On January 23rd, Kanazawa University held the event "Learn English through Manzai: A different approach to improve your English skills". A total of 37 students, faculty, and staff from Kanazawa University participated in the event.
This event was organized mainly for Japanese students with the aim to introduce them a new approach of learning English through manzai. faculty members were also invited to participate in the event with the hope that they would apply this approach as part of their future classes and events.
Manu Shimaoka (hereafter referred to as Manu) and Shira-chan, the international husband-wife comedy duo "Franponais" belonging to Yoshimoto Kogyo, were invited as lecturers, and in the first part, "International Comedy Comparison," they introduced Franponai's activities, Manu, the husband, gave a talk on his career, and performed their manzai material, drawing laughter from the entire audience. In the second part, "English Manzai Writing Class," participants were divided into pairs, each chose a comedy duo name, and all performed short manzai in English using the "three-step drop" and "boke and tsukkomi" techniques, filling the venue with laughter.
There was also a Q&A session, and everyone was smiling, making it a very meaningful event. We look forward to seeing more participants improving their English through this new approach to comedy.
Frampone/Yoshimoto Kogyo Web site
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A piece of comic dialogue -
Autograph received from Mr. Frampone
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