知ってる内容を英語ルートで理解。
I want to share a cool story about learning languages with you today.
Have you memorized any English words or sentences or even a whole text? Have you tried saying that out loud in front of others?
I’m asking because I found out how important and helpful it is to do that, and I’ll tell you about two times it happened to me.
First, I sang a song with a group. We formed a temporary Christmas choir in our city. After practicing together five times, we sang three gospel songs in a hall with 600 people on Christmas Eve. I even had a solo part with high notes! It felt great to memorize and sing the lyrics in front of everyone.
The second time, I recited a memorized text at home on New Year’s Day, but it wasn’t in English; it was the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit.
Why Sanskrit and the Heart Sutra? I’m a language enthusiast, and knowing that the Heart Sutra, a famous text in Japan, was originally in Sanskrit fascinated me. The message about everything being void also caught my interest.
It took me months to memorize the sutra, but after successfully reciting it in front of my family, I felt proud and happy. I became more brave and self-confident, just like after the Christmas concert. But I also felt that I could now see myself more objectively and calmly. When you do things alone, like learning a language, you might become too self-satisfied or less critical of yourself. By sharing with others, you can see yourself more clearly.
But I have to add in passing that my family, after listening to the Sutra attentively even for two minutes on the New Year’s Day, looked a little tired, to say the least. I sympathize with them and thank them for listening to me.
I hope you try something similar, like memorizing your favorite English text and saying it to others. It will give you more courage, confidence, and a better understanding of yourself.
See you again soon!
私立学校に英語教師として勤務中、40代半ばに差し掛かったころ、荒れたクラスを立て直す策として、生徒に公言して英検1級に挑戦することを思い立つ。同様の挑戦を繰り返し、退職までに英検一級（検定連合会長賞）、TOEIC満点、国連英検SA級、フランス語一級、スペイン語一級（文科大臣賞）、ドイツ語一級、放送大学大学院修士号などの成果を得る。
アメリカで生徒への対応法を学ぶ為に研修（地銀の助成金）。最新の心理学に触れた。4都県での全発表、勤務校での教員への研修を英語で行う。現在も特別選抜クラスの授業を全て英語で行っている。「どうやって単語を覚えればいいですか？」という良くある質問に答える為、印欧祖語からの派生に基づく「生徒には見せたくない語源英単語集」を執筆中。完成間近。常日頃洋書の読破で様々な思考にふれているが、そうして得た発想の一つを生かして書いた論文がコロナ対策論文として最近入賞。賞品の牛肉に舌鼓をうっている。元英検面接委員