Hokudai/Cast 90: Drama and Dorama

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Choose Hokudai/Cast 90 to hear these notes.

First, if you download from iTunes there is a new mini-Hokudai/Cast called Cafe Hokudai. Just a little light jazz for your listening pleasure. With a few distorted pictures to look at on your iPod.

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In Japanese 演劇 (engeki) means drama when you mean plays on the stage such as Shakespeare plays. If you mean drama on TV, the Japanese word is borrowed from English and it is ドラマ (dorama). There are many ドラマ on Japanese TV and many of them star pop singers.

One feature of many radio stations is the radio dorama or audio drama. These are usually short - sometimes less than 10 minutes - and often involve few speaking parts. Recently, radio dramas in Japan are used to build an audience for anime movies that come out a few months after the radio drama. (Anime is shortened from another word borrowed from English: animation but now it has its own meaning: Japanese animation.)

Anime is so big that the number of people who are voice actors grows every year. Voice actors in Japan are big stars. In Japanese they are called 声優 (seiyu). 声 is voice and 優 (yu) is actor. A male actor is a 男優 while a female actor is a 女優. (Male = 男; female = 女 )

Besides 演劇 and ドラマ, there are the traditional plays of Japan: 文楽 (Bunraku), 能 (Noh) and 歌舞伎 (Kabuki). By far the most popular are, of course, TV dramas staring pop singers.

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Hokudai/Cast: Your fun-service podcast for learning Japanese, English, and Chinese.

See Kanazawa And Three Ways to Speak English

What is Kanazawa? Click and see.

What does Hokuriku University look like? Click and see!

Three Simple Steps on How to Improve Your English Speaking Ability

• Find what you need.
• Practice what you find.
• Use what you practice.

Easy. You must practice and use your English more than once a week. Everyday is best.

Email us at Hokudai/Cast (at) gmail.com
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Hokudai/Cast: Your fun-service podcast for learning Japanese, English, and Chinese.

Hokudai/Cast 26: One-Minute Drama

Click here to hear Hokudai/Cast 26!

Good morning one and all. Hokudai/Cast 26 is up and running at Hokudai/Cast.net. It has something new: One-minute dramas; skits written and performed by Hokuriku University students about ghosts, car accidents, and strange people who take your drinks. Please listen and enjoy.

Today's Learning Tip ~ These two are obvious. Many people think grammar exercises in a textbook will lead them to being better speakers or writers. However,

1. If you want to learn to speak English, Chinese, or Japanese you must speak English, Chinese, or Japanese. Practice making the noise of language with your mouth. (Each language uses different muscles in your head - you have to exercise them just as you exercise the rest of your body.) Practice speaking the words you want to say.

2. If you want to learn to write English, Chinese, or Japanese you must write English, Chinese, or Japanese. Practice writing everyday (or often). Practice writing the words, sentences, paragraphs and reports you want to write.

But how can I build my Vocabulary?
Write and speak about yourself! Write and about your hobby or what you are interested in. Write and speak about any topic you find interesting. If it's not interesting for you, you won't continue, you'll get bored, and you'll quit.

One problem with textbooks is they think they know what words you will need. They even give you a vocabulary list of important words! But if those words aren't important to you, you won't remember them and you won't use them. Build Your Own Vocabulary List!

On Hokudai/Cast 26 you will hear:

1. An interview in English and Japanese on the topic: Have you ever been to America?
   
   
2. A vocabulary lesson. Right after I said Build Your Own Vocabulary list, I give you one!
   
   
3. An Interview from California: About A Foreign Student in Riverside.
   
   
4. The Three One-Minute Dramas: The Strange Woman in a Bar, The Car Accident, and Beer-Drinking Ghost.
   

The music is "Beyond the Horizon" by Yum from GarageBand Users Club.

Email us at Hokudai/Cast (at) gmail.com

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Hokudai/Cast: Your fun-service podcast for learning Japanese, English, and Chinese.

My English Life 23-30 April

Hokudai/Cast: Your Fun-service podcast for learning Japanese, English, and Chinese.

Here is installment two of Haruka's Diary of her Life in England. It looks like she's settling in nicely in Bath.

23th April: This morning, I made a sandwich for lunch and I walked though Royal Victoria Park when I went to school. This day, I was walking, I saw a squirrel. I saw a wild squirrel for the first time, so I took a picture. When I arrived at University and talked with my classmates, I saw some new students. I was very surprised because almost all the students were Japanese students!! Five new students came to my class. All the students were Japanese. My class has 10 students including new students. Seven students are Japanese!! I made friends soon. They're good people.

After school, I got a student card and went to the city centre with my friends. We went window shopping and went to a photo shop to develop a lot of photographs. But when we arrived there, the shop was closed, so I'm going to go again tomorrow. After I left them. I went to the sports and leisure centre and heard about a street dance. Then I decided to get a dancing lesson and got a membership card.

24th April: This day was a rainy day. I don't really like rain... On the way to school, I met a new student. We went to school together and talked using English and Japanese. Today's class was interesting, too. After school, I went to the photo shop to develop lots of pictures, and I called my brother because he called me during my English lesson. I talked with my family for a long time. Then I came across a my classmate, Ladda, and we went to the bus station to go home. When we arrived there, I met Cecilia, the American student I live in the same house with, so we went home together.

25th April: After school, I went to the city centre with some classmates. I went to the photo shop to get a lot of photographs with my classmate, Asuka. I asked a member of staff, but my photographs hadn't been developed yet, so we returned to the meeting place. Nobody appeared, so we went our different ways. I bought pants and tank top to wear in the dancing lesson, and I went to the sports and leisure centre. I couldn't understand how to use a locker and when I received a lesson, I had to give the instructor a piece of paper. The lesson started at 5:20 and finished at 6:10. The street dance lesson was difficult for me, but it was very pleasant!! I'll go every Wednesday.

26th April: Today I went ice skating in Bristol. After school, I went to the bank to take out some money and went back home once. I ate some dinner and went to the city centre again. Then we got on a bus and left for Bristol. We arrived in Bristol at 8:30. We skated until 10:00. It was the first time I've been skating so I couldn't walk unless I held on to the side. After a while, I could walk without holding on to the side. But I could only walk slowly. I fell over 3 times. I was a little sore. I thought it was more difficult than the dancing lesson. When I got home, I couldn't walk properly.

27th April: I wore a dress I bought in this city because I was asked to by my classmates, then I wore my new high heels which I bought in Bath, too. The shoes didn't fit because I was wearing them for the first time. I injured my heels, so I went to the shoes shop and bought new shoes which is flat. It was easier to walk than before. I thought that I have to be careful about new shoes.

29th April: Today, I went to the city centre with my Japanese classmates, Kimika and Yuko. We met in front of McDonald's, and we ate lunch and talked there. We spent about 2 hours talking. Later, we walked through the streets and went shopping. It was fun!! Then we met other students, Ju Yeon, Jinny, and Asuka. They went to the library, and we went to Sainsbury's which is a big supermarket in Bath to buy something. Then we went home. This day, my host family went to a family birthday party. They said it was exciting!! I ate dinner and sent e-mail.

30th April: Today, my University started IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) classes. I didn't take a IELTS class, because I thought I didn't need to take this class. I took the same lesson as before. After school, I went to the computer room with my classmates and used the Internet. Then we talked about English life and our plans for this weekend. It was fun. Then we went home at 6:30. I went home with my classmates, Yuko and Eriko and we talked about lots of things. When I arrived home, my host mother was already sleeping because she had a cold, so I ate dinner alone, watched TV and did my homework.

My English life 12-22, April

A special study abroad diary from Haruka in Bath, England! It is interesting to note that she is using British spellings (centre vs center) and the British way of writing the date (12 April vs April 12). Haruka learns very quickly!

On 12th April, I went Narita International Airport with my mother and grandmother. I got on a plane to Heathrow; it took about 12 hours. I went Padindon by train, and left that from Bath. It took 1 and a half hours by train. It was very hard for me. After I arrived at Bath Station, I took a taxi and went to my host family's house. When I arrived there, I was very tired and went to bed early.

13th April. After I woke up, I talked with host family. My host family is a single mother. She has a daughter named Madison. She will become 3 years old this summer. She is cute but very powerful girl!! She has a small house to have some toys in the garden. I played with her with a ball. Later, I ate dinner. I heard English food was not good, but my host mother's meal was delicious!! I went to bed about 10:00.

14th April. I went to the bus station which is near my house with Madison and her grandmother. It took about 5 minutes. It's very close!! Later, I played with Madison.

15th April. I went to the city centre alone. Then I took a bus for a first time. I couldn't understand how to ride, so I was confused. I managed to arrive at the city centre and went window shopping. I bought some clothes and accessories.

I went the rounds of the city centre. Bath has lots of hills, so I was tired. Later, I returned home and talked with host mother, Hayley. I couldn't speak well and couldn't understand her completely. Since I came here, I have managed to speak in English, but I have a small vocabulary, so I often stop talking. This thing was very regrettable.

16th April. Bath Spa University started. I took a test and an interview. The test's style was multiple choice. Later, I had a tour of Bath Spa University with some classmates. I was worried about making friends, but I didn't need to worry. I could speak with some students and ate lunch. But in the afternoon class all the students spoke English well except for me. I felt down a little.

The next day, I changed class. I was relieved because I thought I could take a lesson at a slow pace. I became friends soon in my new class. I don't speak English well yet, so it is very hard for me. I found it hard to remember the names of my classmates.

18th April. I am used to my class. I thought this university's lesson is intelligible to me and useful. I couldn't speak well but I could understand more words than before. My course has three Japanese, but we have talked using English. Sometimes during talking, we came to a deadlock, then we use English a little. I thought this was very important thing because if we spoke Japanese often, we wouldn't learn anything.

20th April. This day was my teacher, Cal's , so we prepared for the party after the 1st lesson. Then a surprise party started. Cal was very surprised and pleased. I was happy, too because she was pleased. We took some pictures, drank champagne and ate cake and sweets.

After school, I went the city centre with my classmates and located Pizza Hut. This Sunday, my classmates will be in a football game. We're going to met in front of Pizza Hut, but some classmates and I didn't know where it was, so we went to find it. Then we went to the post office. I sent postcard to my friend. Later, we drank coffee and talked. We parted and I went back home with my classmate, Asuka. We use the same road on our way home and at this point I knew our houses were very near.

My host mother worked late, so I ate dinner alone and talked with Cecilia who is an American student who lives with us.

The next day, I had free time. I used the Internet and played with Madison.

22th April. I woke up at 6:00 and called my friend in Japan. I reassured myself about her because I haven't contacted with her recently. After breakfast, I did my homework. Then I left my house for Pizza Hut. We got on a bus and went to a stadium. When we arrived at the stadium, the players were practicing. At 2:30, the football game kicked off. My three classmates tried their best. We cheered, too. Their team won 3-0. We were so excited. Afterwards we took some pictures. This day's game will be a good memory.

Haruka

Hokudai/Cast 23: Japanese in China and Tennis at 北陸大学

This Hokudai/Cast has two interivews, one song, and lasts about 7 minutes.

First, Masumi, our interviewer in China, interviews a Chinese woman who studies Japanese. She will be coming to Hokuriku University next year to continue her studies. They conduct their interview completely in Japanese, so please listen.

Next, Seki interviews a tennis club member about the tennis club. They hold their interview first in English and then in Japanese.

Finally, the music is "Beyond the Horizon" by Yum and is found at the garage band users club at gbuc.net.

Please enjoy!

Where are we?

Where is Hokuriku University? Go to Google Maps and Practice your Japanese. 北陸 is Hokuriku. What's it mean? Hoku (北) means 'north' and riku (陸) means 'land' or 'area' or 'continent.' In our case it means 'land,' I believe. 大学 is University. (大) means 'big' and (学) means 'learning' or 'study.'

Also, we have a new wiki: Mirai~Sozo: The Wiki. Come and learn, come and contribute.

Please enjoy yourself.

Contact us at hokudaicast (at) gmail.com

Hokudai/Cast 22: Studying in China

School starts tomorrow!
Lots of students are running around campus buying books, finding classrooms, and meeting old friends. That means Hokudai/Cast will come out more often soon.

Hokuriku University students will interview lots of people, we'll have more English, Chinese, and Japanese lessons, and, hopefully, you'll have a good time listening to it all.

Hokudai/Cast 22 is quick interview from China. Masumi is in China studying English and Chinese. She'll be there for a year and in this interview she talks to another Hokuriku University student who decided to improve her English and learn Chinese at the same time.

Listen to this week's Hokudai/Cast by clicking here or on the title above. Thanks.

To see a list of Hokuriku University's sister universities where students study, click here.

The great exciting music is "Beyond the Horizon" by Yum from the Garage Band Users Club at gbuc.net.

See our poorly designed website at Hokudai/Cast.

Contact us at hokudaicast@gmail.com

Hokudai/Cast 21: Learn to Speak a Foreign Language

Today's Hokudai/Cast features seven people talking about how to learn to speak a foreign language. While reading and understanding spoken foreign languages is important, I think we all want to be able to express ourselves by speaking. How do people learn to speak a foreign lanaguge? These seven people will tell you how they did it.

• Three students tell how they have learned to speak English; one has learned English and Japanese. All three are very good at English but here two speak Japanese.
• Three teachers also give advice on how to learn to speak a foreign language. One teacher speaks German, English, and Japanese; one teacher speaks Japanese and English and is learning Chinese, and one teacher speaks Japanese, English, and Russian. So pay attention to everyone.
• One administrator explains how he learned to speak Japanese (Hint: 海外実習.)

A New Feature for Hokudai/Cast is the 海外実習 Interview. Hokudai/Cast has six Hokuriku University students studying in three different countries on 海外実習 – Australia, the United States, and China. They are going to send interviews from those countries.
Today we have our first 海外実習Interview: Masumi interviews Tony, a Chinese student studying English in China.

Finally, a little Japanese study for those of us who have a little Japanese.


Today's music is by Yum (from Kanazawa) and it's called "Beyond the Horizon" from GarageBand Users Club at gbuc.net

Hokudai/Cast 20: Short, Sweet, and Sumo Sisters

A nice short and sweet Hokudai/Cast today from the School of Future Learning (未来創造学部) at Hokuriku University. (北陸大学) Three main parts:

• George speaks Spanish (スペイン語) to a Spaniard and teaches you how to say, "Hello, how are you?" in Spanish.
• A Hokuriku University student who is going to study English, dance, and singing in Riverside, California gives us her self-introduction and sings a short snippet of a song.
• Part Two of our interview with a graduate of Hokuriku University who is now the head Buddhist priest at Intokuji in Kanazawa.

Also, check out the newly, sort of, updated iWeb site for Hokudai/Cast.

All of Hokuriku University's excellent students have rushed off to their various Spring vacation (春休み) destinations. Many are going to spend from six months to a year in Australia, the United States, China, and England. Hokuriku University has a great Study Abroad (海外実習) program and they are taking advantage of it to improve their English, singing, dancing, and inter-cultural skills.

The music is "I Want to Wrestle You" by the Sumo Sisters. (Words by jajoi & jesushairdo, Music by Jesushairdo - who has some interesting music himself.) You can find the Sumo Sisters and many other great musicians at Podsafe Music Network.

Hokudai/Cast 19: Studying Abroad & A Priest

Hokuriku University has exchange programs (海外自習 in Japanese) in nine different countries. Five are designed for language study (England, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and China,) while four are more for culture and international studies (Korea, Spain, Mongolia and Germany). Students can study English or culture and they can stay from about 10 days to one year. The newest exchange program is in China where students can study English in China.

On today's Hokudai/Cast we interview two students who are going to spend a year in another country studying English and/or Chinese. One student is hurrying off to China to study both English and Chinese while another one is going to Australia to study English and dance.

(When you go to Hokuriku University's website you will see a woman standing in the middle of a cafeteria. That woman is Hitomitoi, the singer for Hokuriku's song "Daylight" We talked about her in Hokudai/Cast 15, which isn't on this blog, but click on the title back there. Please listen and we hope you enjoy it.)

In Hokudai/Cast 19 we have Another Interview with Another Buddhist Priest Part One. (Are we pushing religion here? No. Read on.) In 2005 a Hokuriku University student's father died and he had to fill his deceased father's shoes as the priest for a Buddhist temple. Now, at 24, he is running the temple, Intokuji. 因徳寺 in Japanese. Here is the only website I could find for　困徳寺. You'll see the Higashihonganji 750th mark.)He gave us an interview and this is Part One. The temple has been his family's responsibility for 450 years! He speaks in both English and Japanese.

Music on Hokudai/Cast 19 is provided by Mayu with her bass-heavy song "Something You Want."

Don't forget to enjoy Hokudai/Cast 19 and visit the Hokudai/Cast website.

Hokudai/Cast 18: Russia and Australia

This Hokudai/Cast has two interviews. The second one is with a Russian woman, Masha, and the first one is with an Australian man, Justin. Justin works at Hokuriku University in the International Affairs office while Masha is doing research into the Japanese language (敬語). Masha speaks three languages (Japanese, which you will hear in her interview, English, which she speaks a little in the interview, and, of course, Russian.) Justin speaks, as far as I can tell, two languages (Japanese, which he speaks in the interview) and English, (which he also speaks in the interview.) and plays the shakuhachi.

The music is by John Devitt, who lives in the Netherlands and Mayu, who is Japanese. I'm not sure where she lives.

Hokudai/Cast 17: Part Two of our Interview with a Zen Priest

This is Part Two of our Zen priest interview. He explains what zen priests know that ordinary people don't know. He also explains why he chose to become a priest. Again, he speaks in Japanese and we translate it into Chinese and Japanese.

This is the end of the academic year in Japan; it runs from April to February (early February) so all the students are running off to their spring vacation jobs. Yes, Spring vacation. In February. This is called spring because they'll be coming back to school in April, which is most definitely in Spring. (Winter vacation is in late December to early January.)

So, we interviewed a bunch of students about their school and their improving English skills.

Please listen to Hokudai/Cast 17 and enjoy. And visit the Hokudai/Cast website.

Hokudai/Cast 16: Part One of our Interview with a Zen Priest.

This is the first part of a series of interviews with a Zen Buddhist priest (he speaks only Japanese but we translate into Chinese and English. We went to the temple - Daijoji in Kanazawa - and he talked with us for about an hour. Daijoji - in Japanese: 大乗寺 - is famous because 1. it is very old and 2. it is where the rich and famous of the Edo and Meiji eras are interned. Buried. Maeda Toshiie, the most famous and, at one point, the second most powerful man in Japan after the shogun (or emperor) has his grave in Daijoji.

The priest was interesting. He gets up every morning at 4:00 to do zazen, then reads the sutras for about an hour, then goes about the daily chores of taking care of the temple and studying Buddhism. He sleeps at 9:00. He became a Zen priest when he was 50 after a life of working as an ordinary businessman. Interesting person. Listen and enjoy, especially if you want to improve your Japanese.

You might have noticed we skipped a couple of podcasts. This is because We're Trying to Get Caught Up! We promise to work harder at maintaining this site. (Also, go to Hokudai/Cast to see all the podcasts and our comments.)

Here's a video - in Japanese - of the interview. Enjoy.

Please visit Hokudai/Cast 16 and enjoy.

Hokudai/Cast 12: Jessica's Tip on Language Learning

We interview Jessica about her life in Japan. She sings a little song, too, so we can learn how to say "I'm hungry" in two languages (Chinese and Japanese.)

Hokudai/Cast 13: Music and Language

A rock band plays at the Hokuriku University school festival! Jessica gives us a very valuable tip on how to learn Any Foreign language! We have a great Three Language Lesson again!

Please listen, learn, and enjoy!
Go to the Hokudai/Cast website.

Hokudai/Cast 11: High School Students

After our summer vacation here at Hokuriku University, it took awhile for us to get back up and running.
However! Yes!
However, we have a great show for you all. First, students from Tatsumigaoka High School - in Kanazawa - will Thrill you! With their Great English.

Followed by a great Japanese-English-Chinese lesson.

Then we have an Interview with a Vancouver, BC area elementary school teacher (who will teach us how to say a few words in Cantonese.) All fun, all exciting. Please listen!

Run over to our Hokudai/Cast website, too, and check things out.

Hokudai/Cast 10: About Kanazawa

This Hokudai/Cast introduces a little about Kanazawa and three famous people from Kanazawa, including a world-famous baseball player who now lives in New York City! The other two are a Buddhist scholar who helped introduce Buddhism to the US in the 50s and an engineer who built irrigation ditches in Taiwan in the 30s.

I happened to run across a group of high school students who were taking a class for high school students at Hokuriku University, so I recorded them answering my boring teacher-esque questions.

Thanks for listening.

Check out our Hokudai/Cast website, too.

The music is "The Woman God Can't Create" by Cafe 401 from podsafeaudio.com. Also, various noises are from Free Sound.

Hokudai/Cast 9: Festivals in Japan

Jessica and I talk about two festivals in Japan, both involving fire, fireworks, and a smidge of danger. Jessica likes a festival in Wajima, Japan while I like one in Nagasaki called Shoronagashi. Here's a picture of a small float in a Shoronagashi festival in Sasebo, which, while in Nagasaki Prefecture is not Nagasaki City.

Then Jessica tells me about a famous lover's leap in the neighboring prefecture. Actually, lover's leaps tend to be for solo jumping so she calls it a famous suicide spot. With ghosts!

Check out our Hokudai/Cast website, too.

Music is by "Kubasaki Ha'i" by Lejeune from podsafeaudio.com. Also, various noises are from Free Sound.

Hokudai/Cast 8: Exchange Students

In this Hokudai/Cast we interview three exchange students. One is from China and will study biology at Hokuriku University in the coming years. Two are from Russia and they hope to become translators in the near future.

The Russian women tell us about their hopes and dreams for the future and the Chinese woman talks about her future. All three speak in English.

However ...

We teach them some Chinese and they teach us some Russian. Very intriguing

Check out our Hokudai/Cast website, too.

Music is "Para Ruben" by Simpatico and“Low Tide" by Uma Floresta from podsafeaudio.com. Various noises are from Free Sound.