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Hi I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.
Today’s guest is Kealan. Kealan is from Sydney in Australia and he’s been staying here in Niseko this winter with his parents and his sister. It’s his third time in Japan. He snowboards and he can also speak a bit of Japanese. I asked him how he studies Japanese.
Ah, well mainly we can ... you have like Japanese for Busy People books. And we check, read ... like ... how we would say, ah, a phrase ... and then we would go check with the locals. And we learn a few phrases that actually help, like: これは何ですか？(kore wa nan desu ka?). So, that’s how we learn Japanese.
STICK NEWS
Kia Ora, in Stick News today, authorities in Syria have introduced new regulations to increase their control over internet use.
According to the Syrian Media Centre at least 153 internet sites are blocked in Syria including Facebook and YouTube.
The head of the centre says Syrians have been using forums to launch a counteroffensive against the government's curbs on public expression.
He said the forums provide a way for users to share information on how to bypass government blocking of sites through what is known as internet proxies.
Last year the government ordered internet sites based in Syria to provide the "clear identity and name" of those behind any article or comment they publish.
Now Reuters reports the government is extending the scope of its censorship.
This week Internet cafe owners were ordered to take down the names and identification cards of their clients as well as the times they come and leave.
"These steps are designed to terrorise internet users and spread fear and self censorship in violation of the right to privacy and free expression."
And that was Stick News for Monday the 17th of March.
Kia Ora
conversations with sarah
#413 What’s your dream for the future?
Step 1: Repeat Sarah’s lines.
Step 2: Read Sarah’s lines and talk to Kealan.
Sarah Have you studied any other languages?
Kealan Ah, I studied Indonesian when I was at, ah, in year two, but, nah, I prefer Japanese, it’s good fun to learn.
Sarah What countries have you been to?
Kealan Ah, we’ve been to many countries. We’ve been to Ireland, Indonesia. We’ve been to Japan, three times. And we’ve been to China. We’ve also been to Thailand, but that was just a stopover when we were travelling to go to Ireland.
Sarah Where has been the most interesting place?
Kealan Well, I like Japan, definitely. Mainly because we get to snowboard. And I like, ah, soba, the noodles and food. So it’s nice.
Sarah When did you start snowboarding?
Kealan Ah, I started last season. I was snowboarding for about four months. And then I started ... And then I’ve been ... This season I’ve done another about three months.So I’ve been snowboarding for about seven months.
Sarah Was it easy to learn?
Kealan Ah, yeah, it was .... very easy to learn, mainly because mum and dad also knew how to snowboard. So they gave us some guidance.
Sarah What do you do about school?
Kealan Ah, we do homeschooling, it’s where mum and dad teach us. So they put us down with a book and we have to read from it. Or, say, using the computer, we, ah, say use like ah ... 40 times 1 and things like that. And lots of questions. And algebra.
Sarah And you’ve also been to a regular school, haven’t you?
Kealan Yeah, I was in school up until year five and counting “cottage” which in one of my schools was like a little kindergarten.
Sarah What do you think are the advantages of homeschooling?
Kealan Well, I do get to learn a language a lot better. Say if I was in year seven, which I am, um if I was using, say, a teacher, or trying to practice, it would be a lot harder. Since I get to travel, I actually get to speak person to person to a natural person that really speaks that language, so it’s a lot easier. And I get to spend a lot more time with mum and dad. And I get to see more of the world.
Sarah Are there any disadvantages?
Kealan Ah, friends, but usually we get to meet some, ah, people round here, say in the caravan park. And, so that’s where ... friends must be the worst ... out of them all.
Sarah Do you think the culture in Australia and Japan is very different?
Kealan Ah, it’s definitely a lot different. In Australia we wouldn’t even take off our shoes and walk in ... And, ah, the Japanese, ah, like to keep it a bit clean and then they have onsens and we have like private baths. So it’s a lot different in many ways.
Sarah Is there anything that really surprised you when you first came to Japan?
Kealan Well, definitely the toilets with the sprays. Ah, but that, that was basically all. And, ah, learning a different language was a bit of a surprise. I thought it would be a lot easier but it was a lot harder than I thought. But it’s good fun.
Sarah What’s your dream for the future?
Kealan Ah, well just basically just go with the flow and like ... just snowboard. It’s good fun. And have fun.
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music
show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site
qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
qa bgm
artist: Antony Raijekov
album: Jazz U
track: Deep blue 2005
from: Sofia, Bulgaria
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
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