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Hello yapprs!

I was very busy over the summer and haven't had the time to keep up with the blog. I apologize!

We have added many new people to the yappr team, and we are all working to bring new features to yappr.com as quickly as possible.

More Videos!

One of the directions we are focused on is getting more videos onto yappr. As you have probably noticed, I have asked for your help in both selecting the videos and in translating them. With today's new release of software, the process is getting a little smoother.

Starting today, yappr.com allows the community to review translations and approve them for release to the main portion of the yappr.com. I don't want to release translations that aren't high quality, but when I was having them reviewed internally I couldn't keep up with the number of videos yapprs are translating!

So if you click on one of the links below you will see a list of videos that have been translated by members of the yappr community. Before a video will appear on the front page, three other yapprs must approve the translation. Please take care in reviewing a translation so that yappr.com can remain a high-quality language learning tool.

Approve Spanish translations

Approve Portuguese translations

Approve Chinese translations

Approve Japanese translations

Approve Korean translations

Approve Hindi translations

Approve German translations

US Elections

One of the biggest topics of conversation in the United States right now is the upcoming Presidential election. I know from living in Japan and Italy that many people abroad follow our elections, and most have their own opinion about who should win! I am always asked about how the candidates are seen by Americans, so I thought I would include an election video a day until the campaings are done. Click on the Election category to see them!

Coming Soon

We are working on some additional types of video that people have been asking for, as well as some features everyone has been asking for.  We'll be telling you about them here as they become available. And if you have any other requests for features, please let me know by writing here.

I'll keep blogging, and will get some of the new members of the team to tell you about what they are working on as well. See you soon on yappr!

Patrick

chief yappr

Dropped calls announcing marriage

It is easy to get married in Las Vegas, where you can get married in about 15 minutes (actually, I think it may be more difficult now than it used to be). Many people go to Vegas to elope.

http://en.yappr.com/welcome/Video.action?videoGuid=82718804-2D65-44F0-8706-99CE13985FC4

ラスベガスでは15分ほどで結婚が簡単にできる。（現実には現在は昔よりももう少し難しくなっていると思うが）大勢の人がラスベガスへと駆け落ちする。

http://jp.yappr.com/welcome/Video.action?videoGuid=82718804-2D65-44F0-8706-99CE13985FC4

Horror movies

This commercial refers to famous horror movies such as "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" from the 1980s. Bud Light is attractive enough for the guy to ignore the obvious signs of homicidal maniacs!

この広告ではビールがほしい運転者が1980年代のホラー映画っぽい役を車に乗らせて、彼女が怒ります。二回目は最初のやつも彼女と一緒に怖がってます！

http://en.yappr.com/video/F2095A3A-24D9-47F0-A493-E12D40BBAB89.html

Republican Debate: Abortion - 共和党討論 中絶について

The legal status of abortion has been an important topic for the Republican party. Some oppose it because they believe it is unconstitutional, others oppose it for religious reasons.

共和党にとって、中絶の法的地位は重要な議題となっている。一部の人々は中絶を憲法違反だと指摘し、また宗教的理由で反対する人々もいる。

Paris Hilton and David Letterman

David Letterman interviews Paris Hilton just after she gets out of jail. It looks like the two of them aren't good friends!

デーヴィッド・レターマンさんは刑務所を出たパリス・ヒルトンをインタビューします。この二人は友達ではありませんでしょう。

http://en.yappr.com/video/CD0423A0-7D8A-44BE-A690-E7DB9E2AC86E.html

Former Mayor Giuliani and Health Care

Mayor Giuliani did not do very well in the Iowa Caucus on January 3rd, so he will have to do very well in New Hampshire to remain a candidate.

ジュリアーニ前市長には1月8日のアイオワ州の党員集会があまりうまく行きませんでした。もし、ニューハンプシャー州プライマリも悪く行けば、大統領選挙の候補を撤回するかもしれません。

http://jp.yappr.com/video/A8B1CE46-83FD-4AA5-BDBF-5F5D0825C056.html

Tom Cruise and Flying

I will think twice if Tom Cruise ever asks me to fly with him!

もし、トム・クルーズさんが飛行機に招待すれば、よく考えます！

http://jp.yappr.com/video/7D42F661-C16F-4A9A-83F8-B5D8DA9C9A88.html

Drunk driving in the US

If you are going to visit the US, remember that American police treat drunken driving very seriously. This policewoman is determined to not let this guy back on the road!

もし、アメリカに旅行すれば、米国の警察によって飲酒運転が重罪です。この警察さんは運転させないように頑張ってます！

http://jp.yappr.com/video/D4CB82D8-E741-49E4-9317-AA24A54EA51E.html

FedEx video

This commercial for FedEx, a worldwide delivery company, is a take-off of the end of the move Cast Away, in which a FedEx employee is stranded on a deserted island for five years.

これは世界配送会社FedExです。数年前のCast Awayという映画を冗談にしました。この映画でFedExの社員は無人島に5年間住んでました。

Click here for the Japanese video, or here to select your language.

Alicia Key's No One

Alicia Keys' song No One is currently popular in both Italy and Japan. I don't listen to the radio in other countries so I don't know whether it is popular world-wide right now. Can anyone tell me whether it is played on the radio in your country?

Alicia KeysのNo Oneは現在日本でもイタリアでも一番人気ある曲です。ほかの国のラジオを聞かないので世界で有名かどうか分かりませんが、誰か知ってますか。

Click here for the Japanese version, or here to select your language.

Rules Of Engagement - Today's Release

Today I am releasing a clip from Rules of Engagement, a recent American TV show.

Recently, many of my friends have had difficulty conceiving children, and it is always a stressful problem. Each side thinks it can't be their problem.

This TV show is about 5 people: 2 couples and a single man. One of the couples is newlywed, the other has been married for some years, and the single guy is, of course, dating various women.

As English study, I think it is interesting to see how they get around speaking directly about sex, which is not acceptable on network TV. They use a double entendre to describe the problems of conception. Can you figure out what swimmers and pool refer to?

今日、His Boys Or Her Pool - Rules Of Engagement　と言うテレビ番組からの動画をアップロードします。

最近は私の友達の中で妊娠しにくい人が多いです。いつも緊張的な問題になります。妻と夫は両方自分のせいではないと思います。

この番組は5人の話です。カップルは２つで独身は１人です。カップルの１つは新婚で、もう１つは何年も結婚しています。独身はもしろんいろんな女性とデートしてます。

英語の勉強として、セックスを話すのはアメリカのテレビ番組でだめですので、意味が２通りに取れるあいまいな語句を使います。泳ぎ手とプールのはどんな意味するか分かりますか。

The first article has been written about Yappr!

The on-line business web site WebVentureLink has written an article about the Yappr launch. The article is in Japanese, but there are also some terrible pictures of me! Click here to read it.

Yapprの一番目の記事が出版しました。

WebVentureLink （Webベンチャーリンク）と言うウェブサイトはYapprの開発についてきじを書きました。日本語で書かれて私の写真も出ますー恥ずかしい！ここでクリックして読んでください。

Welcome to Yappr

Yappr.com has finally launched!

I have envisioned this product for years. As I learned two foreign languages as an adult, I consistently found watching local television to be the most fun and productive way to study.

When I returned home from graduate school or from work, the last thing I had the energy to do was study a vocabulary list or review grammar.

At the end of the day, watching TV was a great escape. Initially I couldn't understand enough to enjoy it, but once I was able to understand enough to follow, I rapidly started learning expressions not taught in the classroom, following shared cultural phenomena, and most importantly, relaxing in front of the TV while still "studying."

Yappr.com is designed to replicate my learning experience. Your teacher may love Yappr - anything to get you to hear the language - or hate its lack of structure. I don't expect anyone to tackle a language with Yappr alone, but hey, my kids have learned to speak English and they watch lots of TV!

I hope you enjoy Yappr.com. Let me know what you like, what you don't like, and what you wish it included.

And tell me what videos you'd like to see posted.

Write me in English, Italiano, or 日本語。 Actually, write me in any language and I'll try to find someone to translate for me.

Patrick
patrick@yappr.com
http://www.yappr.com

いよいよYappr.com（ヤッパー・ドット・コム）がスタートします。

私は何年も前からこのサービスの構想を温めてきました。おとなになって２つの外国語を学んだ経験から、外国語はテレビで学ぶのが一番面白くて効率がいいと思うようになったからです。

外国語を勉強していた頃、大学の勉強や仕事が忙しく、家に戻ると、疲れて単語や文法を勉強するエネルギーはもう残っていませんでした。

夜テレビを見るのは頭が疲れませんでしたが、最初のうちはテレビを見ても意味が分からなくてつまりませんでした。ところが、少し分かるようになってくると、どんどんどんどん自然な表現や現代の文化を理解できるようになって、楽しくなってきたのです。テレビを見るのはとても勉強になりました。

Yappr.comは、この経験をヒントに設計しました。英語の授 業の代わりにYapprを使うのではなく、生の英語の表現や発音、英語の文化に触れるために、楽しんで使っていただけたらうれしいです。英語の勉強はテレビを見るだけでは不十分ですから・・・。でも、僕の子供たちはテレビばかり見て英語を覚えているので、大丈夫かな。

YouTube.comの動画で見たいものがあったらリクエストしてください。また、あったらいいと思う機能や使いにくい点なども、ぜひ知らせてくださいね。

Yapprへよこそう。

パトリック
patrick@yappr.com
http://www.yappr.com