Article Writing - "Are There Geniuses Or Not?"

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ダニエルのArticle Writingでは添削も含め2週間ほどかけて一つの記事を仕上げます。 

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Are There Geniuses Or Not?  By Aki Yoshi

    Do you believe in the existence of geniuses? I did until I heard this quote, “A genius is limited, the effort is infinite”.

 

   When I was a college student, one of my seniors, a marathon runner, said to me, “Some people call me a genius runner, but I think genius is something you can’t measure. Instead I am never a genius, I am only a genius at making an effort.” I was so surprised because I truly believed that he was a real genius runner.

 

    His name is Toshihiko Seko.

       

 

    It reminded me of Einstein’s quote, as well. “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” Whenever we meet a person who accomplished great things, we are apt to say that he or she must be a genius. However, I think that it is not correct. It is just an excuse to convince ourselves of their greatness. All the people who are called geniuses have an ability to make an effort. They might not actually have talent.

 

    Recently, I read a book named GRIT, which was written by Angela Duckworth, an American psychologist and popular science author.

G.R.I.T. is defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals. It stands for: Guts, Resilience, Initiative, and Tenacity.

    Here are excerpts from professional reviews of the book (Amazon):

 

Why do some people succeed and others fail? Angela Duckworth explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success. Rather, other factors can be even more crucial, such as identifying our passions and following through on our commitments. Duckworth describes her winding path through teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not genius but a special blend of passion and long-term perseverance. She created her own "character lab" and set out to test her theory. Finally, she shares what she's learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers. Winningly personal, insightful, and even life changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down and how that —not talent or luck—makes all the difference.

                                             

                                                                 …………………

    This book inspired me. She described that talent and success are usually either unrelated or even inversely related. The key to success is setting a goal and pacing ourselves. It isn’t based on social intelligence, good looks, physical health, or IQ. She said GRIT is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

 

    Now I am studying English. Some people may say to themselves, “I am too old to study English”, but I don’t think so. It is not necessary to be a genius to accomplish great things. In other words, everybody has a chance to achieve our dreams regardless of age, gender and so on. “Don’t give up. Just keep practicing.”

Article Writing - "The History of the Hermitage"

FORWARDの選択クラス”Article Writing”で受講生が書いた記事をご紹介します

ダニエルのArticle Writingでは添削も含め2週間ほどかけて一つの記事を仕上げます。 

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The History of the Hermitage    

              By Chiemi Kato

 

    As you may know, the Hermitage Museum of Russia came to Tokyo at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in Roppongi, and will be open until June 18th.

Do you know much about the Hermitage itself? I have always thought that Russia has been and still is an important and worldly influential country, but we aren’t taught much about its history. The Hermitage Museum not only has paintings by da Vinci, but is also a historically significant place. Here are some important historical events that relate to the Hermitage Museum:

1)     Catherine the Great

The history of Hermitage started with Catherine II (so-called Catherine the Great) collecting paintings from Germany in 1764. Catherine was among Russia’s most powerful and popular rulers, although she came from Germany for her marriage to be part of the Russian imperial family. She was much more popular than her husband, Emperor Peter III (grandson of Peter the Great). Peter III was arrested and then assassinated when Catherine carried out her successful coup d'état. She was the longest-ruling female in Russia.

The main building of the Hermitage is the Winter Palace that Catherine II made, which was an official residence of the Russian monarchs until 1917.

2)     Alexander II and the terrorists

The Hermitage Museum has been open to civilians since 1863, when Alexander II was reigning over the country. In 1881, Alexander II was assassinated by terrorists, who rushed into an early revolution. Alexander II is famous for his releasing of farmers from indentured servitude, called the Emancipation Manifesto. This release felt, in fact, unfair for farmers, and caused him to be attacked by the terrorists. He was injured and sent to the Winter Palace, where he later passed away. Around this time, the people were not yet ready for the revolution, that great excitement came a little later.  

3) The Russian revolution

     The notorious memory of the Russian revolution starts with the Bloody Sunday in 1905. Unarmed civilians led by Father Georgy Gapon marched towards the Winter Palace, with respect and admiration for Nicolas II. They were to present a petition for the improvement of their poor lives. This marching frightened Nicolas II and he ordered soldiers to fire at the harmless civilians. The snow-covered, white land in front of the Winter Palace was turned red by their blood.

    

      After the incident, the trust of the Emperor was lost. The flames of the revolution became bigger and bigger. The revolution of 1917 caused Nicolas II and his family to leave the Winter Palace, and eventually led to the rise of the Soviet Union.The 300-year history of the House of Romanov ended with their death in the following year. And now, the Winter Palace is open to us visitors.

     2017 is the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution. It was fascinating to research how passionate the revolutionists were for their country. Although I am quite opposed to the socialism, the Russian revolution reminds me that we are living in a world that is the result of the historical people who risked their lives for freedom.  

１００人で奏でるスティーブジョブズ☆2017年6月10日スピーチ朗唱ブートキャンプが開催されました！

スピーチ朗唱ブートキャンプ無事終了しました！
100人で奏でました、スティーブジョブズ
参加された皆様、お疲れ様でした！


ブートキャンプというタイトル通り、1日丸々スティーブジョブズ漬け
になりますが、終わった後は達成感があります。

今日はLunch Practiceの様子をお届けします。





各グループでランチの時間も練習しました！
学校で過ごすのでランチの時間も英語漬けです。
チームで練習することの醍醐味、効果を感じたとの
感想を沢山頂きましたのでまたシェアしますね。



次回のブートキャンプは2016年10月8日（日）の開催です。
詳細は追ってアップします

FORWARD事務局 

I am not alone. 私は一人じゃない

お待たせしました。いよいよ前回のスピーチコンテスト優勝者 Mariさんのブログです。
３分間スピーチでは、自分の言いたいことをそぎ落とし、そぎ落とし、編集を重ね、ブラッシュアップしていきます。そしてデリバリーの練習で仕上げていきます。すべて言いたいことが言えないだけに、一番伝えたいメッセージは何か、聴衆に必要な情報は何か、と、その過程は自分との対話となります。
Mariさんの本番のスピーチは、涙を誘うも、笑いもちりばめられた、本当に感動的なものでした。いっぱいの思いとともに、おおらかな前向きなMariさんをたくさん感じられるものでした。インパクトのある「Monster!」というタイトルで繰り広げられたスピーチ、その背景にはこんなストーリがあったのですね…。
今回はフルスクリプトもシェアくださったので、ぜひビデオとともにご覧ください！ Happy Learning! Miyu

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こんにちは、1年5か月ほどFORWARDで勉強している、Mariです。

 

先日はスピーチに挑戦し、皆さんからあたたかなメッセージをいただきました。ありがとうございます。

  

お父さんはMonster。

 

でも「お父さんは私の誇り。私は不憫な子なんかじゃない！」と父のことを話さずいた10代を経て

 

「大事な人にお父さんのことを知ってほしい。でも話し始めると涙が～」とピュアな20代を乗り越え、今では落ち着いて話せるようになりました。

 

それでも大勢の前で父のことを話すなんて、この学校、FORAWARDに来るまでは考えもしませんでした。

 

しかし、FORAWARDで多くのスピーチ、例えば

　「かっこいい父でありたいから、娘に秘密でテニス特訓」

　「試験不合格の上に失恋・・・から立ち直った俺ストーリー」

などクラスメイトの様々な本音・本気を聞く中で、私も話してみよう、と。

 

 

さて、今日はもう一つの「I am not alone. 私は一人じゃない」 話を書かせて下さい。

 

＊＊＊＊＊

 

父は、ALSで亡くなりました。原因不明の運動神経が侵され筋肉が動かなくなる難病です。

父が発病した1995年頃は医学書に記載も少なく、ネットも今のように普及しておらず・・・

 

患者の頼りは、日本ALS協会をたちあげられた松岡幸雄さん。

 

社会派の書籍を出版する静山社を興されていた松岡さんは、仕事を通じALS患者に出会い、動けぬ患者に代わり、患者をつなぐ組織の立ち上げよう、と奔走されました。全国に見舞いに飛び回り、情報（知恵や工夫）を集め皆に共有・・・自分の事業をそっちのけで、私財をなげ奔走されました。

 

しかしご自身が癌に倒れ、それでも最後までALS患者達に手を尽くしながら天国に逝かれました。

 

 

その奥様は、松岡佑子さん。 ハリー・ポッターシリーズの翻訳者の方です。

 

ALS患者と家族への尽力のあまり、一時は傾いた静山社が一流出版社になったことは、この上ない喜びです。

 

 

＊＊＊＊＊

 

 

患者にとって、もう一つの頼りが「ALSダイジェスト」

治験結果から噂まで様々情報が集まる唯一のサイト（アメリカ）です。

 

「全て英語で量も多く、奥様（母）が調べるのは大変でしょう。

　僕たちが手分けして読み、翻訳・要約しますよ」

 

そう手を差し伸べて下さったのは、富士通株式会社、父の勤務先の皆さまです。

 

月に１度、情報をまとめて我が家、そして日本ALS協会にも届けて下さいました。また、歩けなくなり「退職する！」という父に、在宅勤務制度を作って下さりました。

800人もの方がお越し下さった葬儀も、富士通の皆さまにお手伝いいただきました。

 

 

「八星さんの怒声は、隣の執務室まで聞こえてきました」

という程、父は会社でもMonster だったようなのですが・・・。

 

富士通の皆さまには、本当に何から何まで支えていただきました。

他にも、父の学生時代からのお友達や先生にも、励ましていただきました。

兄と私の進学のために、と会社や友人有志の方々から、多額の奨学金もいただきました。

「病気に休日はありませんから！」と豪雪の日もいらした訪問看護の方のことも忘れられません。

 

数多くの方が父を支えて下さいましたが、私を心配して下さった学校の先生方や親類、父亡き後、自由きままに歩む私を応援してくれる友人、諸先輩方も数え切れません。

父、そして私というMonster の面倒をみつづけ、私がどんな選択をしても認め、見守り続けてくれる母、家族もいます。

 

 

父がこの世にいない、ということに寂しくなったり 、不安におそわれる夜もあります。

 

でも、この皆さんのあたたかさのおかげで、私はいつも笑顔で朝が迎えられます。

 

 

I am not alone. 　私は一人じゃありません！

 

  

皆さん、いつもありがとうございます。

（これからもMonster kidとして暴れるかもしれませんが・・・どうぞよろしくお願いします！）

 

 

Mari

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＜以下スピーチのスクリプト＞

Title:　Monster

 

 You’re not alone.

  

Have you ever met a monster?....

Me? of course not! But monster-parent…? Yes.

“My father” is a monster.

 

Can you imagine what my father said when I had my first school trip?

  

I was 10 years-old.

 

“Mari. Have fun, but don’t forget to telephone me every day. I worry about your safety.”

“What?　I can’t! It’s against the school rule”

“That’s not important! Just call me every day.”

 

--“Monster”

 

When I was 14, I applied for the summer exchange program in England.

“Dad this is the proigram.”

“Mari, I support your challenge, but going by Spanish-Air? Dangerous!!! You must go by JAL, Japan airline.”

 

Then he persuaded the school to change the airline.

 

-- “Monster”

 

My father always accepted whatever I wished like other ordinary fathers.

However, when it comes to my safety, he was different.

He was just like a monster.

 

But, when I was 16, the monster suddenly disappeared.

 

He died of a serious disease.

My life without monster?

I couldn’t accept it.

 

Since then no one has cared about my safety. 

 

So, When I was 17, I went to Brazil for 1 year.

When I was 25, I quit my job and worked volunteer in Nicaragua for 2 years.

When I was 28, I entered the university again and later, became a teacher,  writer, a farm assistant, and even an blind-date or Omiai-Party coordinator.

  

“Why do you do something different? ”

 

Always people asked me.

Then I answer, 

“Different? I just respect my life. I do whatever I want.”

 

 ...by answering like this, I gradually recognized that I have the monster...here.

My father has been here, always with me.

 

I am not alone.

  

Losing someone we really love is hard to endure.

But I am sure that he or she remains in your mind and lives on within you always.

  

You’re not alone.

Article Writing - "Mother's Day"

FORWARDの選択クラス”Article Writing”で受講生が書いた記事をご紹介します

ダニエルのArticle Writingでは添削も含め2週間ほどかけて一つの記事を仕上げます。 

スクールの掲示板だけじゃモッタイナイ！ということで、
こちらのスクールブログでも不定期で紹介していきます

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Mother’s Day   by Aki Yoshi

     Did you celebrate Mother’s Day?  I gave my mother a little gift to show my thankfulness. Mother's Day is celebrated in more than 46 countries throughout the world. On this day, many people pray in churches in honor of mothers, while some give them presents to express their love. Some may have dinner at home with their family.One of the most popular ways people celebrate Mother's Day is by giving their mother a card and a bouquet of flowers. It is common to give carnations in Japan.

　　　　　　　　　

The History of Mother’s Day

     Anna Jarvis is recognised as the Founder of Mother’s Day in the US. Though Jarvis never married and never had kids, she is still known as the Mother of Mother’s Day, an apt title for the lady who worked hard to bestow honor on all mothers. Anna Jarvis got the inspiration of celebrating Mother’s Day from her own mother, Mrs. Anna Marie Reeves-Jarvis, in her childhood. An activist and social worker, Mrs Jarvis used to express her desire that someday someone must honor all mothers, living and dead, and pay tribute to the contributions made by them. A loving daughter, Anna never forgot her mother’s words and when her mother died in 1905, she resolved to fulfill her desire of having a day for mothers.

 

     In the beginning, Anna sent Carnations to the church service in Grafton, West Virginia to honor her mother. Carnations were her mother’s favorite flower and Anna felt that they symbolised a mothers pure love. By 1911, Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state in the Union and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.　

      At times, Mother’s Day has also been a date for launching political or feminist causes. In 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King, used Mother’s Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare.　　

     In fact, Mother’s Day in many countries has little or nothing to do with Anna Jarvis’ creation, nor does it always occur in May. Here are just a few examples of other Mother’s Day celebrations from around the world:

Thailand: August 12                                                                                                  
Her Majesty Sirikit, the Queen of Thailand, is also considered the mother of all her Thai subjects. In light of her royal maternal status, the Thai government made her birthday, August 12, Thailand’s official Mother’s Day in the 1970s. It remains a national holiday, celebrated countrywide with fireworks and candle-lighting. In related holidays, Father’s Day in Thailand falls on the current King’s birthday, December 5.                                                           

Indonesia: December 22                                                                                        
Made official in 1953 by its president, Indonesia's Mother’s Day falls on the anniversary of the First Indonesian Women’s Congress (1928). The holiday was created to celebrate the contributions of women to Indonesian society　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Middle East: March 21  　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　               
Egyptian journalist Mustafa Amin introduced the idea of a Mother’s Day to his home country. Inspired by a story of a thankless widow ignored by an ungrateful son, Amin and his brother Ali successfully proposed a day in Egypt to honor all mothers. They decided the first day of spring, March 21, was most appropriate to celebrate the ultimate givers of life. It was first celebrated in Egypt in 1956.

   A Mother is the special woman who performed the miracle of birth. She gave us true love without requiring anything in return. If you are a person who is not good at showing thankfulness to your mother like me, Mother’s Day is a good opportunity to express your gratitude to your mother in a meaningful way.