聞き取れなくても大丈夫
Bob: Oh, hi, Hideki, howareyoudOing?
Hideki: I am fine, thank you. And you?
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Bob: OK. ButI'vegOtanEarache.
Hideki: ?? ((Near lake??))
（注：(( )) 内は、黙ったままの思考を表します。）
Hideki さんは、Bob さんの "ButI'vegOtanEarache." と言う発言が聞き取れていません。
そのため、彼は悩んでいます。 あれこれ考えて、苦しんでいます。
ひょとしたら、悔いているのかも知れません。
"Near lake" のように聞こえたけれど、そう言ったのかしらとか、
いや、自分は聞き取りが苦手だから、多分そうではないだろうとか。
もっと聞き取りを練習しておいたら良かったんだけどとか。
本番の会話では、相手の言うことが聞き取れなくても何の問題もありません。
すぐに聞き返して、相手の発言をよく聞けば良いだけです。
Hideki さんの場合、「えっ、何とおっしゃった？」 に当たる、"Sorry?", "Pardon (me)?",
"Excuse me?" 又は、「えっ、何だって？」 に当たる "What?" 等を用いて。
「えっ、何とおっしゃった？」 や、 「えっ、何だって？」 を気持ちを込めていえば、
日本語で言ったって、ノンバーバル・コミュニケーションによって問題は即座に
解決しますよ。
あるいは、"Near lake??" [「ニヤーレイク｣ ですって??] と聞こえたとおりにはっきりと、
相手に向かって尋ねる気持ちで言えば良いだけです。
次のやり取りも同様です。
Bob: IwAnnagotoanEardoc.
Hideki: ?? ((near dock? dog?))
Native Speaker: DOn'tyouhappentoknOw agOoddOcnearhEre?
Japanese student: ??
Native Speaker: Don'tyou?
Japanese student: ??
下記の英語での解説も参考にしてくださいませ。
No Problem, Even If Students Can Not Catch the Words
Bob: Oh, hi, Hideki, howareyoudOing?
Hideki: I am fine, thank you. And you?
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Bob: OK. ButI'vegOtanEarache.
Hideki: ?? ((Near lake??))
(note: The inside of (( )) is the person's silent thinking.)
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Hideki couldn't catch almost all the Bob's fast utterance "ButI'vegOtanEarache."
And he was at a complete loss as to what to do.
This troubled him a great deal making him think this and that silently getting no where
or to a regret of the lack of his listening skill.
In a real conversation situation, it is not a problem at all even when we cannot catch
most of the words our partner utters.
What we have to do is just to ask what he or she has said.
In case of Hideki, a very beginner of English conersation learning, what he should
have done is just to say, "What?" if Bob was a friend of his.
Otherwise, "Sorry?" or "Pardon (me)?" or "Excuse me?"
Even if he had said one of the Japanese equivalents of the above with all his heart,
his extra-verbal messages would have solved the problem immediately.
Or if a part of Bob's utterance sounded to him like 'near lake', he should have said
"Near lake??" clearly with an asking mind, which would also have solved the problem
instantly.
The same holds good with the following exchange of their words.
Bob: IwAnnagotoanEardoc.
Hideki: ?? ((near dock? dog?))
Native Speaker: DOn'tyouhappentoknOw agOoddOcnearhEre?
Japanese student: ??
Native Speaker: Don'tyou?
Japanese student: ??