At imagine* we offer a variety of textbooks and learning materials to our members. We think it’s important for people to able to choose what, and how, they want to study for themselves. Whenever possible, we also like to use real resources. This might be a magazine or newspaper article, a recipe, a website, or a clip from a TV show on You Tube.

Using real English language materials like these can be a challenge, but it’s an excellent way to judge your progress – and you are more likely to find something that really interests you. If there is anything in particular you would like us to help you with, let us know – we’re always looking for new materials. In the meantime, here are some links to authentic resources we have used in our lessons recently:

1) Video Jug is website full of “How to…” guides. In this lesson we helped a member with his Italian cooking:
Videojug on youtube

2) For a lesson about describing homes, the singer Joss Stone helped our member with household vocabulary:
Joss Stone – MTV Cribs on youtube

3) Some of our members are very interested in English football. This website helps us keep up to date:
BBC SPORT | Football

Some people love it, other people can’t stand it but the rule remains the same: Christmas dinner is not Christmas dinner without Christmas pudding for dessert. This annual dish has a long list of ingredients including raisins, sultanas, currants and lots of brandy. It should be served with either brandy sauce or brandy butter and a sprig of holly on top for decoration. Sometimes, the cook will add some money to the mixture when they are making the pudding and if you’re lucky, you might get a coin in your serving (but remember to eat carefully as you may end up cracking your tooth!). Finally, as the Christmas pudding is presented to the table, the lights are dimmed, more brandy is poured over the top and then lit with a match. The flaming pudding is then given a round of applause and then (at last!) it is time to eat. Yep – it’s true, Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without this funny little pud!

野田凉美さんの展示に伴い先週12月7日の日曜日午後にパーティを行いました。作品に合わせて「ドレスコード：黄色」と伝えていたので、みんなそれぞれに黄色を身につけて来てくださいました。御陰さまで今回もたくさんの方々にお越し頂き大盛況に終わりました。ありがとうございました。

食べ物も黄色のものを用意したいという野田さんのご提案から、黄色の人参、パプリカ、トマト、黄色いラベルのお菓子など用意しました。作品を見られた方から黄色は暖かみを感じる等のコメントをお聞きし、今まで意識したことがなかった「黄色」が感じられた一日でした。

When I was young I wanted to live in a treehouse. I think I liked the idea of having my own base high above the everyday world on the ground. I would be able to watch the comings and goings down below, and swing through the trees on my way to school. Finding this website of green (environmentally friendly) treehouses has reminded me of that. It shows new designs from all over the world. Some of them are a little strange (especially the one in Okinawa), while others are truly inspirational. Trees are the ‘mansions’ of the future!

See more images:
In pictures: The best green treehouse designs | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Elbow are a band from Manchester in the UK. Their last album ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ won the Mercury Music Prize (the top award for new British music). Here is a link to the video of their song ‘One Day Like This’. I like the song because it’s uplifting. The video is a little out of the ordinary, but for me at least it’s powerful and life affirming. See what you think.

今年最後の展示替えのための搬入作業を行いました。今回の作家さんは、野田凉美さんです。展示するほぼ全ての作品が黄色です。だから来週行うパーティのドレスコードは黄色なんです。一番目を引くドレスの展示はスカート部分を奇麗に丸く作るのに時間がかかりましたが、後はスムーズに進み無事展示終了。近くで作品を見ていくと、ひとつひとつ手作りなのに本当に感動します。今年4回目の展示替えとなりますが、ペイント・写真・オブジェとそれぞれ全然違った空間ができて私たちも本当に楽しませてもらいました。これからも様々な作家さんの作品を紹介できるよう英会話教室と併用で運営していければいいなと願います。

I can’t believe how time flies! It seems like only yesterday when we were opening our school (in fact it was last March), and now it’s nearly Christmas! It’s been a great year. I’ve met lots of new people and made some good friends. Ed and I moved to Ashiya last May so it’s been fun settling into a new city and a new routine. Ashiya is a very nice place to live, quiet but not too quiet! Also, it’s in an excellent location – in between Kobe and Osaka and next to the mountains and the sea – perfect! Our family will be spending Christmas and New Year in Japan so we’re looking forward to seeing them and showing them around. I wonder if it will snow soon? It would be so nice to have a white Christmas! I hope you all have a lovely break this New Year; relax, have fun and all the very best for 2009!