Micky Mouse

You know, Micky Mouse is a famous character in Disney. But Micky Mouse is an adjective which people use often. Thinking about Micky Mouse, we connect with pretty image.

However, in fact, Micky Mouse’s meaning similar to insignificant or worthless.

For example, there is a phrase “micky Mouse Money”

“If you use this word in conversation, “Micky Mouse Money” means toy money and money which has no value.

This phrase originates Micky Mouse Money” which is used in only Disney land,

By the way, there is a phrase “take the Micky away” in British English. This means that “make one fun”.

Adjectival meaning is not good for Disney but these phrases are interesting. There are a lot of phrases which I don’t know.

So I want to learn them more and more!

"maybe"

Perhaps, maybe, probably, they are similar in meaning each other.

I often use “maybe~” in my conversation, but in a book that I read, I found that my using of “”maybe” is incorrect.

I always used “maybe” when I was talking with foreigners regardless of degree of exactness.

I show degree of exactness of 3 words, “perhaps”, “maybe” and “probably”, it is showed like following.

Probably＞maybe＞perhaps

According to an article, Japanese English learners tend to use “maybe” or “probably” too much. The same is true for me.

Although these 3 words have similar meaning, they are different of using.

 I leaned that I must use them over separating by degree of exactness to tell what I really want to say exactly.

Twitter

Do you know Twitter? Twitter is a international website which offers a social networking and micro blogging service. If you have account of Twitter, you can send and read messages called tweets. Tweets are limited to 140 letters and these tweets can be seen by only followers. Followers are the people are registered by system of follow and follower can check and answer tweets. Message senders can restrict message delivery to just their followers.
Twitter is used in all over the world and has gained popularity worldwide and currently more that 175 million users.



Recently, I found an article which is about Twitter. The article says that 5 languages used on Twitter are English, Japanese, Portuguese, Malay and Spanish and among these languages, English occupies 50% of messages. Japanese is 14% and the second language.

According to this article, English is common in many countries and important way to communication. Twitter is new communication system and we can talk with foreigners through it more and more. English is need in new system in various fields. So I thought that I wanted to study English more and more.

Daily conversation

● Speaking

I want to speak English more fluently. However it is so difficult for me. I often can tell foreigners what I want to say.

I can image in things I will say my head but I can’t express them in English. This situation makes me sad and irritate.

The other day, I found that phrases which I use in conversation with foreigners are often incorrect. Of course, The best thing I should do is trying to speak and tell what I want to say with various expression and gestures.

But I want to improve my expression little by little.

 For example, (This time, I’m posting expressions which be used in daily conversation.)

“” What time is it now?” → “Do you have the time?”

“What’s your name?” → ”I’m Mana. And you are…?”

“I haven’t seen you for many years” → “How have you been?” “Long time no see.”

“Good bye” → “See you!” “See you around.”

Like this. I want to know easy expressions more and more.

proverbs

● way for writing and reading.

Hello, everyone. Happy New Year! I hope this year will be a wonderful for you!

Today, I found some proverbs. Probably, also to Japanese, they may know these proverbs.

First, do you know this meaning?

"We never meet without a parting."

I think that this is a familiar one in Japan. Meeting a lot of people connects with new world and you will get a lot of chances. However we must experience parting as many as meeting. So I convince this phrase.

Next is this one.

"There is no royal road to learning"

This is the best proverb which I convinced.

In this year, I also try to study English hard and steadily.

Last is He that falls today may rise tomorrow

This means  “Nanakorobi Yaoki” in Japanese. Do you know?

We know some proverbs in Japanese but if we can understand them in English, we will be interested in them more. So I also want to find some English proverbs.

What's the merit of listening English songs.

These days my hobby is listening music in English and translating them in Japanese.

The late my favorite singers are Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Madonna.

Do you know them?

And my favorite music are “Love story”, “You belong with me” of Taylor, “One time” of Justin, “Hot N Cold” of Katy Perry and “Material girl” of Madonna.

At first, I was hard to catch an ear for foreign languages and understand them but now I can do that when I got used to.

The way of improving listening skill with using English music has a merit.

It is that you can understand combinations and dropouts of sounds. Also you get various expressions while you get into music.

When you imitate the song’s features, you can understand them.

So listening music is good way of studying English.

Proverb 2

Hello, today, I also found some proverbs which are familiar to Japanese. Maybe you know them in Japanese. However they little different from them which were translated Japanese.

Proverb 1

He who is in hell knows not what heaven is.

Do you understand this? This proverb in Japanese has expression of a frog.

This shows the man who know only world where he lives.

Proverb 2

Bread is better than the songs of birds.

This is one of the most famous proverbs in Japan.

By the way, there is a drama which uses this proverb for its titleJww I like it so mush. Could you understand this?

Proverb 3

A man's walking is succession falls.

This is also known to many people.

The mean of this is similar to “He who makes no mistakes makes nothing”

These expressions are interesting. Try to guess♪