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About
Shane's PhotoSHANE BARKSHIRE
British-Canadian
English instructor
"Bridging the gap." 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇨🇦 🇯🇵

Whether you use English for business, you're a teacher looking to upgrade your English communication skills to meet new standards within the education system, a medical professional in need of English language skills, someone who enjoys traveling abroad and would like to speak English with confidence, or someone who just wants to improve their English skills in general, we're here to help.

I'm a British-Canadian English instructor with a long history in the language teaching field. I'll do my best to guide and support you in your English language studies every step of the way. If you have a specific area of English that you would like to improve, please contact me @here and I'll be more than glad to help you.

SBC English School offers private online English classes, in-house English classes at your business location, private and group English classes at suitable cafes, and at-home English classes for individuals and groups. Specialised courses in business English, travel English, everyday English conversation, etc. are also offered.

We provide the following services, but please let us know if you have a specific requirement.

  • in-house corporate classes
  • in-house clinic classes
  • teacher training
  • private one to one lessons
  • private group lessons
  • group conversation classes
  • group returnee classes
  • translation proofreading
  • and more!
Are you itching to get back into your English language studies after a long break? Great news! Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced learner, I offer classes to suit your needs.

From in-house business courses to general discussion group classes, I've got you covered. Call, @message, or email today to set up your lesson schedule! I look forward to hearing from you.

itching - eager
get back into - continue
Here's how to use the idiom "play one's cards right" in an example:

"If you play your cards right, you'll land that perfect job you've always dreamt about."

In other words, if you try hard, focus on your goals, and aim for success, your chances of finding your dream job will be much higher.
If you've ever tried something new just to find out if you were good at it, you can use the idiom, "try your hand at (something)" to tell others all about it. "I tried my hand at the piano and now I'm having my first concert!" Well done!
Some people can put away a lot of food, can't they. Where does it all go? Perhaps they have a hollow leg. You can use the idiom "to have a hollow leg" to describe someone's ability to eat or drink endlessly, without any trouble.

put away - eat
"Out of the blue" is a common phrase to talk about something that happened without any warning. "He just called me 'out of the blue' to tell me the good news." is a good example of how we can use this idiom.
The idioms "between a rock and a hard place" and "behind the 8 ball" have similar meanings, with one small difference. Do you know what that difference is? Let's talk about these two idioms in class or you can send your ideas !
Tongue twisters are a great way to practice your pronunciation. Try this one on for size: “Free these three green trees, please!” How did you do? And, did you notice the idiomatic expression, a.k.a. idiom, that I threw in there? Nicely done!
Song lyrics are a great resource for vocabulary. While listening to music the other day, I heard the idiom, "I can't put my finger on it". Do you know what this idiom means?

If you can't (quite) put your finger on something, you're not exactly sure what is wrong or different about a situation. We'll talk more about this idiom in your next class. See you there!
Intonation is defined as the rise and fall of the voice pitch. It's really important when speaking English.

For example, when asking the question, "Where?". It's pretty straightforward. However, this seemingly simple question can be interpreted a few different ways, depending on your intonation.

Got a question? Send me a @message, or email me . I look forward to hearing from you.
I get a lot of my inspiration for these blog entries from you, my students. You'll be talking about something and a word, phrase, expression, or idiom will come to mind.

Take, for instance, the expression "my old stomping grounds." I was reminded of this this morning in my discussion class. Use this expression to talk about the place where you grew up and are very familiar with. For me that's Niagara Falls, Canada. Good times!
Have you ever heard the phrase, "in two shakes (of a lamb's tail)"? If not, let me give you a couple of examples on how to use this idiom.

"I'll be back with your coffee in two shakes, sir." or "You'll have the report on your desk in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

The idiom "in two shakes" can be used anytime something will happen or happened quickly. Just imagine how fast a lamb can move its tail, and everything will fall into place.
Photos by Shane
The moon with an eerie glow.A furry plant with a red background.A little ceramic turtle.a New Year's flower arrangementSnow slipping off of a spot lightA scenic ocean view from the seasideSummer full moon in monochromeDark clouds on a summer eveningWaves rolling to shore at the seasideThe "almost" full moon... 99% illuminationSunshine and blue skies at the Higashiyama Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Japan.At the Higashiyama Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, Japan.A horse at a riding school in Mie Prefecture, JapanA very content fluffy white Samoyed outside a flower shop in Komono, Mie Prefecture, JapanA look inside The Valentine Gate located in Komono, Mie Prefecture, JapanWooden plates featuring people's wishes hanging at a shrine in Mie Prefecture, basking in the sunshineA blossoming tree in springtime in JapanArchery target and arrows at a shrine in Mie Pref.An eagle perched atop a utility pole.Clay art piece with embedded seashells.A beautiful red pepper in a neighbourhood farm.Some ducks on the water.A lone seashell atop a seawall.A fluffy dandelion with a colourful backdrop.A wild duck in a pasture of long green grassA small bird with a feather in its beakAn old shack in a wooded areaThe dashboard of a roadsterThe moon with an eerie glowSakura in springtimeWhite sakura and blue skiesPuffy clouds in monochromeColourful leaves and some mossA red flower at a greenhouseBlue skies and an airplaneMonochrome photo artBeautiful red flowersBirds in flight over a pondA bird on rough waterA wintertime sunset silhouetteA single orange leafLights on the Christmas treeA snowy Christmas EveA snowy Christmas EveA snowy Christmas Eve an apple for teacher eggplant and green peppers a homemade blueberry muffin a cafe latte in a purple cup with saucer at a cafe Okinawa beach view sand ocean clouds mountains 沖縄 夏 太陽 空 海 山 ビーチ Okinawa sunset on the beach ocean view 沖縄 夏 太陽 日没 空 海 ビーチ Okinawa park near Todoroki Falls 沖縄 パワースポット 山 森 轟の滝 滝 Okinawa rail on a postcard 沖縄 ヤンバルクイナ 版画 はがき Okinawa - small boat on the ocean near the beach 沖縄 夏 太陽 海 船 Okinawa bound airplane blue skies ahead 沖縄 青い空 空活 飛行機 空港 Okinawa rock formation blue skies mountains 夏 沖縄 パワースポット 大石林山 山 森 Okinawa rock formation cats 沖縄 パワースポット 大石林山 山 森 招き猫 猫 Fukui - rice in bags at a local market 福井県 福井 米 ショッピング Japanese countryside road field mountains blue skies 夏 青い空 田舎 山 車 Gujo City - Bon festival paper lantern 岐阜県 郡上市 提灯 お祭り Kobe City - Nunobiki waterfall 神戸 布引の滝 Kobe City - Kobe port wallart, Instagram @yoheyy 神戸港 Kobe City - Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park on Osaka Bay 神戸港 神戸港震災メモリアルパーク Kobe City - Kobe port cruise ship ルミナス神戸２ 神戸港 Kobe City - Koto no Hako building 兵庫県 神戸 高層ビル Mie Prefecture - husband and wife rocks 三重県 夫婦岩 Kyoto City - a white water lily 京都市 花 Kyoto City - purple flowers in a garden 京都市 花 some light purple flowers in field 花 Nagoya City - Nagoya port fireworks a cicada on a tree leaf at a park a monarch butterfly on an orange flower Nagoya City - metalwork at Oasis 21 Toyota City - a large paper-mache cat Toyota City - some colourful and tranquil scenery Toyota City - a variety of little ceramic frogs Toyota City - a raccoon dog on a big stone Toyota City artisan - mint chocolate cup with saucer Hard Rock Cafe San Francisco souvenir Keep on keepin on a sandcastle at the beach a bright full moon half moon in monochrome an orange flower Higashiyama Sky Tower in Nagoya City a large koro at Nanzen-ji in Kyoto the aqueduct at Nanzen-ji in Kyoto a beautiful yellow flower in Kyoto a grey heron atop a tree looking on, Obara Village, Toyota City at Sanage Shrine in Toyota City colourful foliage seashell on the beach solitude on the water a sunflower basking in the rays sunrays beaming through the clouds a beautiful red hibiscus red bricks and mortar a beautiful Nagoya sunset near Kuzuryu dam in Fukui fish on a skewer over a fire in Fukui Nara deer a single rose of Sharon, Gifu Blueberry farm blues skies ahead a mountain stream in Shinshiro Nagoya Castle Ninomaru Garden Nagoya River Christmas illumination Autumn colours, blue skies Fall colours Reflective imagery Ocean sunset lighthouse Colourful wall art March 2020 Sakura Japan fire festival Boats on a beach Summer colours The sun through a bamboo forest Toyohashi fire festival Monarch butterfly Rice plant seedlings Bird over Lake Biwa
Fees
Class type/Mo.TimeFee
Adult group460m¥8,000
(J)HS group460m¥6,000
Private445m〜¥16,000〜
Updated September 1st, 2020.

SBC English School offers private online English classes, in-house English classes at your business location, private and group English classes at suitable cafes, and at-home English classes for individuals and groups.

Specialised courses in business English, travel English, everyday English conversation, etc. are also offered. Please contact us here for more details.
You're the best teacher at our school. - T., school owner
I was recently promoted from associate professor to professor thanks to your help! - K., Medical professional
I have a good time in your class. I can relax and enjoy learning English with my colleagues. - A., Company President
Comments
Our students come from all walks of life including medical professionals, health and wellness instructors, school teachers, company workers, stay-at-home mums, and kids of all ages. It's always nice when they tell us how much they appreciate the quality and overall experience of our classes. Some comments from our students...

I was recently promoted from associate professor to professor thanks to your help! - K., Medical professional
Your English class is the best part of my week! - N., Company management
I have a good time in your class. I can relax and enjoy learning English with my colleagues. - A., Company President
I really enjoy your lessons. I've learned a lot. - T., student
I like your lesson sooooo much! - A., student
My conversation and listening skills have really improved since I started taking your lessons. - N., student
I'm happy when I'm studying English with you! - C., student
You're the best teacher at our school. - T., school owner
I'm glad that you are my teacher!! I hope to continue learning from you. - A., student
You're a great teacher! - E., school owner
Thank you for being the greatest, funniest and the best teacher! I'm always having fun going to your lesson. - R., student
Contact
For all enquiries, please contact Shane directly by clicking TEL (English only) or MAIL (English or Japanese) at the top of this page, or by sending us a message using the form above. We look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you for being the greatest, funniest and the best teacher! I'm always having fun going to your lesson. - R., student
My conversation and listening skills have really improved since I started taking your lessons. - N., student
I like your lesson sooooo much! - A., student
Welcome and thank you for visiting the SBC English School website!