先週はESLの飛び込みクラスに行ってきました。マンハッタンの閑静な住宅街の中にある図書館で行っているESLで、私にとっては初めて行くクラスでした。私はクラスが始まる10分前に着いたのですが、着いた時には30代くらいの女性のヒスパニック系の先生以外に生徒は誰もいませんでした。この時点で嫌な予感、、、普通なら他の生徒がチラホラいる頃なのに、、、。そして、それから15分くらい経ってから60代くらいのトルコ人女性がやってきたのですが、そのトルコ人も挨拶くらいしか英語が喋れない方でした。到着してすぐに感じた嫌な予感は的中し、初クラスほぼマンツーマンでスタートしました。しかも先生はネイティブと喋るくらいのスピードでしゃべっていて、所々よく分からないし、なんか圧が強い、、、。ほぼ先生との対話で進むクラスだったので、私が答えないと先に進まないというプレッシャーもあり、普段なら絶対黙っている場面でも、もうなんでもいいから答えるスタンスで乗り切りました。途中から若干喋れる60代くらいの中国人女性が加わってくれて、少しプレッシャーは和らいだのですが、授業終わった後はどっと疲れました。
I went to a walk-in class of ESL last week. It was held at the public library in a quiet residential area in Manhattan, which I joined for the first time. Although I arrived there 10 minutes before the class started, there was no one except a female Hispanic teacher in her 30's. I had a bad feeling because normally, this would be around the time when other students would be there. About fifteen minutes later, a female Turkish in her 60s joined the class, but she couldn't speak English so much that she could only say hello.
The bad feeling I had as soon as I arrived at the class was correct. My first class began with almost one-on-one. To make matters worse, the teacher was speaking English fast like she was talking to native speakers, I couldn't understand partly, feeling pressured. Unless I had answered her question, this class wouldn't have proceeded, since the class proceeded on a conversation base. I overcame this situation by answering somehow even if It was a situation where I usually hesitate to answer. Afterward, a female Chinese in her 60s who can speak English a little joined this class, so the pressure I felt was softened. However, I was exhausted after the class.