English Conversation for Beginners: Do You Think Those Katakana Words Are English?

Hello. I am ARYA.

Last time, I talked about how being able to speak even a little bit is actually a great achievement.

This time, I will introduce two recommended practice methods for beginner to elementary levels.

First: Turning Katakana into English

First, I want to tell you something very important.

Katakana is not English.

For example,

・yellow
・white
・cake

These are understood as Japanese, but they often do not work as English as they are, which is a point that elementary-level learners struggle with.

① yellow

X Yellow
O Yello (yé-lo)

If the 'i' sound is too strong, it is hard to be understood.

② white

X White
O Wite

Do not say the initial 'ho'. It feels like mixing in breath.

③ cake

X Cake
O Cake

Do not stretch it, and make the end light.

Without realizing it, we have come to believe that Katakana equals English.

But this is not a problem with your English ability.

English-sounding words have simply blended into Japanese so naturally.

Therefore, it is actually quite natural that you cannot hear or be understood.

What is important is to "notice" rather than "memorize".

You don't have to try to memorize everything from the start.

What matters is to pause for a moment and ask,

"I wonder how to say this in English?"

That realization becomes the foundation for moving to the next stage.

Can you say these Katakana words in English?

＼A quick English quiz／

What are the following Katakana words in English?
※The answers are at the end of the article. Please try to think about them.

Q1: Laptop
Q2: Air conditioner
Q3: Remote control
Q4: Microwave
Q5: Apartment/Condominium
Q6: Electrical outlet
Q7: Gas station
Q8: Motorcycle
Q9: Ice cream
Q10: All-you-can-eat buffet

How many did you know?

It is perfectly fine if you couldn't answer all of them.

Rather, what is important is to realize, "Oh, is that so?"

Accumulating those realizations will gradually build your English proficiency.

Second: Use Eiken listening questions for "imagination training"

The second method is a study technique using Eiken listening questions.

Use conversation questions that come with illustrations.

Many people just finish by "listening to the audio and choosing the correct answer"...
but that is a bit of a waste.

That is a bit of a waste.

First, what I want you to do BEFORE listening to the audio

Here is the point👇

Do not listen to the audio right away.

First,
✔ Look at the illustrations
✔ Look at the characters
✔ Imagine the scene

And then,

Try creating the conversation yourself.

After that, listen to the audio

Only now do you listen to the audio.

Then,

“Oh, so that’s how you say it”
“It was a bit different from what I imagined”
“Is this another way to phrase it?”

You will definitely have these realizations.

What is important here is,

✅ It is okay if it is different from your prediction
✅ If you can't think of the English, Japanese is also fine

that is it.

The purpose of this practice is to increase your repertoire of English patterns.

You can ask AI about grammar later

“Is this way of saying it correct?”
“Is there a more natural way to say it?”

If you think that, it is fine to ask AI about it.

Right now,

・Grammar check
・Natural paraphrasing
・Level-specific expressions

We live in an era where everything can be taught to us immediately.

That is precisely why,

🌱 Thinking for yourself
🌱 Imagining
🌱 Coming up with a tentative answer

This process is extremely important.

Now, let's give it a try!
Look at the next illustration and try to create a conversation.

Boy :　
Mother:
Boy:
Mother:

Please let me know in the comments what kind of conversation you came up with.

I will include the script at the end of the article.

People who improve their English do not go looking for the “correct answer”

The more people struggle to speak English,

・They don't want to make mistakes
・They want to say the correct sentence
・They want to understand perfectly before speaking

they tend to think.

But those who actually improve,

✔ Imagine
✔ Speak out loud
✔ Correct it later

We are proceeding in this order.

Eiken listening questions are perfect material for that practice.

⬇️Eiken Past Questions⬇️
Each grade, question, answer, and listening script are all available.

In English learning, quantity is also important.
Listening a lot and being exposed to it a lot will definitely build your skills.

But at the same time, 'how you approach it' greatly changes the quality of your learning.

Instead of just chasing the answers, try thinking, imagining, and speaking them out loud once.

That accumulation will make English your own language.

I hope today's practice becomes a trigger for you to feel,
'Maybe English is actually kind of fun.'
that way.

💎 Please check out my other articles as well 💎

English Teacher's Notes #005: For English Conversation Beginners - The 'Follow-up' Technique to Keep Conversations Going Even with Yes/No Questions

English Teacher's Notes #004: For English Conversation Beginners - 3-Line Diary Training for Those Who Can't Get English Out

English Teacher's Notes #003: For English Conversation Beginners - What You Should Learn First Is Not Words, But 'Sounds'

#EnglishTeacherNotes #ARYA