どうも。
もう一つ行きます。
Interview 2
Kailene Falls
毎週金曜日は各界で活躍するプロフェッショナルのインタビューを取り上げます。関連語彙を習得しながら英語力を向上させ、さまざまな話題に対応できる教養を身につけていきましょう。
パート7
今月のゲストは先月に引き続き、イラストレーターのケイリーン・フォールズさんです。最後に、ケイリーンから語学学習についてのアドバイスをいただきました。
ではインタビューを聞く前に、聞き取りのポイントを確認しましょう。
Listening point
What is Kailene’s second piece of advice?
ケイリーンさんの2つ目のアドバイスは何ですか?
ではこの点を意識しながらインタビューを聞いてみてください。
Okay, let's listen to today's interview!
Shibata: My final question is about languages.
Kailene Falls: Yeah.
Shibata: And what advice would you offer to our listeners here if you were a presenter of this program?
Kailene Falls: Whenever I talk to people who are studying a foreign language, there are two tips I always give. One is, if possible, your ultimate goal shouldn't be just learning the language because unless you are somebody that is an absolute language nerd, you are going to lose your passion for it, and if you're self-studying in particular, it would be hard to stay motivated. So, I would highly recommend somebody finding their own hobbies and finding a way to combine that hobby with their language learning. Because it will give you another reason to study. Now, a simple one which I think a lot of people use is international media, so, they're like, you know, foreign films and foreign movies, foreign TV dramas. That's a very easy one. But again, things like arts, things like cooking, there is a lot of information online specifically in English that you cannot get in Japanese. And so, having a goal to better yourself in your hobby and your interests in addition to learning the language gives you another motivation to study because motivation, I think, is a really difficult aspect of language study.
My second one is to throw out your embarrassment. I think that's very difficult for Japanese people. And it was difficult for me at first because I kind of consider myself somebody that probably has a little bit too much pride and I did not want to look like I was making mistakes in front of my office mate. So the first year or so I was in Japan, I was a very quiet person because I didn't want to make any mistakes. And yet somewhere along the line, I realized it's less important to be perfect than it is to communicate your idea. And once you're able to make that realization in your head, your language abilities will grow much more rapidly because you need to use it to get better. And so if you're too focused on the perfection aspect of it, you won't be using it. So, find a way to get rid of your embarrassment!
Shibata: Mmm. A great piece of advice.
Kailene Falls: Yes.
Shibata: Well, Kailene Falls, thank you for joining our program. I very much look forward to how your career as a bilingual artist will unfold in the future.
Kailene Falls: I am too, I'm very excited. I've lived 10 years in Japan now, and I'm looking forward to the next 10 as well.
WORDS AND PHRASES
nerd オタク
The word nerd on its own describes someone who is highly intellectual but it has a negative connotation. Attaching nerd to an interest or a school subject such as a language nerd simply means that the person is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about languages. Other examples are computer nerds, math nerds, book nerds, theater nerds and so on. There is also a hint of social awkwardness implied in these cases. But it's generally considered cute or endearing.
combine ～ with ～ ～を～と結びつける
better oneself 自分を磨く、自己研鑽する
To improve. To try to be the best that you can be. To learn and grow. To work to be more successful. To sharpen your skills. Kailene suggested using language to better yourself or improve yourself when it comes to hobbies and interests.
throw out ～を捨てる
embarrassment 恥ずかしさ
somewhere along the line そのうち、どこか途中で
At some point. Something that happened or changed at a particular moment during a process, but we don't know exactly when. Here's an example, "He worked as a software engineer for 10 years, but somewhere along the line, he decided he wanted to become a designer". This means that at some point during those 10 years, he decided he wanted to become a designer.
get rid of ～を捨てる
Discard, throw something in the garbage. Similar to throw out. To not use or keep something because it's unhelpful. To remove something that doesn't suit you or something that causes trouble. Kailene's advice for language learning is to get rid of your embarrassment. This means removing embarrassment because the learner is better without it. Another example would be, "I got rid of all my old books from university that I wasn't using. I have so much more space now".
Listening pointの答え
It is to throw out your embarrassment.
恥ずかしさを捨てることです。
ENHANCE YOUR VOCABULARY
今日のインタビューには、語学学習のヒントが満載で、私も共感するところが多くありました。今回は自分の語学学習についてコメントすることをイメージしながら、表現力アップをはかりましょう
benchmark ペースメーカー、基準となるもの
To maintain consistency in my study routine, I listen to NHK radio programs every day as a benchmark.
勉強の習慣を維持するために、毎日NHKのラジオ番組をペースメーカーとして聞いています。
benchmarkは「基準」「指標」といった意味で使われますが、この文脈でも使うことができます。
英語のpacemakerは医療機器、心臓のペースメーカーの意味にもなってしまうので、ここはbenchmarkがいいと思います。
in real life situations 現実の生活で。実生活で
I joined online communities to compensate for limited opportunities to use English in real life situations.
実生活で英語を使う機会が限られているので、それを補うためにオンラインコミュニティに参加しています。
in real life situationsは「実際の場面で」「実際の生活で」という意味のフレーズです。
game changer 画期的なこと
Incorporating my hobby of traveling with language, learning has been a game changer for me.
趣味の旅行を語学学習に取り入れたことは、私にとって画期的なことでした。
game changerは状況を劇的に変えるもの。ビジネスをゲームに例えた言い方です。
この文では旅行と語学学習を束ねたことで、英語への取り組み方や英語の取得レベルが激変したと言うことを意味しています。
YOUR TURN
次の日本語を英語にしてみましょう。
邦画を英語字幕で観ることで、自分の考えをより素早く英語で表現できるようになりました。
One example is ―
By watching Japanese films with English subtitles, I've become able to express my thoughts more quickly in English.
「自分の考えを表現する」はexpress my thoughtsとしてみました。皆さんも自分なりに工夫されていることがあると思います。それを英語で言語化してみましょう。
今日の言葉
インタビューの中から印象に残った言葉を紹介します。
I would highly recommend somebody finding their own hobbies and finding a way to combine that hobby with their language learning.
趣味を見つけて語学学習と結びつける方法を見つけることを強く勧めます。
とても共感できる考え方です。単に英語を学ぶのではなく、英語で何か好きなことを学ぶと考えると、英語学習も楽しくなります。まさに一石二鳥Kill two birds with one stone.なんですね。