昨日の中3はこれ
文字起こしすると…
It was a typical Monday morning in April when our homeroom teacher, Ms. Tanaka, walked into our third-year classroom with someone we had never seen before. Standing beside her was a tall girl with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing our school uniform, but somehow she looked different from all of us.
“Good morning, everyone,” Ms. Tanaka said with a big smile. “Today, I have some exciting news. This is Emma Wilson from Toronto, Canada. She will be studying with us as an exchange student for the next three months. Please make her feel welcome.”
We all clapped our hands politely. Emma smiled widely and said in clear English, “Hello, everyone! I’m so happy to be here. Please call me Emma!” Then, to our complete surprise, she gave Ms. Tanaka a big hug right there in front of the whole class. We all gasped. In Japan, we bow to show respect, not hug! But Emma looked so natural and happy doing it. Ms. Tanaka laughed gently and patted Emma’s shoulder.
My best friend Yuki, who sat next to me, leaned over and whispered, “Did you see that? She hugged the teacher!” I nodded, feeling both shocked and curious about what else Emma might do differently.
During the first period, Emma sat in the empty desk behind me. When the English teacher, Mr. Yamada, asked her to introduce herself, she stood up confidently. “Hi! I’m Emma. I love basketball, music, and meeting new people. I can’t wait to learn about Japanese culture and make new friends here!” She spoke so clearly and loudly. Most of us felt shy when speaking English, but Emma seemed completely comfortable.
Lunch time brought even more surprises. In our school, we eat lunch in our classroom. Everyone took out their bento boxes with rice, fish, vegetables, and other traditional Japanese foods. Emma opened her lunch bag and pulled out a huge sandwich, an apple, some carrot sticks, and chocolate chip cookies. She immediately started eating the sandwich with her hands.
Yuki stared with wide eyes. “She’s not using chopsticks,” she whispered to me. “And she’s eating with her hands!”
“Well, that’s normal for sandwiches,” I whispered back, trying to sound knowledgeable even though I was just as surprised.
大体、レベル的には高1高2くらいだろうか。
これを「みんなでスラ訳」で読み進めた。
今、世の中の中3の大半は「長文が苦手」「長文が読めない」という状態で、
それは模試の平均点などにも如実に現れている。
もしくは学校の上位層は「何となく意味は分かる」程度だろう。
いずれにしても、彼らに待っているのは高校で「英語むず過ぎて意味不明」という辛い状況のみだ。
その理由を「単語が…」と持っていきがちであるが
問題の根本はそこにはない。
見ている限りでは
⭕️文構造の瞬時把握
⭕️単語力
である。
特に前者が大事。
僕ら日本人が日本語を読む時、無意識に数文字をまとめて「かたまり」として認識し、読み、理解している。
これと同じことを英文でできるかどうか、
これを支えるのが「文法力」なのだ。
上の英文をその感覚でブツブツ切り刻んでいく。
It was a typical Monday morning
in April
when our homeroom teacher, Ms. Tanaka,
walked into our third-year classroom
with someone
we had never seen before.
Standing beside her
was a tall girl
with blonde hair
and bright blue eyes.
She was wearing
our school uniform,
but
somehow
she looked different
from all of us.
“Good morning, everyone,”
Ms. Tanaka said
with a big smile.
“Today,
I have some exciting news.
This is Emma Wilson
from Toronto, Canada.
She will be studying
with us
as an exchange student
for the next three months.
Please make her
feel welcome.”
We all clapped our hands
politely.
Emma smiled widely
and said
in clear English,
“Hello, everyone!
I’m so happy
to be here.
Please call me Emma!”
Then,
to our complete surprise,
she gave Ms. Tanaka
a big hug
right there
in front of the whole class.
We all gasped.
In Japan,
we bow
to show respect,
not hug!
But
Emma looked
so natural and happy
doing it.
Ms. Tanaka laughed gently
and patted Emma’s shoulder.
My best friend Yuki,
who sat
next to me,
leaned over
and whispered,
“Did you see that?
She hugged the teacher!”
I nodded,
feeling both shocked and curious
about what else
Emma might do differently.
During the first period,
Emma sat
in the empty desk
behind me.
When the English teacher,
Mr. Yamada,
asked her
to introduce herself,
she stood up confidently.
“Hi! I’m Emma.
I love basketball,
music,
and meeting new people.
I can’t wait
to learn
about Japanese culture
and make new friends here!”
She spoke
so clearly and loudly.
Most of us
felt shy
when speaking English,
but
Emma seemed completely comfortable.
Lunch time brought
even more surprises.
In our school,
we eat lunch
in our classroom.
Everyone took out their bento boxes
with rice, fish, vegetables,
and other traditional Japanese foods.
Emma opened her lunch bag
and pulled out a huge sandwich,
an apple, some carrot sticks,
and chocolate chip cookies.
She immediately started
eating the sandwich
with her hands.
Yuki stared
with wide eyes.
“She’s not using chopsticks,”
she whispered to me.
“And she’s eating
with her hands!”
“Well,
that’s normal
for sandwiches,”
I whispered back,
trying to sound knowledgeable
even though
I was just
as surprised.
ちょっと長くなったが、どうだろうか。
こうやって意味の塊ごとに文をぶつ切りにし、それを前から和訳していく。
この時に文法の基礎基本が硬いと、ほぼ日本語のように読むことができるのだ。
逆に、このぶつ切りが単なる数単語の塊の羅列にしか見えなければ
それはそこを理解するに足る文法の土台がない、ということである。
