このブログは去年(２２年度）のブログです。
今年度はこちらへ：http://cw2011ivan.edublogs.org

I would like to introduce you to the BBC’s website. In case you don’t know, this acronym stands for: “British Broadcasting Corporation”. It is a little like the NHK, in that it is publicly funded. In other words, most of its income comes from the British government and UK residents’ TV licenses, so there are no commercials during or between programs on the BBC’s channels, as long as you are in the UK. In fact, I have added three separate links to three different parts of the BBC’s website. The first link is to the BBC’s main homepage. From this page, you can go to hundreds of different BBC websites. For example, you can click on “News”, “Sport”, and so on. In addition, there is a “search” facility at the top of the page, so you can enter “Japan”, and find many BBC articles and special features about Japan. The second link goes to the “Learning English” section of the BBC World Service website. In this section you can find many kinds of online activities for developing your English skills. The third link goes to the “Word skills” site of the Adult Learning section, where you can try all sorts of online puzzles and games to develop your English skills. With regard to all of these BBC sites, please be aware that almost all of this content is in British English, so there will be a few British spellings that differ from American English spellings. Finally, I cannot be held responsible for the content of these sites, but I hope you will at least give them a try, and maybe find some interesting and helpful material.

Hi everyone. How was your Golden Week? Maybe you were very busy practicing for your club activity, studying or preparing for your teaching practice. Maybe you went back to your hometown or maybe you went traveling somewhere. My Golden Week was not so exciting, on the whole, as I worked most of the time. However, on Monday my wife, daughter and I went for a picnic in Gochi Park, near Naoetsu. There are many pink double-flowering cherry trees (yaezakura) there, which bloom later than the famous cherry trees in Takada Park. It was very beautiful and there were many other families having a picnic there. Yesterday we went to a park on a mountain near Itoigawa, where you can ride on very long slides and a “roller-bobsled”. Both kids and their parents can have a great time there.

Sometimes passengers’ ears hurt in an airplane. This pain can be quite strong. It is caused by unequal air pressure outside and inside your ears. During take-off, the air pressure in the airplane may be decreasing to that at an altitude of 2,500 meters but the air pressure inside your ears is still at ground level. The reverse is true when the plane is descending to land. Airlines recommend the following techniques to stop the pain. Pinch your nose closed with your fingers and pretend to blow your nose. This action makes the pressure equal and usually stops the pain. You can also yawn several times or you can swallow hard. Children can suck on a sweet and babies can suck on a bottle or pacifier. Following these tips will not necessarily completely eliminate the pain, but it should make your take off and landing more comfortable.

Hello students!

Welcome to the Writing English to Communicate 2010 course.

I hope you will enjoy communicating with each other by writing through the blogs.

Maybe you can make new friends by exchanging blog “comments” with classmates you’ve met for the first time.

See you soon!

Ivan