Language Global Link - 英会話アドバイスとテスト

This page contains : (1) some advice for Japanese people learning English, (2) some tests, (3) some English lessons based on various situations and (4) a humorous look at the English. Visit the Language Global Link BBS to talk with others about English, or any other topic you like.

このページでは、英語を学んでいる日本人向けのアドバイスと英語のテストと現実的なレッスンとイギリス人の説明とがあります。
LGL - BBSで日本人向けの英会話フォラムがあるので、ぜひ見てみてください。

Motivation - やる気

What inspires you to part with your hard-earned cash in return for knowledge of English? Is English just something to take your mind off work or your problems? Is it a hobby? Is it an obsession? How good do you want your English to be? Do you want the ability to live and work in England? Do you want enough English to pursue your interest in English music or movies, etc..? Are you driven by hatred of that vexing situation when you are confronted with a foreigner but cannot communicate? Maybe you want to really understand all these katakana words that have become so commonplace in modern Japanese? Or maybe you would like to be able to impress and entertain your friends and colleagues with your esoteric knowledge of another culture...

Whatever your motivation, you would do well to consider your goals with English. If you have no goal, you have no direction and you will not go anywhere. It's not the job of a teacher to tell students what they should aim for in their studies - that is something you alone must decide. It will depend on your linguistic ability, your perception of the benefits to be gained from success at English, and of course it depends how much time you can spare to study. I would like to give my thoughts on how best to achieve your goal.

一生懸命働いたお金を英語の知識を得るためにつぎ込めますか？英語は仕事や心配事で疲れた心を癒してくれるものですか？それとも趣味？やらされ？どれくらいうまくなりたいのですか？イギリスで生活したいのですか？音楽や映画を楽しむために英語を身につけたいのですか？外国人とうまく意思疎通できなくていらいらさせられたことはありませんか？日本語でもよく使われているカタカナ語の意味を知りたいと思いませんか？外国文学の知識で友達や同僚を感動させたり楽しませたいのですか？

動機はなんであれ、目標を持っていればうまくいくでしょう。もし目標がなければ上達はしません。私たち英語教師はみなさんに何を目標にすべきかをおしえることはできません。皆さん自身が決めることなのです。皆さんの言語習得能力や、英語上達の喜びの度合いや、もちろんどれだけ勉強する時間がとれるかにもよります。私の考えが皆さんの目標達成のためのお役に立てれば幸いです。

General Advice - 一般的なアドバイス

How you study English depends on your personality and motivation. Some people like to be thoroughly- prepared before taking on some new task, but others like to just 'wing it'. In my thinking, learning a foreign language is a means to an end. That 'end' is of course to go to a foreign country and enjoy communicating with the natives and so learn about a different culture. For Japanese students the 'end' may also be to communicate with foreigners here in Japan, perhaps telling them about Japanese culture; or it may be to use English in the world of work.

どんなふうに英語を勉強するかは皆さんの性格や、目的によって違ってきます。新しいことを始めるはじめる前にしっかり準備する人もいますし、何もしない人もいます。私が考えるに、外国語を習うのは何かの目標を達成するための手段にすぎません。目標はもちろん外国へ行ってネイティブとコミュニケーションしたり、異文化を知ることでしょうし、日本人の学生にとっては日本にいて外国人とコミュニケーションすることでもあるでしょう。日本文化について話すこともあるでしょう。また仕事のために使うのかもしれません。

The first stage to achieving your end is to master the basics of the English language - nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions and how to use them to make sentences. Yes, unfortunately this means grammar, sentence construction and vocabulary. Attending an Eikaiwa school will help you to master the basics, but you will need to study regularly yourself to make good progress. Also, you need to learn as much vocabulary as possible. Success will be directly proportional to the effort you put in and the effectiveness of your studying techniques (and of course, on the dilligence of your teacher). Once you've mastered the basics you can concentrate on learning to speak naturally (at a good speed using natural-sounding expressions, and idioms to make your language more interesting). After this initial intense phase of studying you will be able to hold a conversation with a foreigner, provided you have picked up enough vocabulary as well.

目標達成への最初のステージは英語の基礎をマスターすることです。名詞、形容詞、動詞、副詞、前置詞やそれらを使ってどうやって文を作るということです。残念ながらこれは文法、構文やボキャブラリーのマスターということです。英会話スクールは基礎を勉強するのには役に立つでしょう。でも本当に上達するには自分でもっと勉強しなければいけません。またできるだけ多くのボキャブラリーを身につけなければなりません。成功は皆さんの努力の量や勉強のしかたに比例します。もちろん講師の努力もありますが。一度基礎をマスターすれば、あとはいかに自然に話すかこということに集中できます。適当なスピードの自然な表現を使ったり、皆さんの英語をより魅力あるものにするイディオムを使ったりというこてです。この最初のフェーズのあとで尚かつ十分なボキャブラリーがあってはじめて外国人と会話できるようになるのです。

You can now progress to the second stage where you have enough knowledge to be able to learn English more naturally, by talking with foreigners, reading English books, newspapers or magazines, listening to English radio or watching TV or movies in English. This kind of studying is more interesting and you will find yourself progressing more quickly after the relative book-bound drudgery of the first stage. Vocabulary is the key to enjoying English and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning vocabulary right from the beginning. The Oxford English Dictionary contains about 500,000 words, but the average educated English native speaker probably uses no more than about 20,000.

こうして次のステージへ進むと、自然なかたちで英語を学ぶことができ、英語の本や新聞や雑誌が読めるようになり、ラジオを聞いたりテレビや映画を見ることができるようになるのです。こうなれば勉強は楽しくなり、参考書を手放せない楽しくもない最初のフェーズから抜け出せ、短期間で進歩を感じることができるでしょう。ボキャブラリーは英語を楽しむための鍵ですが、最初からボキャブラリーだけを勉強することを強調することはできません。オックスフォード辞典は500,000語を掲載していますが、平均的な教育を受けたネイティブでもせいぜい20,000語程度しか使いません。

Progressing to the second stage without mastering the first will only leave you feeling frustrated at your inability to understand and express yourself on a basic level. English teachers in Japan are a funny breed - they speak unusually slowly and clearly, using standard English and most can speak or understand some Japanese. But when you go to England for the first time, you will be in an environment where you cannot rely on Japanese to communicate, and where people speak very fast. But don't lose heart, if you persevere your efforts will be rewarded.

最初のステージを踏まず次のステージに進んでも、理解できなかったり、基礎的なレベルの表現ができなかったり、フラストレーションがたまるだけでしょう。日本の英語教師は「変な種」です。彼らは標準的な英語を使って、極端にゆっくりと、はっきりと話してくれます。日本語を話せす人もけっこういます。でも皆さんがひとたびイギリスへ行けば、そこは日本語に頼れない、人々は猛スピードの環境が待っています。でもあきらめないでください。努力を続ければきっと報われます。

Finally, I should say that English is difficult for Japanese-speaking people - it is much more difficult for you to learn English than it is for a Spaniard or a Russian - and it may take a lot of perseverance to get to a level you feel happy with, but it is possible.

最後に日本語を話す人々にとって英語を習得するのはとても難しいと言わないといけません。スペイン人やロシア人にくらべてずっと難しいでしょう。ある程度話せるというレベルに到達するには忍耐が必要ですが可能です。

Advice for Beginners - 初心者向けのアドバイス

Pronunciation is one of the key factors at this stage. Unfortunately the use of katakana in Japan to write foreign words has created a situation where many Japanese think that if they speak in katakana, it's English. Go to England and try out your katakana English - noone will understand you! You'd be surprised how difficult even buying a hamburger can be without at least a basic grasp of English pronunciation - do not ignore this problem, I repeat, English people will not understand you. This doesn't mean that you have to speak like an English native speaker; in a way, there is no single correct pronunciation for English - everyone speaks slightly differently. Also, you should bear in mind that people speak differently to how they write. You may be able to read and understand 'Eat in or take out?' but can you catch it when an English person rattles it off at lightning speed? Separate words appear on paper, but when you are speaking they merge together into chunks of speech which is why it is important to memorize useful sentences and phrases and not just individual words.

このステージでは発音は重要になってきます。でも残念なことに日本では外国語をカタカナで書いてしまい、その結果多くの日本人がカタカナ英語を話すようになってしまいます。イギリスへ行ってカタカナ英語を試してみてください。誰も理解してくれないでしょう。ハンバーガー１個買うのでさえ難しいことがわかるでしょう。でも私はネイティブのように話せと言っているのではありません。ネイティブの話し方にも個人差があります。また書いてあるとおりには話さないということも頭に入れておかなければなりません。皆さんは ‘Eat in or take out?’ という言葉を読めますがネイティブが稲妻のようなスピードで話しているのを聞き取れますか。紙の上では別々の言葉でも、話すと１つながりになってしまいます。だから、よく使われるフレーズを１つながりでおぼえてしまうことが大切なのです。

One good example of this is the contraction in speech of "want to", "going to", "got to" and "need to":-

“want to”, “going to”, “got to”, “need to”などがよい例です。

want to ===> wanna ..............................

going to ===> gonna .............................

got to ===> goda ................................

need to ===> needta .............................

These contractions are especially common in American speech but also occur in British English too. The contracted form is then merged with the following infinitive : "wannago", "gonnawatch a movie", "godago", "needtatake a shower". It is impossible to understand native speakers unless you are aware of the way in which words merge together to form chunks of speech. When you practise your English try to make your sentences run smoothly without long pauses between words. This takes practise, so you're going to have to talk to yourself in the car on the way to work or something like that...

これらはとくにアメリカ英語で顕著ですがイギリス英語にもあります。不定詞とつながって”wannago”, “gonna watch a movie”, “godago”, “needtatake a shower” などとなります。もしこれを知らなければネイティブが話していることは理解できません。英語を話すときは、長い間隔をおかずスムーズに離せるように練習しなくてはなりません。たとえば通勤の車の中で練習するなどがいいでしょう。

This is why it is important to get into the habit of writing your vocabulary in English NOT katakana - because it encourages bad pronunciation habits - and this means you are going to have to wrestle with English spelling. You have my sympathy - English spelling can be fiendish - but if you persevere you will begin to recognize the regular patterns and develop a 'feel' for it. Write the new vocabulary you learn in a notebook small enough to carry around with you, with the meanings written in Japanese. It may be better to memorize a sentence or phrase rather than single words as I mentioned just now. Carry your vocabulary book with you and when you have a free moment read it and memorize. It's a good idea to practice saying English words and sentences out loud so that you can hear your own pronunciation.

カタカナを使わず英語で書いてボキャブラリーを覚えることが大切です。変なカタカナ英語の癖がつくと発音だけでなくスペルもおぼえられないでしょう。たいへんですが継続すれば綴りのパターンや感覚がわかってくるでしょう。いつもメモ帳を持ち歩いて新しく出てきた言葉を書き込んでください。単語だけではなくフレーズを書くのです。そして時間があるときに取り出して口に出しておぼえてください。自分の発音も確認できます。

Another factor to consider at this stage is what kind of English do you want to learn - for example, British or American? It is important to think about this because they are very different. Just one small example - how you answer the question "How are you?" tells an English native speaker a lot about you, to an American 'I'm fine thankyou' may seem overly formal and a bit stiff, whereas 'Pretty good" sounds relaxed and friendly. There are also differences in grammar and vocabulary between American English and British English. In my opinion, British English is clearer, more logical and easier on the ears than American...

次に大切なのは、あなたがどんな英語を話したいかということです。たとえばアメリカ英語かイギリス英語かなど。両者には違いがあるので考えておく必要があります。たとえば ”How are you?” という質問にどう答えるかですが、アメリカ英語では、’I’m fine thank you’はフォーマルで、’Pretty good’はフレンドリーと受け取るでしょう。私はイギリス英語のほうがアメリカ英語よりロジカルで簡単だと思います。

Beginners need to work hard to develop their memory: you may learn new words in a lesson and they enter your short-term memory, but you will forget them completely unless you review and practise them after the lesson - YOU MUST USE WHAT YOU LEARN OR YOU WILL FORGET IT - this way they have more chance of entering your long-term memory. One hour once a week is not enough to progress in English - you need to be practising speaking and listening every day if possible. The most successful students are the ones who understand this. Reading is also a good way of using your English - you can buy 'easy readers' from any foreign bookshop - it will help you to remember words you have already learnt and it will enable you to pick up more vocabulary. Read something you are interested in - could be a book or a comic, or a web-site in English. If you like manga, many Japanese manga can be bought in English translation. Remember this is just advice to help you make the best possible progress in achieving your English goals - in the end you must find a way of learning English that suits you. Noone can claim to have the perfect method for learning English and people who do just want your money. It's important to be enthusiastic and it's important to feel comfortable using English in order to make good progress. Make the most of your eikaiwa lessons and ask questions if you don't understand something - your teacher will be happy to help you.

初心者は新しいボキャブラリーを増やす努力をしなくてはいけません。いったんおぼえたと思っても復習や練習をしなければすぐ忘れてしますでしょう。使わなければ忘れてしまいます。１週間に１回のレッスンでは十分とは言えないでしょう。できる限り毎日スピーキングとリスニングの練習が必要です。これに気づいている人は進歩が早いでしょう。リーディングも良いでしょう。簡単な読み物を買って読むのはボキャブラリーを増やすのに役立ちます。興味がある本、漫画、インターネットもいいでしょう。多くの日本の漫画は英訳されています。これらはあくまでの私からのアドバイスです。自分にピッタリの方法を見つけてください。そんなにうまくいく話はありません。そんな話は金儲け目的の悪徳商売に違いありません。楽しく気持ちよくやることが大切です。英会話スクールの１回のレッスンを大切にしてください。わからないことがあれば先生にどんどん質問してください。

Finally, use your imagination - how do you imagine yourself using your English? Are you going to go to England and make new friends? Are you going to travel independently? Are you going to get a job which requires English? In what kind of situations would you like to use the English you are learning? Use this imaginary vision of the future to fuel your enthusiasm and by yourself study English that is relevant to your goals. I think anyone can become proficient in English, it's just a matter of technique and perseverance. A little bit of studying every day amounts to a lot if you do it every day for a year...

最後に、イマジネーションを働かせてください。イギリスへ行って友達をつくりたいのですか。一人で旅行ですか。英語を使う仕事につきたいのですか。勉強した英語をどうやって使うのですか。自分の将来を想像すれば勉強の励みにもなるでしょう。誰でもきっとうまく話せるようになります。ちょっとしたコツと忍耐です。毎日コツコツ勉強すれば１年で相当上達するはずです。

Advice for Intermediate students

Intermediate students have to tackle some of the more difficult aspects of English grammar - this is just a matter of perseverance and patience. A good grammar book for this level is "English Grammar in Use", which I recommend. There are also sites on the internet which offer tutorials in points of grammar, verb tenses, prepositions, etc.. Aside from grammar and vocabulary, a crucial step at this stage is to attune your ears to natural spoken English.

You should try to listen to English whenever possible, even if you only understand 10% your listening ability will improve the more you expose yourself to such naturally-spoken English. There are programmes on Japanese TV offering a course of study through listening. Buy the text-book and study by yourself from the TV. Listen to the BBC over the internet, watch movies in English with Japanese sub-titles. Diversify your studying techniques - listen to English music and learn the words to songs you like. You should also intensify your acquisition of new vocabulary. You should be aiming to improve your listening and speaking ability so that you canquickly and deliver them clearly and at a natural speed. Your aim should be to make conversation without forcing the other person to wait for ages while you construct sentences in your head.

At the intermediate level you should really think about buying yourself an English-English dictionary as it will help you to think in English, rather than always reverting back to Japanese to process meaning. We all have an annoying translator in our heads who insists on turning everything we hear into our own native language. The voice of this translator can interrupt the flow of English in your mind. Try to ignore this voice and think and understand in English. This will happen naturally the more exposure to English that you get and is therefore another good reason for investing in a mono-lingual dictionary.

Another good idea is to find some interesting reading material that is written in English. This could be a trade magazine related to your work, the lyrics of a song you like, an English newspaper (there are many on the net, see the links page for some examples), or even a children's book in English. Don't worry about understanding every word - aim to get the gist, that's the key. One thing I like about living in a foreign country is that so much of the trivial nonsense that is constantly bombarded at me in England from the TV, radio and newspapers suddenly becomes incomprehensible and therefore can be ignored - it's like switching off background noise. If you're reading a newspaper it is not essential nor particularly interesting to understand every word - the gist, I repeat, is the key. Regular reading will expose you to sentence patterns and word combinations that you would otherwise never meet and is thus a good way to increase your vocabulary and broaden your knowledge of expressions and idioms. You will also encounter vocabulary that you already know, so this will be refreshed in your memory.

Having said that I do believe that reading is a separate skill from speaking and needs to be learned as such. You may be able to speak really well but have trouble understanding when you read - this is a common problem. Nevertheless if it is one of your goals to be able to read English then you need to start practising at this stage. It may be very slow and laborious at first, but you have to start somewhere!

Advice for Advanced students

Becoming an advanced student is no easy matter. You've got to really want to do it. Breaking through from the intermediate level requires some serious effort and determination - many students never progress beyond the intermediate level. I think there are a number of reasons for this but perhaps the main one is that they lose motivation because they can speak and understand reasonably well, and they begin to 'rest on their laurels'. This is a natural human weakness, but after making so much effort to come so far , why not push on that little bit further and become a true master?

I tend to think that the best way to make the leap from intermediate to advanced is by living in the foreign country itself, either studying at an English teaching institution of some kind, or working, or both. This is not essential however; I know at least one Japanese person who has reached an advanced level but has NEVER even been to England - so it CAN be done! However, I think you would have to study almost obsessively to achieve this. A more natural and fun way to do it is to combine serious studying with living in England.

イギリス人のまっかなホント

イギリスは世界有数の文明国を名乗っているが、囚人の数はユーロッパで２番目に多い。
England likes to be considered the leader of the civilized world, but has the 2nd highest prison population in Europe.
イギリス人は、ほとんど感情を表に出さず、理解に苦しむ料理を作る。
The English do not usually reveal their emotions and their cuisine is distressingly poor.
イギリス人は、不便を楽しみ、わざと喜びのない人生を送っている。
The English enjoy inconvenience, and deliberately pursure lives devoid of pleasure.
イギリス人は、熱波の到来とともに野獣になり、冬の寒さがくると冷静さを取り戻す。
The English turn wild when it's hot, but in Winter their sang-froid returns.
イギリス人は、エスカレーターが込み合っていても前の人との間にひとつ段をあける。
No matter how crowded an elevator may become, the English will always keep one step clear between themselves and the next person.
イギリス人は発明の才があるが、他人の発明はすべて無視する。
The English have a gift for invention, but they ignore the inventions of others.
イギリス人は、発音や食べるときのしぐさなどを手がかりに相手を値踏みする。
The Englishman judges another's character by their table manners and pronunciation.
イギリス人がペットフードに費やす金額は、紅茶とコーヒーに費やす額の２倍。
The English spend twice as much on petfood as they do on tea or coffee.
イギリス人は、自分の子供とのふれあいが苦手。ペットにだけ濃密な愛情をそそぐ。
An Englishman is awkward with his own children but dotes on his pets.
イギリスでは、招待された時間に１５分遅れていくのが礼儀とされている。
In England it is considered good manners to arrive at least 15 minutes later than one is expected.
通勤のとき、フランス人は本を読む。イギリス人は新聞を読む。
During the commute to work the Frenchman reads a novel whereas the Englishman will read the newspaper.
イギリス人は、話しながらジェスチャーをする人間をうさんくさい目で見る。
Englishmen regard with suspicion people who gesture while speaking.

英検の練習

初心者のテスト

Pre-Intermediate tests

Intermediate tests

Upper Intermediate And Business English tests