IELTS Is One Of The Important Language Tests Out There, Knowing Good Synonyms Helps You Succeed!

The path to a memory

Harumi came across the word 'confound' in her book. She had no idea what it meant.

She would typically pass it over and try to get by without understanding but this time she decided to dig into it.

First she made a note in her book, opened up her dictionary app and looked up the word in Japanese. She wrote it down.

She had heard that it is good to try to study in the native language as much as possible so she looked it up in an all-English dictionary as well. She made a note.

The next morning it was out of her head. She was determined to start growing her English skills, so she picked up her notebook and looked again. There were about 4 such words she had written so she took some time to look at them all.

That day in English class the teacher asked one of the boys, Tomoharu, a question and he looked confused. She saw her chance and she chimed in, " Tomo-kun is confounded."

She got a reaction which made her feel good. Her classmates blinked at her in confusion and the teacher looked surprised, then grinned.

Her experience had ensured she would remember the word. She had made a memory.

Effort is an under-rated gateway to success, especially in study and work.

The bridge

Why did Lowrey Global Consultants settle on a title as a consulting company as opposed to just a language training one? Because there is so much more that my 19 years in Japan have taught me, so much more that I can help foreign companies with. Conversely, my deep understanding of foreign culture and my connections make our business a convenience conduit to foreign businesses in Canada or North America.

One of the keys that can see a lot of companies tend to fall face first is in a lack of understanding of local conditions. A famous example is the French supermarket giant Carrefour when they tried to expand into Japan and gave up in only 4 years. They started in 2001 and had exited by 2005. They didn't understand that Japanese consumers prefer to buy small quantities of food to make sure that they are always eating fresh food. So they shop more often but buy smaller amounts which did not fall into the plans of the European company used to high volume sales. Walmart saw similar disappointment though they gave their majority share in Seiyu 20 years before giving up.

Understanding the local mindset, not just business conditions is a key to success. On top of this giving things time is essential here. A company can't try to enter into a highly competitive industry and expect to have success in a half year. Relationships need to be built, successful smaller connections can lead to more openness to business from other companies and move up the ladder from there. These insights plus an ability to communicate and research in the local market gives us a chance to arm you with the right expectations and strategies in coming into a market such as Japan.

Get it right and make the right impression

When you are trying to communicate with your guests, it's great that you want to help your foreign guests feel at home by using English. However if you put the wrong words out there, it sticks out to your foreign guests and can do more harm to your brand image than it does good.

For example here are a couple of pictures;

This picture asks us to eat 'quiently' unfortunately 'quiently' is not a word. 'Quietly' is likely the target. Now, your foreign guests are having a chuckle and the importance of your message is diminished.

This water be good to drink. 'Be'? I have some elementary school students that can see the mistake, 'is' would be correct. The grammatical error may not stop people from drinking the water, but it, again, affects your brand.

It's easy to avoid such mistakes by checking your English beforehand. If you use our sign checking service, it will not only be done at a reasonable cost, but we can offer some more suggestions that might add a more authentic, native voice to your signs. For instance the first sign could be, "Please respect other guests and refrain from making loud noises." The second sign could be, " It is safe to drink this water, please enjoy!".

Let us know if we can help you.

Use that idiom properly

So you just learned a new idiomatic expression and you know that the best way to remember is to try to use it. You have to tread carefully and make sure it comes out sounding naturally. While most people will forgive you for making a mistake, you run the risk of forever using it incorrectly after that.

For instance Jun picked up the phrase, " a fish out of water", which means to feel out of place in a setting. It is usually used when talking about a human's feelings but he accidentally used it talking about an object that was out of place in the office. "That clock next to the door is like a fish out of water," he says. His colleagues know that he is trying, so no one corrects him and just nod awkwardly. After that he continues to use it in the same context to the point that it becomes habitual and it is tough to stop once he becomes aware of the situation.

So how to avoid it? Here are some ideas;

Listen actively, try to catch how other people use the expression

Google the new phrase, maybe you will find a video using it.

Ask a teacher or strong English speaker

Read! It's a great way to feed not only new vocabulary but also ideas of how to use words and phrases.

And, on the other side, if you are a bit higher level than your friend or coworker, it doesn't hurt to correct them.

Don't let this post make you feel anxious about using the new expression, you have to make mistakes to learn. Just take the time to research it and always communicate with open ears and an open mind.

テスト中心の考え方を捨てよう

*前にこのポストは英語でアップロードしました。こちらです

私自身の子供たちが生まれ前から気にしていました。色んな日本の生徒さんたちは学び始めからつまずきます。今でもまだ日本企業において英語力を計る一番の手段はテストです。それは正しいか正しくないかわかりません。

日本の教育システムはテストに焦点おいています。すべての英語のレスんやテキストブックは生徒が試験を受けるそして取る目的のためにあります。塾の目的は次のステージの学校に受かるためです。生徒は自裁に英語を話す能力をはぐくむことができませんあぜなら学校のカリキュラム使用する言語を自裁に活用することをもっとにしていないからです。

大人でも同じパターンがあります。、現在、残念ながら様々な会社はＴＯＥＩＣ　を中心にしてスキルを計っています。何で大人になっても変わらないのでしょうか？全てのレベルで本当の英語でのコミュニケーションをかんがえられていません。私の経験の中で、ある生徒さんはTOEIC スコアが700点だが、あまり話せませんでした。一方、400点ある生徒は英語でコミュニケーションを取れました。TOEICのシステムは英語力を計る完璧システムではありません。

英語を含め全ての言語においてトレーニングの一番大事な目的はコミュニケーションです。クラスルームで生徒さんたちは賑やかにターゲットの言葉や文法を使う方がいい。それの方が生産的です。先生より、生徒たちの声を聞いた方がいいです。今、日本の英語力ランキングは全世界で８７番です（リンク先）。もし学生の頃から、テスト中心の学習を辞めたら、チェンジできます。先生は、大人を教える時、一生懸命スピーキングする機会をつくらなければなりません。でも会話だけでは生産的ではありません。いつもレッスンでは役に立つの情報を教える事が大切です。

もちろんテスト全てが悪いわけではありません。勉強のモチベーションを作れるためは単語すごく学ぶ人もいます。その上、会社は絶対英語のレベルを計る事は必要で。英語のレッスンを受ける事はもちろんコストが掛かるためマネージャーは生徒の英語力を知る必要があります。でも今のテストシステムは十分ではありません、もっと正確なテストがどの方法がベストなのかまだわかりません。いつも考えています。自分の力でクラスではたくさんのコミュニケーションチャンスを作っています。

Chat GPT's counterpoint

So, I told Chat GPT, "I have written a report speaking about why using you would be a bad idea for Japanese businesses who want to compensate for their lack of English skills. How do you feel about that?"

I got this response;

"As a machine learning model, I don't have personal feelings or opinions. However, I'd be interested to know more about the points you've raised in your report. If you could share some specific concerns or arguments against using AI language models like me for Japanese businesses compensating for their lack of English skills, I could provide information or clarification on those points. Keep in mind that while AI models like mine can be powerful tools, they do have limitations, and their effectiveness depends on various factors.

Okay, I highlighted that there some reports of fake book reports, lists of non-existing companies or references for a report, security, the ability to gain corporate secret information or open source license concerns.

Chat GPT says;

"Your concerns are valid, and they touch on important considerations when using AI language models in a business context. Here are some points to consider:

Authenticity and Accuracy:

AI models generate responses based on patterns learned from vast datasets. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, errors and misinformation can still occur.

It's essential to verify information obtained from AI models, especially when dealing with critical business decisions or relying on the generated content for official documents.

Security:

There is a potential risk of sensitive information being inadvertently shared with the AI model. Organizations need to exercise caution when inputting proprietary or confidential data.

It's crucial to educate users on the types of information that should not be shared with AI models and implement measures to protect sensitive data.

Ethical Use:

Users should be aware of ethical considerations when utilizing AI. Generating fake reports or providing false information can have serious consequences and goes against responsible AI use.

Open Source License Concerns:

Depending on the specific implementation and usage, it's important to check and comply with any open-source licenses associated with the AI model or related software.

Bias and Fairness:

AI models can reflect and sometimes amplify biases present in training data. Organizations should be mindful of potential bias and take steps to address it, especially in contexts where fairness is crucial.

Data Privacy:

Organizations must adhere to data protection regulations and ensure that any personal or sensitive data processed by AI models complies with privacy laws.

User Training:

Proper training and guidelines for users on the appropriate use of AI models can help mitigate risks. This includes understanding the limitations of the technology and promoting responsible usage.

By addressing these concerns and implementing best practices, businesses can leverage AI language models more effectively while minimizing potential risks. It's important to strike a balance between the benefits of automation and the need for careful oversight and human judgment in critical business contexts."

I begrudgingly admit that was pretty good.

What is a realistic target?

TOEIC. Japanese companies continue to use it as a measuring stick for English progress. I previously posted about the problems with TOEIC and how it falls short as a true measuring stick for English growth but without it, how does a company measure their staff's growth? If you have any ideas please feel free to put in the comments below!

What this means is that we will often be asked to support a company lesson that uses TOEIC to measure the training program's effectiveness in communication training. Though I will tell them that TOEIC is not an effective measuring stick, I still have to strategize around this hurdle. You see, a communication-based lesson focuses on different (and arguably more practical) skills than a TOEIC lesson. TOEIC is about building vocabulary through a strong reliance on listening or reading. We teach little traps students need to be aware of, or ways to improve the efficiency with which you complete the test (most students are unable to complete the entire test).

The sticky point is that a company will set a target or a bar for the students to achieve. I've seen a 70 point increase target, which I felt was reasonable in a year, but the next year I have seen that grow to 100 points. Sometimes setting the bar too high is de-motivating, in contrast if a student feels their target is more attainable, they might make a stronger effort. In my recent experience working in a company, I saw a 40-70 point growth as a positive result and rarely saw students see a 100 point increase. I have always tried to make English enjoyable and in some ways, self motivating, so I know that we can set a stricter training regimen, but I think the truly realistic bar is 70. If a company sets a 100 point jump over a year, they need to be open minded and possibly set up a secondary interview-based test to measure areas like response time, accuracy, comprehension, the ability to ask for repetition or the students' ability to make long answers.

This is my take on the situation, if anyone reads this and has another opinion, please let me know!

Don't overdo it!

It's important to commit to our work or our studies and exert a maximum effort. But it's also important to take a step back, breathe and assess what we are doing. Make sure you have ME time, whether it is to sit down for a coffee, go to a hot spring, go for a walk, hit a punching bag or just sleep in on Sunday.

Here are some simple expressions talking about relaxation and stress;

Don't overdo it - Make sure you don't work too hard. Take care of yourself.

Hang in there! - The Japanese have an expression 'ganbare' which they always say. If you are going through a tough or busy time, do your best!

Take Five - Take a break

To ride out a storm- remember the movie Forrest Gump when Lt. Dan sat on the mast of their boat while the storm pelted them? He fought through the potentially damaging situation and came out ahead. That is what this means.

Are movies good for English study?

Many students over the years asked if it is good to use watching movies as a way to study. Essentially I would say that it is a good thing. I have always believed that we need to enjoy studying English which acts as a self motivator. So interacting in English in a way that we enjoy is a great enabler for your language skills.

That's the key though. There has to be something active to the process. You could, for instance watch the movie once purely for entertainment and at that time you can pick up some listening practice and basic comprehension if you aren't focused on the Japanese subtitles. But they you should watch the movie again. Either with English subtitles or none at all. Have a notepad nearby and take notes of words, difficult to hear points or idioms that you encounter as you go. Pause the movie. This time you are studying. After you finish, watch it again, purely in English with no subtitles at all and just practice listening and use the points you took notes about as review opportunities.

The key to any study success is to do it actively and to review what you have learned, or even better use the new expressions. Studying passively can get some results but it will take far longer for them to be noticeable than if you actually approach it as a learning opportunity.

That being said, just watching the movies with English voices and hopefully subtitles is better than not doing it all. This is just my suggestion for how to get the best results.

Dragon Stew Teaching

When I was younger I really thought the story of Dragon Stew was quite clever, and the solution to the problem was so simple that it was genius!

If you don't know the story (and I may get a fact or two wrong as it has been years), the basic idea is that a King declared that he wanted to eat Dragon Stew and he tasked his people with catching a dragon. The dragon was caught and was getting prepped to be cooked in the stew. When it came down to the crucial moment, the dragon was desperate for his life and he talked the king into allowing him to cook a meal for him. He asked the king what he liked and he listened carefully and he used the information he had learned to make an absolutely delicious meal. The dragon managed to secure the job as the king's personal chef and he did so by listening every day and making exactly what the king wanted. Win/win. The dragon lived and the king got his 'dragon stew', though in the end that meant it was a stew made by a dragon. Apologies if I have mixed up some details of the story (let me know in the comments!).

Subconsciously, this has bled through into my philosophy as a teacher. There are, of course, non-negotiable staples that need to be in the classes I teach but beyond that, we need to know how we are going to please our students. How are we going to make our lesson time productive and useful for them? The answer is in their words, in their mannerisms in their consistent mistakes. Pay attention, take note and adapt your curriculum to those needs. Put aside your ego or the sense of entitlement your years of teaching affords you. We should always be developing and growing as teachers, this is how we keep our job and our lessons fresh.

On top of that, you can avoid being eaten. :-)