There are many benefits of being able to speak with others in two different languages. In this podcast episode, you're going to be hearing about them. Want to have a lesson with me? Be sure to book it soon!

All About English and How You Learn It!

Benefits of Being a Bilingual Person

**Listen to short news about Agreement between United States and Japan 
***Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions 
****Hope you enjoy it 

 خبرهای کوتاه جهان به فارسی   / Short World news in Persian

توافق امریکا و ژاپن  /  US-Japan agreement 

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?

元の記事/ Original Article↓
https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/story_jp_62c54a73e4b06e3d9baeac4a

※収録環境が悪く、雑音が入ってしまい、申し訳ありません。

☆目次
0:00 オープニング
0:36 Introduction
1:48 “女性は若い出演者が多く、男性は40代以降にピーク”
4:30 統計の印象
11:00 “「名前の表記」の有無にも差”
12:29 “視聴者「らしさ」の押しつけに違和感”
14:58 よくある役割
17:57 “「名前の出ない役割」画面上でも”
23:10 マジョリティ

☆語彙
需要（じゅよう）
飽和状態（ほうわじょうたい）
聡明（そうめい）
バイアスがかかる
誇張（こちょう）される
実態（じったい）
認識（にんしき）
本質（ほんしつ）をつく
残酷（ざんこく）
廃（すた）れる

☆引用記事
澤木香織. “テレビ番組の登場人物、男女で「役割」にも違い。ジェンダーバランス調査から見えたこと”. HUFF-POST. 2022-08-03. https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/story_jp_62c54a73e4b06e3d9baeac4a

"After 5" by Japanese Teacher

“Gender Balance in TV programs” 「テレビ番組の登場人物、男女で「役割」にも違い。ジェンダーバランス調査から見えたこと」

Mental blockers in job interviews, IELTS speaking or communication as a whole.

Have you heard of such a thing as a mental blocker? Or psychological filtering?

Most techers never talk about this because they care too much on helping you with the language (grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing). There is nothing wrong with it but why 60-90% of language learners aren't satisfied about their spoken language performance?

Mental blockers or filtering is when we focus too much on the bad things and ignore the good things. 

This can make us only see the negative parts of a situation and not notice the positives. It's like when you only pay attention to one mean comment and ignore all the nice ones. 

This can make us feel bad about ourselves and not appreciate the good things around us.

Have you found yourself in it? We all do it, I do too in various aspects and my student Savi inspired me to help you become aware of it and deal with it and succeed as the result.

Take your time listening to it as it is the first time in your life you came across this topic and again - it's not what English teachers talk about so please meditate on my thoughts, let yourself grow and come to my vip 1-1 training to ask questions and be helped.

You can do it!

The Habits of Professionals Growing Into Strong, Confident English Communicators

Mental blockers in job interviews, IELTS speaking or communication as a whole

In this episode, we break down exactly how to speak during stand-up meetings as an international IT professional. You’ll learn practical sentence starters, soft-skill phrases, and common mistakes to avoid

CTRL+SPEAK

Mastering Stand-Up Meetings in English

One of the key drivers of workplace anxiety is the fear of the unknown. When faced with a high-stakes negotiation, it's natural to feel apprehensive about the potential outcomes and the consequences of our actions. To combat this, it's important to thoroughly prepare and gather as much information as possible. Research the other party, understand their interests and priorities, and anticipate potential objections or roadblocks. The more informed and prepared you are, the more confident and in control you'll feel during the negotiation process.

Another common source of workplace anxiety is the fear of confrontation or conflict. Many people shy away from negotiations, worried that they'll come across as aggressive or that the interaction will turn adversarial. However, effective negotiation is not about winning at all costs; it's about finding a mutually beneficial solution. Approach the negotiation with a collaborative mindset, focusing on finding common ground and exploring creative options that address the needs of both parties.

Instead of viewing the negotiation as a high-stakes battle, consider it an opportunity to showcase your problem-solving skills and demonstrate your value to the organization. Shift your mindset from "I have to win" to "I have the chance to find a solution that works for everyone." This subtle shift in perspective can help reduce the sense of personal threat and allow you to engage in the negotiation process with greater confidence and composure.

Finally, it's important to remember that workplace anxiety is a natural and common response to high-pressure situations. Rather than trying to eliminate it entirely, focus on developing strategies to manage and channel that energy in a productive way. Engage in stress-reducing activities, such as deep breathing exercises or mindfulness practices, to help you stay grounded and focused during the negotiation process.



The Global Professional Podcast

Anxiety when Negotiating - Episode 58 

Useful Phrases for the IELTS Speaking Agreeing, Comparing, Clarifying

Would you like to learn some effective phrases that can enhance your performance in the IELTS Speaking test?

In this podcast, I will share a wide range of useful phrases that can be applied in different sections of the test.

What makes these phrases special is their versatility and abundance, allowing you to express yourself vividly and authentically.

By incorporating these phrases into your responses, you can enhance your overall speaking skills and ultimately improve your IELTS scores.

I have already helped numerous students achieve their desired results, and you can read their success stories on my teacher's page.

Let's embark on this journey together book my time slots now.

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

Useful Phrases for the IELTS Speaking Agreeing, Comparing, Clarifying

I met with a Robot in a Restaurant and want to tell you the story.