Have thought about only focusing on what's essential? Does it seem to you as a good strategy to save time and achieve the skills that you need the most?

In this episode, I talk about both the benefits and drawbacks of essentialism as an approach to learning a language.


Rethinking Language Learning

Essentialism 

こんにちは、Mikaです
このポッドキャストでは私の日々の出来事を通じて、
日本語をより身近に楽しく感じられたら嬉しいです。
短い間ですがリラックスした気分でどうぞお付き合いください。

さて今日は "あいまいな日本語" についてお話ししようと思います。
まず ”あいまい" の意味とは "はっきりしない" とか "わかりにくい" といった意味です。
漢字で "あいまい" と書くことができますか。
"あいまい" という漢字もこの機会に覚えてくださいね。

話は戻りますが、”あいまいな日本語" とはどんな言葉があると思いますか。
例えば "大丈夫です" という言葉があります。
レストランでコーヒーを飲んでいる時に店員さんから
「コーヒーのおかわりはいかがですか？」と言われて
「はい、大丈夫です」とか、
会社の人に「明日ランチに行きませんが？」と言われて
「大丈夫です」とか、こんな感じで日本人は「大丈夫です」という言葉をよく使っています。

「大丈夫」という言葉は Yes でも No でも使われるので
その状況や雰囲気で Yes なのか No なのかを判断しなければいけません。
ですから日本語学習者にとって判断することはとても難しく
"あいまいな言葉" となります。

では、、　Aさん「明日ご飯を食べに行きませんか？」
　　　　    Bさん「大丈夫です」

この場合の「大丈夫です」は「行きません」もしくは「行けません」の意味になることが多いです。
では何故ここで「大丈夫です」とあいまいな言葉を使うのか？
それはご飯を食べに行きませんか？と誘ってくれた相手に
「行きません」とか「行けません」とはっきり言うよりも
あいまいな言葉で相手が少しでも傷つかないように...と考えている日本人が多いからだと思います。

"あいまいな日本語" は確かにわかりづらく、少し理解するのが難しいかもしれませんが
”相手を傷つけたくない" とか "悲しい思いをさせたくない" など
相手に対する "思いやりの心" が詰まっています。
このポッドキャストの後に "あいまいな日本語" を聞いた時は
それはあなたに対する "日本人の優しさ" として受け止めてあげてください。
Yesなのか Noなのか 判断することが難しい時には
「どちらの意味ですか？」とはっきり聞いてもいいと思います。

それでは今日も笑顔の多い１日を！
またね～

mika's whisper talk

Vol.3   ”あいまい” な日本語？ /  Ambiguous Japanese?

In this new episode of Your Spanish Journey I'll talk about the benefitis of extensive reading when it comes to learning a foreign language, and I'll read a short story by the Argentinian psychologist and writer Jorge Bucay. Relax and enjoy!

Your Spanish Journey

Extensive reading: short stories to enjoy. 

Different ways to say 'I don't like it'.

Often times we don't want to 'sound the same', therefore, It's good to have few alternatives for that.

Listen to the audio and get some ideas.

If you want me to personally train you - check my class types and choose the most suitable one for you.

IELTS-SPEAKING 8-9 BAND IS POSSIBLE. DAILY SPEAKING PRACTICE PART 1,2 & 3. Listen daily.

Different ways to say 'I don't like it' in English.

В цьому епізоді Ви навчитеся:


•називати меблі та електричні прибори в однині та множині 
•називати кольори
•називати свій улюблений колір 
•відмінювати дієслово gefallen в теперішньому часі
•ставити та відповідати на питання що Вам подобається а що не подобається


In dieser Folge lernen Sie:
•Möbel und Elektrogeräte in Singular und Plural benennen 
•Farben benennen 
•Ihre Lieblingsfarbe nennen
•das Verb gefallen im Prasens konjugieren 
•Gefallen und Missfallen ausdrücken 


Фрази з епізоду/ Phrasen aus der Episode:
•der Schrank 🗄️ die Schränke 
•der Kühlschrank die Kühlschränke 
•das Sofa 🛋️ die Sofas
•der Tisch die Tische 
•der Stuhl 🪑die Stühle 
•das Bett 🛌 die Betten 
•der Fernseher 📺 die Fernseher 
•die Dusche 🚿 die Duschen 
•die Badewanne 🛀 die Badewannen 
•der Teppich die Teppiche 
•der Sessel die Sessel 
•das Regal die Regale 


•das Möbelstück 
•die Möbel


Wie gefällt Ihnen der Tisch?
Wie gefallen Ihnen die Tische?
•sehr gut
•ganz gut
•gut
•es geht
•nicht so gut


gefallen
ich gefalle 
du gefällst 
er/sie/es gefällt 
wir gefallen 
ihr gefallt 
Sie/sie gefallen


schwarz ⬛️
grau 
weiß ⬜️
grün 🟩
braun🟫
blau🟦
rot🟥
gelb🟨
rosa🟪
hellblau
dunkelblau

Додаткові завдання / Zusätzliche Aufgaben:

https://wordwall.net/play/25881/702/5043


Deutsch mit Zhanna

13. Як Вам подобаються ці меблі? Wie gefallen Ihnen diese Möbel? Німецька для початківців А1.1

Parrots are known for being able to copy some of the sounds that people make — they might squawk "hello" or "how are you?" if they get used to hearing words and phrases like these. They might even say some rude things!

Some birds are also able to learn the names for objects — and identify them.

And a 5-year-old parrot in the US has been recognized by Guinness World Records after correctly identifying 12 objects in three minutes.

That record-breaking bird is an African gray parrot named Apollo, who lives in Florida. He can identify things like books, bugs and socks.

He's become popular on TikTok, where he has about 3 million followers. He also has around 1.5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel called "Apollo and Frens."

And a TikTok video of Apollo asking questions from 2023 has been watched 66 million times.

Apollo actually broke the record in 2023 but he's among the stars in the Guinness World Records book that was released in September.

The parrot is owned by a couple named Dalton and Victoria Mason. They're content creators and they've been working hard to train the bird.

The owners say they teach Apollo as if he were a child of preschool age.

"We teach him as much as we can," the couple told Guinness, adding that they focus on things that Apollo wants to focus on.

Researchers have found that some African gray parrots are able to do better at some cognitive tasks than 5-year-old children.

And Apollo's owners plan to keep teaching the bird to see how much he can learn and how many more records he can break.




Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Record-Breaking Parrot Can Identify and Name Objects

・東北地方の方言の紹介
・東北地方の特徴について
・岩手県の方言「ほんでね」「おしょし」「ふたつける」「んだなす」「よろすく」「よがんす」の紹介
・意味と発音について
・まとめ

Nihongo tokidoki Inaka hougen with Megumi Na

「ほんでね」ってどんな意味なの？ Learning the Tohoku dialect.

Forget bullet points and dry statistics. Capturing attention and sparking action requires a different approach: storytelling.  Effective communication transforms you from an information provider into a captivating storyteller, weaving a narrative that resonates with your audience.

Why Stories?

Humans are wired for stories. They tap into emotions, create a sense of connection, and make information more memorable.  A well-crafted story in a business presentation can:

Illustrate complex concepts: Imagine explaining a new marketing strategy. By weaving a story about a customer's journey, you make the strategy relatable and engaging.
Highlight challenges and solutions: Business is full of obstacles. Share a story about overcoming a past hurdle, showcasing your problem-solving expertise.
Inspire and motivate: The most powerful stories evoke emotions and ignite action. Use a story of a customer's success to inspire others to do the same.

Identify the Hero: Every story needs a hero. In a business context, the hero could be your customer, your team, or even your company itself.
Define the Obstacle: What challenges does the hero face? This could be a market disruption, a competitor's strategy, or an internal obstacle to overcome.
Showcase the Journey: How does the hero overcome the obstacles? This is where you highlight your product, service, or strategy in action.
Deliver a Satisfying Resolution: What is the positive outcome of the story? Did the hero achieve their goal? Leave your audience with a sense of accomplishment and hope.
Storytelling in Action:

Imagine pitching your innovative new software to potential investors. Instead of a dry presentation full of technical jargon, weave a story about a struggling small business frustrated with outdated software.  Highlight how your product transformed their operations, leading to increased efficiency and growth.  This narrative approach connects on an emotional level, making your pitch more memorable and impactful.



The Global Professional Podcast

Storytelling in Business Communication  EP 28

A gift from my heart to your heart! A guided meditation to help you relax, release and connect with your inner self...

For a teacher and a student. Something we can all benefit from and I use it every day :)

It's something unusual for a teacher to do, I know.

But I am not a normal teacher. I am interested in psychology, coaching, meditation, exploring the invisible. 

Today I'd like to share with you something I've come to realise after 14 years of my own personal & professional development - learning from the world's top teachers and something I've gathered from over 18,000 one-on-one coaching sessions with my students that I've successfully helped.

This is something I have done for my private students, but in today's meditation I had an idea to share it with the Italki community. 

Please allow my guided meditation to help you relax, feel comfortable in your skin and trust your inner instrument, the Dao WIthin, to take you where you need to go.

Let your Higher Self be your guide and my voice is the transmission mechanism to your Higher Self.

Feel good now.