Nov 26

1.  Lang-8
2.  Japan Times
3.  Anki (191-200)
4.  Read this page and answer these questions.

     a.  Who created this site?

     b.  Why should you trust their advice?

     c.  What are their six suggestions for learning English?

     d.  What is an SRS?

     Now read this. 

     e.  What is the problem most English learners have?

     f.  What is the difference between Paula and Judy?

     g.  What should Paula do in order to succeed?

5.  Homework

Article 1
Finance Minister Koriki Jojima and his South Korean counterpart agreed to work together more closely for the sake of the shaky global economy as Tokyo and Seoul look to repair bilateral ties frayed by an island dispute, government officials said.

At a meeting Saturday, Jojima and South Korean Strategy and Finance Minister Bahk Jae Wan shared their sense of crisis over the global economy and noted the risk of it slowing down further over the eurozone's protracted fiscal crisis and the threat of the U.S. falling off its "fiscal cliff" in January, officials said.

Jojima and Bahk confirmed the two countries will boost cooperation in a wide range of areas — including finance, energy and the environment — to bolster the global economy, the officials said.

Article 2

Major industrialized countries could save at least $3.6 billion (¥297 billion) over a five-year period under the Kyoto Protocol by launching greenhouse gas reduction projects in developing nations, a recently compiled U.N. report argues.

Private businesses in developed nations could save $2.3 billion and the public sector $1.3 billion from 2008-2012 under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism, the report said.

Japanese companies could reduce emissions costs by $150 million (¥12.4 billion) during the commitment period, according to the report, which was compiled by a body operating the mechanism.

The system allows industrialized economies to meet part of their emission reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol by receiving emission credits in return for investing in emission-cutting projects in developing nations.

Article 3

All Nippon Airways Co. plans to take stakes in other Asian carriers to expand its network in the region, President Shinichiro Ito said.

"We will consider investing in airline companies in Asia and related firms if they create potential synergies with our operations," Ito said in a recent interview.

ANA is expected to use part of the roughly ¥170 billion it raised through a new share offering in July to expand its network in Asia.

After resuming flights to Myanmar in October, Ito said the airline will seek to boost services linking Vietnam, India and Malaysia

 

 

Nov 19

1.  Lang-8
2.  Japan Times
3.  Anki (181-190)
4.  Eiken (Optional Speaking)

5.  Homework

Article 1

Shinzo Abe said he would consider making the Bank of Japan purchase construction bonds directly from the government as a way to tame chronic deflation if his Liberal Democratic Party wins December's Lower House election and he becomes prime minister.

Abe, who heads the largest opposition party, also said he would appoint as the central bank's next governor someone who agrees with his proposed annual inflation target of 2 to 3 percent. BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa's term of office is set to expire next April.

"We would carry out necessary public investment and have the BOJ purchase construction bonds to forcibly put money in the market," Abe said Saturday in the city of Kumamoto, referring to special government-issued bonds to raise funds for public works. "We would take fiscal policy steps as well as monetary policy measures to overcome deflation at an early time."

The remarks by Abe, a former prime minister, are backed by many LDP members who have called for massive public works spending to stimulate the economy, but are considered controversial by other parties given Japan's precarious fiscal state and snowballing government debt.

Under current law, the government is obligated to cover fiscal spending with tax income but it is also allowed to issue special construction bonds for public works, for instance to fund new roads and bridges, as politicians claim such infrastructure will be used for years and insist future generations should have to bear the financial burden.

Forcing the BOJ to buy government bonds has been long considered taboo because the move caused hyperinflation and devastated Japan's economy immediately after the end of World War II.

Article 2

The government on Friday revised down its assessment of the economy in November, lowering the outlook for the fourth straight month, almost matching the dire trend seen after the 2008 global financial crash.

The economy has "shown weakness recently due to the world economy's deceleration," the Cabinet Office stated in a monthly report, pointing out that exports and production remain sluggish while private consumption and corporate investment are slowing. In October, it said the economy was "in a weak tone."

Article 3

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will inform U.S. President Barack Obama during next week's East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh that Japan takes a positive view on joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement.

Noda is aiming to accelerate talks with the Obama side on participating in the free-trade accord before the next round of multilateral negotiations is held next month in New Zealand, political sources said Thursday.

As Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers strongly oppose Japan's participation in the TPP discussions, Noda is also hoping that expressing a positive intention toward the initiative might garner the support of like-minded voters ahead of the Dec. 16 general election, the sources said.

Nov 12

Dear Students,

In consideration of your development, I will no longer speak Japanese.  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

1.  Lang-8
2.  Japan Times (If you want a grammar correction, just ask.)
3.  Anki (171-180)
4.  Eiken (Speaking) -  I have been an Eiken examiner for over 10 years.  I will call you to my desk, test you individually, and offer you advice for passing the speaking section.

5.  Homework

Article 1

A science ministry working group studying stem cells and regenerative medicine has updated its road map on induced pluripotent stem-cell research, aiming to create human organs including brains, lungs and kidneys via iPS cells within 10 years.

The group's updated plan, first compiled in 2009, calls for the distribution of iPS cells for regenerative medicine to start within the next two to three years. The announcement comes after Kyoto University professor Shinya Yamanaka jointly won this year's Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his revolutionary work in developing iPS cells.

Article 2

Nissan Motor Co. said Friday it will spend about $358 million to construct a second auto assembly plant in Thailand as it ramps up production overseas, away from its costly domestic factories.

The new plant in Samut Prakan Province will be built close to Nissan's factory near Bangkok, and will eventually employ about 6,000 workers.

Japan's second-biggest automaker said it will initially build 75,000 vehicles at the new plant, scheduled to open in August 2014, before expanding annual output to 150,000 units. Nissan made 190,00 vehicles in Thailand last year.

"(It) will not only enable us to raise our competitiveness in the domestic market, but will ensure Thailand's position as a key strategic global export hub for Nissan," the automaker's executive vice president, Hiroto Saikawa, said in a statement.

Article 3

Fiscal discipline will be an integral part of any country's efforts to resolve debt problems, irrespective of the size of the nation's economy, a senior banker from Israel said at a recent symposium in Tokyo.

Joseph Bachar

Joseph Bachar, chairman of Israel Discount Bank group, said Israel's lessons learned from its experience in dealing with its crisis in the early 2000s will be relevant for the current debt woes in the much bigger economies of Europe or the United States.

Bachar, formerly director general of Israel's Finance Ministry, was speaking at a symposium organized by the Keizai Koho Center on Oct. 15 to discuss the global economy and Mideast issues.

"We are a very small country whose economy is equivalent to 5 percent of Japan in terms of gross domestic product, but its macroeconomic principles are not much different from those required in running a major economy," he said.