August 2013
単語や表現の勉強法
08/26/13 Filed in: 勉強法
「ポンと単語が出てこなくて...」「語彙が増えなくて...」といったお話を聞くことがよくあります。お気持ち、すごく良く分かります。私もなかなか覚えが悪くて苦労しているところです...。参考になるかは分かりませんが、今回は私の語彙の勉強法についてブログを書いてみたいとお思います。
個人的には、単語や文法の知識を増やすには読むことが効果的だったように思います。私は他のスタッフと違い、長期の海外経験はありません。英語に深く触れたのもある程度大人になってからで、大学で英語を専攻し、主に日本で学んできました。大学ではそこそこ課題も多く、英語でプレゼンやらレポートやらディスカッションやら…毎週100ページ以上の洋書を読んだりもしたものです。
どんなジャンルを選ぼうと、知らない単語はわんさか出てきます。それをチェックしつつ、しかしながら私はその場でその全てについて辞書を引くことはしません。飽きっぽい私は物語の流れを大事にしないと内容がとんで読み進められなくなってしまうので、推測できたり、なんとなく意味が分かる言葉はスルーすることが大半でした。
切りのいいところまできたら振り返って単語の意味を確認します。ここで大事にしているのが、例文をしっかり確認することです。大抵の辞書には、意味だけでなく例文が記載されているかと思います。せっかく具体的にどんな場面でその言葉が使えるかが載っているのですから、それを利用しない手はありません。(「こんな使い方できるんだ」といった発見も結構ありますよ)私の場合はノートに単語を書き込み、その横に例文を書くという形を取っています。
そして最後に一番重要なのが、実際に使ってみるということ。英語を勉強して十数年になりますが、やっぱり単語や表現を「知っている」ことと「使える」ことには隔たりがあるように感じます。もちろんその語彙の専門性などにもよって場面は限られてきますが、チャンスがあればネイティブ相手に使ってみたり、「◯◯っていう単語はこういう時に言っても良いの？」と質問するのも一つの手だと思いますよ。自分で口にした言葉って、飲み込みやすくなりますし。後はやっぱり、文字だけで学んだ言葉は発音がはっきりしないことが多いです。これを真正面から訂正されると、恥ずかしかったりする分だけ記憶に残りやすいかと(笑)
ここではちょっとだけ私のことに触れましたが、学長や副学長、他スタッフのブログでも色々な勉強法が紹介されています。よろしければぜひ色々チェックして、ご自分に合った方法を見つけて下さい。
個人的には、単語や文法の知識を増やすには読むことが効果的だったように思います。私は他のスタッフと違い、長期の海外経験はありません。英語に深く触れたのもある程度大人になってからで、大学で英語を専攻し、主に日本で学んできました。大学ではそこそこ課題も多く、英語でプレゼンやらレポートやらディスカッションやら…毎週100ページ以上の洋書を読んだりもしたものです。
どんなジャンルを選ぼうと、知らない単語はわんさか出てきます。それをチェックしつつ、しかしながら私はその場でその全てについて辞書を引くことはしません。飽きっぽい私は物語の流れを大事にしないと内容がとんで読み進められなくなってしまうので、推測できたり、なんとなく意味が分かる言葉はスルーすることが大半でした。
切りのいいところまできたら振り返って単語の意味を確認します。ここで大事にしているのが、例文をしっかり確認することです。大抵の辞書には、意味だけでなく例文が記載されているかと思います。せっかく具体的にどんな場面でその言葉が使えるかが載っているのですから、それを利用しない手はありません。(「こんな使い方できるんだ」といった発見も結構ありますよ)私の場合はノートに単語を書き込み、その横に例文を書くという形を取っています。
そして最後に一番重要なのが、実際に使ってみるということ。英語を勉強して十数年になりますが、やっぱり単語や表現を「知っている」ことと「使える」ことには隔たりがあるように感じます。もちろんその語彙の専門性などにもよって場面は限られてきますが、チャンスがあればネイティブ相手に使ってみたり、「◯◯っていう単語はこういう時に言っても良いの？」と質問するのも一つの手だと思いますよ。自分で口にした言葉って、飲み込みやすくなりますし。後はやっぱり、文字だけで学んだ言葉は発音がはっきりしないことが多いです。これを真正面から訂正されると、恥ずかしかったりする分だけ記憶に残りやすいかと(笑)
ここではちょっとだけ私のことに触れましたが、学長や副学長、他スタッフのブログでも色々な勉強法が紹介されています。よろしければぜひ色々チェックして、ご自分に合った方法を見つけて下さい。
Kimiko
Make Friends with English!
08/07/13 Filed in: 勉強法
People are different. We each have our own personality; our ticks, our foibles, our eccentricities. These little bits of character are what make us interesting. They determine who we spend our time around, who fascinates us, who we love, and likewise, who drives us crazy. Languages, too, have personalities. They have their ticks and foibles, their strange habits, and their endearing—as well as maddening—quirks. As with people, sometimes languages are easy to get along with—maybe we have a natural knack for learning, maybe the language closely resembles our native tongue, maybe there is something strangely beautiful in its appearance and sound. But like people, we can’t always choose which languages we’re obliged to spend our time with. Maybe we’re not so crazy about, say, English. And yet, like that annoying guy at the office, we’re stuck with it. English, as the globally recognized lingua franca, is not going anywhere anytime soon. We’ll all have to learn to live with it… But what if, well, we just don’t like English? Not to worry! It turns out, English isn’t such a bad character, once you get to know it. Here are a few tips on how to make friends.
Like any long-term relationship, learning a language is a big commitment. It takes work, it takes patience, and there will sometimes be a fight or two (my Japanese textbook and I were not even on speaking terms for a while, but we’ve since ironed things out). The first step in building a relationship with a language, as with a person, is to focus on the things you like. Stay positive! Rather than focusing on the things we don’t like (the difficult grammar, the baffling articles, the maddening distinction between “l” and “r”), it’s better to try and find an in; some little aspect of the language we find just the slightest bit endearing. Maybe you think reading is boring, but have fun chatting. Or, inversely, perhaps you’re a bit shy about expressing yourself in a foreign tongue, but you really enjoy reading news articles or comic books. Maybe you have a favorite Hollywood movie, or are a Beatles fan. Or maybe there’s an English word you just happen to like the sound of. It doesn’t have to be anything major. Try to find a single aspect of the language that appeals to you, and then build upon it. When you make time to study, focus on the things that you find most compelling. Then, once you’ve broken the ice, made small talk, gotten comfortable, you can start getting down to brass tacks and really getting to know it. It may be tough at first, and like meeting people, may occasionally push you out of your comfort zone. In the end, though, it will be worth it. Look at it this way: would you rather spend time (we’re talking years) with that annoying guy at the office, or with a good friend?
I’ve befriended a number of languages, and some were easier to get along with than others. I found Spanish pretty dull in high school, but have since returned to it with the benefit of experience, and have discovered that it is not such a bad egg after all. In fact, we’ve really started to bond. I like the musical sound of the language, the clarity of the pronunciation, its bright, lively character. I hit it off with Russian right away, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. Some find the language gloomy, or complain about the difficult, archaic grammar—but for me, those were just parts of the language’s personality. Sure, the grammar was a bit severe, and well, dour, but it also meant that you could put words in any order you liked—the language knew how to loosen up and have fun, too. It also helped that I was introduced to it by some of the best teachers I have ever had, people who clearly loved their native tongue and passed that enthusiasm onto their students. Context matters. Make sure you’re spending time with English in a positive environment. Don’t just work, play!
Japanese and I have had a complicated relationship. I’m not going to lie, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. It’s a tough language for Americans to learn, for a number of reasons. But that’s just how Japanese is! So I put my head down, studied more, and made an effort to really get to know it. That extra work has paid off. Sure, Japanese is tough. It’s a shy language, very slow to open up and reveal its secrets, and it takes longer to get to know than some, more outgoing, tongues. But that’s only because there’s more to know. Japanese, you might say, has plenty of character. The longer you know it, the more intriguing things it reveals. It never ceases to challenge and surprise me, it never gets boring, and during the course of my time with it, it has taught me many things—not just about language, but about myself. Those are the best kinds of friends.
Many people think of language study as boring, something they’d rather put off, like an appointment with that relative they don’t really want to meet. But to really get to know English, take the friendly approach. You won’t just improve your language skills and gain more fluency—you’ll gain a friend for life.
Like any long-term relationship, learning a language is a big commitment. It takes work, it takes patience, and there will sometimes be a fight or two (my Japanese textbook and I were not even on speaking terms for a while, but we’ve since ironed things out). The first step in building a relationship with a language, as with a person, is to focus on the things you like. Stay positive! Rather than focusing on the things we don’t like (the difficult grammar, the baffling articles, the maddening distinction between “l” and “r”), it’s better to try and find an in; some little aspect of the language we find just the slightest bit endearing. Maybe you think reading is boring, but have fun chatting. Or, inversely, perhaps you’re a bit shy about expressing yourself in a foreign tongue, but you really enjoy reading news articles or comic books. Maybe you have a favorite Hollywood movie, or are a Beatles fan. Or maybe there’s an English word you just happen to like the sound of. It doesn’t have to be anything major. Try to find a single aspect of the language that appeals to you, and then build upon it. When you make time to study, focus on the things that you find most compelling. Then, once you’ve broken the ice, made small talk, gotten comfortable, you can start getting down to brass tacks and really getting to know it. It may be tough at first, and like meeting people, may occasionally push you out of your comfort zone. In the end, though, it will be worth it. Look at it this way: would you rather spend time (we’re talking years) with that annoying guy at the office, or with a good friend?
I’ve befriended a number of languages, and some were easier to get along with than others. I found Spanish pretty dull in high school, but have since returned to it with the benefit of experience, and have discovered that it is not such a bad egg after all. In fact, we’ve really started to bond. I like the musical sound of the language, the clarity of the pronunciation, its bright, lively character. I hit it off with Russian right away, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. Some find the language gloomy, or complain about the difficult, archaic grammar—but for me, those were just parts of the language’s personality. Sure, the grammar was a bit severe, and well, dour, but it also meant that you could put words in any order you liked—the language knew how to loosen up and have fun, too. It also helped that I was introduced to it by some of the best teachers I have ever had, people who clearly loved their native tongue and passed that enthusiasm onto their students. Context matters. Make sure you’re spending time with English in a positive environment. Don’t just work, play!
Japanese and I have had a complicated relationship. I’m not going to lie, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. It’s a tough language for Americans to learn, for a number of reasons. But that’s just how Japanese is! So I put my head down, studied more, and made an effort to really get to know it. That extra work has paid off. Sure, Japanese is tough. It’s a shy language, very slow to open up and reveal its secrets, and it takes longer to get to know than some, more outgoing, tongues. But that’s only because there’s more to know. Japanese, you might say, has plenty of character. The longer you know it, the more intriguing things it reveals. It never ceases to challenge and surprise me, it never gets boring, and during the course of my time with it, it has taught me many things—not just about language, but about myself. Those are the best kinds of friends.
Many people think of language study as boring, something they’d rather put off, like an appointment with that relative they don’t really want to meet. But to really get to know English, take the friendly approach. You won’t just improve your language skills and gain more fluency—you’ll gain a friend for life.
Adam
Summers at the Ball Park
08/05/13 Filed in: English Now!
Every culture is unique in their traditions with regard to summer. Some are similar, while others, can be surprisingly different. One thing the US and Japan share, however, is a love of baseball.
Growing up in the Detroit area, summertime meant $2 bleacher seats at Tiger Stadium, watching Cecil Fielder slug homers out of the park, eating hot dogs, drinking pop, and just talking to friends. Baseball is a great bonding experience, and the relaxed conversations shared at the ballpark seemed to take place in a safe, carefree atmosphere. When you aren’t worried about being judged, it’s easy to express yourself, share your stories, and just... talk.
When you study in class or by yourself, before you start, think baseball. Imagine the smells of the ballpark: hot dogs, soft pretzels, nachos, churros, and fries. The unmistakeable sounds: the crack of the bat, the sound of a glove snatching the ball out of the air, and the emotion of the crowd. The happiness and confidence you feel when at a game with friends or family. The ball park! You’re at your team’s home, your home away from home! The same is true when you come to English Now!
We, the teachers and staff, want you to win! We want you to feel at home, to feel comfortable and, dare I say, “pumped.” We want there to be emotion in the classroom: happiness, laughter, and encouragement by all, for all. Help make your class—your team—in this image. The Great Bambino said, “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” Sure you won’t always be right, but sometimes you just need to swing at the pitch and see what happens. You might hit it clear out of the park! Go Tigers!
Growing up in the Detroit area, summertime meant $2 bleacher seats at Tiger Stadium, watching Cecil Fielder slug homers out of the park, eating hot dogs, drinking pop, and just talking to friends. Baseball is a great bonding experience, and the relaxed conversations shared at the ballpark seemed to take place in a safe, carefree atmosphere. When you aren’t worried about being judged, it’s easy to express yourself, share your stories, and just... talk.
When you study in class or by yourself, before you start, think baseball. Imagine the smells of the ballpark: hot dogs, soft pretzels, nachos, churros, and fries. The unmistakeable sounds: the crack of the bat, the sound of a glove snatching the ball out of the air, and the emotion of the crowd. The happiness and confidence you feel when at a game with friends or family. The ball park! You’re at your team’s home, your home away from home! The same is true when you come to English Now!
We, the teachers and staff, want you to win! We want you to feel at home, to feel comfortable and, dare I say, “pumped.” We want there to be emotion in the classroom: happiness, laughter, and encouragement by all, for all. Help make your class—your team—in this image. The Great Bambino said, “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” Sure you won’t always be right, but sometimes you just need to swing at the pitch and see what happens. You might hit it clear out of the park! Go Tigers!
John