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Happy new year everyone! Thank you for coming back to Time for English. Kaori and I are truly happy to have you with us again.

Now, if you've been with us for some time, you know we always start the year by talking about new year's resolutions.

A new year's resolution is a promise to yourself to make a positive change in your life from the start of the year. It's a goal, not a wish, so it has to be something you would strive for. For example, lose weight, eat better, quit smoking, learn something new, or even spend less time on social media.

So, have you made any new year's resolutions? If you haven't yet, you may want to make one in English. I'll give you some more ideas about new year's resolutions on our website. So, make sure to come visit us on Thursday.

In the meantime, why don't you try a quiz? I'll give you three sentences. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

1. A new year's resolution is a wish list for the new year.

2. Losing weight cannot be a new year's resolution.

3. A new year's resolution should be something you would strive for.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

This will be the last update of 2017 and we're going to wrap up the year by talking about "time flies" as we always do.

The idiom "time flies" is used to mean time seems to be passing very fast. Time flies when you're having fun. Time flies when you're extremely busy. Time flies when you're not on a treadmill. But time stops when you're stuck at work on a Friday night. Albert Einstein would say, "hey, that's what I call RELATIVITY!"

Anyhow. Kaori and I want to thank you all for your loyal support throughout the year. It's truly encouraging when you visit our website or like us on facebook. Thank you so much.

We're going to take a week off and be back on the 8th of January 2018. We hope you join us again. In the meantime, we wish you a happy, healthy, brand new year!

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Everyone's busy in December. In Japan, the twelfth month is commonly referred to as "Shiwasu", which is written in a combination of two Chinese characters, the first one meaning "teachers" and the second one "to run". Masters and monks are usually calm and well-controlled. You rarely see them run. But even they start running around like Santa Claus before Christmas. Things are that much hectic in December as we approach the end of the year.

So, I think it's a good time to learn this word "hectic". Hectic means very busy. If you have a hectic schedule for the next few days, you'll be very busy for the next few days. Just one thing to note here: You can say "I'm busy" but you do NOT say "I'm hectic". You have a hectic day or hectic schedule. Things are hectic, but you're not hectic.

Now. Would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

I had a hectic day today.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

I've always thought the word "news" is one of the most-used words by President Trump. It seems I'm right about it when it comes to his comments on Twitter.

So, let's look at this word "news" today.

Although the word "news" has an "s" on the end, it's an uncountable noun. In other words, it doesn't have a plural form, and it doesn't follow "a".

For example, no news is good news. You don't say "no news are". You don't put "a" in front of "good news". Bad news travels fast. Again, it uses "travels" which is a singular verb.

By the say, I came across an interesting quote by anonymous. Let me share it with you. Evening news is where they begin with “Good evening," and then proceed to tell you why it isn't. You got it?

Well, would you like to learn this saying together? Please repeat after me:

No news is good news.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Today we're going to look at the word "access".

If you have access to something such as information or equipment, it means you have the opportunity or right to see it or use it. If you have access to a building, it means you are able or allowed to go into it.

Let's say, you're a college student and you can use the college library. You have access to the college library. You have a Wi-Fi connection at home. You have access to the Internet at home. In Tokyo there is a dense network of railway, subway and bus lines. We have easy access to public transportation in Tokyo. However, there are areas where people have very limited access or no access to public transportation.

Sometimes the word is applied to a person. For example, if you're arrested as a suspect, it's important to have access to a lawyer.

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me*

I have access to the Internet.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

I had a hectic week last week. There were several meetings to attend as an interpreter, multiple deadlines to meet, and accidentally I missed my dentist appointment. I thought it was on Thursday, but it actually was on Wednesday. In English, you can describe this situation by saying, "I got the dates mixed up".

When you have so many different details to remember or think about, you may get confused. Instead of saying "I'm confused", you can also say "I'm mixed up". In real life conversations, you may hear slightly different variations. For example, I'm mixed up, I got mixed up, I'm all mixed up, or I got totally mixed up. When someone is explaining something complex, and you want to ask him to stop and repeat, you can say, "Wait, wait. I'm getting mixed up. Can you say that again?".

Well, let's be a little ambitious today and learn two sentences. All right? Please repeat after me:

I'm getting mixed up.

I got the dates mixed up.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Recently we talked about a last-minute person and an ahead-of-time person. In English, the word "person" can be used to express personal characteristics or preferences.

For example, if you love cats, you're a cat person. if you prefer dogs, you're a dog person. Personally, I love both cats and dogs, but I think I'm more of a dog person than a cat person.

Let's say, you're invited to sushi lunch, but you don't like sushi. Instead of saying "I don't like sushi", you can put it a little more elegantly by saying "Well, I'm not a big sushi person".

If you're a morning person, you wake up early, feel more productive and clear-headed during the day. If you work better at night, you're a night owl.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

Being a dog person means:

1. you're like a dog.

2. you have a dog.

3. you like a dog.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

In the lesson before last, I asked you if you are a "last-minute" person or a do-everything-ahead-of-time kind of person. And in that lesson we focused on how to use the term "last minute". Today, I want to talk about the other one: ahead of time.

If you do something ahead of time, you do it before a given deadline or earlier than was planned. If something happens ahead of time, it happens earlier than was arranged.

For example, I'm more of an ahead-of-time kind person. When I attend a meeting as an interpreter, getting there on time isn't enough. I always plan to arrive at least 15 minutes ahead of time. When I take an international flight, I make sure to be at the airport two hours ahead of time. When I work on translation, I usually finish it one full day ahead of time.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

The meeting was scheduled for 3 o'clock but I arrived 10 minutes ahead of time.

1. I arrived just in time.

2. I arrived earlier.

3. I showed up late.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Back in February, when US President Donald Trump welcomed our prime minister, Abe-san, at the White House, he said to the reporters they had very "good chemistry".

Chemistry is the science that deals with the nature and composition of substances and their transformations. But the term "chemistry" also refers to the way two individuals (or two people) relate to each other.

When two individuals get along, they're friendly and compatible with each other. In this case, they have good chemistry. President Trump and Prime Minister Abe, for example, have become good friends. There's a good chemistry between the two leaders.

Contrarily, if two individuals do NOT get along, there's no chemistry between them, or they have bad chemistry. They don't mix well like oil and water.

Now, would you like to practice the phrase together? Please repeat after me:

They have good chemistry.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

I have a question for you: Are you a "last-minute" person or rather a do-everything-ahead-of-time kind of person?

If you have the habit of waiting until the last minute to work on something with a deadline, in other words, do your homework or taxes at the last minute or just before the deadline, you're likely to be a last-minute person.

Contrarily, if you're a planner, an organizer, and want to map it all out in advance, you're definitely an ahead-of-time person.

Generally speaking, a last-minute person and an ahead-of-time person don't mix well. If they have to work on the same project together, It'll be a frustrating, stressful, even torturous experience, I mean, for both of them. Mind you though, it can't always be helped.

Anyhow, here's a good sentence to practice together. So please repeat after me:

Don't wait until the last minute.