知ってる内容を英語ルートで理解。
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I want to share something cool about learning a foreign language, or anything really.
You know, I’ve always been interested in learning English by using it directly, without translating. And not just English, but also learning other subjects in English too. But here in Japan, there aren’t many schools like that or “bilingual schools” as they are usually called here in Japan as well as abroad.
I think I know why. It’s probably really hard to start these kinds of schools here. There aren’t many teachers who can teach English and other subjects in English, and there aren’t many good books for it either.
But guess what? In Brazil, they have lots of schools where they teach subjects like English, Spanish, and even Japanese (and other subjects in respective language)! Can you believe it? There are about 1,300 of these “bilingual” schools in Brazil, and lots of students graduate from them every year.
I was wondering why there are so many of these schools in Brazil but not many in Japan. Don’t you think it would be hard to start these schools in Brazil too?
I think I found the answer when I read about a study done by a researcher in Brazil. She asked students at one of these bilingual schools which language they found harder: Japanese or English? I thought most of them would say Japanese, but only about 60% did!
So, I think the schools in Brazil are maybe not as strict as the ones in Japan. Maybe they’re more relaxed and not as focused on being perfect. In Brazil, students might not have to worry as much about difficult things like Chinese characters or formal Japanese. That might make learning Japanese easier for them.
I think I saw an example of this when I watched a video about a bilingual school in Brazil. They were learning Kendo, a Japanese martial art, but they didn’t have all the special gear like they do in Japan. They were using improvised swords and weren’t wearing the usual uniforms. In Japan, we’d never do that!
So, to sum it up: in Japan, we try really hard to make everything perfect, but sometimes it’s so hard that we can’t even start. In Brazil, they’re more relaxed, and maybe that helps students learn better.
Hey, do you think maybe we’re too focused on being perfect sometimes? It’s okay to make mistakes, you know. Everyone does!
Keep learning and having fun,
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