khatzumoto

How to Get People to Stop Speaking English to You (i.e. How to Get Native L2 Speakers to Speak the L2 to You)

Many kids getting used to Japanese (and, incidentally, Cantonese) complain that “non-simulated” (:D) native speakers persist in speaking to them in English. And, yeah, this is a real thing. But it barely even deserves the title “problem” because it is so easily overcome. Resolving it is super straightforward. It may seem like this is something out…

On Learning Grammar…

Learning grammar in order to use a language is like learning organic chemistry in order to make a sandwich. Just because you could…doesn’t mean you should. Learn phrases instead.

YouTube Reacts to An Uber Cute High School (Cram School) Chemistry Teacher

こんな先生やったらサボる気しないわ If my teacher looked like this, I’d never miss class. 先生=せんせい 来=き 授業生で受けたことあるけど、可愛すぎて内容頭入らんかった笑 I’ve actually had her as a substitute teacher for one of my classes and, unfortunately, she’s so cute that I didn’t actually learn anything lol 授業生=じゅぎょうせい (sort of a TA/subsitute teacher…not a common word) 受ける=うける 入る=はいる 可愛い=かわいい 過ぎる=すぎる 内容=ないよう 頭=あたま 笑=わら…

How Learning a Language is Like Conquering a Country (But Not in the Way You’re Thinking)

This entry is part 13 of 17 in the series The Art of War of Learning

This entry is part 13 of 17 in the series The Art of War of LearningRecently, I was doing SRS reps in my Japanese STEM deck, and a card based on this paragraph came up: “3歳までに教育を開始しないと手遅れという考えは、3歳までの家庭環境が人格を左右するという三歳児神話の一種である。” [早期教育 – Wikipedia] goo.gl/mXBH3G It’s from a section of the article where they talk about critics of early accelerated…