Welcome to
The Point
The First All English Newspaper in Kumamoto City, Japan
My name is Randall Miller. I have started an English newspaper here in Kumamoto City Japan named The Point. There are lots of Japanese adults who like to learn and practice English. There are also a lot of Japanese students who enjoy learning English. My newspaper gives Japanese a chance to practice and learn English with a native speaker. Japanese people can exchange emails in English with my native speaking English staff. Japanese can also learn idioms, American culture and other English grammar with our newspaper. My goal is to help improve Japanese citizens in English and to give them a safe and comfortable opportunity to practice English with native speakers. I print the newspaper once a month. My magazine reaches up to 150,000 citizens in Kumamoto City and surrounding areas.
Exchange emails with a native speaker of English
If you really want to improve your English skills, you should practice exchanging emails with a native speaker. Answer the questions below and send your answers to one of our staff members. You can also practice your speaking by skype or meeting in person.
Topic: Marriage
1. Do you want to get married one day?
2. When do you want to get married?
3. How long do you want to date before getting married?
4. What would you do if you caught your spouse cheating?
5. What makes a happy marriage?
6. How does getting married make you feel?
7. Do your parents tell you anything about marriage?
8. How do you think married life will be different from single life?
9. Why would you get divorced?
Send your answers to someone on our staff. We will correct your English and answer you. Write the staff’s name in the subject. Email: bluehillesl@yahoo.com
Male Female
David (USA) Sharon (Canada)
Randall (USA) Lisa (Canada)
Grammar 1
make up your mind = decide
Ex. I can't make up my mind if I want to go to Disneyworld or Disneyland.
1. It's hard to make up my mind if I want the blue or red boots.
2. It's hard to make up my mind which restaurant I want to go to.
3. Hurry up and make up your mind.
4. Make up your mind if you want cookies or brownies.
Grammar 2
as you know = you already know
Ex. As you know I am too young to drink alcohol.
1. As you know I graduated from college.
2. As you know my sister is a nurse.
3. As you know I don't have a car.
4. As you know, I don't like Rock and Roll.
Foreigner's Voice
I was sitting in my apartment one afternoon and I was getting hungry. I decided to go to Hotto Motto which was close to my apartment. It was such a beautiful and sunny day, I decided to walk to get my food. On my way, I saw a police car pass me. I just kept walking and to my surprise, the same police car had made a u-turn. The two police officers in the car turned the red and blue lights on and pulled in front of me. I wasn't nervous because I had not done anything illegal. The first police officer got out of the car and walked up to me. He asked me for my passport of foreigner card. I asked the police officer, "What did I do wrong?" I had only been in Japan for a few months so I could not speak much Japanese. The second police officer got out of the car and told me that I had not done anything wrong. The officers were just stopping me to check my papers to make sure I was in Japan legally. I thought this was not a good way to welcome foreigners into Japan. While I was standing there with the police car lights on, the Japanese in their cars passed by and slowing down wondering what I had done wrong. I felt like a criminal even though I had not done anything wrong. It was so embarrassing so I wondered how many Japanese citizens know that Japanese police stop foreigners at random to check their papers. I didn't feel good so I never walked anywhere again. I hate when Japanese people ask me if I like living in Japan because this bad memory always comes to mind.
English Idioms
Idiom 1 - big cheese = an important person in a company
Example:
Sam: I want to take a vacation next week.
Ben: You need to ask Todd. He is the big cheese around here.
Idiom 2 - break the ice = to start talking to someone
Example:
Jill: I want to talk to the new lady in the office. I don't know how to break the ice.
Ray: Break the ice by telling a joke.
Idiom 3 - judge a book by its cover = making decisions based on how they or it looks
Example:
Charles: He doesn't smile so I think he is not friendly.
Rachel: Don't judge a book by its cover. He might be really nice.
Idiom 4 - all thumbs - clumsy
Example:
Student: I want to plant some new flowers outside but I am all thumbs.
Teacher: I'll help you.
April 2022
American Culture
There are a lot of military schools in America. Some are high schools and some are colleges. For the high schools, students must take a test for admittance. One popular military school is Valley Forge Military Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The boys live at the school in barracks like the military. They must wear military uniforms on campus. Their daily routines are much like the real military. They wake up at 6:00am and start physical training like push-ups, sit-ups and running. Then after one hour, they return to their room to take a shower and go to the mess hall for breakfast. Then they go to classes just like a school. In the afternoons, they might have drills or they are free to do anything they want. At the military universities like The Citadel, West Point and Annapolis, the tuition is free but after they graduate, they must join the military for 5 years.
Gwendolyn Brooks
On June 7, 1917 Gwendolyn Brooks was born in Topeka, Kansas. Her family soon moved to Chicago. At the age of seven, Gwendolyn began writing poetry with encouragement from her parents. She often visited the public library and shared her poems with the librarian who gave her praise and often posted her poems on the bulletin board.
After two years of studying literature in college, Gwendolyn entered poetry contests and won several awards. Her first book of poems, A Street in Bronzeville, was published in 1945. Four years later Annie Allen was published. This book was a ballad about African American life in Chicago. This book received the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1950.
Gwendolyn Brooks went on to teach poetry at many colleges and to visit schools. She encouraged students to write.