
Other books leave out key phrases like “Isn’t the president of your company a Reptilian?”, but not this one!
Not everyone stays in the field for an extended period of time, but a large portion of foreigners who live in Japan have spent at least some time teaching conversational English to Japanese students. Individual experiences and satisfaction levels vary wildly from person to person, but just about everyone who’s taught English in Japan has at some point been saddled with a textbook that, linguistically accurate or not, is God-awful boring in the dialogues and situations it presents.
However, coming soon is an English phrase book that looks to shake things up, thanks to monthly magazine Mu, which is publishing the Official Mu Practical English Conversation for Super Everyday Situations. The focus on linguistics might make you think that Mu is an education or travel periodical, but nope. Mu is a magazine that peddles tales of the occult and conspiracy theories, and its English-learning book seeks to equip users with the necessary vocabulary and grammar to handle situations such as reporting ghost or alien sightings, discussing past lives, or establishing a New World Order.
Among the phrases students will learn are:
“I need to get another room, because I’m seeing a ghost in here.”
“I can’t get rid of the smell of the blood, no matter how hard I wash my hands.”
“I believe that we were both Atlantians in a previous life.”
“This contract period includes your nest life.”
“Can I get the insurance money if a kaiju appears and tears my house into pieces?”
“Ancient people could levitate gigantic stones using sound vibration.”
“I really want you to have this cursed doll, which has been passed down in my family for generations.”
“Isn’t the president of your company a Reptilian?”
Skimming through the index reveals that among the other topics covered are alien autopsy films, ancient nuclear war, chemtrails, the Chupacabra, contracts with devils, crystal skulls, and exorcisms, so by the time they’re finished with the book, students should have a well-rounded crazy-talk vocabulary.
The Official Mu Practical English Conversation for Super Everyday Situations goes on sale August 23, and is available for preorder from Amazon Japan here, priced at 1,296 yen (US$12), making it an affordable way to spice up your English lessons, though probably not likely to improve your students’ scores on any standardized tests.
Sources: Mu, Amazon Japan
Images: Amazon Japan
[ Read in Japanese ]










New book teaches Japanese people English to help out foreign travelers
English for otaku – New book provides fans with skills to internationalize their oshikatsu
Japanese book “nekotan” teaches foreign language the best way possible: by talking about cats
“Don’t worry, he is a docile pervert” and other useful phrases in Japanese and English
Beautiful anime fantasy mom is now teaching Japanese people how to speak English
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Godiva melts minds by releasing a new corn chocolate drink in Japan
Shinto shrine’s night sky firefly sweets are Japan’s newest breathtaking, mouthwatering desserts.
Retro fashion magazines from Tokyo’s street market remind Mr. Sato of a special gift from his dad
New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Starbucks Japan unveils new Frappuccino showcasing “mottainai” culture
Osaka is hosting a “hentai” event, but it’s probably not what you think
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe reopens this month with brand-new sweets and Pikachu show
What’s it like to join Tokyo’s walking-and-talking-with-strangers club for a day?
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
New English textbook for Japanese learners is completely full of crap, looks pretty useful
Bizarre English test in Japan asks students about winged vegetables, launches new meme
English textbook characters get anime-style makeover to appeal to linguists and otaku alike
Anime-style English textbook character who stole Japan’s heart now has her own calendar series
Newest tool to help Japanese people learn English: An all-English isekai light novel
English-learning smartphone app teaches Japanese students to say “I just took a dump”
Japanese students learn English with help from a dating sim artist
English conversation school in Japan has clever reminder that students don’t have to be perfect
Anime-style isekai story is actually an English-learning textbook from Japan’s public broadcaster
Sega’s Like a Dragon yakuza teaches “useless” English, let’s use it to learn some useful Japanese
Sumikko Gurashi origin book gets English/Japanese bilingual release, great for language learners
The reason why Japanese students don’t pronounce English properly
Iisjhaisha? Japan’s biggest English test sends out a baffling message
English grammar app makes us laugh, helps us learn with blindfolds, bondage and aliens