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間違いを楽しもう!
先日、筆者はある英語学習関連の講演会に出席した。講演は、「英語の間違いをなくし、笑われないような英会話をしよう」という、とても興味深いものだった。しかし筆者は、実体験から、間違いは外国語を学ぶ楽しみの一部でもあると考える。
To Err Can Be Fun!
By JOHN GATHRIGHT
Recently, I attended a lecture called "Eliminating Mistakes in Spoken English: Nobody Likes to Be Laughed At." The lecture was wonderful and informative, but all the way through the idea of completely eliminating mistakes from the process of learning a language nagged at me.
After a little thought, I decided that I LIKE the little slip-ups and inadvertent plays on words that people learning a new language sometimes stumble upon! These little "mistakes" are easily half the FUN of learning a language.
One example happened when a Japanese friend of mine became angry with his kids while eating in a restaurant in Canada. He yelled, "KORA!" ― and 30 seconds later, a waitress brought a glass of Coca-Cola to the table and quietly said, "I'm sorry that we are a very busy restaurant, but please next time don't yell your order."
Another friend of mine proudly showed me his store window display on which was written: "SPRING, A TIME FOR PASSING WIND." When I told him that in Canada, those words would mean "Spring, a time for ONARA," we both had a good laugh!
My favorite example of a memorable English learning experience was when I spent a day shopping in Canada with a Japanese friend. She was managing very well with store clerks and others that we met. However, she encountered a challenge when we decided to eat lunch at McDonald's
My friend tried to ask for directions but the first two passersby didn't understand her pronunciation of McDonald's. Her confidence badly bruised, she bravely approached a third person, asking, "Do you know Maku Donarudo?" It was a young father with his family; he replied, "What? Could you repeat that?" She tried again, "MA-KU DO-NA-RU-DO, Maku Donarudo ― You know Donarudo, Donarudo?" Suddenly, the father sprouted a million dollar smile: "Yes, yes! I understand!" He started making the strangest quacking noise ― imitating Donald Duck! At that point I burst out laughing so hard that the father started laughing and so did his kids. When I explained to him that she was trying to say "McDonald's," laughter exploded again! The young father then thrust out his hand and thanked her, saying, "Thanks for the laugh! You made my day!"
What I hadn't noticed was that my friend's face had turned a shade of blue in horror as we all began laughing. Her confidence was shattered and her pride cut to the core. Once we were out of earshot, she said, "I hate being laughed at. If Canadians are going to laugh at my mistakes I'm going to cancel my studies here." Then I realized that she had misinterpreted our laughter! I explained to her that we weren't laughing AT her but WITH her at the humor of the pronunciation difference.
Mistake is too strong and negative a word to describe the valuable process of practicing a foreign language. Perhaps a better name for the lecture I attended would be "Making Mistakes in English: The Humorous Building Blocks to Enjoying a New Language!"
Recently, I attended a lecture called "Eliminating Mistakes in Spoken English: Nobody Likes to Be Laughed At." The lecture was wonderful and informative, but all the way through the idea of completely eliminating mistakes from the process of learning a language nagged at me.
After a little thought, I decided that I LIKE the little slip-ups and inadvertent plays on words that people learning a new language sometimes stumble upon! These little "mistakes" are easily half the FUN of learning a language.
One example happened when a Japanese friend of mine became angry with his kids while eating in a restaurant in Canada. He yelled, "KORA!" ― and 30 seconds later, a waitress brought a glass of Coca-Cola to the table and quietly said, "I'm sorry that we are a very busy restaurant, but please next time don't yell your order."
Another friend of mine proudly showed me his store window display on which was written: "SPRING, A TIME FOR PASSING WIND." When I told him that in Canada, those words would mean "Spring, a time for ONARA," we both had a good laugh!
My favorite example of a memorable English learning experience was when I spent a day shopping in Canada with a Japanese friend. She was managing very well with store clerks and others that we met. However, she encountered a challenge when we decided to eat lunch at McDonald's
My friend tried to ask for directions but the first two passersby didn't understand her pronunciation of McDonald's. Her confidence badly bruised, she bravely approached a third person, asking, "Do you know Maku Donarudo?" It was a young father with his family; he replied, "What? Could you repeat that?" She tried again, "MA-KU DO-NA-RU-DO, Maku Donarudo ― You know Donarudo, Donarudo?" Suddenly, the father sprouted a million dollar smile: "Yes, yes! I understand!" He started making the strangest quacking noise ― imitating Donald Duck! At that point I burst out laughing so hard that the father started laughing and so did his kids. When I explained to him that she was trying to say "McDonald's," laughter exploded again! The young father then thrust out his hand and thanked her, saying, "Thanks for the laugh! You made my day!"
What I hadn't noticed was that my friend's face had turned a shade of blue in horror as we all began laughing. Her confidence was shattered and her pride cut to the core. Once we were out of earshot, she said, "I hate being laughed at. If Canadians are going to laugh at my mistakes I'm going to cancel my studies here." Then I realized that she had misinterpreted our laughter! I explained to her that we weren't laughing AT her but WITH her at the humor of the pronunciation difference.
Mistake is too strong and negative a word to describe the valuable process of practicing a foreign language. Perhaps a better name for the lecture I attended would be "Making Mistakes in English: The Humorous Building Blocks to Enjoying a New Language!"
Shukan ST: June 27, 1997
(C) All rights reserved
- attended
- 出席した
- Eliminating 〜
- 〜 をなくすこと
- Be Laughed At
- 笑われる
- informative
- 有益な
- all the way through
- 講演中ずっと
- nagged at me
- 気になった
- After a little thought
- 少し考えた後で
- slip-ups
- 誤り
- inadvertent plays on words
- 偶然、言葉のしゃれができてしまうこと
- stumble upon
- 遭遇する
- are easily half the FUN of learning a language
- 言葉を学ぶ楽しみのうち、おそらく半分には相当する
- became angry with his kids
- 自分の子供に対して怒った
- yelled,"KORA!"
- 「こらっ!」と怒鳴った
- seconds
- 秒
- order
- 注文
- proudly showed me 〜
- 誇らしげに 〜 を見せてくれた
- store window display
- 店のウインドーの飾り
- favorite
- お気に入りの
- memorable
- 忘れられない
- was managing very well with 〜
- 〜 とうまくやりとりしていた
- store clerks
- 店員
- encountered a challenge
- 難関にぶつかった
- ask for directions
- 道をたずねる
- passersby
- 通行人
- her pronunciation of McDonald's
- 彼女の「マクドナルド」の発音
- badly bruised
- ひどく傷ついて
- bravely approached 〜
- 勇敢に 〜 に近づいた
- sprouted a million dollar smile
- 最高の笑みを浮かべた
- started making the strangest quacking noise
- 「クワッ、クワッ」という、とても変な音を立て始めた
- imitating 〜
- 〜 をまねて
- burst out laughing
- どっと笑った
- so did 〜
- 〜 も同様だった
- laughter exploded
- どっと笑いが起こった
- thrust out his hand
- 手を差し出した
- You made my day!
- 楽しませてくれてありがとう!
- had turned a shade of blue in horror
- 嫌な気持ちで青ざめていた
- was shattered
- 粉々に砕けた
- cut to the core
- 根底からくずれてしまった
- Once we were out of earshot
- (彼らから)聞こえない場所まで来たとき
- had misinterpreted
- 誤解していた
- weren't laughing AT her but WITH her at the humor of the pronunciation difference
- 彼女のことを笑っていたのではなく、発音の違いが生む面白さを彼女と一緒に笑っていた
- is too strong and negative a word to 〜
- 〜 するには強すぎるし、否定的すぎる言葉である
- valuable
- 価値のある
- Building Blocks
- 積み木(積み上げて土台となるもの)