Hello. My name is Hosokawa. I teach English in the EAGL. I am going to study in the Department of Educational Studies at Oxford University from September 2007 for one year. This column shows my reports from Oxford. EAGL students send Bi-Weekly reports to the department while they are studying abroad. I am trying to do the same thing. This is a great venture to me. I am not sure how much I can do, but please look forward to my reports. I will show you my elegant life in and at Oxford.
Oxford Report アーカイブ
Happy New Year 2008
Happy New Year from Oxford
The photograph above is the chapel of Exeter College. There are 39 colleges at Oxford University, and Exter College is the fourth oldest college founded in 1314. Famous graduates include J.R.R. Tolkien, the writer of 'the Lord of the Rings', William Morris, Edward Burne, and Alan Bennett.
Oxford has a unique system in its structure. Students belong to college and university. In my case I belong to Exter College and the Department of Education at university. Most undergraduate students live inside college and spend three years there. They also take classes provided by the University outside.
Please visit the following websites: University: www.ox.ac.uk, Exter College: www.exeter.ox.ac.uk
I would like to introduce Oxford University life and the town occasionally in this blog. Since this is the first message in 2008, I will show you a good English study site on the Internet. The site is 'Guardian Unlimited'. This is an excellent site for serious students who want to study English. There are many categories from politics to books and music. And there are 'podcasts' sites from which you can download interviews of famous writers and scientists such as Steven Pinker, linguist, and Richard Dawkins, the writer of 'the Selfish Gene'. Very exciting interviews! and of course you can listen to them in English.
I hope all the readers of this blog will be happy and well this year.
*This site is for all the people who want to study English. Of course they include high school students. I will write in as easy English as possible. Even if you are not confident of your English abilities, please try. I am sure you will enjoy it.
投稿者: HP担当者 日時: 2008.01.02 Wednesday 7:25 AM
JRR Tolkien: Talk with His Daughter Priscilla
Photograph: Front Quadrangle at Exeter College
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) is the author of 'the Hobbit' and 'the Lord of the Rings'. His books are extremely popular in Japan and around the world. Tolkien studied at Exeter College, and became a fellow after teaching English language and literature at Pembroke and Merton Colleges, Oxford.
On 16 January 2008 Tolkien's youngest daughter Priscilla visited Exeter College and talked about his father. She told us how much he loved his family and how much his children loved reading the illustrated letters from Father Christmas (Santa Claus) which he wrote for children. He was an extremely busy person as a scholar, as a father of four children and as an officer during the World War I.
Tolkien published 'The Hobbit' in 1937, and 'The Lord of the Rings' in 1954 and 1955. I do recommend you to read these books either in English or in Japanese. If you want to get further information about him and his works, please visit the following websites.
Websites:
Tolkien Society: http://www.tolkiensociety.org/
Tolkien Tour: http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/OxfordTour/tolkientour/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien
投稿者: HP担当者 日時: 2008.01.18 Friday 10:05 AM
Blackwell: Bookshop
Blackwell bookshop window: Audrey is still popular here.
In Oxford there are two well-known bookstores. One is Oxford University Press and the other is Blackwell. This bookshop was founded by the Blackwell family in 1879, and it is nearly 130 years old. Blackwell is one of the most famous publishing companies in the world. It sells a variety of academic books and journals. Blackwell Publishing was owned by the Blackwell family until recently, but it was acquired by the American company, John Wiley & Sons in 2007.
The bookshop still stands at the original place on Broad Street near Bodleian Library and Trinity College. The shop is a small three-story house, but it is spacious inside with an underground room called the Norrington Room, named after Sir Arthur Norrington, the president of Trinity College (founded in 1554). There is a coffee shop inside, which is always crowded with people who enjoy reading and talking over coffee. This is an extra study room to college students, who sit there for a few hours reading books or writing papers.
The photograph above is the window of another Blackwell shop opposite the original shop. Calendars are now sold at £3. Audrey Hepburn is still popular here.
For further information, visit www.blackwell.co.uk
Reference: Wikipedia
投稿者: HP担当者 日時: 2008.02.10 Sunday 8:45 AM
Ecologically Speaking: Very Green Oxford Bus
Oxford Bus Company
"Ecology" is a key word in this environmentally friendly (or critical) age. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary says "ecology is the relation of plants and living creatures to each other and to their environment". We face "ecological crises" in many different ways now. Global warming is one example. The Kyoto Protocol was agreed in December 1997, and last year, Al Gore, who wrote the book "An Inconvenient Truth", was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his effort to raise the awareness of environmental problems.
Britain is not exceptional on this issue. The government and companies attempt to reduce Greenhouse gasses. The crisis is serious, but because it is serious, we need a sense of humour. This bus company not only painted the bus green, but also put the word "very" to emphasize their effort: "This bus is very green!" This human friendly joke helps people reconsider the seriousness of the matter. So the question: what can we do to protect the earth? Think ecologically!
投稿者: HP担当者 日時: 2008.02.13 Wednesday 8:45 AM
Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland
Alice Shop: opposite to Christ Church College
'Alice's Adventure in Wonderland' was written in 1865 by Lewis Carroll, mathematician, logician and Anglican clergyman. Lewis Carroll was a pen name, and his real name was Charles Dodgson. He studied and taught mathematics at Christ Church College, Oxford.
This small shop is located across the street from Christ Church. Every day a lot of tourists visit this shop and enjoy an adventure in wonderland. Lewis Carroll died in 1898, but Alice still lives here and in many people's hearts and minds. Why don't you travel with Alice in wonderland?
For further information: http://lewiscarrollsociety.org.uk/
投稿者: HP担当者 日時: 2008.04.29 Tuesday 9:38 AM
Harry Potter 1: Corridor
New College, Oxford
This corridor may look familiar to most of the Harry Potter fans. This is a corridor at New College, which is actually not new at all. The college was founded in the 14th century, and it is more than 620 years old. Then why 'new' college? The official name of this college is the College of St Mary, which is the same name of Oriel College, so it is called 'the new college of St Mary'. Famous graduates include the actor Hugh Grant.
If you are not sure where this corridor was used, watch the Harry Potter films one more time. In the film, however, this corridor is modified a little using computer graphics. More hints? No, please find it by yourself.
For further film information: http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/
投稿者: HP担当者 日時: 2008.04.29 Tuesday 11:06 AM