EEC NEWSLETTER

June 2023
Volume 50

ENGLISH EDUCATION CENTER, EHIME UNIVERSITY

Contents

Hello Aidai Students! - A Message from a New Teacher■ Hello Aidai Students!

Ralph DUFFY-McGHIE- A Message from a
New Teacher■ The Secrets to a
Happy Life
■ Overseas Experience
ReportGood to meet you, everyone.
My name is Ralph DuffyMcGhie, and I’m a newteacher here at Ehime University. I’m originally from England in theUK, but I’ve been living and working here inMatsuyama for almost eight years now.
I first came to Matsuyama in 2015 on the
JET Program and worked in junior highschools and elementary schools all overMatsuyama. I love teaching English andI’m really glad that I’ve got the chance towork with all the students here at the university. Even if you think English is difficultand confusing, I understand.
Even after eight years, Japanese is still difficult for me,
but I’m sure that we can enjoy our classes together.

Dublin City University has
returned to the summer
SEA program!
Dublin City University isback as a partner in oursummer SEA program.
Last year, the program
only sent students to Bangor University in Wales insummer, but this year
Dublin City University in
Ireland has returned as apartner.
As of this newsletter's publication, the application
period is almost over andinterested students havebegun preparing for theirtrip.
The study abroad programs will each run for
approximately
threeweeks from August to
September. We will besharing their experiencesin future issue of this newsletter, so please staytuned!

In my spare time, I like to watch movies. I’ma big movie fan, and I enjoy dramas, comedies, and action movies. I also love toplay board games with myfriends. We often go to coffee shops to play together,
as we’re all quite busy
these days and it’s ourchance to catch up.
I’m passionate about travel, and I have bigplans to travel and see many different
countries. I think all of you should travel
sometime in your lives. There’s so much tosee and experience in the world.
Anyway, I look forward to meeting andtalking with you all. Let’s enjoy our timeand classes together.
All the best,
Ralph Duffy-McGhie

The Secrets to a Happy Life
Desi TOM (Assistant Professor)
You may think money is the most important thing to be happy. However, scientists who study happiness say it is not soimportant. They found that if you haveenough money for a comfortable life,
more money does not give you more happiness. There are many ways to create
happiness in our lives that do not requiremoney.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is when we focus our mind on
something we are experiencing now. If wefocus our thoughts on
our current condition,
we can calm ourmind and relax. This
happens when you
soak in a hot spring and think about thewarm water on your skin or the beautiful
view from the outdoor bath. You can also
take a few minutes to breathe slowly or
notice things you can see through the window.
Having Gratitude
Gratitude is feeling thankful for the positive
things in your life. We do not do thisenough because we naturally focus on
the negative. This is useful for survival, but
not for happiness. We can increase oursense of gratitude by
writing down 3 goodthings that happened
each day. It can bebig, like your first day
at Ehime University or small, such as eating
your favorite snack.
Helping OthersHelping others makes us feel happy because we gain a sense of purpose and apositive connection to others, which is likethe Japanese idea of ikigai. The way wehelp others does not have to be big, but itshould be done many times and require
some effort. For example, putting money ina donation box
does not give you
much boost in happiness because it is
too easy. However,serving a meal tosomeone who cannot afford to eat canmake you feel wonderful.

June 2023 Volume 50

Overseas Experience Reports
Upcoming Events
Exemption for English IV（外部試験による成績判定）

Jul 24 - 28

Here are two reports from students who went overseas during their spring
holiday this year. The one who participated as part of an intensive courseof Ehime University and the one who participated in a program offered by
the University Co-op will each share their experiences.

My Decision
Open Campus
Aug 9 - 10

Summer School Holiday
Aug 7 - Sep 27

English Education Center
Ehime University
2nd floor, Aidai Muse,

Yuho NYUNOYA (Faculty of Education)
Hello, my name is YUHO NYUNOYA. My major is education. I participated UWB program this March. I visited the USA in Seattleto learn English for two weeks. I stayed at ahost family’s house with my friend, visited
schools to have a cultural exchange, andwent sightseeing, etc. I learned manythings, and would like to share two of themwhich moved me.
First of all, I took English classes at Foundation of International Understanding ThroughStudents (FIUTS)*. OLENA VLASOVA taught
us “fear”. Everyone has a pet on their mind
which is called fear. The pet is needed tosave our lives, but wedon’t need it when
we try something thattakes courage. We
have to keep on challenging. I’ll keep mymind of the word
which she said, “Youare the owner.” I wantto act positively andface many struggles With Olena, one ofthe FIUTS staff
with the pet.

Also, “What are you living for?” How do youanswer it when you areasked? I have been finding the meaning since I
was young. I could meet
NADA RAMADAN who
had a strong answer.
When I asked her it, sheWith Nada, ananswered “carpe diem.”
other FIUTS staff
It means enjoy now.
She’d experienced explosion before, so sheneeded a reason to live. Literally, she wasenjoying everything with shine. I want to live
strong like her.
In addition, I enjoyed visiting many places,
eating delicious food and interacting withpeople. Also, I could start having somegood values and thinking. Seattle wasamazing. I appreciate everyone who wasinvolved in this program. Therefore, I decided to study English hard and will be back.
(*FIUTS...It is a nonprofit organization which focused on promoting international understanding and community.)

3 Bunkyo-cho,Matsuyama, Ehime
790-8577

Phone & FAX(089)927-8340

E-maileec@stu.ehime-u.ac.jp

Webpage
http://web.eec.ehime-u.
ac.jp/[Eng. Page] http://web.
eec.ehime-u.ac.jp/english/

Wonderful Experience in Singapore
Nana TAKAHASHI (Faculty of Law & Letters)
Hello! My name is Nana Takahashi. I belong
to the faculty of law and letters. I joined atour group managed by the Co-op for
those who have taken their TOEIC course.
We went to Singapore during the spring
break. At first, I was nervous because thiswas the first time for me going abroad. It
was busy but I enjoyed it very much. It was
an interesting 4-day trip. Just by movingaround this multinational city, one could
feel the various cultures and atmosphere.
I’m glad going there
becausethelocalpeople were friendly tothe point they werewilling to answer myquestions in poor English.

Night Show at Gardens by the Bay

What left the most impression was the nightshow at Gardens by
the Bay. Especially, I

was impressed by how fantastic the fusion
lights and music were. I liked the unique atmosphere after the show, and I want to visit
that place again. The lights in the showused sun-powered batteries, which was impressive how environmentally conscious thiscity was.
It was a wonderful tour for me to study andenjoy everything. At the beginning of thetour, I hesitated to talk to the locals in English.
However,
after
dealing with a hugehurdle in the beginning,
I was able to interact
with other university students in Singapore. This
experience motivatedme to keep studying
English, and I’d like totry studying abroad the National University
near future to broadenof Singapore
my views.