Finding the vocabulary you should learn is the easy part, actually learning it is much more difficult. There are two main ways vocabulary can be learnt and there are a few terms for each way; intensive/ explicit learning is when you purposefully study words through lists or word cards etc. Extensive or implicit learning is …

Ways to learn vocabulary in a second language Read More »

In this post I will give some tips on learning vocabulary in a second language that have been proven to be effective through empirical studies. Firstly you need to know what vocabulary you should learn, which means you should have a good idea of your current level. For anyone learning English as a Second language it …

Vocabulary Learning in a Second Language Read More »

In my Sociocultural Theory classes the focus recently has been on Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The ZPD is the difference between what someone can learn by themselves, known as the Actual Development Level (ADL), and what they can learn with assistance. Say for example you have two 10 year old students who when …

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development Read More »

My life may be a little bit different to yours. I live in Yamagata Prefecture on the north-west coast of the northern part of Honshu in Japan, have done so since 2010. This place has everything you need; beaches for the summer and ski fields for the winter. This blog talks about what life is …

The Real Japan Read More »

The N1 is the highest level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). In my opinion the test is a waste of time because there is no assessment of productive skills, so you can't really call it a 'proficiency' test, however passing it looks really good on your CV and can help you get a …

How I passed the N1 in one go Read More »