24 10月 2012

Answer Mr.Michihiro Matsumoto:(松本道弘さん)

  For my Japanese class, our teacher O先生 (who I really like! She's a tough love teacher= my type. And she forces us to be better, and make more complex/longer sentences, which motivates me to be better. When I make a mistake, I just learn from my mistake and write it down. And she doesn't baby us, so that's a huge plus for me.) But anyway, she told us about a website to use as a dictionary, and so far I think it works well. Just type in the word you want to look up in the search bar. You can type in japanese or in english, and it still works.
  When you type in the word, it comes up with multiple definitions, and phrases. The part I like the most is that it takes phrases or sentences from Hiragana Times articles, or just from other random ones. But I wanted to share with you guys the ones I find, and see interesting. So from now on, Ill post random articles from this site.

  Of course, they are not my words, so I will always provide the link where I got it from. Here is the first one. It's about a man who studied English without being abroad. Enjoy

“和製発音記号である。”を含む例文全文(▼該当箇所へ)
⇒出典:Hiragana Times, 1998年7月号(株式会社ヤック企画)
■AnswerMr. Michihiro Matsumoto:(松本道弘さん)

He taught himself English without having been abroad even once and became a senior instructor of English conversation for the NHK TV channel.(彼は一度も海外へ行くことなく、独力で英語を勉強し、NHKテレビ英会話の上級講師となる。) Later, he founded the "International Debate Development Association" and has been devoting himself to the propagation of debating.(その後、彼は「国際ディベート学会」を創立し、ディベートの普及に努める。)

He's now professor at the University of Honolulu and President of the International Debate Development Association.(現在彼は、ホノルル大学教授、国際ディベート学会会長。)

English is a martial art ~ A man who became a senior instructor of English for the NHK TV channel without having been abroad even once ~(英語は格闘技である~一度も海外へ行くことなくNHKテレビの英会話上級講師になった男~)

English for me is the sword for Musashi Miyamoto(私にとっての英語は、宮本武蔵にとっての剣と同じ)

Mr. Matsumoto was in elementary school when he was attracted by English for the first time.(松本さんが英語に興味を持ったのは小学生の頃だった。) "I became interested in the totally different culture" looking at English words he found at times on "bettan" cards (Playing cards which are thrown at other cards on the ground to overturn the latter, called "menko" in the "Kanto" area) that were popular in those days.(当時流行っていたベッタン(ひっくり返して遊ぶカード。関東ではメンコという)の中に時々書いてある英語を見て、「全然違う文化に興味を持った」という。)

When he entered junior high school, he was glad he could finally learn English, but his joy didn't last.(中学に入り、彼はやっと英語が学べると喜んだのもつかの間だった・)He fell behind as soon as the class started studying grammar in the second year.(2年生になって文法が始まった途端、彼は落ちこぼれた。)He made some improvement in the third year, but suffered another setback at senior high school when native speakers came as teachers.(3年生で多少持ち直したものの、高校でネイティブの教師が入ると、彼は再び挫折した。)
He didn't understand a word of what they were saying.(彼は、ネイティブの言っていることが、まるで理解できなかった。)

Mr. Matsumoto then devoted himself to judo.(それからの松本さんは、柔道に熱中した。)He tried to compensate for his poor intelligence with his physical ability.(頭の悪さを、彼は体力ではね返そうというわけだ。)

However, he never lost his desire to acquire some academic grounding.(しかし、彼は、何か学問的素養を身に付けたいという欲求も、一方で消えることはなかった。)One day, an idea suddenly crossed Mr. Matsumoto's mind during a judo workout.(ある時、柔道の稽古をしていた松本さんの脳裏に、突然、アイデアがひらめいた。)"That's right! I might as well learn English as a kind of martial art.(「そうだ、英語を格闘技として、武道として学べばいいんだ。)I'll learn it as Musashi Miyamoto learned how to use his sword."(宮本武蔵が剣を学んだように、俺は英語を学ぼう」)

This is how he started learning English by unique method.(こうして、彼独特の英会話勉強法が始まる。)
He wrote down all the words he heard from his teachers - native speakers - and on the FEN radio in hiragana and katakana and memorized them all.(ネイティブ教師の発音や、ラジオのFENから流れてくる英語を、彼はそのままひらがなとカタカナでノートに表記し、片っ端から覚えていくのだ。)They were phonetic symbols in Japanese.(和製発音記号である。)For instance, "American hit parade" became "murikan hippare."(例えば、「アメリカン・ヒット・パレード」なら、「ムリカン・ヒッパレ」)"Top twenty" was "tap toweni."(「トップ・トゥエンティ」なら、「タップ・トエニ」といった具合。)He wrote down everything as he heard it whether he understood it or not.(意味の分からないものも、彼はとにかく、そのまま書いた。)For example, he didn't understand "sasamabri" at all when he heard it.(例えば、「ササマブリ」などはまるで意味が分からなかった。)Only later he found out it was "soft summer breeze."(後に、「ソフト・サマー・ブリーズ」だと判明した。)

He was almost killed by a gangster(ヤクザに殺されかけたことも)

There was more to his original method of learning.(ユニークな勉強法はそれだけではない。)Mr. Matsumoto took English as a kind of martial art in which he was to either win or lose.(松本さんは、英語を格闘技と同じく勝ち負けでとらえ、闘いを挑んでいったのだ。)The battle ground could be any where.(闘いのリングはどこでもよかった。)

"I would go to a department store, for instance, where I would pretend I was a foreigner (Hawaiian).(「例えば、百貨店に行ったとします。そこで、外国人(ハワイ人)になりきるんです。)I made myself believe I was a Hawaiian and all the Japanese around me were foreigners.(自分はハワイ人で、周りにいる日本人はすべて自分にとって外国人だと信じ込む。)And I would only speak English to them.(そして、英語だけを話す。)The girl at the reception starts panicking.(そうすると、受付の女の子がオロオロしだします。)
Then an employee with overseas experience shows up and talks to me in fluent English.(そして、外国滞在経験のあるネイティブ級の社員が出てくる。)If he could tell I was Japanese, I would lose.(ここでバレたら負けなんです。)I would win only if I could deceive this employee whose English was as good as a native's.(ネイティブ級の社員をだませてこそ、私の勝ちです。)It was like a real fight.(まさに真剣勝負ですよ。)
To help me win, I always had foreign currency in my pocket.(勝負に勝つために、常にポケットには外貨を忍ばせていました。)I also learned Hawaiian dancing to feel like a Hawaiian all the time.(フラダンスも習って日頃からハワイ人になりきっていました」)

In those days, all those who were interest in English went abroad.(当時、英語に興味のある友人たちはみんな外国へ出て行った。)With no money to study outside Japan, Mr. Matsumoto continued to learn practical English this way.(お金がなく、海外留学できない松本さんは、この方法で生きた英語を学んでいった。)

"In judo, small people can beat big ones.(「柔道では、小が大を倒す。)I thought I could improve precisely because of my disadvantage.(不利な状況だからこそ、逆に強くなれると信じていました。)In practice, it was much harder than studying abroad."(実際、海外で学ぶよりも、よっぽど大変でしたよ」)

He couldn't have done it had he not had a lot of guts.(確かに、よほどの度胸がなければこんな方法は取れない。)He actually put his life at risk on one occasion.(実際、彼は命の危険にさらされたこともある。)

"One day, I was drinking in a bar.(「ある日、バーで飲んでいました。)When the girls there found out I was from Hawaii, they all came up to me and started asking questions about the place.(私がハワイ人だと知ると、店の女の子がみんな私に寄ってきて、ハワイのことを質問しだしました。)A gangster who happened to be at another table wasn't pleased the girls had left him for me.(別のテーブルに座っていたヤクザは、女の子を取られて不機嫌になり、私のところへやって来ました。)He came up and threw alcohol over me yelling "You're not Hawaiian. You are Japanese!"(彼は、『何がハワイ人や。日本人やないか!』と言って、私に酒をぶっかけました。)I thought "Shit!", but I would have lost if I had chickened out and apologized in Japanese.(まずい、と思いましたが、ここでビビッて『ごめんなさい』と言ったら、私の負けです。)

So even with this gangster, I continued in English and shouted back "Apologize!"(たとえ相手がヤクザでも、あくまで英語で通し、『アポロジャイズ!』と大声で相手に謝罪を求めました。)I am certain he would have killed me if he had found out I was Japanese.(日本人だとバレたら殺されるという覚悟でした。)In the end, he ended up saying "He's really a foreigner."(結局、彼は『ほんまに外国人や』と言いました。)
I left the place after shaking hands with the gangster and bar employees.(最後は、ヤクザや店の人と握手して別れました。)On the way back home, I walked silently for a while and then burst into laughter. I couldn't help it.(帰り道、黙って歩き続けましたが、しばらくして急に笑いが込み上げてきて、腹を抱えて笑い転げました。)At that moment, I felt cold sweat oozing out.(その瞬間、冷や汗がダーッとあふれ出ました」)

Mr. Matsumoto looks back and says "I could have come thus far because I have continued in the spirit of martial art."(松本さんは、「武道の精神でやってきたからこそ、ここまで来れたのだと思う」と述懐する。)

"People tell me it's amazing that I could become an NHK instructor without having been abroad.(「外国にも行かずにNHKの講師になったのはすごいといわれます。)I think anyone can do it if he tries as hard I have.(ここまで体を張ってやれば誰でもできると思います。)When I was a child, my family was poor and I had an inferiority complex. Now I think it was good for me after all.(私の場合、子どもの頃家庭環境に恵まれず、コンプレックスだらけだったけれど、かえってそれが良かったんだと今は思えます。)I don't think I could have come so far if I had grown up in a favorable environment."(恵まれた環境にいたら、きっとここまでは来れなかったと思います」)

■AnswerFrom "Mr. English" to "Mr. Debate"(英語の松本からディベートの松本へ)

Mr. Matsumoto, or Mr. English, as he came to be known, was a senior instructor of English on the NHK TV channel.(松本さんは、NHKテレビ英会話の上級講師として、“英語の松本”の名を欲しいままにしていた。)But he suddenly retired from the world of English education.(しかし、ある日、突然、英語教育の世界から撤退する。)He then founded the "International Debate Society" and threw himself into the world of debates.(彼は「国際ディベート学会」を創設して、デイベートの世界へ身を投じていった。)
What happened to him?(そこには何があったのか?)

"I noticed that learning more English words and acquiring a cosmopolitan way of thinking were two different things.(「英単語をより多く覚えることと、国際感覚を身に付けるということは全く別なんだと気付いたんです。)Japanese like to get qualifications.(日本人は資格好きです。)They think passing the first grade in the STEP English proficiency exam is the way to become cosmopolitan.(英検1級を取ることが国際人になることだと思っています。)I think the first grade in the English proficiency exam is the worst time to make mistakes in international communication.(私は、英検1級こそ、国際コミュニケーションで過ちを犯す一番危ない時期だと思うんです。)

The number of words you know has nothing to do with your ability to communicate.(単語の数とコミュニケーション能力は関係ありません。)Japanese prefer speeches and smiles to debating.(例えば、日本人はディベートよりも、スピーチとスマイルを好みます。)That attitude won't be accepted in international communication.(この態度は国際コミュニケーションでは通用しない。)In New York, you had better be careful with those who come up to you smiling.(ニューヨークではスマイルで近づいてくる人は気を付けた方がいいですよ。)

In Japan, you feel like you are not supposed to ask "why" about anything.(また、日本では、何事も「なぜ?」と聞いてはいけない雰囲気があります。)If you do, you won't be liked.(聞くと嫌われてしまいます。)"Why?" can be considered aggressive in Japan.(「なぜ?」は日本では攻撃と受け取られるからです。)In Japanese culture, you are supposed to read others' mind without asking "Why?"(「なぜ?」と聞かずに、相手の気持ちを察するのが日本文化です。)But a "culture of guessing" is no good in international communication.(でも、『察しの文化』では国際コミュニケーションはうまくいきません。)It's inconclusive.(それは結論を言いません。)If someone says in Japanese "The phone's ringing", Japanese will think it means "Answer the phone."(例えば、日本語で『電話が鳴ってるよ』と言われたら、『電話を取れ』という意味だと日本人は察知します。)"The window is open." can mean "Shut the window."(『窓開いてるよ』は『窓を閉めろ』です。)

In English, if someone says "The phone's ringing.", an American will merely say "Yes." That's all.(でも、英語で『電話鳴ってるよ』といわれても、アメリカ人は『はい』で終わってしまう。)Japanese men prefer women who don't debate.(また、日本の男性はディベートをしない女を求めます。)Japanese think a couple isn't getting along when they see the two argue with each other.(日本人は、議論している夫婦を見て仲が悪いと考える。)On the contrary, Westerners think silent Japanese couples are about to get a divorce.(逆に欧米人は黙っている日本の夫婦を見て、離婚寸前だと考えます。)Our points of view are different.(価値観が違うんです。)Miscommunication starts from there.(そこからミス・コミュニケーションが始まります。)I feel Japanese really need debating skills so that they will be trained in the "why - because" reasoning they are bad at.(私は、日本人が最も苦手な、『why - because』の思考方法を鍛えるために、是非ディベートが必要だと思ったのです。)Debates end with conclusions and leave no room for ambiguity or the "culture of guessing."(ディベートは結論が先にあるから、“曖昧さ”や“察しの文化”が入り込む余地がないからです」)

Mr. Matsumoto insists debating is necessary for Japan of the future.(松本さんは、これからの日本にはディベートが必要だと力説する。)

"Japan's educational system will fall to pieces.(「これから日本の教育システムは崩れていくでしょう。)
Elementary schools are full of "Sakakibaras" (Sakakibara is the 14 year old boy who murdered an elementary school boy in Kobe).(小学校には、酒鬼薔薇(神戸小学生殺人事件を犯した14歳少年)の予備軍がいっぱいいます。)Since physical punishment is forbidden, teachers have no means to scold junior high school students even if they come to school with knives or kill cats in cruel ways.(体罰が禁止されているから、中学生がナイフを持って登校しようが、猫を惨殺しようが、教師はどうすることもできない。)Japan's system of compulsory education has crumbled already.(もう日本の義務教育は事実上崩壊しているんです。)We should put an end to the system in which you learn everything from textbooks by note and move on to a new type of education in which students ask themselves questions and think spontaneously.(これからは、教科書の内容を丸暗記させる詰め込み教育をやめ、ディベートによって生徒自らが主体的に悩み考えるような教育に移行すべきです。)

Some people don't agree with this idea of mine and say Japanese and debating don't go together well.(こう言うと、日本にディベートは似合わないと反発する方がいます。)However, the fact is Satsuma (in Kagoshima prefecture) had in the Meiji Restoration era what was called "Kyochu" education which involved debating.(ですが、実は、明治維新の頃、薩摩(鹿児島県)において、郷中教育というディベート教育が行われていたんです。)Debating was then called "sengi".(“詮議”と呼ばれていましたが、今でいうディベートです。)A question goes like this.(例えば、こんな設問が出ます。)"Suppose your boat sinks and someone saves your life, but you find out he's an enemy of your father.(『船で遭難した時、ある人に助けられた。しかし、その人物は父のかたきだった。)What will you do then?"(あなたならどうする?』)You then take a certain stance on this issue and make your arguments.(それに対してイエス・ノーに分かれて詮議するわけです。)

Equivalent questions today would be "Should it be allowed to bring knives to school?" or "What do you think about the murder (of the elementary school boy) in Kobe?"(今なら、『学校にナイフを持ち込むのは許されるか』や『神戸の殺人事件をどう考えるか』といった設問です。)You let your students think with their brains and give their own answers.(生徒自身に考えさせ、答えを出させるのです。)Clashes of different points of view can create tension and something new will be created.(違う価値観が衝突することによって、そこから緊張が生れ、新しいものが創造される。)Japanese tend to avoid such friction at any cost.(でも、日本人は緊張を隠そう隠そうとします。)That's why nothing new is born.(だから新しいものが生まれない。)Let different viewpoints clash through debating so that new things will be created.(ディベートによって価値観を衝突させ、新しいものを創造していく。)That's what I want to do."(私はそれをやっていきたいと思っています」)

While he was called Mr. English, Mr. Matsumoto earned considerable income from his bestselling books.(“英語の松本”と呼ばれた頃の松本さんは、著書もベストセラーになるなど、かなりの収入を得ていた。)
Since he became "Mr. Debate", he's been making a certain percentage less.(“ディベートの松本”になってからは収入も何分の1かに落ち込んだという。)Compared to English education, you cannot make a lot of money through debating.(英語教育に比べ、ディベートはお金にならないのだ。)But Mr. Matsumoto is proud he's raising true cosmopolitans.(だが、松本さんには、本当の国際人を育てているという自負がある。)

"If we don't know how to debate, Japan will be in trouble sooner or later.(「ディベートができなければ、日本はいずれ困ることになる。)I'm doing this work not only for myself, but also for Japan.(私は、自分のためだけでなく、日本のためにこの仕事をやっているんです」)

The challenges facing "Mr. Debate" will continue.(“ディベートの松本”の挑戦はこれからも続く。)

Read here

16 10月 2012

〜ために/〜てしまう/〜ようになる

  I know that by now I have to remember this like a 2 year old, but because I had the summer where I had to take science class and art class I couldn't review my japanese, and recently have not had time to review earlier 文法. So I have made these notes for myself. I think they are handy.
  Probably this is for learners who already know how already know how to read kana (hiragana and katakana), but it should be very straight forward.
Also, I am thinking of adding/changing to the 〜ために because some of those things I made too complicating, and TOBIRA (the book my class uses now) went over it in a more simple way, so I wanted to add their perspective too. I hope you like it. ^^


04 10月 2012

日本語宿題とLang-8ポスト

I made many entries in Lang-8 and in my diary in Japanese. Now I want to post them here, and please read k? ^^ Lang-8と日記に日本語でたくさんポストをした。今ここにポストをしたいで、読んでくださいね。^^

総合練習の宿題 

宿題1
尾花先生,
日本語201クラスのカンポスメレンデズです。
今日、授業で宿題を出さなくて、すみませんでした。他のクラスの試験があるため、
他のクラスはもっと時間に勉強しなければなりませんでした。
後で、先生の研究室に宿題を持って行きましたが、先生がいらっしゃらなかったので、
つくえの上に宿題を置きました。
どうぞよろしくお願いします。
これから気をつけます。すみませんでした。
~カンポスメレンデズ

宿題2
愛ちゃん、
ひさしぶりだね!これからのことがいい。もっと宿題があるので、
すっごく忙しいでも、愛ちゃん、元気?
すげ~!私、専攻は日本研究とアニメションだ。で、時々同じことをならうと思うかな。
最近日本語クラスで日本語と英語の同じと差を話してるよ。英語で男女の話し方に違うがあると思もうけど、日本の男女の話し方のほうが英語の男女の話し方より違うと思う。英語で男性が色々な言葉を使ってけど、女性がその同じ言葉を使わない.でも女性は男性ぽいを聞くこともあるでしょ。それから時々話し方は人によって違う。例えば、男性がよく「Dude」言葉を使って、女性が「Like, Oh my gosh!」とか「like」などを言う。英語会話を聞いた方がいいでしょ。また、英語に書き言葉と話し言葉の違いがある。例えば、論文と作文にはちょっとていねいさ言語があって、「That's kinda~」とか「So, like,...yea...」や書かないではいけないが、短い言葉を使わない方がいい。でも話し方には、その言葉スタイルを言ってもいい。また、話す時には人と場合によって違いけど、たくさんくだけたスタイル英語で話せる。じゃあ、ほかの質問がある、私に聞いてもいいよ。

~ジェシ

これは上のポスト:
12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

  My goal is to write longer and more complicated entries/posts. This 2nd of December I'll take the JLPT test, and then next summer I'll take the JLPT again but a higher level. Ultimate goal is to pass JLPT N1 level, but I want to work in my pace and not rush myself. I will need to pass N1 anyway for future things when I'm in Japan.
  Sometimes I ask myself, do I want to make Japan my home base? I think I would like to live in different areas like Australia or Singapore or another island in Caribbean. But I know what I want right now, so that is what I'm working for. Maybe the details will change, but I know the general goal.

02 10月 2012

Heart Matters

  Aahh..I didn't know I would feel this way. I guess I didn't think about it too much before. In this point of my life, I'm in transition. It would be hard to be with someone with the thought of a serious relationship. I guess because I didn't want to be heartbroken again? Or that the situation would get complicated?
  I figured I would do my work, and once I am in Japan I would start thinking about love again. And if I met someone here, and they are interesting, that it's ok to see where that goes. But ultimately they would have to accept that I do not want to live here for the rest of my life. So it wouldn't work anyways. So far, I haven't met anyone here that interests me. There was guy2 last year that got my interest, but I was so hesitant that I didn't do anything. I know he lives close to where I live, and takes the same train. I haven't seen him this year so far..
  (He was in one of my classes, and we also took the same train. It wasn't until we had our final projects, for the end of the class, that he said "good luck" to me before I went to the front of the room to present my final project. I think those are the only words that were meant for me. Hahaha. This sounds so lame! I should have said something!)

  It wasn't until guy1 asked if I was jealous about him being interested in someone, that I realized that I was jealous. I was honest with my answer, but now I regret saying it. I kept thinking 'You sound just like my host mother. She had told me she liked foreign guys and dreamed of having a family with a foreign guy, but her husband got to her first'. (Her husband is japanese.) And I felt a little sad for him when he (guy1) said he couldn't wait anymore.

  Now I am enjoying my life and also doing what I need to do. I have never thought or felt like I was waiting for something to happen. Sometimes I do feel sad that I am not with someone, but I don't think about it for too long, and do some of my hobbies or focus on my studies. So when guy1 had said he can't wait, I thought it was sad. Maybe I have been selfish in only thinking about what I need to do in my life, and didn't consider others' feelings? I thought no one had feelings for me, so I thought it was nothing bad to focus on my goals...
  I don't know..

  This is a little more complicating now that I talk about it, but honestly, I do hope that once I'm in Japan I will find a friend who can become more than that. For now, let's enjoy life. ^^

Comment

HTML Comment Box is loading comments...