なつこ先生のEasy-Japanese Podcast #2 習い事【B1-B2 Level】

Today’s topic is about extra-curricular activities.

習い事  　   extra-curricular activities

When I was little, I did quite a lot of extra-curricular activities.

小さい頃　　　When I was little

結構　　　　　quite

First I started with ballet and calligraphy. After entering elementary school, I did swimming, dancing, gymnastics, and also piano.

習字　　calligraphy

水泳　　swimming

体操　　gymnastics

I don’t really remember what brought me to start calligraphy and ballet.

きっかけ　　　　trigger (things that made you start something)

覚えていない　　do not remember

when I was little, I lived in an apartment complex, and there was a community center there. They offered ballet and calligraphy classes, so I learned them because everyone else was doing it, not because I wanted to.

団地　　　apartment complex

お稽古　　lesson

〜からというよりは、・・・から　not because 〜 but because・・・

That’s why I didn’t enjoy it much, and ended up quitting soon after.

だから　　　　　that’s why

それで　　　　　so

辞める　　　　　quit

〜ちゃいました　ended up〜ing

After entering elementary school, I started doing most of the activities that I wanted to do. One that I’m glad I did is swimming.

〜てよかった　　　　I’m glad that I did〜

Because I learned swimming when I was young, I didn’t struggle much in school PE classes, and even as an adult, I sometimes go to the pool, which is quite good exercise.

体育の授業　　　　　PE Class

〜おかげで　　　　　Thanks to〜

苦労する　　　　　　struggle

大人　　　　　　　　adult

 I actually hated playing the piano at first because the teacher was very strict.

実は　　　　　　actually

嫌だ　　　　　　hate

厳しい　　　　　strict

But after I changed the teacher, I came to love that teacher, so I ended up continuing to play the piano until I graduated from university. Even now, I keep in touch with that teacher and sometimes play the piano when I have free time.

変える　　　　　change

結局〜する　　　end up 〜ing

続ける　　　　　continue

連絡を取る　　　keep in touch

ピアノを弾く　　play the piano

 I only did dancing and gymnastics for about a year each, but I really enjoyed both. The reason I quit was that I became a bit busy in upper elementary school.

1年ずつ　　　　　　　　 one year each

〜しかしなかった　　　　only did〜

理由　　　　　　　　　　reason

高学年　　　　　　　　　upper grade

忙しくなってきた　　　　become busy

 I went to cram school in junior high and high school, but my parents weren’t that strict, so they were like “you can go if you need to”. So I only went to cram school once a week.

塾　　　　　　　　　　cram school

必要なら　　　　　　　if you need to

週に1回しか〜ません　 only〜once a week

My friends around me went to cram school every day and worked hard, but I would rather preferred fun extracurricular activities. What kind of extracurricular activities have you done so far?Please let me know!

周りの友達　　　　friends around me

頑張る　　　　　　work hard

どちらかというと　would rather