4 Ways to Utilize "NHK Radio English Conversation" Taught by an English Coach

Hello everyone!
I'm Genya, a MONEY ENGLISH coach.

Now, have you ever heard of NHK?
Yes, it is the massive broadcasting station that airs programs like the year-end Kohaku Uta Gassen.
"Nippon Hoso Kyokai"is apparently where the acronym comes from.

Wait, so it's not English.
By the way, in English, it isJapan Broadcasting Corporationwhich would make it JBC...

Setting that aside,
NHK is not satisfied with just news, TV programs, and live venues like NHK Hall; they even do"NHK Radio English Conversation."So, I will introduce

the
・What is the reality?
・How can you use it to improve your English skills?
・"7 questions to ask yourself" for effective learning

of NHK Radio English Conversation.

What is NHK English Radio?

What kinds are there?

It seems there are 8 NHK radio programs in total.
① Elementary School Basic English
② Basic English Level 1
③ Basic English Level 2
④ Enjoy Simple English
⑤ English Conversation Time Trial
⑥ Radio English Conversation
⑦ Learning "Modern English" through News
⑧ Radio Business English

There are also 4 English TV programs, such as "Little Charo," which features an impressive white dog.
I feel like little Genya (me as a child) might have watched that when I was young...

Now, let's look at the features of each English radio program.

① Elementary School Basic English

▲
In this episode, you will learnbasic English phrases like "Are you ok?"It isfull of music and sound effectsand the content is such that even if a child listens to it alone, they might be laughing along. If you have children, just playing this radio at home might lead toyour child suddenly starting to speak English.This is because children (up to about 4th grade) do not recognize English as


a second language different from Japanese,
so they have high absorption capacity and good ears, allowing them to pronounce sounds exactly as they are. Adults try to read "Are you OK?" as three separate words, don't they? But for children, they might utter it thinking it is one single word: "Areyouokay?" That is how much they learn through

Children → Auditory
Adults → Visual

.

② Basic English Level 1

▲
In this radio program, you will learn
junior high school-level basic English
such as

Why not? "Exactly!" "Would you like to~?".

Because it proceeds by "listening to the conversation text -> checking words and phrases -> listening again," you will gradually be able to grasp the overall picture of the story.

3. Basic English Level 2

▲ In this radio program, for example, conversations like this take place.
The "boss" said 'great', but...?
It's "both". "Both are great." as in...

Besides that,
you listen to English questions and listen to the conversation text while looking for the answers to them.
The length of the text and the level of vocabulary and grammar are significantly higher than in Basic English Level 1.
It also serves as practical listening practice that is slightly more advanced.

4. Enjoy Simple English

▲ In this radio program,
you listen to and learn from actual stories, such as "SDGs and Environmental Issues."
The radio program itself seems to be a system like listening to stories passively.

5. English Conversation Time Trial

▲
Here, you will instantly compose English sentences on various topics such as "school rules."

"How do you say 'strict' in English?" "Strict"
"How do you say 'it was strict' in English?" "It was strict."
"Let's make it longer! The school rules were strict." "The school rules were strict."
"How do you say 'gum is prohibited' in English?" "......"

and so on, it trains your ability to instantly convert Japanese into English.

6. Radio English Conversation

▲
In this radio program, you will learn English through a variety of situations.

Also, you can learn
"That's a shame."
"grab a hamburger"

like "native phrases" that move away from stiff, textbook expressions.

If you only learn from textbooks, you might only think of
"That's bad."
"eat a hamburger"
.

7. Learning Modern English through News

▲
Through timely social news such as this "fuel surcharge" or "Grand Sumo held in Paris for the first time in 31 years," you can learn English.

The phrases that appear, such as
do something for the first time in 30 years
and
get underway, are quite high-level, so it can be said to be for intermediate learners with a TOEIC score of 800 or higher.

These are topics that might make you say "What is a fuel surcharge..." even in Japanese. Haha...
Please try watching it to create topics to talk about on a date.

8. Radio Business English

You will learn English through various business scenes such as "visiting a farm in Miyazaki."
Furthermore, there are sections where you use those scenes to do shadowing (imitating and following the sound).

The phrases that appear are,

maintain high quality "maintain high quality"
A is very suited for B "A is very suitable for B"
~comes into play just as much "~is just as important"

and so on, the English level is high.
However, the English itself is relatively easy to hear, andthe speed is also at a standard levelcomparable to TOEIC or Eiken.
Also, I get the impression that there aren't many sound changes.
*Sound changes -> Sounds that are not pronounced literally, such as linking, reduction, and flapping (e.g., flapping where the 't' sound changes in 'get across' so it sounds like 'ge-ra-cross')

Given the high level of difficulty of the phrases,it can be said that this is a radio program from which even advanced learners with TOEIC scores over 900 can learn a lot.

Where can I get the audio and materials? Are they expensive?

Audio is available from the app or website-

First, regarding the radio audio, you can listen to the radio and missed episodes (up to one week old) on an app with a very distinctive name,"Radiru-Radiru".

From smartphone:
App Download | NHK ONE Radiru-Radiru

From either smartphone or PC:
"Radiru-Radiru" website URL: https://www.nhk.or.jp/radio/

▼ Missed episodes can be found here under "Past Episodes".

Just buy the materials from the official website-

By the way,even if you listen to English on the radio... if you think "I can't understand it!", your English skills won't improve.

Even if you understand that the pronunciation "first-a-bo" means "first of all," if you don't know how to write "first of all," you can't read it.

That goes without saying.

Furthermore, rather than just connecting "sound and meaning",connecting "text, sound, and meaning"is overwhelmingly easier to remember.

Therefore, I also recommend preparing this,which contains the script (transcription of the audio) of the conversationused as the subject matter.

URL is here:
Radio English Conversation | Product List | NHK Publishing

The price doesn't seem that high & it contains one month's worthso it is convenient to be able to use one book for a month.

The audio is free because it's radio.
It is a grateful resource to be able to learn deeply just for the cost of the materials.

The instructors are top-notch-

For example,
Mr. Hugh Onishi (Radio English Conversation - NHK) is a professor at Toyo Gakuen University and the author of this grammar book that everyone knows.
He is a god.

Mr. Sam Ito (Learning "Modern English" through News - NHK) has studied abroad at the University of London and is a former editor-in-chief of The Japan Times.
He is currently a bilingual journalist.

Ms. Makiko Nakajima (Basic English Level 1 - NHK)
is a teacher at the University of Tsukuba Junior High School. Many graduates of this junior high school go on to the University of Tsukuba Senior High School, which is a prestigious school that produces many students who pass the entrance exams for the University of Tokyo and medical schools.

What are some learning methods using NHK radio?

Slash reading

This is a learning method where you
"draw slashes between chunks of meaning and read aloud."

I recommend
"reading English -> translating directly into Japanese."

For example, a line said by someone who is late.
"I really thought/ I could make it."
"I really thought/ that I could make it."

The benefits of this training are:
1. You will be able to understand by chunks of meaning
× I really thought: I is 'I', really is 'really', thought is 'thought', so 'I really thought' is...
○ The moment you hear 'I really thought' -> an image of someone earnestly pleading something comes to mind

2. You will be able to understand in English word order
▼ If you rearrange them in your brain in Japanese word order like this, you won't be able to keep up with listening or reading.

-> I / that I could make it / really / thought
I / could make it / really / thought

It's like the next blocks keep falling while you are desperately trying to line them up in the game Tetris.

However, by understanding from the beginning in English word order, you can keep up with the speed of English.

"I really thought/ I could make it."
"I really thought/ that I could make it."

Reading aloud

Reading aloud is just
"playing the audio while looking at the textbook, and imitating it as you follow along."

*Strictly speaking, this is called 'overlapping.'

It seems you can set the radio speed to 0.75x, so let's start from there.

I recommend performing the slash reading I introduced earlier first, and then
reading aloud to boost your overall English proficiency in the following ways:

・Pronunciation
(Always listen to the model audio while doing this)
・Processing speed for understanding from the beginning
・Intonation
(Try to mimic the tone and rhythm as well)
・Instantaneous ability to combine learned grammar and vocabulary to create English sentences
(Speaking ability)
・Listening ability
(You can hear sounds you can pronounce)

Incidentally, in aone-year study targeting 101 Japanese university students,

Also, in aone-month study targeting 20 Japanese university students,

This also shows that it is extremely effective.

Recitation

Memorizing the English sentences you have read through "reading aloud"is also highly effective.
Language improves through the accumulation of knowledge.
For example,

An adult with a rich vocabulary who has read many books:
"There was something implied in the way he said it."

An adult with a limited vocabulary:
"That person is like... doesn't that mean something else!?"

Just by knowing vocabulary and expressions, you can instantly express what you want to say.
So, let'srecite and elevate those English sentences into something you can use yourself.

The standard for "whether you have successfully recited it" is"whether the English comes out of your mouth when you look at the Japanese.".

I have my students practice recitation as well, and one person previously said

He is in favor of the project.
"He is in favor of the project.".

When I said,"You know such a good phrase as 'in favor of', your vocabulary is impressive,"they replied,
"No, no, it was in a sentence Irecited the other day."

By reciting in sentences, it becomes
"understanding the meaning of English" + "being able to use that English"
, and your speaking ability will skyrocket.

Writing English sentences using important expressions and grammar

For example, if you learn that
"Present participles (verbs with -ing attached) act as adjectives (words that describe the state of things) to explain nouns (names of things)."
, then

try using a verb + ing toimagine a scene you would normally use it in and write an English sentence. Like this...

I can see a crying baby with a serious face.
I can see a baby crying with a serious face.

Who is that man running through the park at 50 kilometers per hour?
Who is that man running through the park at 50 kilometers per hour?

That woman making doria with durian is my mother.
That woman making doria with durian is my mother.

Here is one principle.

English composition (writing) → Speaking without time limits

Speaking → English composition (writing) done instantly on the spot

That is it.
Therefore, "becoming able to write in English" is one step away from "being able to use it in English conversation."
*Unless you are a giant, one step is quite close.

By all means, let's try English composition or talking to yourself (muttering English composition out loud) using the phrases and grammar you have learned.

Now, it's time for the Q&A corner!

7 Questions to Ask Yourself ～To utilize NHK Radio more effectively～

Can you keep it up alone?

Language learning is "lonely."
You must set your ownplan,analyze your progress and weaknesses,and motivate yourself.
Rather than doing it alone, it is fun to continue if you makestudy buddieson social media or study with friends and family around you.
I studied alone during my university days.
This is because I didn't have friends around me who were like "I'm going to work hard on English!", and those around me were mostly foreigners who could already speak quite well. Tears.
However, when I was a high school student, I studied with a vocabulary book called "Teppeki" together, and we would have conversations like "How far have you memorized?" or "What is the meaning of 'ape'?", which stimulated each other.
The latter is overwhelmingly easier to continue.

Can you make it a habit?

English proficiency is a long journey where"you don't easily reach your goals".
It is essential to look ahead to continuing for more than a year and make it a "habit."
In terms of brain science, the entrance to habituation is tolower the hurdle to the extreme, such as "first, just do 5 minutes of a vocabulary book for 2 weeks."
Therefore, try not to be overly ambitious like "I'm going to do 1 hour every day for a year!"

Is it okay to use the same teaching materials?

NHK Radio is excellent and there are 8 types in total.
However,depending on how you look at it, there are only 8 types.
Even in Eiken, there is a thick wall (gray zone) between Grade 2 and Pre-1st Grade, isn't there?
So, it might be a little too difficult, too easy, or not fit your purpose, and
it is difficult to find a level that suits you.

Also,weaknesses differ from person to person.

"My speaking wasn't getting across at all, so I trained my pronunciation!"
But for some reason, it still didn't get across...
The cause wasn't pronunciation, but "grammatical accuracy"... that kind of thing happens.

Or,
"I'm bad at speaking, so I trained my grammar skills!"
But for some reason, it still didn't get across.
The cause wasn't grammar, but "accuracy in word choice"... that kind of thing happens.
For example, "take a shower" is
〇take a shower
×get a shower ×do a shower
and so on.

So, the fact that the teaching materials are the same for everyone is a slight concern.
Although the quality of each material is wonderful.

Beyond just understanding it on the spot, "will you be able to use it?"

When you were a student,did you ever feel like you understood it in class, but when it came to the test... "I have no idea..."?

Radio is the same; it is dangerous to just listen to the explanations and feel like you understand.
Using the learning methods I shared in "How to Utilize NHK Radio" or the methods written in the radio study materials, let's elevate it to I can use this myself!.

Example: Can 'have + past participle' express 'experience'?
→ I have watched the movie before. = I can understand and say, 'I have seen that movie before.'

Are you pronouncing it correctly?

English radio materials introduce learning methods like 'shadowing' to strengthen pronunciation.
I think you can imitate it to a certain extent, but
you might be a little anxious about whether you are pronouncing it exactly like the model, right?

For example,
if 'international' sounded like 'in-der-national'
→ Oh, is the 't' flapping (the 't' sound becoming like a 'd' or a Japanese 'ra' row sound)?

You might think that, but it might actually be different.

In reality,
there is an 'n' before the 't' in 'inter', right?
When there is an 'n' sound before and after a 't' sound, the 't' can sometimes drop.
Therefore, it becomes 'in-ernational'.
Then, the 'n' sound before and after the '〇' links with the vowel,
and it might actually have become 'in-er-national'...

'In-der-national' and 'in-er-national' are different things, right?

So, having a senior learner or friend who is good at pronunciation, or getting it corrected by a professional is also one option.

Will your grammar and vocabulary skills be insufficient?

Radio is at most 5 or 10 minutes long.
Some vocabulary and grammar are introduced in that time, but
if you are satisfied with just that, your learning will be significantly insufficient.

It is the same as saying in Kendo, 'Even if you practice swinging and techniques for 10 minutes a day, you won't get stronger at all.'
I wonder if that gets the point across... why did I choose Kendo...

Therefore, it might be good to use separate vocabulary books or grammar books, and use the radio only as a plus-alpha.

Will you have a lack of output?

NHK English radio is basically input learning.

Learning vocabulary, phrases, and grammar, or reading aloud to acquire English sentences and pronunciation...

However, 'practice' is essential for improving language skills.
In other words, 'time to communicate in English'.

This is because speaking ability consists of 'vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and instant response'.

Just as you cannot perform well in a competition if you cannot swim fast even after mastering how to swim, even if you know vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, you need to train the 'speed' to assemble and pronounce them in 1 second, not 1 minute.

So, definitely do English conversation at the same time.

By the way, isn't there a learning environment or method that can cover all of these?

Actually, there is...

▼ Even if you are not interested in our service, please read until the end as it contains important information for learning English!

MONEY ENGLISH, working alongside a professional coach
～Creating a future where you can speak through sustainable habits～

MONEY ENGLISH has created a place where you can do everything in
English conversation x coaching“Practice x Training”all in one.

First, let me introduce how to train your "vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation," which are necessary before starting English conversation.

Vocabulary

・We perform daily vocabulary study and check retention through tests during counseling sessions (at least once every two weeks).

At this time, we aim not just to understand by looking, but to“understand by listening.”

Instead of seeing the word "citizen" and answering "kokumin" (citizen),
you listen to the coach pronounce "citizen," repeat it, and then answer "kokumin."

In actual English conversation, subtitles are not displayed, so“you need to understand from the sounds you hear.”Therefore, "listening to words and understanding their meaning" is an essential skill.

Grammar

Grammar study is structured in the following flow:
Prepare for the lesson with a grammar book + solve original preparatory problems
▼
Take the lesson
▼
Solve review problems

This is the flow it is composed of.

“Preparation → Class → Review”Because this flow is established,
you can prevent the situation of "understanding it but not being able to use it."

Pronunciation

Pronunciation study is mainly developed using“reading aloud.”

As with English radio and general teaching materials, you may have anxieties such as
“I don't know if my pronunciation is correct”
or “If I keep practicing incorrectly, it will become a habit.”

What wipes away such anxieties smoothly and cleanly is
“MONEY ENGLISH's reading aloud correction service.”

A group of pronunciation professionals who have achieved high scores on the“English Pronunciation Test (EPT),” which is necessary to become an English pronunciation instructor,will provide corrections every weekday.
By the way, most coaches have scored 90 or higher on the EPT.

However,there are no semi-native speakers who "lived abroad since childhood";
everyone learned pronunciation and English through their own efforts.
They are strong allies for learners studying English within the country.

English Conversation

The features of MONEY ENGLISH conversation are that
① everything from preparation to review is provided and it has a system in place to
・Reading and problems
・Discussion
・English composition
・AI-based pronunciation correction
・Dictation problems (listening transcription problems)
etc., develop all 4 skills.

② Filipino instructors who have passed strict 12-step training will teach you carefully as someone who also learned English as a second language

③ Since you can take lessons at a fixed date and time without a reservation, you might get to know a small number of instructors and even have deep conversations...?
Rest assured, you can also reschedule if you have sudden business!

Here!

~7 Questions You Might Want to Ask MONEY ENGLISH~

Can I keep it up alone?

You are not alone! A professional coach will

・Create a study plan and adjust it according to lifestyle changes and your current English proficiency・Support you daily via LINE and counseling, and answer your questions
for you.

Can I make it a habit?

Based on brain science and habituation research, we utilize "habituation techniques" to guide you to "success at a sustainable study pace."

Is it okay to use the same teaching materials?

Everyone uses the same materials? No, we select materials and create study plans that are
completely custom-made for each individual. Furthermore, as you progress in your studies and your weaknesses become strengths, we will flexibly adjust by reducing study time for those areas and focusing on your current weaknesses.

Will I be able to "use it," not just understand it on the spot?

Through study focused on vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation with your coach, you will
"understand the logic" and "be able to read and listen to understand", and through practical exercises such as English conversation and composition, we realize

"being able to use it yourself."

Practice how to swim with your coach. Practice swimming with an English conversation instructor.

Am I pronouncing things correctly?

Since there is reading aloud correction by the coach, you will receive objective feedback. Also,
not only text or PDF feedback, but "audio feedback" is provided, making it easy to understand how to pronounce and get an image of correct pronunciation.

Will I lack grammar or vocabulary skills?

We work through vocabulary books thoroughly (gently), and for grammar, there is no room for deficiency as it is
"preparation problems → lesson → review problems + (over 1000 original problems also prepared)"

Will I have a lack of output?

In addition to the input you do with your coach, there are also plenty of opportunities for output, such as English conversation and writing practice, so you have nothing to worry about.

Summary

NHK English radio is an excellent learning resource, but with MONEY ENGLISH, you can also acquire
a study plan created just for you and gain practical English skills.

Please be sure to visit our website.

Thank you for reading until the end!

-Genya

If you found this even slightly interesting, please follow my account and share this article. I look forward to seeing you all in the next article. If you would like to know more about 'MONEY ENGLISH,' please feel free to contact us here.