What Is Your Favorite English Word?

Chat GPT's counterpoint

So, I told Chat GPT, "I have written a report speaking about why using you would be a bad idea for Japanese businesses who want to compensate for their lack of English skills. How do you feel about that?"

I got this response;

"As a machine learning model, I don't have personal feelings or opinions. However, I'd be interested to know more about the points you've raised in your report. If you could share some specific concerns or arguments against using AI language models like me for Japanese businesses compensating for their lack of English skills, I could provide information or clarification on those points. Keep in mind that while AI models like mine can be powerful tools, they do have limitations, and their effectiveness depends on various factors.

Okay, I highlighted that there some reports of fake book reports, lists of non-existing companies or references for a report, security, the ability to gain corporate secret information or open source license concerns.

Chat GPT says;

"Your concerns are valid, and they touch on important considerations when using AI language models in a business context. Here are some points to consider:

Authenticity and Accuracy:

AI models generate responses based on patterns learned from vast datasets. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, errors and misinformation can still occur.

It's essential to verify information obtained from AI models, especially when dealing with critical business decisions or relying on the generated content for official documents.

Security:

There is a potential risk of sensitive information being inadvertently shared with the AI model. Organizations need to exercise caution when inputting proprietary or confidential data.

It's crucial to educate users on the types of information that should not be shared with AI models and implement measures to protect sensitive data.

Ethical Use:

Users should be aware of ethical considerations when utilizing AI. Generating fake reports or providing false information can have serious consequences and goes against responsible AI use.

Open Source License Concerns:

Depending on the specific implementation and usage, it's important to check and comply with any open-source licenses associated with the AI model or related software.

Bias and Fairness:

AI models can reflect and sometimes amplify biases present in training data. Organizations should be mindful of potential bias and take steps to address it, especially in contexts where fairness is crucial.

Data Privacy:

Organizations must adhere to data protection regulations and ensure that any personal or sensitive data processed by AI models complies with privacy laws.

User Training:

Proper training and guidelines for users on the appropriate use of AI models can help mitigate risks. This includes understanding the limitations of the technology and promoting responsible usage.

By addressing these concerns and implementing best practices, businesses can leverage AI language models more effectively while minimizing potential risks. It's important to strike a balance between the benefits of automation and the need for careful oversight and human judgment in critical business contexts."

I begrudgingly admit that was pretty good.

Are movies good for English study?

Many students over the years asked if it is good to use watching movies as a way to study. Essentially I would say that it is a good thing. I have always believed that we need to enjoy studying English which acts as a self motivator. So interacting in English in a way that we enjoy is a great enabler for your language skills.

That's the key though. There has to be something active to the process. You could, for instance watch the movie once purely for entertainment and at that time you can pick up some listening practice and basic comprehension if you aren't focused on the Japanese subtitles. But they you should watch the movie again. Either with English subtitles or none at all. Have a notepad nearby and take notes of words, difficult to hear points or idioms that you encounter as you go. Pause the movie. This time you are studying. After you finish, watch it again, purely in English with no subtitles at all and just practice listening and use the points you took notes about as review opportunities.

The key to any study success is to do it actively and to review what you have learned, or even better use the new expressions. Studying passively can get some results but it will take far longer for them to be noticeable than if you actually approach it as a learning opportunity.

That being said, just watching the movies with English voices and hopefully subtitles is better than not doing it all. This is just my suggestion for how to get the best results.

Time to bring humanity back to the classroom

COVID 19 has had a profound effect. It really goes without saying. But I am not talking about the heart-shattering loss of life or the cabin fever inducing 3 years we spent locked in our homes. I am talking about the way business is conducted and how foreign language training has evolved here in Japan. With an increased acceptance of video meeting software such as Zoom, Teams or Meet, the classroom shifted into the virtual world as well.

Companies were forced to move the office to people's homes while the pandemic raged and after companies grew to accept that style, many have stuck to Work From Home. Nikkei Asia estimates that nearly 40% of workers are still doing a hybrid style of work (link), saving transportation and even electricity costs for businesses. This shift to video meetings also impacts on the number of business trips as communication can be achieved for a fraction of the cost. This research positively talks about how 64% of companies still find business travel important, but that means that 36% don't.

Of course, what I am leading up to here is that this has impacted the general attitude towards studying foreign languages, particularly English. More private students or companies are turning to more reasonably costing online English training meaning there has been a step back from the beneficial environment of face-to-face English lessons. Aside from the obvious lack of technical issues that sometimes crop up, there are many benefits to a more intimate training environment. A teacher can have quicker reaction times to questions or problems and has a better capability of reading learners' body language. There is a better sense of connection between all members when you are in a live environment, with more live tools at the teacher's disposal. Last, but not least, there are less chances of succumbing to distractions such as pets, children or that temptation to turn the TV on. This website also talks about motivation and focus as a couple of benefits of being in a classroom as some other potential benefits.

Companies offering English training need to embrace a commitment to quality lessons with practical contents set up in a way that is enjoyable for the students. And most importantly, we need to bring the humanity back to the English study environment and get back in the same room. The teacher needs to work closely with the students to help them realize their goals and use all the tools and signs at their disposal. This is at the heart of what Lowrey Global Consultants strives to do.

サインボードは正確に

前に英語でブログしました。ここで。

海外のお客さんがあなたの店に来た時、英語のサインボードがあれば、とても親切です。英語の間違いがあれば、あなたの会社のイメージが下がる可能性があります。外国人にとって上記のような間違いはとても記憶に残る出来事です。

例えば、下の二つの写真を見てください；

このサインボードにふたつのスペルミスがあります。‘plese’ (please) と’quiently’ (quietly)は違います。お客さんたちは苦笑し、あなたの会社はレベルが低いと見なされます。

‘be’動詞のミスは子供の間違いっぽく見えます。海外のお客さんは意味は分かるけれどイメージは良くないです。

このような間違いは簡単に防げます。LGCのサインチェックサービスを使えば安く正確な英語を教えます。その上、ナチュラルな英語の他の提案をします。例えば最初のサインボードのオプションは"Please respect other guests and refrain from making loud noises."他のお客さんをリスペクトとし大きい声を出ないでください。‘　二つ目のサインは、It is safe to drink this water, please enjoy!"　「この水は安全だから、飲んでください。」

私たちのサービスにご興味がある方はご連絡ください。

テスト中心の考え方を捨てよう

*前にこのポストは英語でアップロードしました。こちらです

私自身の子供たちが生まれ前から気にしていました。色んな日本の生徒さんたちは学び始めからつまずきます。今でもまだ日本企業において英語力を計る一番の手段はテストです。それは正しいか正しくないかわかりません。

日本の教育システムはテストに焦点おいています。すべての英語のレスんやテキストブックは生徒が試験を受けるそして取る目的のためにあります。塾の目的は次のステージの学校に受かるためです。生徒は自裁に英語を話す能力をはぐくむことができませんあぜなら学校のカリキュラム使用する言語を自裁に活用することをもっとにしていないからです。

大人でも同じパターンがあります。、現在、残念ながら様々な会社はＴＯＥＩＣ　を中心にしてスキルを計っています。何で大人になっても変わらないのでしょうか？全てのレベルで本当の英語でのコミュニケーションをかんがえられていません。私の経験の中で、ある生徒さんはTOEIC スコアが700点だが、あまり話せませんでした。一方、400点ある生徒は英語でコミュニケーションを取れました。TOEICのシステムは英語力を計る完璧システムではありません。

英語を含め全ての言語においてトレーニングの一番大事な目的はコミュニケーションです。クラスルームで生徒さんたちは賑やかにターゲットの言葉や文法を使う方がいい。それの方が生産的です。先生より、生徒たちの声を聞いた方がいいです。今、日本の英語力ランキングは全世界で８７番です（リンク先）。もし学生の頃から、テスト中心の学習を辞めたら、チェンジできます。先生は、大人を教える時、一生懸命スピーキングする機会をつくらなければなりません。でも会話だけでは生産的ではありません。いつもレッスンでは役に立つの情報を教える事が大切です。

もちろんテスト全てが悪いわけではありません。勉強のモチベーションを作れるためは単語すごく学ぶ人もいます。その上、会社は絶対英語のレベルを計る事は必要で。英語のレッスンを受ける事はもちろんコストが掛かるためマネージャーは生徒の英語力を知る必要があります。でも今のテストシステムは十分ではありません、もっと正確なテストがどの方法がベストなのかまだわかりません。いつも考えています。自分の力でクラスではたくさんのコミュニケーションチャンスを作っています。

Chat GPT for language positive points

I posted a few times about why I felt it was dangerous to rely too much on ChatGPT for your English needs in business (here and here). I also allowed ChatGPT itself to counterpoint, teaching us some of its positive points. But I would not be a fair and impartial person if I didn't acknowledge some positive points.

It can work as a proofreader. You could copy your writing into the interface and ask it to proofread. If you ask it to preserve your own words as much as possible it could be a win-win.

It could take care of some routine communication that is not vital or involving company secrets.

If you feel your business partner is sending you ChatGPT e-mails, why not return the favor?

It can keep you company if you work alone or at home. Have a fun chat with it.

I still feel it is important to stick to your own word when you are building a business connection or you need to deal with sensitive information. But I exist in the real world and understand that people will use it sometimes, much as they use Google Translate when they are short on time to write an e-mail. But always proofread it and make sure that ChatGPT is saying what you would like to be communicated on your behest.

Dragon Stew Teaching

When I was younger I really thought the story of Dragon Stew was quite clever, and the solution to the problem was so simple that it was genius!

If you don't know the story (and I may get a fact or two wrong as it has been years), the basic idea is that a King declared that he wanted to eat Dragon Stew and he tasked his people with catching a dragon. The dragon was caught and was getting prepped to be cooked in the stew. When it came down to the crucial moment, the dragon was desperate for his life and he talked the king into allowing him to cook a meal for him. He asked the king what he liked and he listened carefully and he used the information he had learned to make an absolutely delicious meal. The dragon managed to secure the job as the king's personal chef and he did so by listening every day and making exactly what the king wanted. Win/win. The dragon lived and the king got his 'dragon stew', though in the end that meant it was a stew made by a dragon. Apologies if I have mixed up some details of the story (let me know in the comments!).

Subconsciously, this has bled through into my philosophy as a teacher. There are, of course, non-negotiable staples that need to be in the classes I teach but beyond that, we need to know how we are going to please our students. How are we going to make our lesson time productive and useful for them? The answer is in their words, in their mannerisms in their consistent mistakes. Pay attention, take note and adapt your curriculum to those needs. Put aside your ego or the sense of entitlement your years of teaching affords you. We should always be developing and growing as teachers, this is how we keep our job and our lessons fresh.

On top of that, you can avoid being eaten. :-)

Enjoy every moment

I heard some sad news today. The kind of news that will dramatically alter the course of a long time friend's life. But without getting into specifics, a lot of soul searching comes from it. The takeaway is that we should make every effort to make the best of every moment of our life.

Say thank you to anyone who makes an effort. Tell your family you love them. Hug your kids. Pet your cat on the head when you pass her. Stop and smell a beautiful flower. Take a picture of that interesting scene you pass that leaves an impression on you. Most importantly, go after what you want.

If you want to learn a language. Do it. Do it properly. Do the boring memorization and then activate it. Make opportunities to speak in that language. Don't be shy. Help a stranger or join a social group. Stop worrying about being perfect and focus on improving your communication abilities.

Life is short. The little things we worry about, are they that big? Was it a big deal that you made a grammatical error when speaking? What does matter is the connections that we have made, the appreciation of life and satisfying our curiosity and desires.

Life is short and unpredictable. Be prepared to make the most of everything you experience.

Nominication for study?

For those unfamiliar with the expression 'nominication,' it is a Japanese portmanteau of the words 'nomu' meaning to drink and 'komyunike-shun' or communication in English. It refers to the phenomenon of enjoying communication over a drink and is a large part of Japanese culture.

Sometimes people I have met have mused over the idea of a lesson held while drinking to enjoy English communication. Overall my instinct has always been that this is an ineffective way to study, as the best way to take away results from an English lesson is through active involvement. This includes speaking and asking questions which we will achieve in a nominication- based lesson, but it also involves writing notes and clarity of mind to put together information and new language usage opportunities. I typically chuckle and say, 'good idea' because I know these spontaneous ideas rarely come to fruition.

That opinion is formed from the core of what I believe and how I plan my language lessons, but the problem is that there actually may be some benefit to such sessions. As a student of Japanese, early on I spent time making word lists, reviewing grammar points and writing out the same kanji (Japanese version of Chinese written characters) but I could barely communicate. Part of that problem was fear, but the other half was a lack of practice. It wasn't until I joined the local festival and a Bon Odori (traditional Japanese dance to honor the recently departed) called Enshu Dainenbutsu that I started to get some practice and grow my speaking skills. On top of this, my son started soccer and I took care of driving him and cheering for him, so I had many chances to interact with other parents. I discovered that after a couple of beers I was able to communicate more and it helped me make bigger steps in my speaking ability. A Time magazine article cites a research done by British and Dutch scientists where they concluded that there is a positive influence on foreign language skills after a few drinks (not too many!)

The reason is simple enough to imagine. When we are under the influence, we worry less and we speak more freely. By eliminating the overthinking factor, I found I could have longer conversations and activate words that I had thought I had forgotten. There is also room to experiment and, if we manage to ensure that we don't drink too much, we can stay aware of people's reactions and grow. I feel a reason why this can help is that language is more than math, more than science, there is an artistic element to it as well. The brain needs to grow on many different plains to increase our aptitude and confidence, which is such an important factor in reaching the next steps in communication.

So does this sway my hardliner opinion? A little. I still think structured lessons and practice are essential, especially in a business context. However students could separately enjoy the occasional session with a private teacher or language group which may help give the students a judgement free environment in which to practice their speaking capabilities. Even some classes I have taught like to have a seasonal party to relax and enjoy English communication, but a class still needs to be centered in a classroom with a pen or pencil in your hand.

What is a realistic target?

TOEIC. Japanese companies continue to use it as a measuring stick for English progress. I previously posted about the problems with TOEIC and how it falls short as a true measuring stick for English growth but without it, how does a company measure their staff's growth? If you have any ideas please feel free to put in the comments below!

What this means is that we will often be asked to support a company lesson that uses TOEIC to measure the training program's effectiveness in communication training. Though I will tell them that TOEIC is not an effective measuring stick, I still have to strategize around this hurdle. You see, a communication-based lesson focuses on different (and arguably more practical) skills than a TOEIC lesson. TOEIC is about building vocabulary through a strong reliance on listening or reading. We teach little traps students need to be aware of, or ways to improve the efficiency with which you complete the test (most students are unable to complete the entire test).

The sticky point is that a company will set a target or a bar for the students to achieve. I've seen a 70 point increase target, which I felt was reasonable in a year, but the next year I have seen that grow to 100 points. Sometimes setting the bar too high is de-motivating, in contrast if a student feels their target is more attainable, they might make a stronger effort. In my recent experience working in a company, I saw a 40-70 point growth as a positive result and rarely saw students see a 100 point increase. I have always tried to make English enjoyable and in some ways, self motivating, so I know that we can set a stricter training regimen, but I think the truly realistic bar is 70. If a company sets a 100 point jump over a year, they need to be open minded and possibly set up a secondary interview-based test to measure areas like response time, accuracy, comprehension, the ability to ask for repetition or the students' ability to make long answers.

This is my take on the situation, if anyone reads this and has another opinion, please let me know!