Lesson: The Vending Machine
How many vending machines did you pass on your way somewhere today? If you’re in Japan, probably a lot. Yes, even here in little semi-isolated Kamitsugi, I pass at least one vending machine on my daily walks, no matter what route I take. Vending machines are ubiquitous in Japan, and we tend to take them for granted. You can find vending machines everywhere in Japan, but they are almost exclusively inside in North America. Why do you think it’s that way? Hint: it has nothing to do with the weather. Did you know the first vending machine was invented in Alexandria, Egypt, in the first century A.D.? I bet you didn’t because I didn’t know that until the other day. You can listen to a full podcast about vending machines on a CBC show about advertising called Under the Influence. There is no transcript, and I’m not assigning this, but if you have the time, you might want to check it out.
YouTube / iTunes / Spotify / Radio Public / Pocket Casts / Google Podcasts / Breaker / Overcast
Listen to ArtisanEnglish.jp posts & lesson intros here.
Example Article
Each conversation topic is based on a theme. In order to help students acquire a basic understanding of that topic, four media articles are provided for them to read. I will never test you on the articles, but I strongly suggest you book lessons far enough in advance to give yourself enough time to properly prepare. The better prepared you are, the more benefit you will receive from our conversations.
Below is an example article for this conversation topic.