Hello there! In today’s newsletter, I’d like to talk about starting afresh (new).
Starting Anew
April in Japan is when people all over the country start new schools, jobs, classes, and much more. For some people, they will move away, find a new home and start anew (again). For others, they will retire (finish working) and settle (calm down) into a routine of gardening, watching TV, and maybe starting a new hobby.
For me, I’ll begin a new year of English classes at my school, “Nick’s English”, where I mostly teach groups of children.
Side note: It might surprise you to know that my mother was a teacher, too. She taught at a primary (elementary) school in England. Her two brothers, my uncles, were also teachers. One was the head of the languages department at a secondary (junior high, middle) school, and the other was a school principal (headmaster). And their mother? Well, my grandmother was an English teacher! 😁
British English
Here are some common ways to talk about making new plans, starting again, and setting goals:
- Turning over a new leaf – This means to start again with a new attitude.
- Starting from scratch – Going back to the very beginning.
- Back to square one – Going back to the very beginning after failing.
- Wiping the slate clean – Going back to the very beginning, forgetting what happened before.
- Out with the old, in with the new – Changing old habits, people or items for new ones.
- A fresh start – Start again with a positive attitude.
- Starting anew – Starting again with a positive attitude.
- New beginnings – Start again with a positive attitude.
- Turning a new page – Starting again with a positive attitude.
- A clean break – Complete cut off everything from before and start a new chapter.

New Videos and Worksheets
Here are the latest videos and worksheets I’ve made:
Videos:
- English Speaking Skills – Repeat English: “All you need to do is…”
- Short videos – See Instagram or YouTube.
Worksheets:
- Speaking Skills: Speaking Gym: All you need to do is…
- News: British woman first to finish world’s toughest ultramarathon
- True Stories: The rats on trial in 16th century France
Study Tip
What happens when you repeat your English teacher? Do you actually (really) listen carefully and try to copy the pronunciation and intonation? Or maybe you see the English words written in your mind and just read those?
It’s funny, isn’t it? If I ask a student to repeat me saying “choc-late”, they will probably say “cho-co-late”. Why? Because they see the word in their head and read it.
Pay attention (listen) to how your teacher speaks. It doesn’t always match the written word! 😉
Wrap-up
And that’s it! Thank you for joining me for tea! If you’re enjoying my blog and would like to get new posts in your email, please subscribe. If you have friends who might like these posts, please share this link with them. I really appreciate it!
All the best,
Nick
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