This year...

こそ is a curious word I can't get used to using as it doesn't really have any meaning as such, it merely emphasizes the word that precedes it. Here's a couple of examples from Jim Breen:

それこそ私が考えていたことだ。
That's just the thing I had in mind!

彼こそ本物の紳士だ。
He is a real gentleman.

And this rather timely one from my dictionary:

今年こそ本当にがんばります。
This year I'm really going to make an effort.

Speaking of which I've decided that as I'm going to be taking the １級 proficiency test this year, I really need to break open my textbooks and start studying in earnest. 一年の計は元旦にあり! OK so I'm a couple of days late but my New Year's resolution nonetheless is to study for at least one hour everyday and post a summary of what I've studied each day at the bottom of my posts here. Here's hoping I stick to my resolve!

Today I cracked open my grammar book どんな時どう使う日本語表現文型５００ (500 Essential Japanese Expressions) and studied the seven expressions in Chapter 1 動作の対象 (Objects of Action). Expressions 1-6 are ２級 and 7 is １級. I figure four years having passed since I sat ２級 I need to review them too. Here are the expressions with example sentences from the book plus my translations:

1.　～について = about, concerning, regarding

あの人について私はなにも知りません。
I don't know anything about that guy.

2.　～に関して・～に関する = about, concerning, regarding but more formal than について

今回の「余暇の利用」に関してのアンケートはとても興味深かった。
I was really interested in the latest questionaire about "Use of Free Time".

3.　～に対して・～に対する = toward, against, concerning

小林先生は勉強嫌いな学生に対して、とりわけ親しみをもって接していた。
Towards the students who hated to study, the teacher Kobayashi had an especially friendly approach.

青年の、親に対する反抗心は、いつ頃生まれ、いつ頃消えるのだろうか。
That defiant attitude young people hold against their parents; I wonder when it is born and when it fades away.

4.　～にこたえて・～にこたえる = respond, accord with

内閣は国民の期待にこたえるような有効な解決策を打ち出してもらいたい。
I want the Cabinet to hammer out an effective set of measures to meet the people's hopes.

5.　～をめぐて・～をめぐる = continue, over, around

財産の問題をめぐって兄弟の争いが続いている。
The dispute between the brothers over their inheritance goes on.

6.　～むけに・～むけの・～むけだ = for, directed at, aimed at

この説明書は外国人向けだが、日本人が読んでもとても面白く、ためになる。
This explanatory booklet though aimed at foreigners, if read by Japanese too, is very interesting and instructive.

7.　～にかかわる = be concerned, be involved, be affected (only used for very serious matters)

教育こそは国の将来にかかわる重要なことではないでしょうか。
Education indeed having such an affect on our country's future is very important, don't you think?