trans - Strong Will - cont.

3. Enjoy Learning
- When I say that Clear Objectives is What, Why, and Logistics is When, Where, I can also say that this Enjoy Learning is How. Enjoy Learning is a large part of my learning framework, and I cannot study 10 hours a day without this. Then, how do I enjoy learning? I'm mentioning this here from now.

- I noticed. I noticed that there were some times I could enjoy learning. And, the time had a common characteristic. That is, 1. the time doesn't come with patience, 2. the output can be measured, 3. the growth brought by the time can be recognizable.

- Have you ever done "100 squares addition"? This is a training in Japan for mainly children to practice their mathematics skills. There is one big square on a paper, which consists of 100 squares, like grid with 10 horizontal scales and 10 vertical scales. And on the top side and left side there are 10 numbers each, which ranges from 1 to 10. And the player just add top one and left one 100 times. You can understand something when doing this practice more than two weeks (just one or two times, you cannot understand what I'm saying), and people can recognize their growth by continuing something for a certain period. (I don't need to say this here, but I recorded 48 seconds, which looks like the world record or the approximation.)

- It's difficult to construe the 1. the time doesn't come with patience, but for instance, when you are a beginner for English, it's understandable that it's nonsense to read Times every week using the dictionary for every unknown words. You should do a training where you can feel a slight workload in your brain, I can call this pleasure. If doing that, you can enjoy doing that. In my case, I'm now practicing TOEIC translation from Japanese to English, and this level of difficulty is suitable for me, and if I'm asked to translate newspaper into English, that is difficult for me, or nonsense for me.


To be continued..

blog - TOEIC Comes

Tomorrow is the day of TOEIC test. It's the day I've bet all myself on. For the past months, I've been practicing my English ability for this exam. More than 3 hours a day I've been studied, on average. The time has come.

I need to be concentrate on the exam and the preparation for that. I shouldn't think other than English. I need to get over 950 points on the exam. That's my determination. That's my fate. I think the life is composed by kind of gradually existing components. It means that people should do something one by one, for sure.

After tomorrow, the new life would start. I will begin practicing mainly speaking skills by using more advanced material, not TOEIC material. And I will begin doing some more thing, apart from practicing English. That is, creativity, preparation for the business launch, and making relationship with someone.


Today is one day before one of the most important days in my life.

trans - Strong Will

Lately I was often asked , "How can you study so long?"

Some people might think I have a strong will, but that's completely different from the truth. Because my will is not so strong (I cannot deny that I used to pursue iron will in the past), and there is a kind of knack to pretend to have strong will. Now I mention that.

I've already written that my daily studying time had dramatically increased from 5 hours to 10 hours. I think myself that I can study well lately. The secret consists of the following things, I think: 1. Clear Objectives, 2. Logistics, 3. Enjoy learning, and 4. Harness Ideas. Let's see these.

1. Clear Objectives
- It's important to set specific goals to get the goal, like TOEIC950 or English Master in my case. Well, but, the specific is not required. Just burn up yourself. Just be enthusiastic. Just get out of your bed and sit down at your desk to start studying several times a month or a couple of times a week.

- Also, it's needed to make companies studying with you, or your rivals. For instance, in my case, I bet something on the next TOEIC test with my friends, Yakiniku. If there's such a thing, if you can construct such motivated factors, that will be a huge engine for achieving your goals against human mind, weak one.


2. Logistics
- This is a point. I mean, I think I'm good at this thing, or, I understand I'm not strong (I cannot deny I used to pursue iron will in the past), so I've gotten the ability to organize the environment to be able to study for a long time. Let me explain this.

- For instance, my house has a mechanism that I cannot see any TV program. Of course, I have a TV, but if I turn on the TV, Nippon Television or Fuji Television doesn't come. (I've already mentioned that I can assure that this is consciously intended.) And the TV is connected to DVD player, so naturally my house has numerous English studying software, like Friends or 24.

- There's also a kind of environment where I can use English actually. A good example is that I put myself into the environment where I have to use English with my Indian colleagues by changing my job to an Indian company's one (but this is kind of over), and I've made the environment where I can study on the train by living in Mitaka which is a starting station, and I've also made an environment where I can study at the Starbucks alone by arranging relationship with my colleagues at the office.


To be continued..

trans - How To Handle Idea

Where's ideas come from?

What's the idea? How's that be handled? I thought I should work on there questions. This is also a present for my grandson or granddaughter never seen. Well, I feel there are numerous people who don't know the exact idea, and as a result the economic loss is astronomical figures.

Idea is idea, no matter how small it is. For instance, I got an idea lately. That is, it's really not a big deal, "Go to the nearby Starbucks and study for an hour there weekday nights and holidays", and the reason why this idea is so brilliant to me is that the idea expedite my study and change my feeling. That was really a revolutionary idea for me. The hour of studying a day increased 5 hours to 10 hours.

About how to produce ideas, you can read several books written about this topic, like How to make ideas written by Steve Young (in short, the process is consideration, naturalness, and flourish). What I stress here is that idea is kind of volatile, that is, if you are not careful, that would be gone easily, so take an action as soon as possible, or write down it somewhere. For instance, formally my cell phone was used to communicate with me, rather than communicate with my friends.


Idea is produced, and fostered.

trans - Electronic Dictionary: Ultimate Item

There is no doubt that this is the best. Electronic dictionary. Without this, I cannot study English Without this, human beings has not been able to stock up its knowledge up to now. Electronicity is not necessary, but electronic one is better than other ones definitely. I'm saying the details below.

- Don't hesitate to invest. Extravagance is nonsense, but you should buy the one as good as possible. You would spend very long time with it.
- English-Japanese, Japanese-English, English, Thesaurus, Collocations, and so on. You should take advantage of these various dictionaries. These five dictionaries are especially used well, so learn how to jump to each other surely.
- You will use the Thesaurus and Collocations very well in the near future, so choose the electronic dictionary including these. I thought an antonym dictionary might be desirable for me.
- Oxford for the English dictionary. English-Japanese for Genius. You should choose well-known, acknowledged dictionaries. I think there must be a difference.
- As the stage of learning, the dictionary you use will be different. Having an inquiring mind, try many things.


In case of me, I'm now using my dictionary as the following ways. Since I'm now practicing translation from Japanese to English using TOEIC materials, after translating the question and checking the answer, I make sure to check the phrases that I couldn't translate well, the expressions that I'd like to check, and excellent idioms in the answer, mainly using the English-Japanese dictionary (Genius). (That's why the dictionary has a lot of explanation of grammar, and It's useful by just reading.)

At this time, there are barely unknown words, and I check the grammar, the pattern of the connection with prepositions, and example sentences and idioms. This really works, so this makes my vocabulary fruitful using my brain's network effect.

By the material, how to use the dictionary also varys. For instance, when reading an English newspaper, I mainly use the English dictionary (Oxford Dictionary of English) to check unknown words and to check the pronunciation. I don't look over them deeply, and it's not needed.

Moreover, when traveling abroad or killing my time, I used to use the English Conversation Dictionary well. That was very useful especially when I check how to call someone and how to hang up the phone. (In case of that, I'm usually not in front of the PC.) Well, the Japanese ability is highly developed, but sometimes I used the Japanese Dictionary (Kojien) to check the meaning of Japanese words.


Well, I cannot give up my electronic dictionary at least in a couple of years.

trans - What's Time? #2

I needed to explain about Time more. Generally time has the future and the past, and the present is at the place where that exists. Human beings have been recognizing the future and the past with the highly advanced intelligence, and have perceived that the life and the time are lapped over.

There, great vent, great discontinuity, and great cavity can exist. Against time and being, by the limited ability to identify which human beings have, there, various gaps have been emerged. That's different from simple nerves. That's different from temporary tensions.

I don't say simply, "Seize the day". Even the future, even the past, and even the destiny of transmigration emerged from illusion of continuousness, by the form of including these, I say you live at present. Live the past like live the present. Feel the future like feel the present. The link, the time link, you should include them.


Being and time. What a clear...

trans - Wolf, and Indian Tiger

The major reason I chose my current company when I was changing my job is that I can use English, and the surprising offer figures, and as well as that I'd have liked to belong to a global IT company. Looking back that now, there were some mingled impurities. I didn't love the company.

Although belonging to the current company, I planned to make a big leap to America in two years, and starting my own company which will be done in few years after that was also programmed in my plans already. Naturally, my commitment to my company had faded away, and the feeling of belonging and loyalty had also vanished. I just polish my own abilities, I just experience a lot personally. I was a lonely wolf.

Everything starts with conversation. Last year I determined to start traveling around all the world, and this determination started with a conversation with someone. And this time, this determination also started with a conversation with someone, when I suddenly confessed that I hated them. My direction was fixed, and I had started reading a book written about my company. My narrow-minded sight was getting open, and it seemed like I was ready to embrace what it is.

Reading the book, I can feel that I belong to a really excellent company. Thinking so, various affairs I met before got connected each other smoothly, and became a foothold to think the next steps. The company is an Indian company, and I cannot help but think I'm not in the center, but that is kind of illusion produced by negative and pessimistic mind, and I've begun to feel that I would be a member of that.


Well, I've started living now. I'm a tiger, an Indian tiger.

trans - The Second Week of English Whispering

This is also necessary.

This is so-called English whispering, isn't it. To exceed TOEIC 950 and be an English master, I feel this practice is fairly essential. Although I've been doing this practice for only two weeks and I have not completely learned this method, I feel this would be excellent strongly. Strongly

Even saying 'whispering', this is not sussy, and this means practicing 'thinking in English' actually. If the person's English ability is on a certain level, he can learn from this method. By contraries, if he is not on that level, this method may impair him. He might suffer a setback. He might suffer a decay

Besides, thinking in English perfectly is also not good. It's impossible for English learners, and it means we cannot take advantage of Japanese ability that we have earned in our lives ever. So, we consciously make time to think something in English. Like 30 minutes before using English in work, or 30 minutes before taking vlogs, and so on. It's effective to do that before something using English actually. Eventually, you can do that


I'm convinced that thinking in English is one of the ultimate training methods in the world. So, to do this, you are now working on English. This helps you think gradually, continuously, and happily. You can see the new world in front of yourself. You are whispering.

trans - The second week of The Japan Times

This is pretty good!

Toward exceeding 950 points on the TOEIC test and being an English master, this training is not only useful but also essential. I'm thinking about that. The effect covers a wide range of various learning fields. First, improvement of speaking ability, and enrichment of own vocabulary, and rise of ability to recognize overall English.

The way is easy; Just subscribe English newspaper, and just read it aloud. But what you have to be careful about is to recognize own current ability stage, and properly judge whether or not this method is applicable to current ability. I think you can start this method after you get over 900 points on TOEIC.

If you find unknown words, make sure of checking them with your dictionary. I guess there would be 5 to 15 unknown word per page for the first time. But you would feel something then. This activity to check the dictionary makes your vocabulary increase. And you would feel that your tongue is frequent, as you can speak anything difficult sentences.


I'm feeling my ability is increasing exponentially. That is, the ability can work together effectively.

trans - What's Time?

Reading a thinkable book, I thought. What's Time?

Our thoughts to time caused great suffering and performed great tragedy. Perspective on time, which is one of the most important axes in the world, caused the world pains and performed ever continuous revenge plays.

Well, this is written in the book, but I was convinced that this story had truth. I've suffered with time. Rather, most of people have been suffering from this time. Life and Time means the almost same meaning, but if people can distinguish them...

The exuberance that I experienced throughout last month to this month is, which does not make sure the future completeness and I was able to recognize this, but, as something base, something foundation, and something spiritual foothold, that made a huge impact on my life. I felt that, and that was right.


What's the meaning of exceeding time? How clear is it.

trans - The First Defeat In My Life

It's about stocks.

I did loss cut in my investment. It was my first defeat in my life (Technically it was not the first, the second one, but in this context the detail can be ignorable). So, I thought I should write this thing in my this blog to memorize this as a lesson for my future. I should learn from failures.

To be honest, that was pretty amount, although I can say exact figure in this blog. Well, that was relatively not huge comparing with profits I gained before or profits in my Chinese stocks, but as a man who aim 100 million yen in few years, this failure means huge defeat apparently. I'm not genius in stock, I cannot look at the future, and I'm not calm, wise investor. They become clear.

However, this affair was a good lesson for me. The stock eventually got down by 35 percent, and I wrongly pursued high-return, that is, as speculation, not investment, I failed. Interestingly, I didn't recognize I was like speculator, but considering it from now, the company was in red, did not pay a dividend, and was not investment in which a wise investor invest his money.


Well, that was a great lesson. Everything is constantly changing.

tran - The Fourth Time Friends

Well, now I'm watching Friends again, which is the fourth time in my life, which is American TV drama, namely sitcom. As I wrote in the past, comparing this with the last three times, I can feel I can listen to the English much more than that. Much more, yes, much more.

So, I cannot help but say something in my first book. "Find the work that you can see at least 5 times, and actually see that on a regular basis. Movies and dramas are kind of the side dish. Doing stretching or having dinner, watching them are completely okay. Let's take advantage of them as a fruitful reserve of living expressions."

Although the subject became unclear, what I want to say is that continuing the same things makes you visible to your growth and feel the growth and precious pleasure, definitely. The fifth time of the Friends will be in advance of my journey to America next year, and at the time I will laugh from the bottom of my stomach totally.


Make a toast!

tran - The First Training Session In English

I took my first training session in English last Friday and Saturday, which is about leadership held by my company. I felt the content was not new to me, but in advance I really expected that the session was useful for me to know what the session was proceeded in English, how I was positioned in the session, and how the Indian colleagues are responding the session.

I understood the content because the trainer's English was understandable, but on the speaking side I felt difficutlites to remark some comments in English, not in Japanese. That was not similar to ones in Japanese. Whereas I was very surprised that the Indian people actively talked more than expected. That was a kind of cultural shock to me. Anyway, having this session possibly had dangerous aspects to slow down the progress of my TOEIC, but I think that was really satisfactory for me. That is, I could learn something new again.


I feel indication, vibration, breathing. The day is close.

tran - Suspended Rock-climbing

One thing I have to report to you all is that I'm now under rest of rock-climbing. Maybe that will be suspended until Sunday, September 30th. Needless to say, that's for the 950 points on the TOEIC test, rather, for my back and rist I've hurt seriously through rock-climbing.

Life has upside and downside, and for the people who believe they are controling their lives, by putting them into their timescale properly, they can think they can spend their lives effectively. So, in a year, when I look back at this passage, I will be able to judge whether I was such a person or a person who has something changing. To be honest, I'm loosing my way though.

Depending on how I look at it, I can study English more than 7 hours a day lately (or, depending on how I look at it much more, rather, I can count working hours as studying hours, actually I can, I'm now spending more than 10 hours a day for the next exam), but my sentenses are a little wired I can declare. Oh-uh, this is strange too. In short, I in background think in English.


Let's have a break!

trans - The third year of listening to CNN

No music in my iPod.

Maybe I got my first iPod a couple of years ago, and then I've been listening to CNN news almost every day with the iPod. There is nothing but iPod for English learners to be a great tool. After all, we can get a variety of contents for free and with an easy way.

For people not demanding music, for people intentionally avoiding music to achive their goals, that's really, really a good stuff. There is no music in my iPod. That is a definite fact, that is a definite policy.


Good luck with your iPod!

Giving something

I need to give something to achieve my goal, getting over 950 points. I thought that was the time of rock-climbing. I thought that was the time of dinner with my girlfriends. I thought taht was the time of doing nothing. My heart was already settled. I've started contributing myself to the world.


Umm, I need more sophisticated expressions.

TIger

I'm now reading a book titled "XXXXXXXX Tiger". It's written about my company. I bought this book a couple of months ago, because I thought I was just an employee of the company. Then I let the book piled in my shelf for a long time.

Last week I took an English lesson with my teacher Christie. We talked about my current situation in my work. I said, "I hate them". She said, "How about looking at the good side, not the bad side?" I thought, "That's it!"

I think if people want to like something, people should know that well. Deeper he knows that, deeper he loves it. So, I decided to read the book till the end in order to like my company. In order not to waste my time in the next 2 years. In order to value my work experience. In order to give a certain respect to them. I should regret myself thoroughly!


I'm changing.

Lesson Learnt

I for the first time lost in the stock market in my life. I bought stocks of a Japanese housing company. I expected coming Japanese booming in the housing industry, which comes from Japanese general economical booming up. However, I was not good. I couldn't detect the true of the stock. I'm a loser.

I will learn a lot from this failure. First of all, I should recognize that I'm not a superman. There was a possibility that I thought I was so. That's non-sense. I'm not a superman. I'm not a genius. I'm a normal, just well-thinkable person. So, I need to try to detect the truth of all things in the world from now on too.


Thank you,