つまり、
テキストや百科事典にあるような説明をしようなどと思ってはいけません。
そんなことはネイティブスピーカーでも出来ません、日常会話では。
そんなことしないで、
日常生活における自分とそのものの最近の係わりをワンポイント言うごとに、
相手が何か尋ねて来るのをフレンドリィ [友好的] な気持ちで待つのです。
そして、
相手の質問にやさしい言葉で簡単に答え、これを続けて行けば会話に成っ
て行き、
それは、個性的なすばらしい説明となるのです。
ネイティブスピーカー達が欲しているタイプの説明となるのです。
テキストの暗記暗唱による説明は、同じテキストを使っている限り皆同じです。
ーーーーーーーーーー
Yuji: It's something.
Cathy: What kind of thing is it?
Yuji: I saw it (/ one) this morning.
Like this, no matter how incomplete it may be, introductory or basic level
students should explain one simple point at a time.
And every time they do so with a simple sentence, they should wait for the
partner's question.
And they should answer the question one by one to make the explanation
complete.
Then the whole process will be a good conversation.
If students go on explaining it to the end, it will be like a speech not a convers-
ation.
Besides, in a speech-like explanation, without what we call 'real English ability',
they will not be successful.
In our opinion, there are almost no Japanese who have real English ability
except for those who learnd English living in an English speaking country when
they were young, or those who have learned English in our method or a similar
method to ours.
--------------------
Cathy: Where (did you see it)?
Yuji: At home.
Cathy: Where at home?
Yuji: (In the) Livingroom.
Cathy: Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: Sorry?
Cathy: (I said,) Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: A piece of furniture??
Cathy: I mean, a table, a sofa, a television etc.?
Yuji: No...(About) this big...Ogamu...
Cathy: Ah, I see... You mean a 'family alter'.
Yuji: A family alter?
Cathy: Yes. A family alter. Or you might be able to call it a 'family temple'.
Thank you.
You know, on my way here on the bus, some eldery women
were talking about it eagery.
They were mentioning it a number of times and I was interested.
------------------------
]]>Yuji: It's something.
Cathy: What kind of thing is it?
Yuji: I saw it (/ one) this morning.
このように、不完全であっても一言簡単に説明するごとに相手の発言を待ち、
そして、それに答えていくことによって説明を完成していくのは、そうすること
によってそれが会話となるからです。
自分一人で続けて説明して行ったら、それはスピーチのように成ってしまいま
す。
又、そうなったら、本物の英語力がなかったら絶対に上手く行かないからです。
日本人で本物の英語力がある人は、帰国子女、あるいは私たちの方法のように、
それに準ずる方法で英語を習得した人たち以外、ほとんどいません。
ーーーーーーーーーー
Cathy: Where (did you see it)?
Yuji: At home.
Cathy: Where at home?
Yuji: (In the) Livingroom.
Cathy: Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: Sorry?
Cathy: (I said,) Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: A piece of furniture??
Cathy: I mean, a table, a sofa, a television etc.?
Yuji: No...(About) this big...Ogamu...
Cathy: Ah, I see... You mean a 'family alter'.
Yuji: A family alter?
Cathy: Yes. A family alter. Or you might be able to call it a 'family temple'.
Thank you.
You know, on my way here on the bus, some eldery women
were talking about it eagery.
They were mentioning it a number of times and I was interested.
------------------------
]]>
In this case, what is the most important is the following principle.
That is,
"In English, we should always start thinking with the very thing in question
and utter words to express it first."
So the students should say,
"It's something." first.
To continue with the explanation,
we have found two good ways.
That is,
1) To Continue the explanation in the form of a conversation giving its size
and shape with a gesture; its collor and if possible material; its purpose
or work (i.e. function); and its surroundings (i.e. environment), all in simple
English words in this order.
2) To give a recent simple interaction of the students with it in simple English,
wait for the question of their partner, answer it simply, and thus continue
with the explanation in the form of a conversation.
But the method we are going to handle here is the latter one.
When they don't find the very thing around them, and want to
explain it in words, all they have to do is just to say,
"It's something."
And to wait for the partner's next words, which will be,
"What kind of thing is it?"
Then, they might give one simple sentence which express just one of their
recent acts or actions to the thing.
Among them, the easiest will be 'whether they saw it recently or not'.
When they saw it this morning, they only have to say,
"I saw it (/ one) this morning."
which will be a good indirect answer for "what kind of thing is it?" meaning
'the kind I saw this morning'.
And that is all, as an explanation of the thing at the moment.
They should not try to say anything more.
Do you knaw why?
--------------------
すなわち、それは
「英語では常に問題のもの自体から発想し、発言していく」
という原則です。
ですから、先ず、
"It's something." と言いましょう。
その後は、２つの方法があります。
すなわち、
１） そのもの自体の形や大きさをジェスチャーで示し、色や材質を言ってから、
その働きや、その周辺を相手と会話しながら伝えていく方法。
２） そのものと皆さんとの最近の簡単なかかわり [関係] から入って、相手と会話
しながら伝えていく方法。
の２つです。
が、今回詳しく解説するのは後者の方法です。
この方法では、（"It's something." の後、）皆さんとそのものの関係を一点言えば
良いだけです。
その中で、一番簡単で表現しやすいのは、「皆さんが最近それを見たかどうか」 で
しょう。
もし今朝それを見たのなら、
"I saw it this morning."
と言えば、それで説明は終わりです。
続けて、これ以上何も言おうとしてはいけません。
なぜか分かりますか？
次回までに考えておいて下さい。
Yuji: It's something.
Cathy: What kind of thing is it?
Yuji: I saw it this morning.
ーーーーー
Cathy: Where (did you see it)?
Yuji: At home.
Cathy: Where at home?
Yuji: (In the) Livingroom.
Cathy: Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: Sorry?
Cathy: (I said,) Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: A piece of furniture??
Cathy: I mean, a table, a sofa, a television etc.?
Yuji: No...(About) this big...Ogamu...
Cathy: Ah, I see...well, I should say it's 'a family alter'.
Yuji: A family alter?
Cathy: Yes. A family alter. Or you might call it a family temple. Thank you.
You know, on my way here on the bus, some eldery women
were talking about it eagery.
They were mentioning it a number of times and I was interested.
---------------------------------
they are engaging in a real English conversation.
After saying, "It's something.", even when they cannot find the thing around
them or see one from there, they can explain it by drawing a rough sketch of
it.
In this case, before taking out a pen and paper, students should say, "Just a
moment, please." or "(A) Picture, OK?" etc.
And whether it is when they are taking out sketching tools or while they are
drawing the picture, they should utter some suitable words to their actions
even in Japanese, because doing so without any words will be very awkward.
Needless to say, the language is not very important here, because the picture
will do a good job of showing what kind of thing it is.
---------------------
が、そのものがその場になかったり、そこから見えなかったりしても大丈夫です。
先ず、前回と同様、"It's something." と言ってから、
"Just a moment." または "(A) picture, OK?" などと言って紙とペンを取り出し、
簡単な絵を描いて説明することもできます。
この場合、紙とペンを取り出す時も、絵を描いている時も、沈黙してそうするのでは
なく、日本語でも良いから自然な言葉を発しながらそうしましょう。
日本語の分からない相手でも、皆さんの行動や態度やジェスチャーが必要なことを
伝えますから。
さて、次回はいよいよ、英会話における英語での説明法を解説します。
ーーーーーーーーーー
If students are asked about something Japanese in a real English conversation
situation, we recommend that they explain it in the following way.
First thing in their explanation, they should say,
"It's something."
The reason why they should do so will be given eventually.
Then, when they have an intuition that there may be the very thing around them,
or that they may be able to see one from there, after saying,
"Just a monent.", or in Japanese, "Chotto matte (kudasai)"
they should look for it for a moment.
(Incidentally, the Janese will be understood by the following extra-verbal
messages.)
And if they find one, all they have to do is to say,
"This( is it)." or "That(-'s it)."
pointing to it.
This is because it is easier and faster to know what something is taking a look
at the very thing than an explanation of it in a language.
This is a common sense.
But even so, there are so many Japanese who try to explain the thing in the
English language even when they can see it around them.
Some Japanese do so unsuccessfully, keeping glancing at the very thing.
What in the world is the probem here?
We think that they are mistaking 'English conversation' which is a casual com-
munication activity for a 'conversational English' recitation contest or aural-oral
substitution test.
皆さんが本番の英会話をしていて、日本の風物について尋ねられたら次のように
しましょう。
何はさておいても、先ずは、"It's something." と言いましょう。
そうする理由はそのうちお話します。
それから、直感的にそのものが、その会話をしている場所にあるかも知れない、
あるいはそこから見えるかも知れないと思ったら、
"Just a monent." あるいは、「ちょっと待って（ください）。」
と言ってそれを探しましょう。
（ちなみに、この日本語の意味はその後の皆さんの態度や行動やジェスチャーで
相手に分かります。）
そして、それがあればそれを指し示して、
"This( is it)." とか、"That(-'s it)."
などと言えば良いだけです。
いや、先ずはそうすべきです。
これは、ものごとを説明する場合、実物や実態があれば、それを見てもらう方が言葉
よりも手っ取り早く分かりやすいからです。
これは当然のことでしょう。
にもかかわらず、その場に問題のものがあったりそこから見えたりするのに、それを
ちらちら見ながら、あくまで英（語）会話の 「英語」 と言う言葉にこだわって英文で説明
しようとして失敗なさる方のなんと多いことでしょう。
そんなことをしていると、私たち日本人の常識が疑われ兼ねません。
「英（語）会話」 は 「会話英語」 ではないのです。
]]>Yuji: It's something.
Cathy: What kind of thing is it?
Yuji: I saw it (/ one) this morning.
Cathy: Where (did you see it)?
Yuji: At home.
Cathy: Where at home?
Yuji: (In the) Livingroom.
Cathy: Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: Sorry?
Cathy: (I said,) Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: A piece of furniture??
Cathy: I mean, a table, a sofa, a television etc.?
Yuji: No...(About) this big...Ogamu...
Cathy: Ah, I see...You mean 'a family alter'.
Yuji: A family alter?
Cathy: Yes. A family alter. Or you might call it a family temple. Thank you.
You know, on my way here on the bus, some eldery women
were talking about it eagery.
They were mentioning it a number of times and I was interested.
------------------------
]]>English requires us the following three:
1) To memorise many English sentences perfectly in advance,
2) To maintain the memory perfectly for an unknown period of time, and
3) to recall the sentences all of a sudden perfectly and say them correctly.
Don't you think it's impossible for almost anyone to do these three perfectly with
almost anything of which the partner may ask for the explanation?
Moreover, even if some geniuses are able to do the three perfectly, it will be a
speech, not a (part of) conversation.
A speech and a conversation are totally different.
Mistaking a speech for a conversation will cause a lot of problems.
Then, what should students do, when they are asked for an explanation of something?
It's so simple and easy.
So simple and easy that the problem will be that you may not believe it.
ーーーーーーーーーー
Yuji: It's something
Cathy: What kind of thing is it?
Yuji: I saw it this morning.
Cathy: Where (did you see it)?
Yuji: At home.
Cathy: Where at home?
Yuji: (In the) Livingroom.
Cathy: Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: Sorry?
Cathy: (I said,) Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: A piece of furniture??
Cathy: I mean, a table, a sofa, a television etc.?
Yuji: No...(About) this big...Ogamu...
Cathy: Ah, I see... You mean a 'family alter'.
Yuji: A family alter?
Cathy: Yes. A family alter. Or you might call it a family temple. Thank you.
You know, on my way here on the bus, some eldery women
were talking about it eagery.
They were mentioning it a number of times and I was interested.
------------------------
]]>
Whether they are things Japanese or foreign, explaining things in a real English conver-
sation situation is very easy and even fun by our method.
But even so, almost all the students whom we met were totally at a loss as to what to
do or had a hard time explaining them, most of the times only unsuccessfully.
It seemes to us that almost all students who have learned 'English conversation' only by
traditional methods are in great trouble when they are suddenly asked to explain some-
thing, whether it is a thing Japanese or foreign; old or moden.
Why are they in such trouble?
We think this is because all the traditional methods of explaining things even in English
conversation are either a 'memorization and recitation method' or similar methods to this'.
(To be continued)
ーーーーーーーーーー
Yuji: It's something.
Cathy: What kind of thing is it?
Yuji: I saw it this morning.
Cathy: Where (did you see it)?
Yuji: At home.
Cathy: Where at home?
Yuji: (In the) Livingroom.
Cathy: Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: Sorry?
Cathy: (I said,) Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: A piece of furniture??
Cathy: I mean, a table, a sofa, a television etc.?
Yuji: No...(About) this big...Ogamu...
Cathy: Ah, I see... You mean a 'family alter'.
Yuji: A family alter?
Cathy: Yes. A family alter. Or you might call it a family temple. Thank you.
You know, on my way here on the bus, some eldery women
were talking about it eagery.
They were mentioning it a number of times and I was interested.
------------------------
]]>
本番の英会話で突然このように、相手の外国人に日本の風物について尋ねられたら
困りませんか？
このようなものごとの説明は本物の英会話法ではごく簡単であるのに、従来の方法で
しか英会話を学習たことがない方々はほとんど皆、困ったり苦しんだりなさるようです。
なぜか分かりますか？
それは、従来の方法が暗記暗唱法やこれに類する方法であるからです。
それは、将来、いつどれを尋ねられるか分からない日本の風物に関して、多数の英語
の説明文を前もって完璧に覚え、その記憶を維持しておいて、いざというときに問題の
ものをきちんと思い出して言おうとする方法です。
このようなことはほとんど不可能であるし、たとえそうできたとしても、それではその部
分が英語のスピーチにはなってしまいます。
英会話にはなりません。
「スピーチにはなっても会話にはならない。」 この意味は重要なのですが、この解説
は又の機会にします。
が、とにかく、会話中に断りもなくスピーチを始めるとトラブルが起こりますよ。
では、どうしたら良いのか？
その詳しいことは次回です。
ーーーーーーーーーー
Yuji: It's something.
Cathy: What kind of thing is it?
Yuji: I saw it (/ one) this morning.
Cathy: Where (did you see it)?
Yuji: At home.
Cathy: Where at home?
Yuji: (In the) Livingroom.
Cathy: Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: Sorry?
Cathy: (I said,) Is it a piece of furniture?
Yuji: A piece of furniture??
Cathy: I mean, a table, a sofa, a television etc.?
Yuji: No...(About) this big...Ogamu...
Cathy: Ah, I see...you mean a family alter.
Yuji: A family alter?
Cathy: Yes. A family alter. Or you might call it a family temple. Thank you.
You know, on my way here on the bus, some eldery women
were talking about it eagery.
They were mentioning it a number of times and I was interested.
------------------------
]]>
Yuji: ((Butsudan, Butsudan.....??))
--------------------
Yuji is in big trouble asked suddenly, "What is 'butudan' ?"
---------------------
Cathy: You know, on my way here on the bus, some eldery women
were talking about it eagery.
They were mentioning it a number of times so I'm pretty sure
about the pronunciation, 'Butsudan'.
----------------------
Here, Cathy is telling him where she heard the word, and that she is pretty sure
about the pronunciation because she heard it a number of times.
But without listening to her at all, he is thinking this and that about following kinds
of thngs.
"I have never been taught nor have I learned by heart an English passage explaining
'butsudan'.
When asked suddenly, even in Japanese, I cannot explain it well. How can I explain
it in English all of a sudden? It's impossible. Why does she ask me such a question?"
etc.
Some students seem to me to have hard time trying to recall its English explanation
they have never memorised.
Others say, "I don't know." despite the fact that they are taking care of one and praying
in front of it every day or every month.
Something is seriously wrong with their English ability.
Don't you think so?
--------------------
Cathy: What's that?
--------------------
Cathy is asking the same question again.
--------------------
Yuji: ((Butsudan, Butsudan.....??))
--------------------
Yuji is now totally at a loss.
What should he have done?
----------------------
Yuji: ((Butsudan, Butsudan.....??))
裕次さんは、突然 「仏壇」 って何と尋ねられて、困っています。
Cathy: You know, on my way here on the bus, some eldery women
were talking about it eagery.
They were mentioning it a number of times so I'm pretty sure
about the pronunciation, 'Butsudan'.
キャシーさんは、その言葉をどこで耳にしたかや、何度も聞いたので発音は
間違っていないと思うと言っています。
しかし、裕次さんはそんなことに一切耳を貸さないで、次のようなことをあれ
これ考えています。
仏壇の英語での説明など、習ったことがないし、とっさには日本語でも上手く
説明できないのに、まして英語ではそんなことできるわけがない。
何でそんなこと尋ねるのかなーなどと。
こんな場合、中には、覚えたこともない仏壇の説明文を思い出そうとしている
人もいるようです。
中には、家に仏壇があって、毎日その世話をしているのに、"I don't know."
[（仏壇って何か） 知りません。] などと言う人もいます。
What's that?
キャシーさんはまたそれは何かと尋ねてきました。
Yuji: ((Butsudan, Butsudan.....??))
裕次さんは本当に困ってしまいました。
裕次さんはどうしたら良いでしょう？
次回までに、皆さん、ちょっと考えておいて下さい。
------------------------
]]>