Japanese traditional food does not have very many sweet treats. Dango is a sweet and chewy filled dumpling that is common in all parts of Japan. These sweets are often filled with red bean paste, lotus root or more modernly chocolate and ice cream. They have cultural significance and are eaten during different holidays and as a way to celebrate customs.
These desserts are actually quite the experience, they have the texture of a soft gummy candy and are never too sweet. They can be enjoyed as a light dessert or even a snack. There is a huge variety ranging from sweet to salty and are all uniquely good.
Seeing the wood for the trees
There are two English phrases that overlap in meaning, 'not seeing the wood for the trees' and 'step back and take a look at the bigger picture'. The former entails that focusing on the finer details will have you missing out on what is really important, if you are too close to a tree you will only see it as wood. In doing so you are missing out on the forest behind it. The second phrase encourages people to look at the entire situation as a whole, not focus solely on the details.
As stated before, many countries around the world have different customs and ways of doing things. One custom I am particularly fond of, though the origin is a bit difficult to pin point, is the custom of using broomsticks as an indicator of when guests have over stayed their welcome.
It is very much passive aggressive in a sense. When guests arrive the broom is placed right side down, with the bristles touching the floor. Company is shown that their presence is not only welcome but appreciated. When the host feels that the guests have been present for too long they would flip the broom so that the bristles are pointed towards the roof of the house. This does not have to be in view of the guests but the act of doing it is said to immediately notify guests that it is time to leave.
Not all people buy into this but it is common knowledge enough that when it is done, even subtly, guests are meant to make a quick departure.
My culture has a different way of doing this but the idea also involves cleaning. My family simply starts cleaning when unwanted guests refuse to leave. Symbolically I suppose it means that the hosts are cleaning out "unwanted trash" but realistically no one wants to help clean and usually find an excuse to leave shortly after.
'Easier said than done.'
English speakers use this when the task that needs to be completed is more difficult than it seems. It is easier to talk about the solutions to the task than to actually complete the task.
英語習得には量と継続が何よりも大切です。
毎年、２月、３月、また、新学期の生活が落ち着いてくる夏休み前に、特に小学校３年生以上の方の「塾に行くので英会話をどうしようかと思っています。どうしたらいいでしょう。」というご相談をいただくことが増えます。
塾では、英語が中学受験教科になっていない学校が多いため、「英会話はいつでも再開できます」「今は中学合格のために受験教科のみに集中しましょう」「英語をやっている場合ではありません」といった案内を受けることが多いようです。
本当に英会話はいつでも再開できて、中断してもよいことなのでしょうか？
大学入試が変わり、英検などの外部試験が英語力認定に使われたり、共通テストは５０％がリスニングとなったことを考えると、むしろ英語をやめている場合ではないという状況になってきていると思われます！
もちろん、受験の本当に忙しい時期は、英会話レッスンに時間をとれないかもしれません。
しかし、継続することを第一に、振替しやすいインタラクティブレッスンの受講や小６の１年間は動画配信コースへの切り替え、短期間の受講休学をしてなんとか続けている生徒もたくさんいらっしゃいます！
そのような生徒は、中学受験だけでなく、その後の高校・大学受験も成功しています✨
レッスン継続に迷いが出たら、一度マネージャーまたは担当教師にご相談ください！
Australia is the only country that is both country and its own continent and is the 6th largest country in the world. It is a massive island that is known for its impressive cultures, landscapes and wildlife.
Australia is one of the places that receive the most snowfall. Most of the world knows that Australia has a hot climate but actually there are mountains that receive a significant amount of snowfall, some of which even exceed 2000 meters.
６月から新たに加わる、英検【準２級プラス】ってご存じですか？
英検準２級～２級までの合格に（約２年間かかるこの２つの級のギャップを埋めるために）
新たに加わった新しい級です！※英検HPより
こちらに関しては、受験者の皆さんは現状との見極めが必要になるかと思います。
小学生の時からコツコツと受験を進めている方たちには、チャレンジして復讐を挟むのも
理解度チェックにお勧めです。
気になる方はスタッフにご相談ください。
明日は終日 レッスン体験・見学会を実施！
【クラス開講目安】
午前中：年年少さん～小学校クラス
午後：小学校高学年～高校生クラス
こちらで実施をしています！
お気軽にお立ちよりください😊
お電話予約を頂くとよりスムーズです！
Common English expressions explained
The English language has a few phrases that sound completely different from what they actually mean. For example `bite the bullet` is a common enough phrase and would sound incredibly strange to someone whose a second language learner. The phrase essentially means finally doing something you do not want to do but its usually something you are expected to do. For example, homework, I did not want to do my homework but i bit the bullet and now it's done.
