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How
old are you?
28.
Where do you live?
Kutchan, Hokkaido,
Japan..
Where are you from?
Aotearoa / New Zealand.
What part of New Zealand are you
from?
I grew up in the Coromandel. I have lived in
Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland.
How long have
you been in Japan?
Since April 2001.
What is the
best way to improve my English?
Watch The Daily English Show : ) I
talked about some of my ideas about study methods on show number 13.
I think
the key is to have a goal and study regularly. Worry less about what book you
should be studying - and hurry up and open the book and start
studying!
Why are you making this show?
For several reasons. I was looking for something
like this to recommend to my students and to use in lessons - and I couldn't
find what I was looking for - so I thought I would do it myself. Millions of
people all over the world study English - so I thought many people would find
this show useful.
I also wanted to learn more about computers and technology
(editing software etc). A great way to learn is to try and make something ... so
I just started and have been learning as I go.
How do you
find the time?!
I don't sleep much : )
Aren't you worried about the dangers of putting your
face on the internet?
No.
Why do you wear xyz?! You
would look better if you wore xyz...
Possibly because I like the look of it
(style is in the eye of the beholder). Or possibly that was just what I reached
for first in my wardrobe. Since I am a teacher not a model/actress - I don't
think how I look is too important. I'd rather spend more time making an
interesting and educational show than worrying about if I look pretty or not.
Anyway... if you're after videos of sexy girls - there are thousands of other
videos on the net that you can watch to fulfill your needs : )
Can you tell me about teaching English in Japan?
There are lots of great resources on the net to
learn about this. Try this for starters: www.teachinginjapan.com
I am having a great
time teaching in Japan - so I highly recommend it.
I noticed you don't use animal products in the cooking
show... are you vegan or vegetarian?
Yes,
vegan.
Your Japanese is perfect! How did you
learn?!
Well... actually, my Japanese isn't perfect (nowhere
near). Everything on mixi and the rakuten blog is checked by a native speaker.
So now you know my secret : ) But I have been studying Japanese since I came
here. I took private lessons for several years - and studied for hours and hours
by myself. Still got a long way to go.
What languages have you
studied?
French - 5 years at high school, 2 years at
university.
Maori - 3 years at university.
Japanese - private lessons /
self study since coming to Japan in April 2001.
Your English
is New Zealand English - is it a good idea to study by listening to you? I heard
that New Zealand English is very unique with a strong accent and unusual
expressions. So if I study in New Zealand / or from a New Zealander and then
went to another English speaking country, they probably wouldn't understand me
and I would have wasted my time ...
Well, you do have a point. New Zealand
English is different than English in other countries. But I don't really think
it's so different that you need to get your knickers in too much of a twist
about it.
The Daily English Show shouldn't be the only way you are studying
anyway - more like an added extra to your regular study.
It depends on your
goals - and how much time you have to study.
If, for example, you are going
to live and work in New York - perhaps your time would be better spend watching
American English videos.
But then again, if you're going to be working in an
international office it's pretty likely that you need to be able to understand
people who speak English with all kinds of accents.
Even within native
English speakers in one country, like America - there are significant
differences in vocabulary and pronunciation depending on the area the speaker is
from and on other factors like their age, social group and profession.
I am
a native English speaker, but there are many times when I don't understand what
someone has said.
They may have an unfamiliar accent, they may be using a
word I don't know, they may be mumbling, we might be in a crowded bar...
In
these situations I say things like:
"Sorry?"
"What?"
"Did you say xxx
or xxx?"
"What does xxx mean?"
"Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean".
I
think it is much more important for an English student to develop the skills for
asking for clarification than to learn all the words in the dictionary (which is
impossible anyway).
Could you
speak more slowly?
I try to speak naturally - I think this helps
students more than speaking at an unnatural, slow pace. The idea is that they
watch it many times, and also read the scripts if they couldn't catch something.
Do people really watch this
show to study English?
Yes.
I now teach online. More info about my online lessons
here.
What
equipment do you use?
Computer: compaq nx9030
Digital video camera:
Panasonic NV-GS70
Digital camera: Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX9
Video editing
software: Adobe Premiere Elements
(I used Video Studio 7 for the first shows
- changed after about a month).
I'm an English teacher
and I want to use your shows in my class - is this OK?
Yes. Go ahead. Please
feel free to print out the scripts and give them to your students too.