和英辞典中心で英語が変わってくる

【この花を英語で何というでしょう。】

　世界的な語学学校運営企業のＥＦエデュケーション・ファースト(スイス)はこのほど、英語を母国語としない国・地域について２０２３年の「英語能力指数」ランキングを発表しました。

　それによると調査対象は１１３か国・地域で、首位オランダ、２位シンガポール、３位オーストリアの順で、トップ１０の大半は欧州勢で占められ、日本の英語能力は韓国やベトナム、中国などを下回り、過去最低の８７位と発表されてます。

　私の感想です。

　今後、１００年経過してもこの成績に変化は殆どないでしょう。ということは、逆に日本はそれだけ「平和で住みやすい国」、「素晴らしい日本語の国」と言えます。過去の歴史を見ても、他国に何十年～何百年も侵略され支配されたことはありません。つまり、遠い先祖の時代から生活に英語が必要なかったのです。

　私の考えです。

　日本で英語と言えば、中学生時代は高校入試に備えるための手段であり、高校生時代は大学入試に備えるための手段でした。それが終われば殆ど使いません。つまり、平素の生活で英語を使う必要がない国です。

　しかし、英語を使えるようになるには、中学生から「これを英語で何というか」という観点に立ち、和英辞典を７割引き、英和辞典を３割程度引く英語の授業に切り替え、英作文を主とし、英作文は英借文と考え、例文を真似ることです。近所の女子中学生に尋ねたら英語の辞書を持ってないと言いました。教科書に単語の意味が載ってるらしいです。授業とは勉強の仕方を教える所です。真似から創造への過程が教育です。

　ところで、英語の力をつけるには、辞書を引く回数に比例すると考えます。私は今でも、英語の辞書を引かない日はありません。おっと、これは若いときサボったからです。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about colloquial English

　The simultaneous interpretation for you will be later, because from now on I will participate the radio gymnastics held in the park then I take a breakfast in Japan time. Then, I'll interpret into English for your understanding above mentioned contents.

...........

　EF Education First (Switzerland), a global language school management company, recently announced the 2023 "English Proficiency Index" rankings for countries and regions where English is not their native language.

　According to the survey, 113 countries and regions were surveyed, with the Netherlands in first place, Singapore in second place, and Austria in third place. The majority of the top 10 were Europeans, and Japan's English proficiency was lower than Korea, Vietnam, and China, etc. Japan has been announced that it has fallen to 87th place. This is the lowest ever.

　This is my impression.

　Even if 100 years pass from now on, there will be little change in this result. In other words, Japan can be said to be a "Peaceful and easy-to-live-in country", "The Wonderful Japanese Country". Looking at our past history, we have never been invaded and dominated by another country for decades to hundreds of years. In other words, this is a country where English has not been necessary for daily life since the time of our remote ancestors.

　That's my opinion.

　Speaking English in Japan, during junior high school it was a means to prepare for high school entrance exams, and during high school it was a means to prepare for university entrance exams. Once that's passed, we hardly use it. In other words, it is a country where there is no need to use English in our daily life.

　However, in order to be able to use English, starting from junior high school students, students should start from the perspective of "How do we say this Japanese in English?" and switch to English classes where Japanese-English dictionaries are consulted by 70% and English-Japanese dictionaries are consulted by about 30%. Focus on English composition, we should think of English composition as borrowed English sentences, and imitate example sentences. When I asked a junior high school girl in my neighborhood, she said she didn't have an English dictionary. It seems that the meaning of Japanese word is listed in the English textbook. A class is a place where teacher teaches how to study. Education is the process from imitation to creation.

　Not change the subject, but I think that improving our English skills is proportional to the number of times we look up the dictionary. Even now, there is not a day that I don't look up an English dictionary. Oh, this is because I slacked off when I was younger.

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