休暇の過ごし方を話してみよう

Let's talk about how to spend your vacation.
休暇の過ごし方について話しています。
ゴールデンウィークやシルバーウィーク、年末年始休暇などの休暇にあなたが計画していることを話してみましょう。
Do you have any plans for the vacation?
 
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Best Teacherで実際に行われている直近のWritingレッスンです。
作成したスクリプトは講師により添削されます。
Do you have any plans for the vacation?

Nothing special, but I have some views about my ideal vacation.
First, I want to take days off on weekdays not on weekends and public holidays. Every charge tends to be higher than usual on holidays, and there would be crowded, so I would like not to suit my off to other's, though it may end up spending alone.
Second, I want to learn the game of go on my off. Understanding rules looks hard by reading, so I want to learn it by playing in a game against computer players many times if it is possible.

自然な表現

Nothing special, but I have some ideas about my ideal vacation.
First, I want to take days off on weekdays rather than on weekends or public holidays. Everything tends to cost more than usual on holidays, and places are usually crowded, so I would prefer not to match my days off with other people's even though I may end up spending the time alone.
Second, I want to learn to play Go on my days off. It seems difficult to understand the rules just by reading about them, so I want to learn    by playing against the computer many times many times if    possible.

1. “Views” usually means opinions about a subject. Here, the speaker is describing what they would like to do, so “ideas” is more natural.
2. “Rather than” clearly shows the preference for weekdays instead of weekends or public holidays.
3. “Or” is used because either weekends or public holidays are being excluded.
4. 5. “Charge” refers to a specific amount of money charged for a service. The speaker means that prices in general are higher, so “everything tends to cost more” is more natural.
6. “Crowded” is an adjective, so we need a noun or subject that can be crowded, such as “places.” We cannot say “there would be crowded.”
7. “Suit my off to other's” is not a natural English expression. “Match my days off with other people's” means arranging your free days to be at the same time as theirs.
8. “Even” was added to make the contrast stronger. The speaker prefers taking days off when other people are working, despite the possible result of spending the time alone. “Though” by itself is also correct, but “even though” emphasizes the contrast more clearly.
9. After “end up,” we use an “-ing” form, but the person doing the action must be clear. “I may end up spending the time alone” means the speaker might spend the vacation by themselves.
10. When talking about learning a game, “learn to play” is more natural. The board game is written “Go” with a capital letter.
11. The natural expression is “a day off” or “days off.” “My off” is not used this way.
12. “It seems difficult to...” is the natural way to say that something appears hard. We also say “understand the rules” and “by reading about them.”
13. In “learn by playing,” “by playing” explains the method of learning, so an object after “learn” is not necessary. “Learn it by playing” is also grammatically possible, but it sounds a little less natural here.
14. For a board game played digitally, “play against the computer” is the usual expression. “Computer players” could sound like people who play computer games.
15. Both are grammatical, but “if possible” is the more natural and concise expression here.
Wanting to travel on weekdays, when prices tend to be cheaper, makes a lot of sense. A couple of years ago, I also became fascinated with Go, having first come across it in a K-drama! I then took an online course to learn how to play it. What particularly attracts you to Go?

I like K-dramas, too! When I watched Queen Seondeok, I did one episode three times!
I want to go to Tokushima Prefecture belongs to Shikoku's island located in the southern part of Japan. There is an eddying tide said one of the world's three major tides.
Tokushima has also Otsuka Museum of Art where exhibits artworks painted on ceramic boards made by high skills. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has started to produce high quality tiles using sand of Tokushima. Ceramics stay it's color for hundreds years, so a picture baked on ceramic boards can preserve forever without changing their color.

自然な表現

I like K-dramas, too! When I watched Queen Seondeok, I did one episode three times!
I want to go to Tokushima Prefecture, which is on Shikoku, an island located in the southern part of Japan. There is a famous whirlpool there, that is said to be one of the world's three major tidal phenomena.
Tokushima also has the Otsuka Museum of Art where artworks are reproduced on ceramic boards using highly skilled techniques. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. started producing high-quality tiles using sand from Tokushima. Ceramics retain their color for hundreds of years, so a picture baked onto ceramic boards can be preserved for a very long time without their colors changing.

1. We say a place is “on” an island. “Belongs to Shikoku's island” is not natural English.
2. “Shikoku” is the name of the island itself, so we do not say “Shikoku's island.”
3. The phrase “an island located...” adds extra information about Shikoku.
4. “Eddying tide” is not the usual expression here. “Whirlpool” is the natural word for water moving rapidly in a circular motion. “There” makes it clear that the whirlpool is in Tokushima.
5. The correct structure is “be said to be...” when reporting what people commonly say about something.
6. “Tide” usually refers to the regular rise and fall of sea level, so “major tides” does not clearly describe a whirlpool. “Tidal phenomenon” is broader and means a natural event caused by the movement of the tides, which fits the whirlpool better.
7. 8. Also” normally comes before the main verb “has.” We also use “the” with the full name of the museum in this sentence.
9. “Where exhibits artworks” is missing a subject. Here, “artworks” is the subject. “Are reproduced” also describes more clearly that copies of artworks are created on ceramic boards.
10. We do not normally say something is made “by high skills.” “Using highly skilled techniques” means that a high level of skill is required to make them.
11. For a completed beginning in the past, “started producing” is more natural.
12. “High-quality” is a compound adjective before the noun “tiles,” so it is normally hyphenated.
13. “From” shows the origin or source of something.
14. “Retain their color” means “keep their color.” Also, “it's” means “it is,” while “its” is possessive. Because “ceramics” is plural here, we use “their.”
15. The correct expression is “hundreds of years.”
16. “Onto” emphasizes movement or transfer to a surface. Here, the image is transferred or applied to the ceramic board and then baked, so “onto” is more precise than “on.”
17. The picture does not “preserve” something itself; it “can be preserved.” This passive form means it can remain in good condition for a long time.
18. “Forever” means that something will last without ever ending, which is too absolute in this context. “For a very long time” is more accurate because ceramic artworks can last for many years, but we cannot say with certainty that they will last forever.
19. This structure clearly shows that the colors are what do not change.
K-dramas are indeed addictive! You have an amazing list of places you would like to visit. How about international travel? Have you ever been abroad? If so, which has been your favourite country to visit so far, and why? If not, which foreign country would you most like to visit in the future?

When I was ten years old, I lived in America with my family. I could not speak English after all, so I have thought that I want to speak English well.
I commuted to a local school, and we often went out far on weekends. I was tired and hoped to relax at home in the car.
My father likes art museums, we used to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
We went up in the Statue of Liberty taking long time, we played Japanese hand- gestures while waiting in line.

自然な表現

When I was ten years old, I lived in America with my family. I could not speak English at all, so since then, I have wanted to speak English well.
I commuted to a local school, and we often traveled quite far on weekends. I was often tired and hoped to relax at home while we were driving back.
My father likes art museums, so we used to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
We went up    the Statue of Liberty, which took a long time, we played Japanese hand games while waiting in line.

1. “At all” is used to emphasize a negative statement, so “could not speak English at all” means the speaker could not speak English whatsoever. “After all” has a different meaning and is usually used when giving a reason or referring to something that was already known.
2. 3. “Since then” shows that the feeling started at that time in childhood and has continued until now. “Have wanted” is therefore more natural than “have thought that I want.”
4. “Went out far” is not a natural expression. “Traveled quite far” clearly means that the family went to places that were a long distance away.
5. “Often” was added because the previous sentence says the family often traveled quite far on weekends, so the tiredness was probably something that happened repeatedly, not just once. It makes the connection between the two sentences clearer.
6. The original word order makes it sound as though “at home” and “in the car” describe the same place. “While we were driving back” makes it clear that the speaker was in the car and wanted to get home and rest.
7. The original has two complete clauses joined only by a comma. “So” clearly shows the connection: because the father likes art museums, the family visited them.
8. We normally say “go up” a building, tower, or monument when we mean going to a higher part of it. “In” is not needed here.
9. The natural expression is “take a long time.” “Which took a long time” adds information about the experience of going up the Statue of Liberty.
10. “Hand gestures” are movements used to communicate meaning. If the speaker means games played using the hands while waiting, “hand games” is more natural.
That sounds like such a memorable childhood experience! What was the name of the specific game you played while waiting at the Statue of Liberty?

I played Yankee Doodle and so on. Now, I searched for it online and know that it is America's folk songs, and kids are familiar with it widely though in different lyrics in Japan, and it became a game of hand-gestures.
Nowadays, it is nice for kids to watch videos on smart phones. In those days, I think people used cellphones or beepers. I feel like we should have played Japanese cat's cradle though I did not like it so much, we could not search online unlike now, or do not have books about it.

自然な表現

I played a hand game to ‘Yankee Doodle’ and other songs. I just searched for it online and learned that ’Yankee Doodle’ is an American folk song, and kids in Japan are widely familar with it, although it has different lyrics there, and it became a hand game.
Nowadays, it is convenient for kids to watch videos on smartphones. In those days, I think people used cellphones or beepers. I feel like we should have played Japanese cat's cradle though I did not like it very much. Unlike now, we could not search for instructions online, and we did not have any books about it.

1. Yankee Doodle” is a song, so simply saying “played Yankee Doodle” can sound as though the speaker played the music. Adding “a hand game to” makes it clear that the speaker means a hand game performed along with the song. “And other songs” is also clearer than “and so on.”
2. “Now” usually refers to the present moment, while “searched” is past tense. “Just” means “a short time ago,” so it fits naturally with the recent past action “searched.”
3. “Searched” and “learned” describe two completed actions: first the speaker searched, and then discovered the information. “Know” does not match the past-tense structure as naturally.
4. “Yankee Doodle” is one song, so we need the singular “song.” “American folk song” is the natural way to describe a traditional song from the United States.
5. “In Japan” was moved next to “kids” because it tells us which kids are being discussed. Placing it there makes the meaning clear immediately and avoids making “in Japan” sound like it only refers to the different lyrics.
6. “Widely” normally comes before “familiar” in this expression. “Widely familiar” means known by many people.
7. We say a song “has different lyrics.” “Although” introduces the contrast that the song is familiar in Japan, but the words are different.
8. “Hand game” is the more natural expression for a game played using hand movements. “Hand gestures” usually refers to movements used to communicate a meaning.
9. “Convenient” fits better because the idea is that children can easily access videos.
10. “Smartphone” is normally written as one word.
11. In negative sentences, “not ... very much” is generally more natural than “not ... so much” when talking about how much you liked something.
12. Putting “Unlike now” at the beginning makes the contrast with the present clearer.
13. Adding “for instructions” explains what the speaker would have searched for.
14. The sentence describes the past, so “do not have” must change to “did not have.” “We” was added because this part needs a clear subject; it refers to the speaker and the other children at that time. “And” is used because both things were true: they could not search online and they did not have books. “Any” is commonly used with negative sentences such as “did not have” to mean “not even one” or “no books at all.”
It’s fascinating how different childhood entertainment was before smartphones and the internet. Playing hand games while waiting in line sounds like a fun way to pass the time. I also like your idea of playing cat’s cradle. What other things from your childhood do you remember enjoying before smartphones became common?

In my childhood, I played drawing pictures and board games with my friends.
Exchanging stickers among girls was popular in my childhood but also likely these days in Japan. Putting stickers on their notebooks and trade them with friends, stickers disappeared from stores, and resale became a topic.
Later, I exchanged purikura -Japanese photo sticker- in my teenager, but it would not be popular in the period where people upload their videos each other on SNS.
However, pointing to the person taken in purikura and people talk about who this is, it may be common to be interested in persons.

自然な表現

In my childhood, I drew pictures and played board games with my friends.
Exchanging stickers among girls was popular when I was a child, and it still seems to be popular these days in Japan. Girls put stickers on their notebooks and trade them with friends. Stickers have even sold out in stores, and reselling them has become a topic of discussion.
Later, when I was a teenager, I exchanged purikura, or Japanese photo stickers, but it may not be as popular now, when people upload and share their videos with each other on social media.
However, people sometimes point to someone in a purikura photo, and ask who they are, I think it is common for people to be interested in other people.

1. We can “play board games,” but we do not say “play drawing pictures.” For the activity of making pictures, we simply say “draw pictures.”
2. “In my childhood” is grammatically possible, but “when I was a child” sounds more natural in everyday conversation.
3. “Likely” normally means “probably,” so it cannot directly mean that something remains popular. “Still seems to be popular” means that the activity appears to continue to be popular now.
4. The original needs a clear subject and matching verb forms. “Girls” tells us who performs the actions, and “put” and “trade” are parallel verb forms.
5. If the meaning is that stores had no stickers left because people bought them, “sold out” is the natural expression. “Disappeared from stores” could sound as though stores simply stopped carrying them.
6. “A topic of discussion” clearly means something that people have been talking about. “Reselling them” also makes clear what is being resold.
7. “Teenager” refers to a person, so we say “when I was a teenager.” We cannot say “in my teenager.”
8. Or” can be used to introduce an explanation of an unfamiliar word. “Photo stickers” is plural because purikura generally refers to this type of photo sticker rather than one individual sticker.
9. “Would not be popular” sounds hypothetical. The speaker is talking about the present situation, so “may not be as popular now” expresses uncertainty about its current popularity.
10. Since the speaker means the present time, “now, when...” is simpler and more natural. “Where” normally refers to a place, not a period of time.
11. 12. “Each other” needs a preposition here: “with each other.” Adding “share” also makes the idea clearer because people are showing their videos to other people.
13. SNS” is commonly used in Japan, but “social media” is much more widely used and natural in English.
14. “People” was added to give the sentence a clear subject, because “pointing” by itself does not form a complete sentence here. “Sometimes” was added because the speaker is describing something that happens on some occasions, not something people always do.
15. We normally say a person is “in a photo.” “Someone” also sounds more natural when the person has not been identified yet.
16. When people point to a person in a photo because they want to identify them, “ask who they are” expresses the meaning more directly.
17. “I think” was added because the speaker is giving a personal opinion or impression, not stating a definite fact. “Persons” is quite formal and is usually used in legal or official contexts, while “people” is more natural in everyday conversation. “It is common for people to...” is also the natural grammatical structure here.
  • plan(計画)
  • sightseeing(観光)
  • relaxation(リラックス)
  • booking(予約する)
  • 2 days and 3 nights(2泊3日)
  • I will be traveling to Kyoto for two days and three nights.(2泊3日で京都に行く予定です。)
  • I am planning a trip abroad.(海外旅行を計画しています。)
  • Are you planning to go somewhere?(どこかへ行く予定はありますか?)
  • I plan to go to the outlet mall and do some shopping.(アウトレットに行って買い物をする予定です。)
  • I plan to go to a hot spring to relax.(温泉に行ってリラックスする予定です。)

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