Hi viewers,
Here's a scenario of what I'm supposed to take as a job interview.
I (Interviewer): So could you briefly describe your job careers after graduating school?
T(Take393) : I was joining a trading company for 10 years, where I was doing sales for 6 years. I was a person in charge of electronic appliances such as phone, fax, or computer, at the same time I was responsible for making business documents such as estimate or proposal.
Then I was transferred to merchandise department, where I engaged in ordering some commodities from the manufacturing companies, and I was responsible for managing some of its stocks as well.
I: What made you leave that company?
T: My then boss suddenly asked me to go to Sapporo branch for awhile, however it seemed nearly impossible to accept the offer for family reason.
I had to turn it down and ended up with leaving the office.
I: Then you joined the Airport Limousine service at Tokyo International Airport, so what were you doing there?
T: I was doing all kinds of stuff, like making departing announcement to each passenger for boarding, taking care of their baggage, often taking them to the vending machine or the counter for purchasing tickets.
I: So why did you quit it?
T: One thing is… you know it was really tough physically and mentally in terms of working over night, I mean 24 hours of working. As the bus terminal was just right down the airport, I was pretty hectic all the while even I had to sacrifice my holidays at times for my job. Of course our service is opening throughout the year, as long as the air flight has not been cancelled.
The other thing is, well I really wanted to brush up more on my English as to jump into another pond. I was also seeking daytime jobs to make up for studying on weekends.
I: I see. So you are currently working…um…what would you say…MTK Co Ltd, and you are about to leave that firm as well?
T:Yes.
I: So what have you been doing out there?
T:I’ve been working as a debt collector for about 3 years. At the time when I was joining the firm in 2003, there were quite a few of foreign customers, and we had a claim with their debts concerning the payment for their cell phones. My main job is to persuade those customers to pay their debts immediately. I was fortunate to know my English was useful in a certain way, because a lot of foreigners were having troubles with conducting Japanese.
But later on, after our Sapporo branch launching the next year, our obligation was taken over to it, so right after that I could seldom conduct English on the daily basis, and that was a real shame to me as well.
Also a year passed by, one group company where I was primarily belonging to as a temporary staff dissolved, and then I was reemployed from MTK Co. Ltd as a part timer, where I am currently working for a year or so.
But the company doesn’t seem to go well, because it is likely to downsize its scale by firing a few workers. It seems really hard to stick up for it any further. That probably explains it.
I: Thank you Mr. Take393. As you know…I’m very sorry to say in the first place, but I can’t offer you a teaching job at the moment.
So I wonder if you could count this in as well, right after you had heard the detailed explanation about a new kind of things.
T: Well…as long as I heard about a new job, I can honestly say that I’m so much intrigued with it. Actually I was originally seeking a job as a teacher, but I found that intercultural communication is always necessary whatever you start up new things, and your company is currently pursuing being a cutting edge of intercultural communication, and it’s a skill of what we need on the bottom line, I think.
I: So what is your goal for the future?
T: My dream is eventually you know…immersing myself in an environment where English is only available, where I can mingle with the local people and I can show them my language and culture, after familiarizing with my teaching skill here in Japan.
I: Well, Take393, thank you very much for coming here today, and I wish you a good luck.
T: I thank you very much for having me here.
take393
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Saturday, May 20, 2006
How you could get the hang of pronunciation?
This is translated version being originally written in Japanese.
Hi viewers,
Today, I’d like to refer to the English pronunciation.
It is one of the main problems that the bulk of Japanese are having troubles with, isn’t it?
Have you had any experiences with your bad pronunciation made foreigners feel awkward, whereas you had learned a lot of English words?
People around me are apt to think the way I pronounce English words is like those of native’s, since I was luckily enough to stay in the U.S.
In fact, it might be much closer to them―as long as comparing with other Japanese―still I can hardly say it is impeccable enough to conduct. Yet from the past to the present, there is a main reason why I focus too much on that.
Although it may sounds weird to you guys, the reason is very simple.
Before that, please allow me to go off on a tangent for awhile.
At the time when I was staying New York, so called Young Culture represented the movie, Grease, Disco Music―now that what we called The Club Music―, The Beatles who had already broken up was renowned throughout a whole world, or The Rolling Stones, who is well known as the biggest group still on active list supported by the widely ranged audiences.
It was the time when the computer games were still not put on the block. Juveniles were flocking to the record stores, where they could kick up their heels respectively.
I was not exempted. I would purchase the bunch of The Beatle’s LP, even single records, often listened to them, as well as the succeeding group The Wings, until my record player had been seriously damaged. Although I was listening to them millions of times, trying to copy the way they were singing, at the same time I was looking at each lyrics, somehow I found that I wasn’t able to adjust to the original. I was always behind their rhythms at least one tempo. For me as a perfectionist, it came to me as a shock when I wasn’t able to sing smoothly.
After I came back to Japan, I primarily listened to English songs. In the early 1980s, The American Pop Music featured the leading figure’s songs, like those from Lionel Ritchie’s, Billy Joel’s, and Stevie Wonder’s.
They were available at the countdown programs on TV’s or Radio’s and I often imitated their way of singing as well whenever I dubbed the tapes from the borrowed albums.
There comes a time when I can sing English songs naturally. I assume that it took me much length of times which is almost equivalent to those the newly born is becoming grownups.
You can acquire pronunciation by singing songs as well as you can portray your emotion in your comprehension of those lyrics by building up your own vocabularies.
As it is my way of learning English, there might be controversial, whether my proposal could be for it, or against it.
Conducting the authentic English always requires the accurate phone, thereby you can say in a way, it was not in vain to me at all, even though how much times I had spent in practicing the pronunciation.
take393
Hi viewers,
Today, I’d like to refer to the English pronunciation.
It is one of the main problems that the bulk of Japanese are having troubles with, isn’t it?
Have you had any experiences with your bad pronunciation made foreigners feel awkward, whereas you had learned a lot of English words?
People around me are apt to think the way I pronounce English words is like those of native’s, since I was luckily enough to stay in the U.S.
In fact, it might be much closer to them―as long as comparing with other Japanese―still I can hardly say it is impeccable enough to conduct. Yet from the past to the present, there is a main reason why I focus too much on that.
Although it may sounds weird to you guys, the reason is very simple.
Before that, please allow me to go off on a tangent for awhile.
At the time when I was staying New York, so called Young Culture represented the movie, Grease, Disco Music―now that what we called The Club Music―, The Beatles who had already broken up was renowned throughout a whole world, or The Rolling Stones, who is well known as the biggest group still on active list supported by the widely ranged audiences.
It was the time when the computer games were still not put on the block. Juveniles were flocking to the record stores, where they could kick up their heels respectively.
I was not exempted. I would purchase the bunch of The Beatle’s LP, even single records, often listened to them, as well as the succeeding group The Wings, until my record player had been seriously damaged. Although I was listening to them millions of times, trying to copy the way they were singing, at the same time I was looking at each lyrics, somehow I found that I wasn’t able to adjust to the original. I was always behind their rhythms at least one tempo. For me as a perfectionist, it came to me as a shock when I wasn’t able to sing smoothly.
After I came back to Japan, I primarily listened to English songs. In the early 1980s, The American Pop Music featured the leading figure’s songs, like those from Lionel Ritchie’s, Billy Joel’s, and Stevie Wonder’s.
They were available at the countdown programs on TV’s or Radio’s and I often imitated their way of singing as well whenever I dubbed the tapes from the borrowed albums.
There comes a time when I can sing English songs naturally. I assume that it took me much length of times which is almost equivalent to those the newly born is becoming grownups.
You can acquire pronunciation by singing songs as well as you can portray your emotion in your comprehension of those lyrics by building up your own vocabularies.
As it is my way of learning English, there might be controversial, whether my proposal could be for it, or against it.
Conducting the authentic English always requires the accurate phone, thereby you can say in a way, it was not in vain to me at all, even though how much times I had spent in practicing the pronunciation.
take393
Sunday, April 16, 2006
How to secure a better job?
Hi, viewers!
Recently, I've had it up to here with my current job. Despite I've been working for about 3 years, neither brings me benefits, nor have I got any stipend over the years at all, which I deserve to be remunerated.
What’s more, sticking up for the job further gets me nowhere, because the current task is completely irrelevant to the goal what I’m pursuing at the moment.
I’ve found that I’m just toying with my time. Yet time flies like an arrow so I cannot procrastinate that much.
The bulk of times I spend with my work, but I don’t think it is compatible with studying for the coming test that takes measures of the current English proficiency.
Some people including me believe a few dissent firms or language schools still open their doors to those who have measured up to over 850 in TOEIC, or the 1st level of Step Test, which catch on English learners in Japan nationwide.
In fact, those kinds of test ensure a certain job security even you get order, that’s why it draws test takers an often lot.
Privileges are you can gauge where you are, at the same time able to grasp your week points as well.
To the contrary, however it’s quite deplorable when you take a look at your work place, where you can see people who are almost indifferent to seeing the different world, like learning new things.
There used to be some efficient workers around those whom could be looked up to, but in hindsight, they had found it was silly enough to playing the games. It was not long before they vanished in the haze.
What if us remainder, who are in hands of incapable managements?
Some are still safe, because those are playing the devil's advocate, or pretending to be apple polishers. They would be the last people who are kicked out of it.
Our firm is likely to reverse the trend as if it were back in 1970s or 80s, whereas others are in the middle of globalization.
Take the Matsushita electronics groups, for instance.
Currently there are so many versatile staffs both at home and abroad, the firm is thriving even more rapidly ever than before due to its cutting edge of international communication.
They’re now focusing Chinese as their second foreign language, because Chinese market is now growing at a breakneck speed over a decade.
“Being yourself bilingual at your work place is no longer scarcity value these days. Thus we implemented Chinese on our job training, because we currently targeting out there. China has more”, says one of the chief executives.
Given that you were already knowledgeable, at the same time able to conduct 3 languages in the business world, it’s no doubt you are amazingly valuable wherever you go. Your co-workers may be astonished your competence, even may hide a shamelessly covetous look in their eyes. So if you are having troubles with your current circumstances, don’t linger, stay away from it.
Were it not for a certain security at your work place, how come you stick to it?
Come on, get away and see the different world.
It’s not too late to get started. With your passion, enthusiasm, and your slight courageousness to knock the door are sure enough to change your life.
Ok, talk to you later.
take393
Recently, I've had it up to here with my current job. Despite I've been working for about 3 years, neither brings me benefits, nor have I got any stipend over the years at all, which I deserve to be remunerated.
What’s more, sticking up for the job further gets me nowhere, because the current task is completely irrelevant to the goal what I’m pursuing at the moment.
I’ve found that I’m just toying with my time. Yet time flies like an arrow so I cannot procrastinate that much.
The bulk of times I spend with my work, but I don’t think it is compatible with studying for the coming test that takes measures of the current English proficiency.
Some people including me believe a few dissent firms or language schools still open their doors to those who have measured up to over 850 in TOEIC, or the 1st level of Step Test, which catch on English learners in Japan nationwide.
In fact, those kinds of test ensure a certain job security even you get order, that’s why it draws test takers an often lot.
Privileges are you can gauge where you are, at the same time able to grasp your week points as well.
To the contrary, however it’s quite deplorable when you take a look at your work place, where you can see people who are almost indifferent to seeing the different world, like learning new things.
There used to be some efficient workers around those whom could be looked up to, but in hindsight, they had found it was silly enough to playing the games. It was not long before they vanished in the haze.
What if us remainder, who are in hands of incapable managements?
Some are still safe, because those are playing the devil's advocate, or pretending to be apple polishers. They would be the last people who are kicked out of it.
Our firm is likely to reverse the trend as if it were back in 1970s or 80s, whereas others are in the middle of globalization.
Take the Matsushita electronics groups, for instance.
Currently there are so many versatile staffs both at home and abroad, the firm is thriving even more rapidly ever than before due to its cutting edge of international communication.
They’re now focusing Chinese as their second foreign language, because Chinese market is now growing at a breakneck speed over a decade.
“Being yourself bilingual at your work place is no longer scarcity value these days. Thus we implemented Chinese on our job training, because we currently targeting out there. China has more”, says one of the chief executives.
Given that you were already knowledgeable, at the same time able to conduct 3 languages in the business world, it’s no doubt you are amazingly valuable wherever you go. Your co-workers may be astonished your competence, even may hide a shamelessly covetous look in their eyes. So if you are having troubles with your current circumstances, don’t linger, stay away from it.
Were it not for a certain security at your work place, how come you stick to it?
Come on, get away and see the different world.
It’s not too late to get started. With your passion, enthusiasm, and your slight courageousness to knock the door are sure enough to change your life.
Ok, talk to you later.
take393
Thursday, March 30, 2006
To whom it may concern
The following story is my harsh ctiticism about a certain message board concerning local tests in Japan;
≫Hi viewers!
So sorry for getting back to you late, but I didn’t mean to shy away from it.
The main reason why I’ve been stranded for updating is, you know I’ve had it up to here with cleaning up the mess, see what I mean?
Unlike your earnest postings, there are so many disturbing messages around that I feel reluctant to write about something of my own these days.
Besides it is no use getting actively involved discussing over trivial matters like the personal realms and stuff.
What is worse, some stupid jerks are still out here. They become obsessed with discouraging us sincere people by smearing all the while. I realized that there was no need to stick around of it any further.
Once his or her hidden motive has shown up as if they were that of zombie's, rampaging through all the way, and it’s actually pain in the neck to us as well. Before long they’ll go up in smoke, then it goes on and on and on, as you know.
The only way you could skirt around is, try not to be a sitting duck, so that you could avoid it.
No other options for your learning?
I don’t think so. Why do you so adhere to your conventional ideas that you follow their advices which seem definitely in the guise of their camaraderie?
Like it or not, I’m sure you would go through ups and downs even further as long as you keep posting here.
I hear you have some foreign friends around you, so why not make use of them to full extent instead for your better understand?
Don’t you think it’s audacious that some Japanese who are still in the phase of some learning curves trying to correct your sentence structure? Even better, their making structures are too incapable to be vouched for in the eyes of native speakers. Still, are you willing to stick up for it?
≪You are the last one who make me feel disappointed≫ is anyone’s guess. That’s what the virtual reality is. Try not to count too much on that. There’s nothing but living in the real world is certain, where you can see each other face to face.
Ok, enough of that. Talk to you later!
take393
≫Hi viewers!
So sorry for getting back to you late, but I didn’t mean to shy away from it.
The main reason why I’ve been stranded for updating is, you know I’ve had it up to here with cleaning up the mess, see what I mean?
Unlike your earnest postings, there are so many disturbing messages around that I feel reluctant to write about something of my own these days.
Besides it is no use getting actively involved discussing over trivial matters like the personal realms and stuff.
What is worse, some stupid jerks are still out here. They become obsessed with discouraging us sincere people by smearing all the while. I realized that there was no need to stick around of it any further.
Once his or her hidden motive has shown up as if they were that of zombie's, rampaging through all the way, and it’s actually pain in the neck to us as well. Before long they’ll go up in smoke, then it goes on and on and on, as you know.
The only way you could skirt around is, try not to be a sitting duck, so that you could avoid it.
No other options for your learning?
I don’t think so. Why do you so adhere to your conventional ideas that you follow their advices which seem definitely in the guise of their camaraderie?
Like it or not, I’m sure you would go through ups and downs even further as long as you keep posting here.
I hear you have some foreign friends around you, so why not make use of them to full extent instead for your better understand?
Don’t you think it’s audacious that some Japanese who are still in the phase of some learning curves trying to correct your sentence structure? Even better, their making structures are too incapable to be vouched for in the eyes of native speakers. Still, are you willing to stick up for it?
≪You are the last one who make me feel disappointed≫ is anyone’s guess. That’s what the virtual reality is. Try not to count too much on that. There’s nothing but living in the real world is certain, where you can see each other face to face.
Ok, enough of that. Talk to you later!
take393
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Don't you think it's difficult?
Hi viewers,
It is said that conducting English precisely in both speaking and writing is always challenging to us non-native speakers.I guess it's almost impossible to acquire flawless English
Whereas you're brushing up on it almost everyday, like doing your own reading practice, writing, listening, or whatever, you'll find that it's still a long way to go to your destinations.
So why is that?
What I can bring up is one thing. It's typical, as you know.
Imagine that you are a student taking some English class. Also you're now reading a textbook in the classroom. Shortly after that, a teacher will probably try to explain the contents of it in Japanese all the way. Don't you feel that kind of situation is really boring and monotonous as can be? How come would it be possible to improve your new language in such a conventional way? Don't you think it's really weird to stick around and see how your practice goes over a decade?
Given that you were living in overseas, maybe such a problem could be worked out in no time. What's more, you would be surprised to hear some excellent English among pre-grade students elsewhere outside the country, even you wander around from place to place while you are visiting for a short period.
What I can surely say is, the bulk of English learners here in Japan are self-educated, with the exemption of those who had ever studied abroad for at least a couple of years or so.
Judging from all this, there's no way you should feel obliged to write English structures correctly, since you hadn't well enough to be trained over the past years.
To the contrary, however it's pretty as an amazing even the pre-grade students living abroad talk to each other both in English and in their national language simultaneously, like English and Cantonese, for instance.I think the education with bountiful programs in their early ages is the key to the success as to become bilingual. It helps expand your vocabularies pretty much easier in the smaller class than the bigger one.
It is unfortunate to know that our classes in Japan are flooded with students when considering what the appropriate language education should be. It should be downsized in its figures like those of the U.S, or some European nations.
It's really hard to take off the ground for your better practice after graduating an university, and joining a company. It's really hard nut crack to solve the problem such as expressing your ideas correctly on the spot.
So what are your ideas?
Well, see ya!
take393
It is said that conducting English precisely in both speaking and writing is always challenging to us non-native speakers.I guess it's almost impossible to acquire flawless English
Whereas you're brushing up on it almost everyday, like doing your own reading practice, writing, listening, or whatever, you'll find that it's still a long way to go to your destinations.
So why is that?
What I can bring up is one thing. It's typical, as you know.
Imagine that you are a student taking some English class. Also you're now reading a textbook in the classroom. Shortly after that, a teacher will probably try to explain the contents of it in Japanese all the way. Don't you feel that kind of situation is really boring and monotonous as can be? How come would it be possible to improve your new language in such a conventional way? Don't you think it's really weird to stick around and see how your practice goes over a decade?
Given that you were living in overseas, maybe such a problem could be worked out in no time. What's more, you would be surprised to hear some excellent English among pre-grade students elsewhere outside the country, even you wander around from place to place while you are visiting for a short period.
What I can surely say is, the bulk of English learners here in Japan are self-educated, with the exemption of those who had ever studied abroad for at least a couple of years or so.
Judging from all this, there's no way you should feel obliged to write English structures correctly, since you hadn't well enough to be trained over the past years.
To the contrary, however it's pretty as an amazing even the pre-grade students living abroad talk to each other both in English and in their national language simultaneously, like English and Cantonese, for instance.I think the education with bountiful programs in their early ages is the key to the success as to become bilingual. It helps expand your vocabularies pretty much easier in the smaller class than the bigger one.
It is unfortunate to know that our classes in Japan are flooded with students when considering what the appropriate language education should be. It should be downsized in its figures like those of the U.S, or some European nations.
It's really hard to take off the ground for your better practice after graduating an university, and joining a company. It's really hard nut crack to solve the problem such as expressing your ideas correctly on the spot.
So what are your ideas?
Well, see ya!
take393
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