最近日本語を流暢に話せる方が増えましたが、その一方で大阪弁などを除いては地方の方言(dialect)はまだあまり関心を持たれていないようです。東北地方に住む私からは、温泉、秋田犬や日本酒などのローカルのお話を交えて東北の方言をみなさんに紹介したいと思います。より深く日本語に親しみを覚えるはずです！必ずしも東北地方全ての地域で話されている言葉だけではないですけども、ぜひ聴いてね！


Nihongo tokidoki Inaka hougen with Megumi Na

In this episode for upper-intermediate and advanced English learners, I’ll talk about vocabulary and idioms related to sleep. 

It’s a topic that can come in especially handy if you find yourself engaging in small talk, especially since so many of us are sleep-deprived.

The idioms we’ll cover are:
-hit the hay/hit the sack
-to sleep like a rock/to sleep like a baby
-out like a light
-to catch some Zs
-to sleep on it/to sleep on something

 (Music by Lesfm from Pixabay)

Conversations With a Friend

How to Talk About Sleep

In this episode for upper-intermediate and advanced English learners, my daughter and I talk about our predictions for the second part of Stranger Things 4. The first seven episodes were released at the end of May and the last two episodes come out July 1st. We recorded this episode on June 17th and try to guess what'll happen in those last two episodes. 

WARNING: This episode contains SPOILERS (we talk about what happened in the first seven episodes, so don't listen to this if you haven't already watched it).

We'd love to hear your predictions in the comments, or, if you're listening to this after the last two episodes come out you can find out if we were right or not!  (Music by Lesfm from Pixabay)

Stranger Things Season 4, Part 2 PREDICTIONS!

In this episode for upper-intermediate and advanced English learners, I’ll talk about some idioms and sayings that I personally use regularly. Today’s idioms are mostly related to having lots and lots of work to do, or being really busy. These idioms (and one phrasal verb) can all be used in a business context, but are also used in everyday life.

I welcome you to practice what you’ve learned by writing examples in the comments!  (Music by Lesfm from Pixabay)

Idioms Related to Having Lots of Work to Do

In this episode for upper-intermediate and advanced English learners, I’ll talk about my experiences delivering food with DoorDash, and you'll have the opportunity to practice your listening comprehension skills by answering a set of questions at the end of the episode. 

I welcome you to share your answers and other thoughts in the comments!

The idioms I mention near the beginning of the episode are:
- to keep a roof over one's head
- to make ends meet
- to put food on the table

(Music by Lesfm from Pixabay)


Working as a Restaurant Delivery Driver - English Listening Comprehension

In this episode for intermediate and advanced English learners, I'll talk about how the Valentine's Day holiday is typically celebrated in the U.S., and at the end, you'll have some listening comprehension questions to answer. (Music by Lesfm from Pixabay)


Let's Talk About Valentine's Day in the United States

In this episode for intermediate and advanced English learners, I'll tell you about my cats, you'll learn some new vocabulary related to cats, and I'll discuss some idioms that include the word "cats.” (Music by Lesfm from Pixabay)