Everything I Learned: Five movies you should watch this month
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Everything I Learned: Five movies you should watch this month

  Still trying to finish those Fistful of Fun books from last month’s recommendation list? Don’t worry if you haven’t, we won’t pile on any more literary works on your September to-do list. Instead we offer you a break in the form of five relevant films that every JET should watch this month. If you…

This is Your Brain on Summer Sonic
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This is Your Brain on Summer Sonic

    Glastonbury, The U.K.’s biggest music festival, held in the Vale of Avalon since 1970 will this year attract 175,000 visitors to over 100 stages on 1,200 acres of land. It is, however, bracing itself for the arrival of so called ‘super rats’ – rats immune to conventional poisons such as diphacinone and chlorophacinone…

Thawing Relations Under Fire
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Thawing Relations Under Fire

 Japanese Sanctions and Russian Security Drills   Things were looking up for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Vladimir Putin, and their respective countries due to improving economic ties and because a possible solution to their territorial disputes seemed to be at its closest in recent memory. However, events in August brought Japan’s rapprochement to a…

Hyogo Top 10: Essential Experiences
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Hyogo Top 10: Essential Experiences

  Ten essential experiences to have in the prefecture we call home. Affectionately known as the bellybutton of Japan, Hyogo is a treasure trove of fun and adventure. Thanks to an expansive train network, several ferry ports, innumerable bus routes and its own airport, Hyogo is a very accessible prefecture – which is ideal because there…

The Writing is on the Wall: Her Name In Blood
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The Writing is on the Wall: Her Name In Blood

  Quiet, reserved, shy, these are words foreigners often use to describe the typical Japanese person. Anyone who has tried to coax a group of students into volunteering for a question or has been the target of disapproved glances for speaking too loudly on the train knows this. However, music has and always will be…

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Actions are Louder than Words: Using TPR in the Classroom

    As ALTs, we are regularly tasked with bringing native English and “fun” activities into the classroom. But how does one necessarily combine solid language teaching in a spirited environment that engages even your most apathetic students? Granted, there is no silver bullet, but I’ve found Total Physical Response (TPR) to be very effective…