English ＋α
English ＋α · 30. January 2020
What a coincidence that the film Stand By Me was on TV the night before my "Sing in English" workshop where we sang, Stand By Me by Ben E. King. It's a great song and everyone quickly got the pronunciation and tricky bits correct. We had plenty of time to sing the slightly different John Lennon version AND listen to the next workshop's song, Sing by The Carpenters. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did! Duncan 😊🎶 My next Sing in English workshop will be : Event: Sing in English...
English ＋α · 25. December 2019
It was a very nostalgic Christmas Eve for me on Tuesday. In my “Sing in English” workshop, we sang Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You. I rarely sing a long to this song but the lyrics reminded me of Christmas when I was a child. During my “Sing in English” workshop I explain the lyrics of the song that we are singing. In this song there are a few Christmas traditions that I shared with the group and it brought back some fond memories. Well done to all who attended as this...
English ＋α · 30. October 2019
【Sing in English Workshop】 Have you ever tried singing "We Will Rock You" by Queen? It's fast, lots of linking words (and sentences!) and quick mouth movements. Last night at Moonshine Studios in Ashikaga, I held my "Sing in English" workshop where, after one and a half hours, everybody was singing all two minute, two seconds of "We Will Rock You". What felt like an impossible challenge was achieved. We practised slowly, we practised pronunciation and I explained the meaning of the words. I...
English ＋α · 22. October 2019
Last night at Shogai Gakushu Centre, in Ashikaga, I had the pleasure of sharing a new recipe with my "Cookery in English" class. In the class I explained and showed how to make Chicken Paprikash, a Hungarian dish. I looked at alternative recipes to what I normally make and I'm glad I did. It was a richer meal for the changes that I made. Thank you to everyone who came along, listened to and spoke English and made my dinner! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Next time we will be making a...
English ＋α · 25. September 2019
Thank you to all the English language singers last night at Moonshine Studio in Ashikaga. It was my first "Sing in English" workshop at Moonshine Studios last night. The idea for the workshop is to help English pronunciation in a fun way. I confess I am not a professional singer, nor a singing teacher, nor even a good singer but I enjoy trying to sing and love music. What I can do, is help you with your pronunciation, talk about the song we are using and give you tips on how to sing a popular...
English ＋α · 25. September 2019
The thing I like about cooking is that you may have the exact same ingredients, preparation and method in making a dish but the end result can be different. I had a pleasant surprise making Tomato & Basil Soup yesterday morning at Shogai Gakushu Centre, Ashikaga. The end result in my "Cookery in English" class was a mild tasting soup. "Season to taste" was a key expression. Attendees added extra cream, black pepper, salt and fresh basil leaves for their personal tastes. Thank you very much...
English ＋α · 24. August 2019
今月の Cookery in English にて、レモンパウンドケーキを作りました！レモンのいい香りのする甘すぎないケーキ！ しかも簡単にできるのです！
English ＋α · 11. May 2019
Experience British Cream Tea with Duncan.
While enjoying scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, learn a little about British culture.
Learn about this traditional practice and the variations of how to enjoy British Cream Tea.