Recently in Step 2 Category

Well, today is was the last class for 2M. Keiko has gotten a full-time job so she won't be able to come anymore, so that left only Kyoko. Kyoko will be moving to the Wednesday morning class from next week. This has been a fun class and it nice to get to know Keiko. I hope she will have time to continue studying on her own.

Only Kyoko was here today. Keiko's son had a kindergarten event and I am sure the other Kyoko is still busy preparing her husband's retirement party this month.

Kyoko and I went over the homework and talked about a lot of different things. We didn't start the new unit like I had planned so we will do that next week. There is no homework for the next class.

It was nice to have Keiko back after a long break. Her English was a little rusty, but I am sure she will get back to the level she was at before very quickly.

We continued talking about ways of checking information and practiced the technique for awhile. You did pretty well with the listening exercise, but getting the extra information in #6 was not so easy. When we listened to it a second time you were able to catch it.

The homework for next week is to see if you can find a walking guide like the one for Chinatown in the book for a city you want to visit. Also do the review on pages 64 and 64.

At first I didn't think I was going to have any students today. Both Kyokos came right at 10:45. After class they stood outside and talked until 1:00.

We continued practicing giving directions and the listening exercise gave them trouble. We listened to it several times. After that we moved to the new lesson that focused on double-checking information. There were some very good tips.

The homework for the next class is #2A and you should use the CD-ROM that came with the textbook.

Kyoko had a good weekend with a birthday party for a friend's three-year old son on Saturday and her son and daughter-in-law came for dinner on Sunday. She said at the end of class she is really busy preparing for her husband's retirement party in December.

We continued with giving locations and then moved to giving directions. The map in the book was kind of difficult to use. One point to remember when giving directions is to make sure that people will end up at the entrance. In giving directions to the stadium both Kyokos sent me to the side of the stadium where there was no entrance.

The homework is to do the Vocabulary Notebook on page 62.

Still waiting for Keiko. I got a note on my desk two weeks ago saying she was coming back, but it didn't say when. Maybe it will be next week.

Madoka was here for a make up class. She did a few earlier in the month because she was busy getting ready for her daughter's ballet recital. She said her daughter forgot one section of her dance, but it didn't seem to upset her.

We went over the homework. Kyoko interviewed Madoka using the questions she had written and the other Kyoko interviewed me. After that we moved on to the new unit and talked about locations using prepositions. The homework is to do #2 on page 56.

Kyoko was back from her trip to Germany and it sounds like she had a wonderful time. She went to visit her pen pal who she has been corresponding with for over 10 years. It was the first time for them to meet, even though they have spoken on the phone a few times before.

Madoka also joined us for a make up lesson. She said she has been very busy because her daughter has a ballet performance this Sunday. The past week has meant a lot of extra practices, which means more trips between Kamishihoro and Obihiro.

We went over the homework and then started the new lesson. We practiced correcting ourselves when we saying something incorrectly or give the wrong information. We paid extra attention to the stress and intonation. The homework for next week is 2A and B on page 49.

Kyoko and I talked about a lot of different things and checked the homework. After that we took a look at Unit 4 Lesson B. The homework for next week is the Vocabulary Notebook.

This is a unique class. There are only two students and they are both named Kyoko (maybe different kanji). Today only one of them came, so we spent some time talking about last week's events and what we did on the weekend. After that we started the textbook and looked at Unit 5 and Lesson A. The homework for next week is to do 2A and B on page 45. We will review the conversation on page 44 and look at 3A and B on page 45 next week before we start Lesson B.

It is too bad that Keiko couldn't make it to the last class today. I hope she will be able to join us next semester. In the last class she still wasn't sure if she would be able to or not.

Kyoko and Kyoko told me about the Obihiro Shrine Festival that is this weekend, but they had a some trouble explaining omikoshi. They also explained the customs for the autumn equinox.

At the end of class we did the listening exercise about the invitations. The 25th wedding anniversary invitation had R.S.V.P. on it, but nobody knew what it meant. You can read more about it here.

People found the homework a little more difficult than I thought they would. Maybe my calendar is fuller than yours. As I said in class the vocabulary notebook section is trying to give you as many ideas as possible, so that you can find a method for learning vocabulary that is good for you.

We worked with the "vague" terms and practiced using them as much as possible. We talked about the holidays that are coming up and there were many chances to use the English because no one seemed to know very much about them.

We did the listening exercise and in it they talked about Santa Lucia Day and Bonfire Night. To learn more about them go here and here.

The homework for next week is to find out as much as you can about the Obihiro Shrine Festival and the Autumn Equinox Day.

Chisato joined us today for a make up class. She usually comes to Carlos' class on Friday night. Kyoko was absent today, so that gave at least three people. We went over the homework and talked about some Japanese holidays and festivals. You came up with some very good examples. As Keiko mentioned, some of them might be dying out

The grammar focus today was the present continuous for the future and you can do this practice exercise. The homework for next week is to do the Vocabulary Notebook on page 42.

Keiko was back after a long absence and she was a little rusty. About half way through class she said she was very tired from tiring to understand the English. It will probably take a couple of weeks, before she gets back into the swing of things.

We talked about special days and some of the expressions that we might use to talk about them. The homework for next week is to think of 6 special Japanese days and two or three expressions that might be used with them.

Fumie was here again for a make up class. She is almost becoming a regular in this class and she said she might be back next week, too. We went over the summer vacation homework and then started the new unit. The theme of the new unit is celebrations and just by chance Kyoko mentioned before class that her son was getting engaged this week.

The homework for next week is to do 2A & B.

Madoka joined us from the other Step 2 morning class. She was doing a make up class from the time she was in Nagasaki visiting her in-laws. The homework was to do the health questionnaire in the Free Talk section. Most people were pretty healthy and have good health habits. After that we did the reading about stress and how to deal with it. We did the reading a little differently today. This time after you read the article I didn't let you look at it as you answered the questions. It was difficult for you, but you did okay. We talked about what stressed you out and the biggest thing was dealing with the in-laws. Taking a bath or reading were the two most popular ways of dealing with stress.

The summer vacation homework is to do the two pages of review and check out the blog to see what I am doing during the break.

It was nice to have Keiko back after a three-week break. She felt she was kind of rusty. She got here after we talked about the weekend, but she did say that she had gone out for dinner with her husband. Kyoko also said she went shopping with her husband, but before they did they had lunch at McDonald's. She said they like McDonald's coffee. I mentioned this story in class.

We practiced keeping conversations going by responding and then asking a question or making a further comment. The homework for next week is to do Free Talking 3, but don't use a dictionary to do the reading.

We continued talking about aches and pains and people shared ideas for home remedies. This is a link to the site I mentioned in class. We went over the other homework and the practiced joining clauses using if and when.

There is no homework for next week. We will start Lesson C on page 26.

Keiko where are you? It has been awhile since she has been in class, but I am sure we will see her next week. Today we had Fumie from Joe's Wednesday night late class doing a make up class and she may come again next week.

We went over the homework and then started the new lesson. We talked about different aches and pains and remedies for them. Next week the homework is to think of 3 or 4 home remedies and do the vocabulary notebook.

It was only Kyoko today. I thought the Keiko was going to be back today and Madoka said she might come again this week if she wasn't too tired from her trip to Nagasaki. I guess she was too tired.

Kyoko and I talked about many different things and went over last week's homework. We also did the listening exercise. I took me three tries to get the right CD in the player. The homework is connected to the listening exercise so I hope that Keiko checks here. You need to agree or disagree with the following statements and say why.

1. I think chocolate can be good for you.


2. Maybe one cup of coffe a day is okay.


3. Walking is probably good exercise though.


4. Working hard isn't bad for you if you enjoy your job.

Kyoko was extremely happy to see Madoka when she walked into the room. She knew that Keiko would be gone, so she was prepared for having a private lesson today. Having one person there really too off the pressure. I am sure she could have coped with it, but I am sure she is glad she didn't have to.

We talked about the groups and then I showed the news reader software and how to use RSS or XML feeds. After that we started Unit 3 and looked at simple present and present continuous forms

The homework for next week is to answer the three questions in the grammar explanation.

We went over the homework, but I threw you a curve by making you use a set up sentence before asking the question. You did a good job with it even though you didn't have time to prepare. After that we did the listening exercise and you didn't seem to have much trouble with it. Next we did the reading and talked a little bit about internet groups. I mentioned Yahoo Groups, but neither of you had heard of it. Google and other companies have similar ones.

The homework for next week is to write a question for one of the groups on the page. Try to use the patterns that are listed in the help note on page 19.

My links last week didn't help Kieko understand the difference between folk and country music. I will keep searching for an easier explanation. Kyoko went for a motorcycle ride with her husband and she said it was a beautiful day for a ride. Keiko went to Sapporo and then Jozankei we had warned her that the traffic could be bad, but she said it wasn't a problem.

We talked about hobbies and practiced extending a conversation even when our answer is "no" to a question. We will do a little bit more work with it next week.

We talked about different types of music and the ones people love, like, don't care for and can't stand. Keiko said she really didn't know about country music, and that she didn't like folk music. I think she was referring more to Japanese folk music. Kyoko said she liked the Beattles .

If you have never listened to a podcast you should because you can find one for just about any type of music. One of my favorites for the blues is The Roadhouse and for Irish and celtic music it this one. I haven't really looked around for jazz or folk music podcasts, but I should.

By the way, I am posting this from Rancho El Paso Restaurant and there is country music playing the background.

Carlos covered for me today because I had a city planning meeting at city hall. This is a very small class (two people) and today Kieko had something at her son's kindergarten, so it was only Kyoko. She said it was a lot fun and they did some interesting activities. I forgot to ask Carlos if he gave some homework, but I don't think he did.

Kyoko had a bit of scare this morning because Keiko was a little late. I could she was thinking how am I going to do this whole class by myself. She sighed a big sigh of relief when Keiko walked in the door.

There was no homework last week, so we had a little bit more time to talk about the weekend. Keiko had some time to get things done on Saturday because her husband when to the zoo with their son.

We went over different verb forms and talked about things people can do, like or hate. The homework for next week is to make a list of your skills, likes and dislikes and thing you would like to learn or do.

At the end of class I mentioned this weekend is Memorial Day weekend in the States and that this weekend is considered the beginning of summer.

I want to start by saying how impressed was today with the last 15-minute conversation that you had. You covered 6 or 7 different topics and you were able to transition between them very smoothly. You did such a good job I decided not to give you any homework this week.

Mieko from Joe's 2K class joined us for a make up class. I think she was surprised that there are only two students in this class. Maybe she will decide to join us. People seemed to have a good time during Golden Week. Keiko enjoyed her trip to Okinawa, but said it was too hot. She hand delivered her postcard because she forgot to mail it from Okinawa. Kyoko went to Noboribetsu by motorcycle with her husband. The hotel where they stayed was nice, but the food was just okay. Mieko stayed in Tokachi and went to the the draft horse races.

We went over the homework and the conversation starters were pretty good. We then looked at using the word "actually". Since doing that lesson I have be hearing the other teachers using it a lot. I will probably find myself listening for it when I watch movies and TV shows the next week or so.

The homework for next week is to do the reading exercise.

I can tell when Kyoko and Keiko both busy mornings because they show up just before class. When things are less hectic they come 10 or 15 minutes before class. We went over the homework and talked about building vocabulary.

Today's lesson was on how to start a conversation. Both you said that you sometimes start conversations with strangers, but I can say that I don't do it too often. My wife probably does it more than me. I guess I have gotten lazy because in Japan I usually don't have to. People usually start conversations with me and I don't have to do anything.

We will work on conversation starters next time. Do 1B for homework and Keiko needs to send a postcard from Okinawa.

The homework wasn't too difficult for today, but Kyoko had trouble because she couldn't get the CD-Rom to work in her computer. The only thing I can think of is her computer has an anti-virus software that is blocking the exe. file, but that is just a guess.

We worked on talking about finding something in common with someone if you want to have an interesting conversation. In our talk we ended up talking a little bit about camping because Keiko said that her family was going to go camping this summer. Kyoko likes to camp and so do I. We try to give some ideas of where to camp and how to make it easier. This site might be useful. We used to have a JOY camp years ago. It was a lot of fun, but stressful because we had several times that we almost had to cancel because of weather. Maybe we will have to try it again sometime.

The homework for next week is 3C on page 5 and the vocabulary notebook on page 10.

Last weekend Kyoko was sick so she spent most of it sleeping. She is feeling better now. Keiko went to her son's kindergarten entrance ceremony. After that they went to lunch. She said the place had really cheap beer. I talked a little bit about my trip to Sapporo.

We looked at the intonation and stress exercise and the grammar points. We spent a lot of time talking about conversation techniques. We have small class, so we will be able to do this type of thing more than if we had a larger number of students.

The homework for next week is to look over the CD-Rom that came with your book.

Well, we ended up with only two people in this class, but I think we will probably get one or two more people in the coming months. There is also the possibility that students from the other Step 2 classes will join us for substitution classes.

After class today I tried to answer some of Kieiko's Mac questions. I hope some of my troubleshooting tips helped.

Mayuko came today even though last week was supposed to be her last class. She said that she had to get six stitches in her foot. She didn't say how she cut her foot though. Keiko was a little late today because she had to help her husband this morning.

We went over the homework and people wrote about some different inventions. Both Kyoko and Yoko wrote about Alexander Graham Bell.

We practiced making conversations again today. People did okay the first time, but then they fell back on just asking questions. We also did the reading exercise and nobody had any trouble with the 3-minute time limit. The homework for next week is to write a letter to someone about something that makes you feel nostalgic.

Mayuko couldn't make it today because she injured her foot on Monday. Yoko wasn't feeling very well, so she wasn't 100%. We practiced the "set up" sentences and then took a look at the grammar exercises. I once again had trouble with the CD player. I think I will give up on that one and bring a different one next week.

Carlos didn't give you homework last, so there will be a little extra this week. The first part of the homework is to look at the topics on page 91 and see how much you can remember about each one. Also think of what kinds of questions you can ask about each one. You don't need to write anything. The second part is to write about an invention. Find out who invented it, where it was invented, when it was invented and anything else you can think of about it. The last bit of homework is don't do the reading on page 92. We will do it in class next week.

Hope you enjoyed meeting Carlos today. I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet, but will see him Monday. I will be able to find out if he gave you homework or not.

Nothing special in Sapporo. I visited my usual places, Apple Store, Yodobashi Camera, and Kinokuniya. I ended up spending more time at the Apple Store than I had planned because some software started acting strangely on the train, so asked if they could solve them problem. They couldn't, but will call me on Monday with some information.

We were able to see the items that Kieko and Mayuko brought today. Mayuko's was a picture of her husband when he was 10 or 11 years old with the famous sumo wrestler, Jesse Takamiyama. It was used in a fire safety campaign. Kieko's was a her stamp collection, which included some stamps from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

We went over the homework and talked about how old people were when the did something the first time. People were a little surprised that I drove the first time when I was 13, but in Alaska it was possible to get a driver's permit when you are that age. You have to drive with a licensed over the age of 21. I don't know if that is still the case now (I just checked and it is 14 now). We also practiced the conversation and I introduced the idea of a set up sentence. The homework for next week is to write five set up sentences for the items you picked for this week's homework.

Remember Carlos will be teaching the class because I have to go Sapporo for a meeting.

We did Show and Tell with the photos and items that people brought. Next week I hope Mayuko and Kieko will bring their items to share with the class. The homework for next week is to do #1 on page 89.

I mentioned one of my favorite Japanese words is natsukashii. It is a difficult word to translate and use in English. I would say that you need to use a sentence in English to capture the same feeling expressed with this one Japanese word.

Sorry it took me so long to get something posted for this class. It was fun to hear people's opinions about different TV programs. People liked and disliked a lot of the same programs. Yoko and Mayuko discovered that they both really like the Korean drama Jang Geum.

Next week there is a lot of homework First read #1 on page 86 and then write about a long running Japanese TV program. Also remember to answer the questions on page 87 and to bring a photo on your cell phone of the item that you write about.

Yukiko from Joe's 2F class joined us today and Keiko finally got a chance to talk with Mayuko. Yoko was absent, but she did a make up earlier in the week. Mayuko was the only person to find information about what happened in Boston two weeks ago. If you want to read more about it go here. I mentioned that this was a kind of guerrilla marketing.

We did the listening exercise and talked a little bit about people's opinions concerning TV. We then practiced the conversation and focused on agreeing and disagreeing with someone. I forgot to ask, but it seems people had similar opinions on the different subjects.

The homework for next week is to do p.85 and if you can't think of the name of TV program for a category then ask a friend or relative for an idea.

Everyone spent a lot of time on the homework. Some people were better at guessing than others. Kyoko and Keiko were the first pair to finish. After the job guessing game we started the new unit and talked about the different kinds of media. I was surprised how little people use e-mail. Right now e-mail is probably the main way I communicate with people. I seldom use the telephone these days. I also get most of my news from the internet now. I never watched much TV, but I watch even less now.

The homework is to find out what happened in Boston yesterday and do #1 on page 83. Remember to think of why you believe that.

Everyone was here today, which was the first time in a long time. Next week I hope Keiko and Mayuko will have a chance to be partners, so they can learn a little bit more about each other.

People had some interesting combinations with good points and bad points for the different jobs. Mayuko had the best one. I think she said, "You get to be creative, but you see a lot of suffering." Her partner could guess what job it was because Mayuko was thinking of English teachers!

The homework for next week is to do p.79. Remember the questions need to be "yes" or "no".

Keiko couldn't make it today, but she did a make up class earlier in the week and she will do another next week also. Mayuko joined the class officially today and will stay with us until the end of March because her baby is due in early April.

We talked about different kinds of jobs. I asked about people's dream jobs and there was a very wide variety. From pro tennis player to graphic designer. After talking about the different types of jobs we did the listening. Before we did the listening for the unit we reviewed Laura and Jordan's relationship.

The homework for next week is to do #1 on page 77.

Mayuko joined us today and Yoko introduced her to everyone because they were in the same class for a short time last year. Mayuko has decided to take the class after observing today. If everyone comes we will have 7 people in the class.

We talked about New Year's resolutions and went over the book reviews that you wrote as winter vacation homework. They were very good, but a couple were a little too long. Remember you just need to give a general outline, not so much detail. You don't want to ruin the story for person if they decide to read the book themselves.

The homework for next week is to do the warm up exercise for Unit 10 on page 75.

We had snacks with coffee and tea today and did some activities related to Christmas. If you want to learn more about Christmas traditions, go here. For homework you were supposed to write a letter to yourself twenty years in the future. You really had some good letters. Maybe I should have done one, too. Maybe that should be my winter vacation homework. Remember for your homework you need to write a book report on the book you checked out. This page will give you some tips.

Also remember we won't be having our first class on January 5, but on the next Friday the 11th.

Only four today, but it sounded like you had already decided who was going to be my partner if there were and odd number of people today. Yoko was the only person who did anything special on the weekend. She went to the new restaurant and hotel in Taiki. She said the food was pretty good.

There were a lot of good ideas in the homework and we were able to practice a lot. Next week there are two bits of homework to do. I don't think either one is that difficult. First write 5 sentences about things you believe in strongly. Follow the examples in the book. The second one is to do 1 & 2 on page 70. This one might take a little bit longer.

Update: Remember we will be having a coffee and tea time in Bucky Hall. I will be making a Christmas snack and if you have something please bring it.

Takuya joined us today for a make up class, but he was a little late. Yoko wished he had shown up a little sooner so she wouldn't have had to be my partner. We learned today that he will be going to Australia next year in January for a working holiday. He is planning to stay for two years. I hope he will send us a postcard occasionally letting us know how is doing.

In comparing answers in the warm up activity we discovered that there were a few differences, but they weren't because of a generation gap. We did the listening exercise, but it took several times to get all the information. Keiko and I were the only ones who agreed with Jordan's opinion.

The homework for next week is to think of the complaints that a husband or wife might have about the 10 topics we came up with at the end of class. Remember this doesn't have to something that you and your husbands argue about.

Yoko was a little late today which is very unusual for her. Usually she is early. No one did anything special yesterday on the holiday. Last weekend a few people went out to dinner or to a hot spring.

The story you made were pretty good. Ayako did the best job of using the grammar pattern and Kyoko used the most evidence cards.

We finished up the unit and next time we will start Unit 9. The homework is to do the warm up exercise.

Oops! I had something ready to post on Friday, but it seems to have disappeared. I will try one more time.

My attempt at guessing everyone's weekend was pretty good, but Keiko's hair is naturally curly so she hadn't gotten a perm. For the other students I did pretty well. The listening exercise gave people some trouble, but we listened to it several times. Enjoy the homework and be creative.

Keiko came back today, but Takako has moved to the Wednesday morning Step 2. Now we will have a 5 person class, so every week one lucky person will get to be my partner during the warm up exercise. I you want to have an easier time you should read about my weekend here on my blog.

There were some really good ideas for the different products and in the warm up for Unit 8. People found the listening exercise a little difficult, but by the third listening you were able to pick out all the important information.

The homework for next week is to do the vocabulary preview on page 61. We will use the information to make conversations next week.

People had really practiced the conversation and were able to do a good job. We went over the homework and then did the questions about shopping. Everyone thought they were difficult. For homework next week write sentences using your partner's answers. We will share them with a new partner next week. We will also start Unit 8 next week.

This class is slowly growing. Keiko joined us last week and Eri observed today. If the other Keiko comes back in November we will be back up to 7 people.

People did a really good job with the homework and had some good reasons for the things that they bought. We practiced the conversation, but need to work a little bit more on the tone of you questions.

The homework for next week is to do #2 and #3 on page 56. Remember for #3 you need to do five sentences not just three like it says in the book.

Keiko joined us today and she could see that this is a very serious class. We never laugh or joke! Having a new student seemed to make everyone tense at first. Finally about half way through class people started to loosen up.

Sorry about the mix up on the CD. I thought the complete textbook was on one CD, but it was only the first half. I will have the correct CD next week and we can do the listening exercise. The homework for next week is to keep track of the items you buy this week and we will see if your list is similar to your classmates.

Sorry that I didn't post anything sooner, but it has been a little busy recently. I enjoyed your listening to your first impressions of meeting your best friends or husbands. They were very well written and I could tell that you had rewritten them several times.

We did a few things with the expansion unit and we will work a little more on the section next week. The homework for next week is #1 on page 50, but you can't use your dictionary or look back at the earlier units in the textbook.

Takuya joined us today because he had to work at night and he said this is his busy season. The homework was really good. You did an excellent job and you were very imaginative. Some of the problems you came up made me laugh. Next week for homework do the reading on page 48 and write your first impression of one of your friends or husband.

Well, we have slowly dwindled to three students. Hopefully, Takako and Keiko and come back in October.

A lot of good words came up when we checked the homework and there a lot of good ones in the homework for next week.

People did a good job with the homework. Yoko had the most difficult person to guess. At first I thought she was talking about Hideyo Noguchi, but then I remembered he hadn't won a Nobel Prize. Also I remembered that he had a hand that had been injured, so he probably wasn't a an organist.

We started Unit 6 today, which is about personality, and I think you learned several new words. The homework for next week will give you even more. Remember to match the actions with the characteristics and then think of an opposite characteristic for each one.

Takako and Keiko were gone today, but Yoshie from Erin's Wednesday Step 2 joined us. We talked about our summer vacations for the first part of the class. Kyoko was the only person who left Tokachi, but Yoshie said she will be taking her vacation in September and going to Okinawa and Taiwan. In Sapporo Kyoko said she went to the Odori Park Beer Garden and it was very crowded. Yoko went to a concert with her husband and had very good time. Ayako went to her brother's house and enjoyed a BBQ with beer.

Today we did the listening exercise about Eric Clapton and listened to the song Tears in Heavan. I mentioned that he is one of my favorite musicians and really enjoyed the concert that I saw in Sapporo a few years ago.

The homework for next week is to do 1 and 2 on page 42. Remember don't write the person's name.

It looked like we were only going to have three people today, but Yoko was able to make it after all. We practiced the conversation and went over the homework. Everyone thought it was very difficult. The questions that you thought up to ask each guest were very good. I had planned to do more today, but we ran out of time. We will do those things when we get back after summer vacation.

Have a good break and enjoy the rest of the summer.

People were able to find information about the origins of Marine Day (Ocean), but I won't put anymore information here just in case someone from the Monday, Step 1 takes a look. They have the same homework. We started Unit 5 today and did the listening exercise. I thought we might get a little more done, but the listening was a little more difficult than I thought.

The homework for next week is to do the dinner party planning on page 41 and #1 on page 39.

I was planning for small class today, but Keiko came back and we had two people doing substitutions. Even though we had Keiko rejoin us Takami is going to be taking a break. Hopefully, she will be able to come back soon.

The homework was to practice the conversation, but use information about your own families. You did a really good job. At first people had a little trouble, but soon got the hang of it. We went over the listening again and the people who were here last week had to tell the people who absent the story. I think everyone was able to get the main points.

After that we went over the grammar focus and looked at the used to pattern. The homework for next week is to write 5 sentences using used to. Also do the reading on page 36. You only need to do #1.

Hope to see tomorrow at the Travel English Night.

Yoko was the lucky person today and got to be my partner for the warm up. I think she found it a little stressful. Many of us had BBQs last weekend. Some were lucky to have them on Sunday when it was nice and others had to put up with the rain on Saturday.

People had some good ideas for making their house and garden nicer. The one point that many people mentioned was getting rid of things you don't need. I mentioned a popular way to do this in the States was to donate the items to Goodwill, or Salvation Army. Another option is to have a Garage Sale.

In the new unit we started talking about families. The homework for next is to think about how you would do the conversation, but using information about your family.

We reviewed the conversation and the grammar exercise. I was impressed with the way you did the conversations today. They were very natural. The neighborhoods people planned were very interesting and I liked the reasons you gave for picking different buildings. There several facilities that everyone had like a hospital, a supermarket and a library.

The homework for next week is to write about some simple and inexpensive ways to improve your house or garden. This site might give you some ideas or check here.

Takako and Tomoko were absent today. We went over the homework and people's opinions about the seriousness of the problems were pretty similar. This link has some tips for solving problems with your neighbor.

We did the grammar focus which was about possessive pronouns. These two links (1 and 2) will give you some more practice. The homework for next week is to make your neighborhood. Make sure to follow the rules.

There was a little bit of a misunderstanding about the homework, but you were still able to share information with your partners. We moved on to the new unit and started by talking about the 3 best places to live in Tokachi. I guess if you like the country live you can live in one of the small farming communities that surround Obihiro, but if you like city life you can buy a condo near the station.

We did the listening exercise and the conversation. We will work more on complaining. The word pushy came up in the listening exercise. At first people didn't understand the meaning, but I think by the end you understood. We also talked about body language and this site has several categories.

The homework for next week is to rank the types of problems you might have with a neighbor. We will compare next week.

There was a lot of good health advice today, but people thought some of it would be pretty hard to follow. Things like, "Try eating less ice cream." or "You should reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke." sound good, but are hard to do. This site may give you some more ideas.

The homework for next week is to write about some health product. You need to tell what it does and why it is good for you. It can be a machine, food or drink.

Junko decided she feels more comfortable in Step 1 so she will be taking a class on Thursday. Tomoko decided to join us so we are still at the same number.

People came up with some very nice ideas for the homework. There were several people who talked about the ocean, others mountains and others the sky. I wonder if it was the word bluethat triggered those associations.

In the lesson today we talked about healthy and unhealthy habits. In the listening exercise we heard a doctor talking to her patient and giving him advice. In the second part you interviewed your partner about their health habits. The homework is to write down the advice you want to give them.

Keiko and Junko were absent today. Junko is going to give Step 1 a try. I think she does okay in this class, but she would like to see what the lower level is like. Today Tomoko from the Wednesday morning Step 2 class joined us. She used to be a classmate with Yoko last year.

We went over the yoga listening tape. I am not sure if it helped people relax, but no one fell asleep when we were listening to it. The homework for next week is to draw a picture or make a collage of what you saw when you opened the blue door.

We went over the homework and people did a good job with the new vocabulary words. There were a lot of new words in that one reading. Now that you have those words in your notebooks you need to make sure that you study them occasionally.

The homework for next week is to look over the list of activities and mark the ones that are stressful and the ones that release stress. For the ones that you mark as stressful, I would like you to think of why it is stressful.

This class is different than most of my classes. In other classes when I am a partner with someone in the warm up I can usually follow three or four other conversations. In this class there is so much laughter I can only follow the person I am talking to and then sometimes it is hard to hear everything say. I am glad that everyone is having so much fun.

Everyone did a good job with the homework and there were some interesting comparisons. You shared information that you learned from last week's exercise with

Takako didn't make it today, but I shared her postcard with everyone. It sounds like she had a great time in Hawaii. I look forward to hearing more about the trip next week.

We went over the homework and talked about different places where people spend time and different activities that they do. We also practiced the conversation.

The homework for next week is to write questions for the different topics on page 13.

This is another class with new students. In this class only Yoko has taken my class before. People did fairly well about not speaking Japanese, but for Step 2 I think you can do better. We went over different parts of the textbook and talked about how the class will be run. We started the first unit and did the listening exercise. It seemed to give people some trouble, but I think once you get used to the people's voices you will be able to understand it more easily.

The homework for next week is to do the vocabulary exercise on page 11.

Everyone was here tonight and Joe stopped by to say hello. You will have a chance to talk to him some more at the party. There was no homework to check, so we reviewed the conversation and then practiced making excuses. We went over the reading on cell phone etiquette (scroll down). I looked over several lists and didn't see the Japanese custom of asking if it is okay to talk now when calling to someone's cell phone. I was going to ask Joe if this was common in Canada, but forgot. Maybe you can ask him at the party.

Miku had something come up so she couldn't make it to class tonight. I think Yoshie may be on a business trip. We went over the homework and people introduced some interesting restaurants. I want to try the natou pizza that Masayo talked about.

We moved on to Unit 15 and talked about making plans and how to make excuses when we can't do something. I can't remember what I assigned for homework, so I hope someone will past a comment and remind me.

We talked about the different kinds of foods and which ones people would like to eat. We practiced ordering food in a restaurant and then did the reading about tipping. If you want to read more about it go here. The homework for next week is to write a review of a restaurant. Here is an example.

It sounds like Miku had a very good time on her trip to Korea. At the beginning of class Yoshie and Miku talked about their trips to Seoul. I am not sure, but I think Yoshie has been there several times.

We practiced the agreeing and disagreeing and learned about each others likes and dislikes in regard to food. After that we practiced ordering food in a restaurant. We will do a little more of this next week, so make sure to practice at home.

At first the only students were two people doing a make up class. Mayuko used to be in this class, but now she is taking a morning one. Later everyone showed up except for Miku, who is traveling, and Yoshie, who is probably busy because of the entrance exams at the university. We went over the homework and heard some people's ideas about home remedies. If you want to learn about some more go here. After that we started the new unit about food. We talked about the different foods that people like and dislike. The homework for next week is to do 3C on page 87.

At the end of class Mayuko mentioned that she will be leaving for the U.S. in the middle of March. She will be joining her husband who is doing wheat research at WSU in Pullman, Washington.

Miku finished her last day of work yesterday and after work they had a farewell party for her. She had a good time, but was a little tired tonight. Takako was absent because she has a cold.

We continued talking about what you can do for different health problems. The homework for next week is to do the reading and to think of some home remedies. Of course, Miku has special homework and that is to send a postcard from Seoul.

We had an observer tonight, but she helped us out by being a partner with Yoshie in several activities. We went over the travel e-mails from three different cities. Prague was the city the that most people want to visit. Both Takako and I want to visit Buenos Aires. Takako said she wants to go there because she likes the tango. This article will interest her.

After that we moved on to the new unit which is about health problems. A very timely one because this is the flu and cold season. The homework for next week is 3C on page 79.

Also at the end of class we talked about Setsubun and I mentioned Groundhog's Day. Take a look at the site and see what it is about.

It was nice to have Takako back tonight. It has been almost five months since she was here last. She was a little rusty (definition #5), but if she can start coming to class regularly she will be back up to speed in no time.

People had hard time with their Obihiro city guides. They said there was nothing interesting to do here. I do wish there was a good website with information about Obihiro and Tokachi. Does anyone know of one?

I almost forgot, Miku said she may be going to Korea in addition to Tokyo Disneyland. I think she will like Korea.

It was nice to have Satoshi back tonight. He said that he has been very busy since January 1. He flew to Sapporo on Air Transe to attend a friend's wedding, but the return flight was canceled because of bad weather.

We continued talking about interesting places and at the end of class we talked about when people should visit Tokachi and the things they can do here, plus one thing they shouldn't miss. The homework for next is to do Interchange 11. I am looking forward to seeing your Obihiro City Guides. If you are looking for ideas it might be a good idea to look at Chai or one of the other local magazines.

Masayo had a good time in Taiwan. She said she sent a postcard on her last day, so we should be getting it next week. She is a little worried because she forgot to write "Japan" on it. Miku is thinking about going on a trip after she quits working in February. She is trying to decide where to go. She wants to go somewhere warm and somewhere she can study English. If you have any suggestions post them in
he comments.

We talked about different places using different kinds of adjectives. Today's listening exercises were too easy for you.

Only Miku and Masayo tonight. We talked about the holidays and what people do in America on New Year's Eve and Day. There is no homework for next week, but Masayo will be sending a postcard from Taiwan. I hope everyone can make it next week.

Sorry it has taken me so long to get something posted for this class. We are having a several events for the children, so I have been busy preparing for them.

We talked about the dangerous activities that people would like to do. Both Miku and Masayo would like to try sky diving, Yoshie would like to do scuba diving and Satoshi would like to try motorcross racing. I mentioned that I would like to try parasailing.

After talking about that we did some activities related to winter. We did one activity with Frosty the Snowman, but no one knew the song. I thought I had it on one of my Christmas CDs, but I guess I don't. I will try to play it at the JOY Christmas party.

At the end of class we had suet pudding in front of the fireplace and we spoke in English about many different things. Miku said she really liked that style.

We continued practicing the Have you ever .....?pattern. We did a game where you had to guess if your classmate was telling the truth or not. Yoshie was the winner, but Satoshi probably had the best poker face.

We then did a lifestyle survey and Satoshi and Masayo have similar lifestyles, but Miku and Yoshie were very different. We finished the class with a reading exercise. The homework for next is to think about what dangerous sport or activity you would like to do. Why would you like to do it and what are the dangers involved in doing it. If you need ideas go here.

Only four people tonight. Takako and Mayuko were absent. Mayuko will be taking a break for awhile and may be coming back after winter vacation. We went over the homework and practiced using the, "How long have you..." question. Miku was surprised when she heard how long I have lived in Japan. I have lived here longer than she has!

In the warm up exercise Masayo and Miku discovered that they both like Rokkatei waffles, but Miku likes custard and Masayo likes maple syrup.

The homework for next week is to use the words from exercise 8 and write 6 questions to ask your partner next week.

Miku shared her good news with everyone tonight. She will start school next spring. She has mixed feelings because she is excited about going to school, but she will miss JOY and her friends in Obihiro.

We went over the homework and then practiced the present perfect tense (drill) vs. the simple past tense. We also practiced using for and since and here is more practice.

The homework for next week is to answer the 5 questions in exercise 5A with true information about yourself and write 4 How long... questions like those in 5D that you would like to ask one of your classmates.

We had everyone tonight. It seems people were really busy last week. Miku said she was in Sapporo for an interview at a fashion college. She will know sometime this month if she was accepted or not. We went over the homework and then started Unit 10.

The sample conversation and listening exercise was about . Everyone was familiar with the name because of Hurricane Katrina. In the listening section it mentioned the and the French Market. I have never been to New Orleans, but I hope to go their someday.

The homework for next week is to answer the questions from exercise 3B.

Everyone thought tonight's episode was difficult. There were a lot of details to catch just like last week. Kazue found some good information about the cost of owning a small plane in Japan. It is really expensive!

Good luck with next week's homework. I think it is easier than the past two weeks.

Masayo was a little worried at first because she thought she was going to be the only student, but by the end we had four people. We went over the homework and practiced describing people using the pictures that I brought. We then practiced describing people's clothing. We used modifiers with participles and prepositions and if you want to practice more go here

The homework for next week is to do the reading on page 63.

We welcomed Kunio from Chris' Tuesday night class. Masayo and Mayuko were both absent because of work. Just before class Miku asked about Halloween and what it means. This link will give you an easy explanation. Watch the NHK BS channel next Tuesday and you will see more information about Halloween.

The homework for next class (November 10) is to do 3A on page 59. Also bring 2 or 3 pictures of people that you cut out of magazine. Think about how you would describe their appearance.

Mayuko's husband hand-delivered her postcard this evening. She wanted to bring it herself, but she was too busy. She did have a very good time in Tokyo.

We finished Unit 8 and the homework was to do the reading. Astoria in Queens sounds like a really nice place to live. I guess if I were going to live in a big city that is the kind of neighborhood I would like to live in.

There is no homework for next week, but check back here on Monday and see if Satoshi posts a comment about his trip to Sapporo. He is thinking about flying.

Sounds like people had a good three-day weekend. Satoshi went back to Sapporo, Yoshie played tennis and went shopping in Chitose, Masayo had a takoyaki party with some friends, and Takako played park golf, had a bbq and went to a hot spring.

We continued practicing giving locations and people were getting better by the end. There are still a few small problems to work on, but doing the homework should help. Look at 3A and B on page 51 again. Write ten questions and the answers. Part two of the homework is to do the reading on page 55. Try to read it in 3 minutes. The first two times you read it don't use your dictionary. The third time you read it you can check the words you still don't understand in your dictionary.

We went from 3 to 6 which is nice and had Chie doing a make up class. Chei had big news because last weekend she got married. Congratulations! Miku and Masayo got a chance to meet everyone, but only talked to a few people. Next week there will be more time and they can talk to a few more different people.

We started Unit 8 and did some practice with prepositions. I will look for some online practice materials and link to them tomorrow. Here is a good explanation of using in, on, and at. This link will take you some more information on other prepositions.

Sorry, I didn't post anything for the last class. We only had two people tonight, but we went over a few things. It looks like we are going to have several new people joining us. I will see you next week.

Update: You should take a look at the review exercises at the back of the book. The listening exercises are on your student cd.

We had a lot of people doing make ups tonight. There was Satoshi from Braden's Monday class and Yuki and Kieko (sorry for pronouncing your name wrong) from Erin's Wednesday