I am going to choose one topic among the following ones. I have written the first draft of introduction of the speeches.
I would like to achieve three goals through this presentation.
1) Introduce my own perspective or idea.
2) Introduce Japanese culture or Japanese way of thinking.
3) Address a topic which could be socially important or a useful idea to American people.
1. Architecture in Chicago
Which city in the United States would you like to go for sightseeing? Although I live in New York, I believe that Chicago is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. Last summer, I stayed in Chicago for a couple of days after spending one month in Michigan. I enjoyed watching towering skyscrapers in the center of the city, as many other visitors. But there are not so many people who go out to the country side of Chicago. I found it more interesting to watch small architectures in the country side. This is why I like more Chicago than New York. One architecture is Farnsworth House, which was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German-born American architect. The other one is the Oak Park Home and Studio, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who was an American architect and interior designer. So, today, I would like to introduce unknown but great architecture in Chicago.
2. How a Japanese diplomat see the American presidential election?
Since I came to the United States last summer as a trainee diplomat of the Japanese government, I have felt that I am so lucky to see the presidential election. It is because I could have more chance to see how American people decide their future by voting. Which candidate and what kind of issues are paid attention by American voters? How the electoral systems influence the result of the vote? These are important question not only to American voters but also people all over the world. Japanese people are not exception. They are also interested in this election for many reasons. Today, I would like to introduce Japanese views on this election. I have no intention to intervene the domestic politics of the United States. As a diplomat, I know how important it is to keep away from domestic politics in other countries. However, I hope my introduction of Japanese perspective will shed lights on some issues in the campaign.
3. Japan’s approach to environmental issues.
Last month, G8 summit was held in Hokkaido, the northern part of Japan. In the summitry meetings, national leaders and heads of international organizations discussed many global issues facing them. One of their agendas in the conference was environmental issues. In the recent summits, environmental issue has been on the table, especially after the end of the Cold War. In the summit in Hokkaido, the Japanese Government introduced environmental friendly approaches in organizing this large scale conference. Today, I am going to introduce some implementations that the government of Japan took in G-8 summit. Also, I would like to show how Japanese people make efforts to contribute environmental issues. I know how much American people also are interested in this global issue, but I hope you can learn something new from what I am going to talk today.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
My Three Goals in The English for Diplomats (EFD) Program in MIIS
I would like to achieve the following three goals in the English for Diplomats (EFD) Program in the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
1. Become more confident in using English. Erase as much as anxiety, ambiguity, and uncertainty when to use English. Building more confidence would improve English skills.
2. Improve speaking manners. Effective communication requires many kinds of skills, such as accurate pronunciation and intonation, body languages and face impression, straight logic and good structure. Acquire these skills, which will be essential to complete diplomatic tasks.
3. Establish the foundation for the future self training. Although my session in MIIS lasts only for three weeks, it is enough to find the best way to achieve higher English skills. Make a lot of efforts to get know how for language training, following guidance and recommendation by the coaches.
1. Become more confident in using English. Erase as much as anxiety, ambiguity, and uncertainty when to use English. Building more confidence would improve English skills.
2. Improve speaking manners. Effective communication requires many kinds of skills, such as accurate pronunciation and intonation, body languages and face impression, straight logic and good structure. Acquire these skills, which will be essential to complete diplomatic tasks.
3. Establish the foundation for the future self training. Although my session in MIIS lasts only for three weeks, it is enough to find the best way to achieve higher English skills. Make a lot of efforts to get know how for language training, following guidance and recommendation by the coaches.
New Vocabulary 13: "Judge clears way for first Guantanamo prosecution."
From Matt Apuzzo, "Judge clears way for first Guantanamo prosecution," Monterey County Herald, July 18, 2008.
http://www.montereyherald.com/search/ci_9908657?IADID=Search-www.montereyherald.com-www.montereyherald.com
* plea: (1) an urgent and emotional request. (2) the answer that a person gives in court to the acccusation that they have committed a crime.
"The U.S. can begin trying Osama bin Laden's former driver next week at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, a federal judge ruled Thursday, rejecting the defendant's plea to halt the historic first trial in the military system set up following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. "
* play out: When a situation plays out, it happnes and develeps.
"In a victory for the Bush administration, U.S. District Judge James Robertson ruled that civilian courts should let the military process play out as Congress intended—a decision that could clear the way for military commissions to begin prosecuting other terrorism suspects, including those charged directly in the 2001 attacks. "
* crumbe: (1) to break or to cause something to break, into small pieces, (2) to weaken in strength and influence.
"Had the trial been delayed, as requested by former bin Laden chauffeur Salim Hamdan, it would have been a sign that the entire terror-trial process might crumble under the weight of judicial scrutiny. "
* allege: (v) to state that someone has done something illegal or wrong without giving proof.
"Hamdan was captured at a roadblock in southern Afghanistan in November 2001, allegedly with two surface-to-air missiles in the car. He could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of conspiracy and supporting terrorism. The defense says Hamdan was a low-level bin Laden employee, not a hard-core terrorist. "
http://www.montereyherald.com/search/ci_9908657?IADID=Search-www.montereyherald.com-www.montereyherald.com
* plea: (1) an urgent and emotional request. (2) the answer that a person gives in court to the acccusation that they have committed a crime.
"The U.S. can begin trying Osama bin Laden's former driver next week at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, a federal judge ruled Thursday, rejecting the defendant's plea to halt the historic first trial in the military system set up following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. "
* play out: When a situation plays out, it happnes and develeps.
"In a victory for the Bush administration, U.S. District Judge James Robertson ruled that civilian courts should let the military process play out as Congress intended—a decision that could clear the way for military commissions to begin prosecuting other terrorism suspects, including those charged directly in the 2001 attacks. "
* crumbe: (1) to break or to cause something to break, into small pieces, (2) to weaken in strength and influence.
"Had the trial been delayed, as requested by former bin Laden chauffeur Salim Hamdan, it would have been a sign that the entire terror-trial process might crumble under the weight of judicial scrutiny. "
* allege: (v) to state that someone has done something illegal or wrong without giving proof.
"Hamdan was captured at a roadblock in southern Afghanistan in November 2001, allegedly with two surface-to-air missiles in the car. He could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of conspiracy and supporting terrorism. The defense says Hamdan was a low-level bin Laden employee, not a hard-core terrorist. "
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
New Vocabulary 12: "What a way to run the world"
From Economist, "What a way to run the world," July 3, 2008.
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11670305
* prattle: (v) to talk foolishly or childishly for a long time about something unimportant or without saying anything important.
"CLUBS are all too often full of people prattling on about things they no longer know about. "
* in tatters: (1) badly torn, (2) badly damaged or completely spoiled.
"The G8 is not the only global club that looks old and impotent. The UN Security Council has told Iran to stop enriching uranium, without much effect. The nuclear non-proliferation regime is in tatters. "
* dispense: (v) to give out things, especially products, services or amounts of money, to people.
"The critics are right to argue that global organisations should be more focused than they are, but wrong to assume they can be dispensed with altogether."
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11670305
* prattle: (v) to talk foolishly or childishly for a long time about something unimportant or without saying anything important.
"CLUBS are all too often full of people prattling on about things they no longer know about. "
* in tatters: (1) badly torn, (2) badly damaged or completely spoiled.
"The G8 is not the only global club that looks old and impotent. The UN Security Council has told Iran to stop enriching uranium, without much effect. The nuclear non-proliferation regime is in tatters. "
* dispense: (v) to give out things, especially products, services or amounts of money, to people.
"The critics are right to argue that global organisations should be more focused than they are, but wrong to assume they can be dispensed with altogether."
Sunday, June 15, 2008
New Vocabulary 11: Kamp & Lindley-French, "Big power, little will."
From Karl-Heinz Kamp and Julian Lindley-French, "Big power, little will," International Herald Tribune, June 13, 2008.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/13/opinion/edlindley.php
* parochial: (adj) showing interest only in a narrow range of matters, especially those which directly influence yourself, your town or your country.
* enigma: (n) something that is mysterious and seems impossible to understand completely.
"Indeed, Germany's parochialism lies at the heart of the enigma. Too often Germany talks Europe but means Germany. It is an indifference to meaning self-evident in the many issues that now separate Germany from key partners."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/13/opinion/edlindley.php
* parochial: (adj) showing interest only in a narrow range of matters, especially those which directly influence yourself, your town or your country.
* enigma: (n) something that is mysterious and seems impossible to understand completely.
"Indeed, Germany's parochialism lies at the heart of the enigma. Too often Germany talks Europe but means Germany. It is an indifference to meaning self-evident in the many issues that now separate Germany from key partners."
Friday, June 13, 2008
New Vocabulary 10: Madeleine K. Albright, "The end of intervention."
From Madeleine K. Albright, "The End of Intervention," International Herald Tribune, June 11, 2008.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/11/opinion/edalbright.php
* dissent: (n) strong difference of opinion on a particular subject; disagreement, especially about an official suggestion or plan or a popular belief.
"The first and most obvious reality is the survival of totalitarian government in an age of global communications and democratic progress. Myanmar's military junta employs the same set of tools used by the likes of Stalin to crush dissent and monitor the lives of citizens."
* famine: (n) when there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and death, or a particular period when this happen.
* halt: (v) to (cause to ) stop moving or doing something or happening.
"During the 1990s, certain precedents were created. The administration of George H.W. Bush intervened to prevent famine in Somalia and to aid Kurds in northern Iraq; the Clinton administration returned an elected leader to power in Haiti; NATO ended the war in Bosnia and stopped Slobodan Milosevic's campaign of terror in Kosovo; the British halted a civil war in Sierra Leone; and the United Nations authorized life-saving missions in East Timor and elsewhere."
* repercussion: (n) the effect that an action, event or decision has on something, especially a bad effect.
"Thus, Myanmar's leaders have been shielded from the repercussions of their outrageous actions. Sudan has been able to dictate the terms of multinational operations inside Darfur. The government of Zimbabwe may yet succeed in stealing a presidential election."
* back off: (phrasal verb) to stop being involved in a situation, usually in oder to allow other people deal with it themselves.
"Political leaders in Pakistan have told the Bush administration to back off, despite the growth of Al Qaeda and Taliban cells in the country's wild northwest."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/11/opinion/edalbright.php
* dissent: (n) strong difference of opinion on a particular subject; disagreement, especially about an official suggestion or plan or a popular belief.
"The first and most obvious reality is the survival of totalitarian government in an age of global communications and democratic progress. Myanmar's military junta employs the same set of tools used by the likes of Stalin to crush dissent and monitor the lives of citizens."
* famine: (n) when there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and death, or a particular period when this happen.
* halt: (v) to (cause to ) stop moving or doing something or happening.
"During the 1990s, certain precedents were created. The administration of George H.W. Bush intervened to prevent famine in Somalia and to aid Kurds in northern Iraq; the Clinton administration returned an elected leader to power in Haiti; NATO ended the war in Bosnia and stopped Slobodan Milosevic's campaign of terror in Kosovo; the British halted a civil war in Sierra Leone; and the United Nations authorized life-saving missions in East Timor and elsewhere."
* repercussion: (n) the effect that an action, event or decision has on something, especially a bad effect.
"Thus, Myanmar's leaders have been shielded from the repercussions of their outrageous actions. Sudan has been able to dictate the terms of multinational operations inside Darfur. The government of Zimbabwe may yet succeed in stealing a presidential election."
* back off: (phrasal verb) to stop being involved in a situation, usually in oder to allow other people deal with it themselves.
"Political leaders in Pakistan have told the Bush administration to back off, despite the growth of Al Qaeda and Taliban cells in the country's wild northwest."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
New Vocabulary 9: Gabe Hudson "An American in Seoul"
From Gabe Hudson, "An American in Seoul," International Herald Tribune, June 10, 2008.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/10/opinion/edhudson.php
* phalanx: (n) a large group of people standing very close to each other, usually for the purposes of defence or attack.
"The university moved me into a high-rise studio apartment in the heart of downtown Seoul, on Jongno street, next to the recently beautified Cheonggye stream, which is surrounded by a phalanx of high-rise buildings. Right outside my 20th-floor window is the ultramodern Samsung Securities building, Jongno Tower, which at night looks like a giant robot peering in at me."
* feast: (n) a special meal with very good food or a large meal for many people.
"Most evenings, my girlfriend, Ja-Won, and I walk to one of the local downtown areas for a Korean feast. We walk to Samcheondong for sam gyeop sal (barbecued pork), or to Insadong for yang nyeom ge jang (raw crab with spicy sauce), or to Myeondong for bul dak (fiery chicken)."
* buzz: (v) to press a BUZZER in order to get someone's attention.
* vault: (n) a room, especially in a bank, with thick walls and a strong door, which is used to store money or valuable things in safe conditions.
"When Ja-Won buzzes the front door to my apartment, an image of her face instantly appears on the silver Samsung video screen on my living-room wall. When I step into the hall to greet her, the door behind me suctions itself closed, locks itself with a motor and speaks to me in Korean. You can unlock my front door with a remote control, or if you prefer, by using the keypad in the door handle. Sometimes getting back into my apartment feels like breaking into a bank vault."
* leer: (v) (especially of men) to look at someone in an unpresant and sexually interested way.
* wag: (v) (especially of a tail or finger) to move from side to side or up and down, especially quickly and repeatedly.
"I looked up and saw a middle-aged Korean man in a suit leering over our table. He said something very rude-sounding to Ja-Won. I could only make out the word "American." He wagged his finger at her, stepping in closer."
* drag: (v) to make someone go somewhere they do not want to go.
"But that night I stood up and, even though the man didn't speak English, quickly communicated to him that I'd break his face if he came any closer. Seeing that I meant business, the man then allowed himself to be dragged away by his wife."
* fathom: (v) to discover the meaning of something.
"I won't understand the language going on around me, and I won't be able to fathom the simple miracle of how I came to be sitting there, but I will feel as if I belong."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/10/opinion/edhudson.php
* phalanx: (n) a large group of people standing very close to each other, usually for the purposes of defence or attack.
"The university moved me into a high-rise studio apartment in the heart of downtown Seoul, on Jongno street, next to the recently beautified Cheonggye stream, which is surrounded by a phalanx of high-rise buildings. Right outside my 20th-floor window is the ultramodern Samsung Securities building, Jongno Tower, which at night looks like a giant robot peering in at me."
* feast: (n) a special meal with very good food or a large meal for many people.
"Most evenings, my girlfriend, Ja-Won, and I walk to one of the local downtown areas for a Korean feast. We walk to Samcheondong for sam gyeop sal (barbecued pork), or to Insadong for yang nyeom ge jang (raw crab with spicy sauce), or to Myeondong for bul dak (fiery chicken)."
* buzz: (v) to press a BUZZER in order to get someone's attention.
* vault: (n) a room, especially in a bank, with thick walls and a strong door, which is used to store money or valuable things in safe conditions.
"When Ja-Won buzzes the front door to my apartment, an image of her face instantly appears on the silver Samsung video screen on my living-room wall. When I step into the hall to greet her, the door behind me suctions itself closed, locks itself with a motor and speaks to me in Korean. You can unlock my front door with a remote control, or if you prefer, by using the keypad in the door handle. Sometimes getting back into my apartment feels like breaking into a bank vault."
* leer: (v) (especially of men) to look at someone in an unpresant and sexually interested way.
* wag: (v) (especially of a tail or finger) to move from side to side or up and down, especially quickly and repeatedly.
"I looked up and saw a middle-aged Korean man in a suit leering over our table. He said something very rude-sounding to Ja-Won. I could only make out the word "American." He wagged his finger at her, stepping in closer."
* drag: (v) to make someone go somewhere they do not want to go.
"But that night I stood up and, even though the man didn't speak English, quickly communicated to him that I'd break his face if he came any closer. Seeing that I meant business, the man then allowed himself to be dragged away by his wife."
* fathom: (v) to discover the meaning of something.
"I won't understand the language going on around me, and I won't be able to fathom the simple miracle of how I came to be sitting there, but I will feel as if I belong."
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