Other Languages

Want To Study At A Japanese University?

If you’d like to study at a Japanese university, read on. If you don’t… read on anyway! You might find this interesting. At the present time, Japan is undergoing a chronic shortage of students for its well-respected universities. (Most of you will have read one of the numerous news reports in recent years concerning Japan’s…

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Sun Tzu: Ancient Wisdom, Relevant Today

Sun Tzu was a general in ancient China, known almost exclusively for writing the book known in the English language as “Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.” This book has been exhaustively studied by great generals of Chinese, Japanese, and in more modern times, European and American fame. Today, the book is studied to some…

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Mystic Tales from the Zohar Naso

Introduction to Idra Raba (The Great Chamber) Rabbi Shimon and his nine friends were sitting silently in The Great Chamber but their hearts were afire in the threshing field of revelations. Thus Rabbi Shimon opened and said: “A gossip walker reveals a secret,  and a spirit trust person covers it” (Mishlei 11, 13) He spoke…

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Mystic Tales from the Zohar Mishpatim

Hasaba (the Grandfather) – Part I Rabi Hiya and Rabi Yossi met one night in the tower of  Zor. They sat together around a table and were delighting in each other’s presence. Rabi Yossi said, “I am so happy that I have seen the face of the holy spirit, this delicate meaning with you, my…

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Japanese Culture: Why “Gaijin” Isn’t So Bad After All

The Japanese concept of 内と外 (uchi to soto; inside & outside) is considered a cultural concept that perpetually keeps the 外人 (gaijin; foreigners) on the outside of society. In some sense, this is entirely correct. However, it is not the complete story. “Uchi and Soto” is, first and foremost, a linguistic concept. Take Las Vegas….

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Fundamentals of Japanese

Hello, this is Jeremiah Bourque, head of the Japanese department of Learn Out Live. I want to tell you about the immense progress we have made in a short time, and what value we can offer our students and clients. I am just completing a unit of courses that, taken together, I call Fundamentals of…

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IELTS Speaking Test: The Public Library Issue

I was looking into publicly available information about the types of questions on the speaking portion of the IELTS academic test, which is a test used by universities in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada to assess the English language skills of non-native speakers. The testing system was designed to test the readiness of a…

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Samurai: Sometimes Warriors, Always Servants

The word “samurai” evolved from the word “saburai,” which itself is rooted in the verb “saburau,” meaning “to serve.” The kanji for samurai, 侍, is composed of two components, or “radicals”: a man (on the left), and a temple (on the right). Thus, just as a man pays homage to the kami (spirits/ gods) at…

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Naruto – The Real (Life) Story

“Naruto” is not just the name of a popular ninja-centric anime, nor the name of the main character of that anime. This is the story of the “swirl” that appears left and right in that series. Naruto is also a real-life island: Naruto Island. Naruto is also a straight: the Naruto Strait, where the Seto…