October CROSSROADS Language StudioÊs Newsletter 2005

TRAVELING ABROAD
Home-staying and studying abroad are excellent
ways to gain knowledge and get a firsthand feeling of aforeign country and its culture. The trend nowadays
seems to be that students who are studying English areenrolling with a college for a short visit (e.g., 4 weeks)
to Australia, England, Canada or
America and participating in an
intensive classroom environment.
Modern courses tend to combine
English lessons with other activities.
This is especially so in Australia andEngland where you can enrol incourses as diverse as “English andsurfing” (Australia), or, “English and Crafts”(England). There are also English and Painting classes,
English and Hairdressing, Golf, Photography, HorseRiding, Rugby and many more. Students usually livewith a host family for the duration of their stay and get
to personally experience the day-to-day routine of an
overseas family in foreign surroundings.
Here are three points that may help you
decide whether or not you would like to try
one of these overseas study plans together
with a home-stay program:
1. Being part of a family creates “innerLearning”. We learn by doing, not by simply
observing. Doing everyday things makes
language come alive, energizes our minds tothink and respond. Living the language will
not only push you to learn the language, itwill also help you to value it more.
2. People-to-people connections really count in
the long run. They are what stay with us longafter sights and activities fade. They are whatmake us aware that we are connected to“others” in this large world and that we can getalong with anyone.
3. We all need to understand our interconnectedworld. Travel in general, especially Home-stay
travel, is an excellent way to help us come tothis understanding. It’s true that our future
depends on people-to-people interchange, andon
developing
ourunderstanding of what theshrinking of our globe reallymeans. By travelling andliving with other people intheir home environments, wegain a better sense of
ourselves in this world andhow to succeed in the future.

(These words are in color in the story)
first hand 直接の体験によって得た
participating 出席している
tend 傾向がある
as diverse as ・・・のような多様性のあduration 期間
routine 日常作業
energizes 活発にする
respond 反応する
interconnected 相互に連結されたJoshua Says: Only last month we had to say “goodbye” to one of our favorite teachers,
Natacha, who went home to Canada after a long stay in Matsuyama. Again, we mustwish another teacher a safe journey home to Canada. Adam will be returning toCanada to be with his family and friends after more than a year here with us. The
Crossroads staff, all of his students here and I wish him all the best for the future.
Junko Says: Various types of planetariums have become very popular and the news on TV from Tokyo recentlyfeatured some new and unique ones. If you visit them you can experience the history of space. In one of theseplanetariums, you can experience the explosion of a star, feel the sudden gust of wind on your face, feel thevibration from the explosion, and the heat. People are queuing up to get inside! The newscaster asked theJapanese astronaut, Mr. Mamoru Mouri, what he thought about this movement. Instead of giving a direct answer,Mr. Mouri proposed a question, “Do you know why people are so attracted to the stars?” And he went on to say,“we human beings are made up of atoms and elemental particles all of which originally came from space”.

Adam Says: Well, after about 6 months in Okinawa and just over a year in Matsuyama, thetime has come for me to go back home to Canada. I have had a great time in Matsyutama
and I will miss all of my students very much. I hope you all continue your studies in earnest.
I wish Crossroads teachers, staff and students the best of good luck… I will miss you all!
Greg Says: What do you do to improve your English? Some students listen to English radio programs
or watch English TV programs between their weekly lessons at Crossroads and have shown a marked
improvement. Others who have improved their ability write a daily dairy or simply chat to their
Japanese friends in English. One student I know has improved by shadowing (mimicking) thespeakers on TV. Try it next time you watch a movie. Repeat every word you hear as soon as you hearit spoken. It is difficult at first, but it is another way to improve your English ability.

Steven Says: As the cover article this month is traveling abroad, I want to tell you about 3 of ourCrossroads students who spent 4 weeks studying English in Australia and Canada while livingwith a foreign host family. I was very surprised at the level of improvement in their speaking
ability and their new confidence after only one month of intense study. They told me that all of
the study they had been doing at Crossroads “kicked in” automatically once they got there.

Magnolia Says: As the cooler weather approaches, it is a time to consider our routinesand habits. We can avoid the “winter blues” and remain strong and healthy. Try to eat
warm foods and beverages. Now is the time to continue doing a little daily exercise andavoid the cold winds. Make some small adjustments and your body will thank you!
Yuka Says: As we all know, a lot of people suffer from allergies nowadays, and animals are noexception. According to a magazine article I read the other day, about 50% of Japanese dogs
have some sort of allergic disease. My dog is one of them. The causes of these allergies vary fromfood to stress. I feel even more sorry for these animals because they can’t complain about theirdiscomfort. I hope, in the mean time, someone will find a miraculous cure for allergies.

Yukiko says from Australia: Time flies! I have already been here in Perth forone month. I am always busy taking photos of wild flowers. There are a lot ofwild flowers booming now. I go to King’s Park and the bushes near myapartment house everyday. I am having a very happy time here. Here are somephotos of Perth and flowers in King’s Garden. “Hello” to Adam and my friends.

Hiroki Says: Last week I visited Kyoko and mademy way north to Amanohashidate. It’s a beautiful
tourist attraction. If you ever go there, try putting
your head between your legs and look at the view
upside down. You’ll find it very interesting!!!

Courses you can take at CROSSROADS
NET LESSONS:
Are you too busy to come to CROSSROADS to study? Try ourlessons on the internet! --- It’s CROSSROADS in your homeor office! You get CROSSROADS’ great teachers, teaching
programs, even classmates, all on-line! Call for details.

GENERAL COURSES:
2 x’s 60mins / week
1 x’s 90mins / week
Private 1 x / week
Semi-Private 1 x /week

NET SITE OF THE MONTH:

Here’s a site with various tips on living abroad:
http://www.liveabroad.com/articles/index.html
NET NOTEBOOK: Don’t forget to take a look at the Internet
Activity Notebook in our Open-house lounge. You’ll find great
games, news and English study sites.

GERMAN with Marita
SPANISH with Leo
RUSSIAN with Natas ha
FRENCH with Bam & Natacha
CHINESE with Noriko
KOREAN with Kim

MOTHER & CHILD, group or private
KIDS, group or private
COSMOPOLITAN COURSES:“Singing in English” with Steve
Yoga with Magnolia
Guitar with Steve“Cooking in English” with Steve & Magnolia“Magic in English” with Iain
Piano with Adrienne
Aromatherapy with Steve
NETLESSONS:
group or private

Phone: 0120-21-7594
Tel: (089) 921-7595
Fax: (089) 921-7319
E-mail:info@crossroadsco.com
Web Site: www.crossroadsco.com