Ho, ho, ho! Santa came to town

マンションのコミュニティールームでクリスマス会がありました。ゲストにTower Englishが呼ばれ、サンタ姿でバスに乗り、駅を渡り会場へ。75人の素敵な子供達に囲まれ、とても楽しい一日でした。お世話になったスタッフの皆様、ありがとうございました。

Tower English was lucky to join Santa at two Christmas parties at an Abiko mansion this morning. Here - Mr and Mrs Claus entertain 15 babies and 60 toddlers. For more pictures, click here, Merry Christmas!

ドレスアップ

Walking to the party.

無事にHalloween Partyが終了しました。素敵なコスチュームを用意してくれたママたち、ありがとう、そしてお疲れさまでした。子供たちはとっても喜んでいました。「ここにリボンがついているの」「ここにカボチャがあるんだよ」ってたくさんの子供たちが着ている衣装の説明もしてくれて。。。いい思い出になった事と思います。自宅から１６人の子供たちとハロウィーンの衣装でゾロゾロとスタジオへ向かいました。それがとってもかわいらしかったので、来年は会場まで仮装行列も追加しても面白いかもしれませんね。Christmas Season is coming up!さぁ今度はクリスマスですね。１２月２３日（火）にプレイグループ０〜３才児用のChristmas PartyとTower Englishの生徒さん用にChristmas Showを企画します。現在Mr&Mrs Sherriffのオリジナル脚本を作成中。ご家族の方に素敵なShowをお見せできるように子供たちにも頑張ってもらいますね。２３日は空けておいて頂けると幸いです。

After the party.

Halloween Party for bigger kids... in pictures

Many thanks to Atsuko Ishihara for these great pictures.

Halloween playgroup - in pictures and a poem

Halloween, what did it mean? A photo opportunity,

A cheerful Jack o' lantern...

Cats reflected,

 

A little pig and a wolf, 

Starry eyes, 

Trident toddler,

Witches' cackle,

Princesses (a few),

Plus Wakana and Emma too.

Happy Halloween!

Mr Sherriff and the mothers and toddlers who came to the Halloween Party this morning. We have many more pictures, we'll put them on the internet soon, but first, we have to get ready for the next party for older kids this afternoon. Happy Halloween!

Anglo-German-Japanese summit

The other day I was lucky enough to have a cup of tea and a chat with Meg (pictured left) the daughter of one of my students, Taiko (right) who pops in for a lesson between trips to the coffee shops of Abiko and her allotment. Meg was on a flying visit back home, she usually lives in Germany with her German husband and we all three talked about the differences between Germany, Japan and England and compared notes about learning languages and dealing with life in a different country, culture and language. Here is what we concluded:

• We should encourage children to be multi-lingual. It is very difficult for adults to learn new languages, but children can easily handle two or three or more, kids are naturally language sponges. My children know to speak English to me and Japanese to their mother, and that causes them no trouble.
• If Meg starts a family she has a great opportunity to pass on three languages: Japanese when she is alone with her kids, German when her husband is in charge of the nappies and English when all are present together (Meg and her husband, Robbie, speak English together).
• Don't listen to people (who only speak one language) who will tell you that Japanese, German or English is "such a difficult language" that you should teach your kids only one... nonsense. If you use only one, it will be too late for the other languages.
• Re-enforce the minority language. If Meg stays in Germany, she should focus on exposing her kids to as much Japanese and Japanese culture as possible. Equally, if she should move back to Japan, she should change focus to re-enforce German, as the minority language.
• Dictionaries and patience are vital in a multi-lingual relationship. I used to know a Chinese lady married to a German man, and they lived in England. They spoke English together, but when they argued they needed four dictionaries. He would call her something in German. He would have to look it up in a German-to-English dictionary, then she would have to look what he had said in an English-to-Cantonese dictionary, then think of a response, translate it in the Cantonese-to-English dictionary, then he would have to look it up in the English-to-German dictionary. Much easier just to not argue (but less educational).
• As cultures mix, so does your food. A German sweet white wine goes well with sushi. Ton-katsu and chips go well together. My favourite meal is marbu-tofu followed by apple crumble. 

Halloween Party coming up! ＜完全予約制＞

いよいよ今週はHalloween Party。３１日（金）１０：００〜はプレイグループの子供達４９人が集合する。仮装してくる子たちもたくさんいるので、とっても楽しみにしています。そして同日１７：００〜は幼稚園児から小６までの子供達が６０人勢揃いする予定。友達を連れてきたいと言う子供達のリクエストに応えて大人数になりました。なかなかいいゲームができると思います。楽しみにしていてください！！