During my time teaching in Japan, I have managed to learn a lot about my the English language. My students here are fond of using and combining letters in ways that would have never crossed my mind as a native speaker. Unfortunately, due to the way English classes function here in Fukui (and
Language Guide: French
Ready to see a bunch of words that your brain will see and say, "I know how to pronounce those", but that in reality, you are saying completely inaccurately (you are also probably using too many of the letters)? Welcome to French. The following is a very rough guide to the French language.
25 Things Japan Should Have Proofread
This isn't the first time I have had the urge to comment on the - creative - English waiting to be discovered across Japan, but after over a year in the country I have more to share. Like I said in my earlier post, for some reason I did not expect this from Japan. Much in the same way I didn't
Language Guide: Brazilian Portuguese
You may find this shocking, but Brazilians do not speak Spanish (or Brazilian). The Brazilian people of Brazil speak (Brazilian) Portuguese. The following is a very rough guide to the Portuguese language. My phonetic spellings are crude, and my explanations are basic, but it should be adequate
A Mother’s Lullaby: Dead Babies In English Crass
I'm no expert in the fields of teaching or language acquisition (despite my extensive list of expertise including but not limited to: pooping in the woods, hitchhiking, fighting bears, and being mugged), but there are certain aspects of English language education in Japan that I am sure I could make
10 Things You Should Know About Belgium
Before arriving in Belgium I heard from multiple groups of travelers that, "it was the one place they would have skipped" given the chance to "do it over" (no regrets, people). Undeterred, I decided to find out for myself. The verdict? I haven't the slightest clue what these people were
14 Products Japan Almost Got Right (And 4 They Did)
English has established itself as the dominant force in the global communication sphere, and as a result you can find it on everything from subway signs to strip club advertisements across the world. In some countries, consumers see English is seen as cool or exotic, and advertisers have taken
Portuguese or/ou Português
Like magic eye pictures, languages can prove difficult. Even after years of practice, nonnative speakers can give themselves away with the slightest of errors. Since every day I am reminded that I cannot communicate as well as I would like to in this exotic wonderland known as Brazil via this
How To Order Coconut Water In Brazil
Most guidebooks will tell you to grab a coconut water on the beach during a trip to Brazil, and you would be wise to listen to them in this respect. They (the coconuts, that is) are delicious, refreshing and awesome for curing a hangover. However, the ordering of an agua de coco must not be