan. I met him in the UK some months ago. He said that Afganistan is now a safe country but still has many problems, such as poverty or affectivity of the war.

Sometimes or often we got terrible news from Afganistan. The other day I read the following news:

Afghan suicide blast 'kills 40'
BBC


The news said:

Politicians and schoolchildren were among at least 40 people killed in a suicide attack in northern Afghanistan, hospital and provincial officials say.

The scene of the attack in the province of Baghlan was left littered with bodies and splattered with blood in one of the worst attacks in recent times.




Every day something happens in Afganistan. Although there are many problems to solve these conflicts, I hope we will contribute to the solution for the peaceful society.

Let's note what is happening in many places.

Cheers,