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2020年12月6日15時~上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

Christmas Expressions and Idioms Christmas is one of the most popular holidays in America.  Many people know about Santa Claus and Christmas trees, but Christmas started as a religious holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  Here are some words, expressions, and idioms about both parts of Christmas.     The manger underneath Tim’s tree had the baby Jesus with his parents, two sheep, and some shepherds. Have you ever seen a manger scene?  If so, what figures did you see?  What are some figures or dolls people display for Japanese holidays?   Even in Japan, I see that many business deck the inside and outside of their buildings with Christmas trees and lights for the holiday. Which kind of ornaments do you like to see businesses deck their stores with for Christmas?  Do you deck your home with anything for Christmas?   When John came to his brother Jim’s house for Christmas, most of the family was already there.  When Jim saw his brother, he hugged him and said, “The more, the merrier!” Are there any holidays or special occasions for which you would say, “The more, the merrier?”  Are there any holidays or special occasions you prefer to spend alone?   Ayaka’s favorite finger food at Christmas parties were spring rolls and crackers with cheese on them. Do you have any favorite finger foods?  What are they?  What are some popular finger foods in Japan?   My father would always help my mother not get her tinsel in a tangle by helping her make dinner for the big Christmas meal we ate every year. Which Japanese holidays may be stressful because of the preparation needed to celebrate them?  For which of these holidays could you tell someone something like “Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle?”

2020年11月29日15時~上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

Technology Idioms Technology, of course, influences every part of our lives.  This is especially the case with computers and the internet.  Since technology has had such a great influence, there are many idioms in English that are related to technology.  Here are five of them.   Matt liked to unplug from a long day at work by watching action movies and eating popcorn. How do you like to unplug after a long day at work?   My uncle Ted was an older man who doesn’t like computers very much.  When he got a new one, he bought a basic one with as few bells and whistles as possible. My cousin is a technology geek.  When he bought a new laptop, he bought one with as many bells and whistles as possible. When you buy something like a car or a computer, do you prefer to buy a simple one, or do you prefer to buy one with some bells and whistles?  Why? What bells and whistles do you like?   Takeshi knew exactly how to push his wife’s buttons by leaving his socks on the bedroom floor after he went to bed for the night. What are some actions or words that really push your buttons?  Have you ever pushed anyone’s buttons?  What did you do?    In 2007, Spiderman 3 came out, but it was not popular.  In 2012, Sony Pictures rebooted the series with The Amazing Spiderman.   Have you enjoyed any of the recent film or TV reboots?  Which ones   would you like to see?   Makana posted twenty selfies eating food at different restaurants every day on Facebook.  Her friends eventually found it a little annoying. Do you like to take selfies?  If so, where?  Do you post them on any social media sites (Facebook, Instragram, Twitter)?  

2020年11月15日15時~上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)


Thanksgiving Expressions
Thanksgiving is a very old American holiday.  It began when some of the first European settlers to America had a large feast to celebrate the autumn harvest.  It is still celebrated to this day as an official holiday.   1. Stuff (verb)/stuffed (adjective)-To stuff something is to fill it up with something.  Many families like to eat a turkey that is filled or stuffed with a mixture of bread, meat, and vegetables called stuff.  To stuff oneself is to eat a lot of food. You fill your stomach with it.  To be stuffed is the feeling you get after you eat all that food.  Of course, on Thanksgiving, many Americans like to eat a lot of many different kinds of food. Mark stuffed himself with so much food at dinner that he didn’t even eat dessert. What food do you like to stuff yourself with? What Japanese holidays encourage people to eat a lot of food? 2. Give thanks (verb)-To say the things you are thankful for such as your family or your job.  The first people who celebrated Thanksgiving were called Pilgrims.  They were Christian settlers from Europe.  They celebrated Thanksgiving as a way to thank God for the blessings of a good harvest.  They gave thanks through prayer.  Today, many Americans do not celebrate Thanksgiving as a religious holiday, but they still say what they are thankful for. Every year at Thanksgiving, my mom gives thanks for her family. My dad, who likes to make jokes, gives thanks if his favorite baseball team had a good season. What do you give thanks for?  How and when do Japanese people give thanks for what they have? 3.  Stuffed shirt (noun)-A person who is always overly serious, formal, and thinks too much of themselves.  This is a negative term.  Usually, other people don’t want to be around this kind of person.  This expression comes from the idea that such people are not real people because of their personality. They are simply shirts stuffed with paper. My uncle was such a stuffed shirt that he never laughed at any jokes told at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Have you ever known a stuffed shirt?  What did you think of that person?  Are there any good parts to being a stuffed shirt?   4.  Talk turkey (verb)-To talk about an issue directly and plainly.  Often, this phrase is used in business to express the desire to discuss an important issue as soon as possible. As the meeting began, the manager of the marketing department told his staff he needed to talk turkey with them about the new ad campaign. Do you generally prefer to talk turkey, or do you prefer to gently work toward discussing an issue?  Does it depend on the issue? 5. Side dish (noun)-Any food served along with another kind of  food that serves as the main part of the meal.  For example, many vegetables like carrots and green beans are served as side dishes along with the main food at Thanksgiving, which is usually turkey.  What foods are served as side dishes in Japan?  Do you have any favorite side dishes?

2020年10月25日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)


American Football Idioms The fall is the time of year many Americans play what they call football.  Two teams play against each other to carry the football into the opposing team’s end zone and score points on a touchdown.  Please note that what Americans call football is an entirely different sport in many other countries.  What is called football in many other countries is called soccer in America.  The fall is also the season for football in the NFL (National Football League), the most popular professional association of football teams in America.  Football is one of the most popular sports in America.  That’s why many words and phrases used in football have found their way into everyday American English.   At the Christian school, the head principal would kick off school day with a prayer over the loud speaker.  The boss liked to kick off every meeting with an inspirational quote from a famous business leader. At your job or when you were in school, what was an event that would kick off your day?  Do you kick off your day or a festival in any special way?   The manager liked to have every morning what he called a “five minute huddle.”  All the people in his department would get together for a short time, tell everyone else about their current projects, and share their ideas for improvement. Have you ever huddled/huddled up for your job, a sports team, or anything else?  What was it?  What did you decide on?   Everyone got tired of Jerry being a Monday morning quarterback after every department meeting at the office. Have you ever known anyone who is a Monday morning quarterback?  How did you deal with that person?  How do anyone else feel about that person?   On the weekend, I finally had the chance to tackle all the gardening and yardwork I wanted to do.  I was able to get everything done by Sunday afternoon. Is there any hobby or task you like to tackle?  If so, why?  What do you not like to tackle, but have to do anyway?   Halfway through the speech project, the professor moved the goalposts on the class by increasing the minimum length of it from ten to twenty minutes.  All the students were very annoyed.    Did you ever have goalposts moved on you? If so, what happened?  How did      feel?



2020年10月11日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)


English Idioms about Halloween Halloween is popular among children in Western countries because they get to dress up in costumes and receive a lot of candy.  It is also a holiday that many adults enjoy.  Of course, parents like to watch young children dress up and have fun on Halloween.  Some young adults, especially college students, like to attend parties on Halloween.  A few dedicated adults put a lot of time and money into making costumes of their favorite cartoon characters or celebrities and entering contests to win prizes for the best costume.  Watching horror movies and going through haunted houses are other ways people like to celebrate Halloween.  Here are five idioms about Halloween and horror.   My mother was always afraid of seeing a black cat.  She believed in the old superstition that if one walked in front of you, you would have bad luck. What are some superstitions you know about?  Do you do anything or not do anything because of superstitions?     After two weeks of sending messages to her on Facebook every day, Takeshi suddenly ghosted Ayaka one day.  I am not sure, but I think he started dating his ex-girlfriend again. Have you ever been ghosted?  OR Have you ever ghosted anyone?  How did it make you feel?             “Did you see the new Spiderman movie?  Some parts of it very spine-tingling.  I can’t wait to see it again!” What have you ever seen or done that was spine-tingling?  OR What would you like to see or do that you think would be spine-tingling?   During college, Anthony was a night owl most days.  He would sleep in late almost every morning and do all of his class work late at night. Are you a night owl, or are you more active during the day?  Does this change on your days off from work?   When Mark dropped the pan on the kitchen floor, the loud noise surprised his cat so badly that it ran out of the kitchen like a bat out hell.   Can you use this phrase to describe something you saw or did very quickly?  Did it happen quickly because you were scared, or because someone else was scared?  

2020年9月13日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

English Idioms about School Late August or early September is when most American children start the new school year.  Because going to school is so common, there are many idioms about school.  Some of these school idioms are used outside of a school context.   I thought making the model car would be difficult, but putting it together turned out to be as easy as ABC. What is something you do or did that’s as easy as ABC?  Do other people find it difficult?   Ayana was such a huge brown noser toward the English teacher, Mrs. Smith.  The young girl always bought Mrs. Smith the most expensive birthday present, and she always loudly told the teacher she looked so beautiful every morning in front of the other students. What are some ways a student can be a brown noser for a teacher?  Did you meet any brown nosers when you went to school?  If so, what did you think of them?   Charlie was the class clown in Mrs. Snyder’s third grade class.  He always tried to get the other students to laugh by answering Mrs. Snyder’s questions with a joke. Were you ever a class clown in your school years?  Did you know any class clowns?  What did you do or what did other people do to get students to laugh?    At the beginning of every school morning, most American children repeat the pledge of allegiance to the U.S. flag.  They do this so often that by the time they graduate from high school, they have learned/know the pledge of allegiance by heart. Is there anything like a line from a book or a poem you know by heart?  What is it?  Why do you know it by heart?   Yoichi didn’t like math class because it was so boring to him.  Whenever the teacher talked, he would doodle pictures of dogs in his textbook.    Have you ever doodled pictures when you were bored?  Do you doodle    pictures now?  What did/do you doodle?   

2020年8月29日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

         Election Idioms! This November, Americans will vote for the new president.  The presidential election is probably the most famous election in American politics.  Here are four idioms that are commonly used when people talk about politics, but they are also used in everyday life.   Flip-flop (verb)-to change an opinion on an issue many times.  This is often used to talk about a candidate who changes his or her opinion on an issue many times like gun control or abortion.  This verb can also be used, not in a negative way, to talk about someone who changes his or her opinion on issues that are not political.  This word also has a noun form-a flip-flopper. In the 2004 election, George W. Bush said his opponent flip-flopped on many important issues. Ayaka flip-flopped many times on where to go on vacation during the summer. What is an issue you flip-flopped on?  What was your decision?   Spotlight (noun)-the focus of public attention.  Many politicians want to be in the spotlight because this means they are popular.  However, some politicians may not want to be in the spotlight because they might be getting public attention for negative reasons.  Regular people might also be in the spotlight at work, at school, or in their families for good or bad reasons.  This word comes from a device called a spotlight, a large light that focuses a powerful beam of light on an area. Whenever a man or a woman runs for the American presidency, his or her spouse is often in the spotlight. After Takeshi made the homerun that won the baseball game for his team, he was in the spotlight at his high school for a month. Have you ever been in the spotlight at work, at school, or in your family?  For what?  Do you like to be in the spotlight?   Hot air (adjective phrase)-we use this phrase to talk about a politician’s or other person’s words that are not true or meaningful.  His or her words are lies and exaggerations.  We often say he or she is “full of hot air,” or “full of nothing but hot air.” The president’s speech on improving the country’s schools was full of hot air/full of nothing but hot air. The salesman’s promises on the quality of the car he sold me were hot air. Who is a famous person or someone you know who is full of hot air?   Soapbox (noun)-an opportunity for a politician or an average person to speak about an issue he or she feels very strongly about.  In everyday life, we do not usually use this term to refer to strong opinions about things like movies or favorite vacation spots, but we can use it to refer to issues that do not include politics such as religion or being a vegetarian.  We usually say “He/She gets up on his/her soapbox.”  This word comes from the time before radio and television when people in the street who wanted to be heard would stand up on a box to be heard and seen in a crowd. When the queen of England had dinner with President Clinton, she used the opportunity to get on her soapbox about the UK’s trade relations with the United States. Naoko was a very strong vegetarian, so she would always get on her soapbox about not eating meat when her mother served it for dinner. Do you get on your soapbox about any opinions?  Do you know anyone who does?  What are these opinions?

2020年8月16日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)


English Humor   What’s black and white and read (red) all over?  A newspaper.  (“read” the verb and “red” the color sound the same)   A very common practical joke in America is to put a bucket of water between an open door and a doorframe.  When someone opens the door, the bucket of water falls on the person.                                     
  Noun-Radio stations often pull the prank of calling random people to tell them they won fake contests. Verb-Radio stations often prank random people by calling them to them they won fake contests.   Where does today come before yesterday?  A dictionary. What has four wheels and flys (flies)?  A garbage truck.   Person A: Knock, knock. Person B: Who’s there? Person A: (Name). Person B: (Name) who? Person A: Final response. Person A: Knock, knock. Person B: Who’s there? Person A: Hike. Person B: Hike who? (sounds like haiku) Person A: I didn’t know you like Japanese poetry!  

2020年7月26日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

English Expressions Using Phrasal Verbs Many expressions in English are what we call phrasal verbs.  These are usually a verb and a direction word like “Take out the trash.”  The meanings of many of these phrasal verbs can be easily understood if you know what the verb and the direction word mean.  Some, however, have taken on other meanings that are very difficult to learn from only looking at the verb and the direction word.  We will look at some of them today.   1.    Put down-verb-(easy defintion)- to place something down onto a surface. Ayaka put the groceries down on the table.  Ayaka put down the groceries on the table. (hard definition)- to insult or mock someone Ayaka’s brother put her down because her new glasses were ugly. What are some popular ways people in Japan or America put people down?  One way people in Japan put each other down is to say_________.   Ron picked up the flowers he dropped on the floor and put them in the vase.  Ron picked the flowers up he dropped on the floor and put them in the vase. Pick up line-noun-(hard definition)- a phrase, a sentence, or a joke people use in a culture to try to romantically attract someone. Yuki’s favorite pick up lines at parties were to tell women, “You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen” or “If I were to changed the alphabet, I’d put U and I together.” What are some popular pick up lines in Japan or America?  Which ones have you used? One pick up line I used was _______________.   When a thunder storm starts, my dog gets up the stairs really quickly and hides under my dad’s bed. Getup-noun-(hard definition)- a costume or outfit, often for a special occasion like a celebration or a holiday. His getup for Halloween as a ballerina, a pink tutu and purple ballet shoes, was ridiculous. What are some holidays or celebrations in Japan that require special getups?  What are the getups?  For the holiday/celebration of ____________ in Japan, we wear a getup of _______________.   When you are finished with food on a plate in a restaurant, the waiter asks if he can take it away.  When you are finished with your food in a restaurant, the waiter asks if he can take away the plate or dish the food was on. Take away-verb-(hard definition)- to understand or learn a key idea or main point from something like a meeting, presentation, or book. One fact you will take away from this class is that the English language has some interesting expressions. Take away-noun-(hard definition)- a key idea or main point from something like a meeting, presentation, or book. The take away from the manager’s meeting was that the marketing team had to use different photographs for the new ad campaign. What are some facts or ideas you have taken away from learning English?  What are some facts or ideas someone can take away from learning Japanese? One thing I have taken away about English is_____________.  One thing someone could take away about Japanese is ___________.

2020年7月12日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)


English Idioms about Friendship Having a close friend is very important.  Who doesn’t want someone he or she can spend time with and share their problems and happiness with?  Here are four idioms about friendship. The sentences with lines in quotes are some ways you can use these idioms if you need help.   Michael really hit it off with Akira when they met at work because they were both talkative people and big fans of baseball. Who is someone you hit it off with?  Why? “I really hit it off with _______________ because __________________.”     After Hana’s sister died, her friend Sarah was a shoulder to cry on for Hana in the time ahead. Who is/was a shoulder for you to cry on in your life? “_____________________ is/was a shoulder for me to cry on when _______________.”     It took many weeks, but Mike finally buried the hatchet with his friend Kitaro about their argument over who worked harder on the school project.  When have you buried the hatchet with a friend?  What was the argument about? “I buried the hatchet with my friend ______________________ over our argument about _________________________.”   Mark and Akira disagreed on some things, but they always saw eye to eye on what the best baseball teams in America and Japan were every year. Who is/was someone you see/saw eye to eye with?  What topic do/did you see eye to eye with this person on? “I see/saw eye to eye with ______________________ on the topic of __________________.”  

2020年3月1日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

With the temperatures warming up, spring fever is in full swing and a couple of English idioms related to spring came to mind.

Spring is the season of activity and growth – as the weather warms up, trees and bushes begin to grow new leaves again and colourful flowers start to bloom. The days get longer, the nights get shorter, and most of us feel happier and more energised. It’s also a time that inspired many English idioms. While you can find English idioms about every season, spring is the season with most English idioms. Most of the English idioms that are related to spring mirror the energetic and growing nature of springtime. One of the best ways to remember English idioms is to put them in categories, so here are English idioms inspired by spring. Have you heard any of these English idioms before?   A person who’s not exactly young anymore.  At 70, my grandfather’s knees hurt when he jogged because he wasn’t exactly a spring chicken anymore. Have you ever felt like you weren’t a spring chicken anymore, or do you still feel young?  Do you think feeling young is more about how you take care of yourself than getting older?   An expression used to describe someone who seems to be happy and full of energy. Takeshi was smiling this morning, and he had a spring in his step.  I think he got the pay raise he was asking for. What puts a spring in your step in your everyday life?   An expression that is a simile, a comparison between two things using like or as.  It is used to describe something that is extremely boring or slow moving as watching grass would be.  Many people enjoy watching soccer.  For me, though, watching a soccer game is like watching grass grow. What activity for you is like watching grass grow?     A noun used to describe someone who likes to spend a lot of time with different people as butterflies like to spend their time flying around to many different flowers. Miwako is a social butterfly at parties.  She likes to talk to as many people as she can. Would you describe yourself as a social butterfly?  Why or why not?  If you would not, do you know someone who is a social butterfly?   A noun used to describe someone who is shy and does not like to talk to people in social situations like parties.  This word is the opposite of a social butterfly. If you would not describe yourself as a social butterfly, would you describe yourself as a wallflower?  Why or why not?  If not, do you know someone who is a wallflower?

2020年2月16日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

2020年2月2日15時 上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so we thought we’d teach you some handy English idioms that are all about love and romance! Here are 10 phrases to help you charm someone you care about this February 14th. 1.To Fall in Love With/ To Fall For Someone These phrases are both about the feeling people have when they start to be in love with someone. The idea is that it makes you feel a little bit out of control and a little bit vulnerable, as if you are falling. For example, “I know we haven’t been together very long, but I’m really falling for him.”  How old were you when you first fell in love with/fell for someone?  What did it feel like? 2.To Be the Apple of Your Eye The apple of your eye is a person that you love or care about most in the world, and usually means that you think they are very special or even perfect. It doesn’t necessarily mean a romantic relationship, for example: “He was the apple of his mother’s eye.”. Who is or was the apple of your eye?  Why? 3.Head Over Heels If someone is head over heels about someone or something, it means they are so excited that they feel as if they are doing cartwheels or flips. In other words, their head is going over their heels (the back of their feet). People also describe “falling head over heels in love”. Who is someone you were head over heels for other than a romantic partner?  OR What is something like a sports team or a band you have been head over heels for? 4.To Fancy Someone (UK)/To Have a Crush on Someone (US) This is a very common expression in the UK/US that means that you’re attracted to somebody.  These phrases are not used to describe love. For example “She really fancies/has a crush on Ian from work, but she’s too shy to talk to him”.  Do you remember the name of the first person you fancied/had a crush on?  Did you go on a date with that person? 5.Get Down on One Knee This is another expression for asking someone to marry you. Traditionally, the person who proposes (usually the man, if it’s a relationship between a man and a woman) puts one knee on the ground and offers the other person an engagement ring. For example: “You’ve been together for ages! Are you going to get down on one knee anytime soon?”.  How do people propose in Japan?  If you have ever proposed, where was it? OR If you have never proposed or been proposed to, where would you like it to happen?
2020年1月26日15時 中上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

Sports Idioms The ball’s in your court now. Here are some common idioms based on sport and sports. Each entry includes the meaning of the idiom and shows the idiom in context in an example sentence. Sports idioms generally originate from a specific sport such as baseball or sailing. Over time these phrases have come to mean something that can be used in everyday life. While most sports idioms can still be used when discussing sports, they are even more common in other areas of life, especially the business world. Try using some at work, school and social events. You will sound like a pro!   idiom
sport of origin meaning example sentence blow the competition away
any sport win easily If you wear that dress to the beauty pageant you are going to blow the competition away. front runner
track one of the people who is expected to win Angela is a front runner for the new supervisor position. go to bat for someone
baseball defend someone Andy is asking for a salary increase, and I’m going to go to bat for him if the boss says no. on the ball
baseball ready and able The new receptionist is really on the ball when it comes to answering the phone. home team
baseball and other sports a group of people you belong to because you are the same in some way in sports, the team that is playing in its own area Takeshi really won one for the home team when he negotiated the huge contract for his company.    

2020年1月12日15時 中上級クラスレッスン内容予定
担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

6 Idioms For The New Year by Nick Dale |    The New Year is a time when many people set new goals, or intentions, for the
new year ahead.  These intentions or goals are called resolutions.  A related
word is the verb to resolve, which means to determine to complete something. 
Here are six idioms related to making New Year’s resolutions.
IDIOMS IN CONVERSATION:  Michelle: So how did you ring in the new year Andy?

Andy: My friends and I went out on a boat and watched the fireworks in the city!
It was incredible!

Michelle: Wow, sounds amazing. My boyfriend and I went on a cruise to the
Bahamas. It was so nice to get away from it all.

Andy: Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?

Michelle: Well, we chatted about that. I’ve got lots of habits I want to kick. I want
to stop eating junk food and wasting my money on expensive clothes. So, I’m
thinking I’m going to turn over a new leaf for this year. A whole new diet and
budget plan. How about you?

Andy: I always set lots of goals and I do tend to bite off more than I can chew. This year I want to start a new online business, learn Italian, take guitar classes, buy a new house and find a girlfriend!

Michelle: Wow, that is a lot! Do you have experience with online business?

Andy: No. I’m going to have to start from scratch with it. But I’m meeting with
a friend this week who has his own business so he’s going to help me get the
ball rolling.

Michelle: Well, good luck with it

THE IDIOMS:
This means to celebrate the new year at midnight on December 31. We often ask
people: “How did you ring in the new year?” which means “In what way did you
celebrate / How did you celebrate?”. How do you usually like to ring in the new year? How did you ring in the
last new year? We had a big party on the rooftop to ring in the new year.  2. TO KICK A HABIT This means to stop a habit, to quit doing something you often do. What is a habit you have that you would like to kick? Which habit is
difficult to kick for you? He can’t seem to kick his habit of eating chocolate every night 3. TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF  We say this when we want to change our habits and act in a better or more
responsible way. It means to start again with a new attitude or perspective. When was a time that you turned over a new leaf? What did you change?
I’ve wasted my life playing too many video games. It’s time to turn
over a new leaf and get a new hobby! 4. TO BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW To accept too many tasks and responsibilities, more than one can handle.  Have you ever bitten off more than you could chew? When was a time
that you did this?
I think she’s biting off more than she can chew by taking three jobs
and studying full time!
5. TO START FROM SCRATCH To start from the very beginning, with nothing. We often say this when we want to
start a new project or task with the basic, raw materials. Tell me something that you started from scratch. We built this house from scratch. We used brick and stone and did it
with our own hands.   6. TO GET THE BALL ROLLING 
To begin a process. To start taking action.  What do you need to get the ball rolling on? (What project or task do you need
to start doing?) I felt so much better once we got the ball rolling on the project and
everything was happening.  

2019年12月15日15時 中上級クラスレッスン内容予定 担当講師: Nicholas Richter 先生 (アメリカ出身)

Students will be introduced to four or five American idioms (common language expressions) and how they are used in everyday speech. Students will also learn how these idioms are related to American culture such as food, holidays, and clothing. Christmas Idioms and Expressions


Discussion Questions Whenever I eat too much/buy too many/watch too much/________________, I say Christmas comes but once a year!                OR    Were you ever on someone’s naughty list?  Why? My boyfriend was on my naughty list because he ___________________.               OR    What activity puts you in the holiday spirit for a Japanese festival? ________________________ really puts me in the Christmas spirit. ________________________ really puts me in the New Year spirit.             OR    What kind of weather do you like to have for a Japanese festival? I want/don’t want/don’t care about a white Christmas. I like _______________ for __________________.
Christmas came early for me when ____________________.

In many parts of the world, Christmas is the day when people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. People who remember Christmas as a religious holiday celebrate the birth of Jesus and his coming into this world. To them, he is recognized as the Son of God and the Savior of the world. According to the Bible, Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room for him and his parents, Mary and Joseph, in an inn. Today, people often go to church, organize family gatherings, and decorate their homes and businesses with real or fake Christmas trees. People feel the giving spirit and donate their time and money to worthy causes, or provide volunteer service to the needy.  Family and friends also wrap up gifts in beautiful paper and exchange them on or near Christmas day. Christmas is also celebrated as a secular holiday when parents and children talk about Santa Claus and Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer.  Parents tell their children that Santa gives good children presents, and he gives lumps of coal to naughty children. 


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