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[download podcast 41]
File size: 11.50mb Duration: 28:30

Hey … it’s show number 41! In this lesson, you’ll find:

• Meet Fred! We play a little game called ‘Finish the Sentence.’

• In our language segment, you’ll learn how to thank someone for helping you with something: Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it. Thanks for helping me with my homework.
• Also, learn about the saying, ‘No pain, no gain‘ and idioms: Give it your best shot. I’ll give it a shot.

Please write your comments under this post. Did you like the lesson? Was it helpful? Any suggestions?Thanks for listening to the English Teacher John Show.

[go to: video page | transcript part 1 | audio/podcast page ]

Video (Part 2) Duration: 6:00

Charlie: Well, you’ll have to ask her yourself about how she feels, ’cause I don’t know. She probably has feelings one day which are good, and on the other day they’re not so good. But I think she’s generally happy that I’m doing what I want to do. And she’s doing what she wants to do, and I’m always happy to see that in her daily life, and the choices that she makes. Not seeing her for a long time is something that is just going to be different from last year.

Not better, not worse – it’s just going to be different. In fact, every year we’ve been together, things have changed, our situation, living arrangements, the town that we live in, the friends we have, etc., so it’s always good to kind of renew or change or kind of refresh your relationship – for some people – with different living circumstances. And this is just going to be another one of those chapters in our life. Yeah.

John: So she’s supportive. That’s great.
Charlie: Yeah, she says if I take more than one day other than planned, she’s going to find a new fella.
John: Oh, so you – one year, and one year only.
Charlie: Yep, yep. I’ve got to be quick, that last day – [whistling] – I’ve got a real push to make.
John: You have a deadline.
Charlie: I’ve got a deadline .
John: You have the cell phone – the keitai, we call it in Japanese – to – you guys’ll be talking sometimes.
Charlie: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, she might get a videophone too, and that’ll be fun. That’ll be fun.
John: Well, nice. Well, Charlie, this is – I think – I really appreciate bringing you on here and taking the time to come here. It’s our very first Adventure Pod English, and your adventure sounds great. What I like about it is it’s educational, the language and learning about WWOOF – this series of network of organic farms – it’s an adventure as well as an educational experience. And hopefully we’ll share – you will share, I’m sure, I know you – you’ll share what you learned in the future, after you get back.
Charlie: One more thing I wanted to say about this. As well as education and adventure and all of these things, if anything, I’d like the trip to be some kind of a motivation for people who have dreams to make the necessary steps to achieve them. So nothing really is impossible in life. So if you have the chance to do what you want to do, then that’s just fantastic, and I just hope it inspires people in that way, more than in any way – any other way.
John: Oh, that’s great, Charlie. I think – we wish you the best of luck and I really look forward – I appreciate the friendship that we’ve had – the bicycling and going out and doing things together. And I wish you the best of luck, and I look forward to hearing your updates and how you’re doing on the road, what you’re learning, and please keep in touch. Send us some photos and audio-video, and we’ll share it to the listeners and the viewers. And I think we could all learn something from Charlie’s adventure – his educational adventure. So, Charlie – best of luck!
Charlie: Thanks very much.
John: And thanks for coming with us today, and talking to us.

[go to: video page | transcript part 1 | audio/podcast page ]

[go to: video page | transcript part 2 | audio/podcast page ]
Video (Part 1) Duration: 13:01

John: All right, everybody, welcome. This is the very first Adventure Pod English. My name is John – some people call me English Teacher John – and today we have a wonderful interview. This is our opening show, and we’re very happy to have my good friend Charlie. How are you doing?
Charlie: I’m pretty good, thanks.
John: Looking pretty good. Charlie’s beard is almost as good as mine. We’re going to learn about Charlie’s adventure today. This is a Podcast about adventures. Adventures that I hear about; adventures I’d like to do; adventures I’ve done, and we’re going to try to learn some English while we’re listening to and discussing adventures. So Charlie, you have a great adventure coming up. We have talked about it a little bit. So can you tell us – you know Charlie from one of our previous Podcasts – what number was the Podcast we interviewed you?
Charlie: Sixty-nine? Nope. Twenty-four.
John: Well, anyway, we had Charlie twenty-something. We had a nice interview with Charlie. And now we’re going to learn a little bit more. Charlie is embarking – he’s heading out – on an adventure. Where are you going? What are you doing?
Charlie: I’m going to travel around Japan. By bicycle. For a year. Starting from right here, Matsumoto. And stay at various hosts along the way. Maybe organic farms and organic type of industries, businesses, and volunteer to stay there for a couple of weeks. Get some food, get some place to sleep, move on. Cycle for a couple of days. Get to the next place, do the same thing again. And slowly work my way up north for the summer. And south for the winter. And come back. With a real, real long beard.

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[ mp3 audio file | File size: 6.66mb | Duration: 16:25 ]

Hey … WHAT’S UP??? There’s a new thinking about content, communication, expression and interaction on the internet and it’s called “WEB 2.0.” That’s what’s up!

Welcome everyone to episode number 6 of English Teacher John’s ‘What’s Up? Podcast.’ Hey, guess what? I’m John and I’m your host. And I’m also the host of the English Teacher John Show and the AdventurePod English podcast.

I think you guys know that I like to work with and talk about computers and the internet so let’s talk about an important new school of thought about the internet. It’s called WEB 2.0 and maybe you’ve heard this relatively new term. Maybe you already know something about WEB 2.0.

WEB 2.0 is really a new way to think about and use the internet. Have you noticed all these new websites where you can actually CONTRIBUTE to the site? YOU can write a message or comment; YOU can send your photos or videos; YOU are actually the author of some of the content on other people’s or companies’ websites. Maybe you’ve posted a message on someone’s blog, edited or added an article to WIKIPEDIA, or you have some of your photos on FLICKR, where you and others can tag the photos and do other creative things. More and more websites are open to modification and enhancement by the general public. Well, that’s the READ/WRITE World Wide Web. Yes, the READ/WRITE World Wide Web and that’s what WEB 2.0 is all about. I think it’s pretty cool.

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Hi John & everyone,

I am in need of a good project topic in java.

Please suggest me some good topics if you know.

As soon as possible. 

[ Duration: 6:00 Video & Audio are at: video page | podcast page ]

Part 2 – Interview with Charlie about his one-year cycling tour of Japan. (Charlie’s website). He talks about the impact on his partner of this long journey. I think you’ll like this second part of the interview.

Transcript is here.

Please leave your comments about the video here with this post. Thanks!

This is the second and last part of the Che interview series. Part 1 of the interview was a video and audio podcast called ‘AdventurePod English 3.’

[ Che Interview part 1 transcript | video page | podcast/audio page ]

==== BEGIN CHE INTERVIEW PART 2 =======

John: Is it [Tokyo] a lot different than San Francisco, the biggest city close to where you are from?
Che: How is it different? I mean, I would say the people in San Francisco seem to be- I seem to see a lot more younger people running around.

John: In San Francisco.
Che: No. In Tokyo.
John: In Tokyo.
Che: Yeah. A lot of younger people seem to be out and about. I do not really see that when I am going around San Francisco. So that is interesting, I think.
John: I know my brother used to live in San Francisco, and I know I have been there a few times. And there is a lot of liberalism. There is a lot of movements. There is a lot of protests. There is a lot of people trying to change society. Did you find any of that in Tokyo, that liberal, progressive, let’s form a group. Let’s change things.
Che: Well, I think now we are really getting to the extremes of cultures, Western to Eastern, to some degree. I think in the West people are thinking on a much more sort of individual basis. And here in Japan, people are looking at sort of the harmony of the group or whole.
John: The collective.
Che: Yeah. And, no, I do not think that Japan necessarily is a rebellious or revolutionary society. They kind of go along with the flow to a large degree. So, yeah, you do not see protests very often in Japan.
John: Yeah. Also, Matsumoto was saying the same kind of answer. People tend to conform and to be honest, there is a lot of good things in Japan. I mean, healthcare and education, these basic things in society. There is not a lot of poverty, so there is not. It is too easy to say there is not so many things to rebel against, but big things like those three things I just mentioned are a little more equal and comfortable and let’s say sorted out in Japan, I think, in my opinion.

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This is part 1 of our 2-part Che interview series.

[ Mp3 audio page | video page | Che interview part 2 transcript ]

=== BEGIN INTERVIEW ========

John: Welcome everyone. This is English Teacher John’s Adventure Pod English No. 2 [It’s really no. 3!!]. Today is – today is Saturday, April 8th. And we have a special guest today, my good friend Che. And we’re going to learn a little bit about Che today. So let’s try to listen to Che’s uh.. about some information about Che’s life and hopefully we can learn some English today. Welcome to the show, Che.

Che: Thank you very much.
John: Yeah. Very nice to see you.
Che: Good to see you.
John: Thanks for dropping by.
Che: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here.
John: Yeah. So tell us about yourself. Where are you from? What do you like to do, and all that kind of stuff.
Che: Well, I was born in California, northern California, near San Francisco. And I studied communications in Los Angeles.
John: And we’re communicating now.
Che: Exactly. So this is what I do, isn’t it? Simple as that. Did a few odd jobs before I began on my wanders, doing some snowboarding, working on snowfields, and whitewater rafting in Colorado. And I spent a number of years.
John: That was some nice adventures right there. Snowboarding and rafting. Wow. I’m jealous.
Che: Yes. Spent more than ten years traveling around the planet.
John: Ten years. Ten years. That’s more- ten months.
Che: No, no, no. Ten years, not vacations.

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[download podcast 40]
File size: 8.13mb Duration: 20:06

We’ve made it to show number 40! In this lesson, you’ll find:
Agreeing/disagreeing with statements: me too, so do I, I am too, me neither.
Idioms: It’ll do. (It’s enough to get the job done); It has nothing to do with me. It has something to do with her new job.

Please write your comments under this post. Did you like the lesson? Was it helpful? Any suggestions?

Thanks for listening to the English Teacher John Show.

[download podcast 39]
File size: 9.54mb Duration: 23:37

Hola, konnichiwa, ciao, sawadee kap,
Hey, it’s CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON HERE IN MATSUMOTO, JAPAN BUT … right now it’s time for the English Teacher John Show Number 39, a special English Question and Answer Show. C’mon, let’s get some answers to your questions …

Welcome everyone. I’m John Koons and I’m your host for this 39th episode of the English Teacher John Show. Today’s show is a special one – it’s an ‘ASKJOHN Q&A Show.’ Yes, that’s right, we’ll answer your questions about English grammar, idioms, slang and anything else that might be troubling you in your English studies. You can always send your questions to: ‘askjohn – AT – English teacher john . com. That’s A-S-K-J-O-H-N -at- english teacher john.com. Hey, send us an mp3 audio recording with your question and I’ll try to include your voice on our Ask John Q & A show.

Okay, before I get started, let me say a few words about Japan’s CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON. The white and soft pink blossoms are really beautiful, and it’s a lovely and exciting time to be in Japan. Japanese people have picnics with family and friends at any place where there are the famous cherry trees – along rivers, in parks, and here in Matsumoto, many of us go to Matsumoto Castle to celebrate this spring festival. In Japanese, the cherry blossoms are called SAKURA and the activity that we all do is HANA-MI. Hana-mi means “flower viewing.” It’s a great time to be in Japan and it usually happens in the month of April, though different parts of the country bloom at different times in April.

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