ANMI English Tips & Tools: 6/22/08

2008-06-24

Skipping Class?

What should you say if you need to skip or cancel your class at ANMI Eikaiwa? Let's take a look at a recent email I received from a new student:

こんばんは。
急用のため、本日お休みいたします。
また、来週よろしくお願いたします。

First, we need to choose a good subject (件名) line. Here are a few ideas:

Notice of Absence (欠席の知らせ)
Notice of Cancellation (キャンセルの知らせ)

Second, we need to make a greeting (挨拶). To a customer or boss use this style:

Dear Mr. Suzuki:
Dear Mrs. Jones:
Dear Ms. Keiko Matsuda:
Dear Professor Watanabe:
Dear Dr. Sorensen:

When sending email to a friend, family member, or if you are the customer, use this style:

Dear Chip,
Dear Chikako,
Dear MasterCard Customer Support,
Dear Family,
Dear Friends,

One point! There is NO space between the last letter and a colon or comma.

Third, let's make some sample text for your email.

Good morning. (おはようございます。)
Good afternoon. (こんにちは。)
Good evening. (こんばんは。)

I had a sudden change of plans. (急用のため、本日お休みいたします。)
I am not feeling well today. (ちょっと調子が悪い。)
I have to work overtime tonight. (今晩、残業がある。)

So, I have to cancel my class tonight. (だから、私は今晩クラスをキャンセルします。)
So, I cannot attend my class tonight. (だから、私は今晩欠席します。)

I will see you in class next week. (また、来週よろしくお願いたします。)
I will send email to reschedule my next class. (次回のレッスンの予約をメールでします。)

Finally, we need to provide a closing. There are many options to choose from. Here are some examples:

Sincerely,
Best regards,
Yours sincerely,
Sincerely yours,
Thank you,

Point: Be sure to only capitalize the first word and to add a comma at the end.

Last, add your name or full name if appropriate. It is also a good idea to add your contact information. For example:

Example 1.

Chip
support@anmi-eikaiwa.com
045-841-4218

Example 2.

Chip Sorensen

アンミ英会話教室
Tel 045-841-4218
Fax 045-841-4288
support@anmi-eikaiwa.com
Ｐ.Ｃ.サイト： http://www.anmi-eikaiwa.com/
携帯サイト： http://www.anmiweb.com/mobile/

Here is the final version of the following Japanese:

こんばんは。
急用のため、本日お休みいたします。
また、来週よろしくお願いたします。

Subject: Notice of Absence

Dear Chip,

Good evening. I had a sudden change of plans. So, I cannot attend my class tonight. I will see you in class next week.

Best regards,

Taro Suzuki
090-XXXX-XXXX
taro.suzuki@anmi-eikaiwa.com

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This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.1 Japan License.

アンミ英会話教室
２３４－００５３神奈川県横浜市港南区日野中央２－６－３
パークサイド日野１０２号
http://www.anmi-eikaiwa.com/ | support@anmi-eikaiwa.com
Tel. 045-841-4218 | Fax 045-841-4288
携帯リンク http://www.anmiweb.com/mobile/

2008-06-23

Pull an All-nighter

Do you work overtime very much? One of our students pulls all-nighters at least three or four times a week.

Today's key word is all-nighter. The term "all-nighter" is an informal term that means a night during which you work or study all night long instead of sleeping.

Japanese: 徹夜する；一晩中続く；徹夜の仕事；徹夜の勉強
Function: noun (countable)
Plural: all-nighters
Status: informal
Spelling: all nighter or all-nighter

Examples:

I have to pull an all nighter to finish my presentation on time.
Avoid pulling an all nighter by keeping up with your study schedule.
Senators pulled an all-nighter for a debate on the Iraq War.

Real-World Applications:

Email from my brother date July 2005:

"I better get back to work. I am here at the office pulling an all-nighter, have a deadline tomorrow."

Homework assignment from student:

"I'm going to book a room for us tomorrow because we might pull an all-nighter that day."

Discussion:

When was the last time you pulled an all nighter? What did you do to help stay awake?
Would you quit your job if you had to pull many all nighters at your job?
Do you think pulling an all nighter always leads to karoshi (death brought on by overwork or job-related exhaustion)?

Interesting Reading:

How can someone stay awake for 11 days?
Have you ever pulled an all-nighter to study or finish a project? How about doing it for 11 days in a row? A man in Cornwall, England, actually went 11 consecutive days without a wink of sleep. Learn how he did it and why you shouldn't attempt it.

Disclaimer

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.1 Japan License.