児童英語教育への課題と抱負

児童英語への期待　：My Expectation for Children’s English

 

<上越タイムス様：2012年お正月特別紙面への寄稿>

Yoshy’s Contribution to Joetsu Times - Special Page on New Year’s Day, 2012

遠藤由明 (LLシホヤ新井教室代表)

Yoshy (Yoshiaki Endo)：President of LL Shihoya Arai School

 

■先ず「児童英語」という特別な英語学習などないと、私は思います。あるとすれば、「その子の成長段階、習熟度段階に適した指導法」と、「社会人が必要に迫られて学ぶ学習法」を比べて、「指導者が気をつけた方がよい留意点がいくつかある」だけのことです。

 

First, I think the special teaching: “Children’s English” doesn’t exist. If there were someone who wants to perceive it as special, I’d like to say them, “There are only ‘some unique methods of teaching we instructors should pay attention’ on the difference between ‘the suitable method for children’s changing stages toward adults’ and ‘the method for adults who must quickly learn from necessity’.”

 

■終戦という「第2の鎖国」から国際交流に迫られて以来、「コミュニケーション能力の育成」を言い続けて70年近く、私たち日本人は一体何をしてきたのでしょうか？スロベニアの高校生たちのように2，3カ国語を操れる日本人が未だに少数派である現実を、英語指導に携わってきている指導者は恥ずかしいと、先ず「自分のことのように」反省しなければなりません。

 

Since Japan faced the need of communication with open world just after the end of World War 2: “the second national isolation”, what on earth have we Japanese done in this learning English for near 70 years? We have only shouted, “Global communication is necessary, indeed!” In fact, there are very few young students who can use a few other languages compared to e.g. Slovenian high school students’ ability. Every Japanese instructor should reflect themselves ashamed of this fact like our own troublesome affairs.

 

■「英語運用能力」を高める目的で、文科省が、大学教授が、巷の学習塾が、威厳をもって唱えるような「指導理論や提言など」は、実はごく単純な「道理」を指導者も学習者も「納得」さえすれば済むことです。そして、実は、そのことを誰もが知っていて、煩雑なシステムのしがらみの中で口にしない、あるいはできないだけなのです。

 

We Japanese people have been told or seen lots of “teaching methods, suggestions, etc.” in order to make “the command of language of English” improved by arrogant Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Professors, local cram schools; however, Yoshy’s actually saying, it is enough only to “realize” “the common and simple truth” about that; and I believe though every authority knows that, they don’t or can’t tell it in their complicated or chained system.

 

■文科省が力を入れるべきことは、「指導現場で応用が利く柔軟なカリキュラムを進化させ提案してゆくこと」だけで充分です。学校現場のそれは、それを地域風土や校風に合わせながら、「指導法の研究」と、「指導者自身の精進」を続けることです。児童英語へ期待したい核心はこの3つです。

What Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology should do is only “to develop flexible curriculums which could be applied at local educational areas and suggest them”, which is enough. On the other hand, in the school, what the teacher should do is to continue “studying the method of teaching” attached to its local culture and “to brush up the teacher’s skill.” The point of my advocacy is in these three.

 

■但し、英語という「言語構造」は、「中身のない器」、「心のない便利なパソコンのような道具」です。現場がカリキュラムを料理する時、「この子たちに学んでほしい英語という器に何を入れるのか？」を「決断」しつつ「教案」を作ること‐つまり「現場での指導理念」がふらついていたり、なかったり、看板倒れになっている現実から、目覚めてほしいのです。

 

But, as you know, “the structure of English” itself is “an empty vessel” or “a convenient tool like computers without any mind”. Whenever the teacher cooks such a curriculum, I want them to carefully think of “what should be put into the vessel which is warmhearted English children are going to be taught for their future” and “decide it” then, “start making their own teaching plans.” – I.e. I want the school teacher to awake from current situation that “the idea at the school” is not stable or does not exist or empty slogans.

 

■「3つの核心」は、単純な「道理」です。戦後から東京オリンピック当時活躍しておられたミッキー安川さんというタレントは、日英のバイリンガルでした。プロレス中継で、外国人プロレスラーへの罵倒、激励、インタビューを中3当時の私は憧れの目でTVを観ていました。「どうしたら彼のように英語が使えるようになるのかな？」と。彼の著書「風来坊留学記」にその答えがありました。

 

“These three points” is a simple “the common and simple truth.” Yoshy remembers the late Mr. Mickey Yasukawa who had been one of famous multi-talents on TV in mainly the time between the postwar and Tokyo Olympic. He was a bilingual of English and Japanese. Those days, I was watching him on TV, where e.g. he was abusing, encouraging and interviewing foreign professional wrestlers in his fluent English; I was surprised at with envy. “How could I do like him?” – I found the answer in his book, “Furaibo Ryugakuki” (A Wonderer’s Visiting Abroad to Study).

 

■ミッキーさんは、10代で自立心がついたとたん、貨物船で米国へ密航しました。「日本を飛び出して、自由の国アメリカで一旗揚げてやる！」それだけの動機でした。石炭運びなど最低の労働環境の中で、でたらめにたどり着いた所が、シンシナチでした。「シンシナチ大学で日本人の素晴らしさを伝えたい！」と、入学志願なさいました。運も良かったのでしょうね。応対した日本語を話すことができた女性の職員は、「何かを伝えたい熱意は分かります。あなたの英語はほとんど分かりません。まずは、1年間、幼稚園で英語を学びなさい。仕事も探してあげます。」－彼はその通りにして、ある意味、日本と米国の架け橋になったのです。

 

Mr. Yasukawa stowed away on a cargo ship as soon as he stood on his own feet in his 10’s age. “I will make a name for myself!” which was his only reason. He worked hard in a terrible situation like carrying coal in his drifting travel in US. At last he arrived at Cincinnati by chance. He tried to enter The Cincinnati University “wishing to teach Japanese wonderful culture and greatness of Japanese people!” Well, he sure was a lucky boy. A lady-staff at the university he first met could speak both English and Japanese. She said to him, “I know you want to tell something important, but your English is too bad to understand. I advise you to first enter a kindergarten for a year to master English. I will help you to find your job, too.” – He obeyed her. Yes, in a sense, he became a big bridge between Japan and USA.

 

■理念、カリキュラム、教案、そして指導者の4つを磨いたとしても、さらに忘れてはいけないこと、それは、「伝えたい！聞きたい！」の、好奇心、気概、熱意、根気からなる「ヤル気」です。学習者、指導者双方に必須です。ところが、「便利、速い、安い」－甘い蜜に浸かってしまったこのご時勢の中、難問はここにあります。器を作り、そこで花咲いてほしい中身とは、子供、大人を問わず、「生身の人」だからです。私は、英語教育と、どの学校にもある「教育目標」とは切り離せない宿命だと信じています。地域色と校風を大切にした「人づくり」を分かりやすく標語にしたものが教育目標ですから。

 

If we acknowledge the idea, the curriculum, and the teaching plan… and continue brushing them up, there is something left to remember, which is “guts” consisted with curiosity: “I do want to tell what I think! I do want to listen what the foreigner tells us!”, “strong backbone”, “enthusiasm” and “patience.” These are inevitable to both learners and instructors. However, this is the biggest problem in the present days, because we have already drenched with sweet honey: “convenient, quick and cheap.” I. e. the contents: flowers in the vessel we want to have bloom are “a living flesh and blood.” I believe that English Education and “Educational Goal” on a board in every school are of one cloth with; these two are inseparable fate; since Educational Goal must have been made to easily explain the school children “building sound characters” of the school colors in its natural features.

 

■もうお分かりでしょう。子どもにとっての英語学習とは、文科省が「英語の素地」と称する器を、ALT(外国人補助教員)まで動員して、華やかに彩色する以上に、その何倍ものパワーで「伝えたい！聞きたい！」という「ヤル気」を育てることです。

 

You have already understood what I mean, haven’t you? The most important thing in the way of teaching English to Children is to grow “guts” of “I want to tell something! And I want to listen to foreign friends!” which is by far several times more important than coloring the vessel: “Foundation of Teaching English for Children” named by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology calling out lots of Assistant Language Teachers.

 

■子どもは、よく見ています。「私の先生は本気で英語を勉強しているのか？」と。幼稚園で居残りして、テープレコーダーの速さが3歳児レベルから、1年かけて、やっと幼稚園レベルに達した時の喜びを熱く書き綴ったミッキーさんのような「ヤル気」をどうやって育てるのか？－「小学英語指導移行措置期間の2年間で掴んだ成果」は、学習者でもある先生ご自身の中で輝いているでしょうか？学級担任がALTに頼ることなく、一刻も早くこの分野で、臨床の緒につくことを期待します。

 

Children watch their teachers very carefully; “Is my teacher really learning English as well as me?” Mr. Yasukawa wrote the moment with his great joy when the level of his command of English reached the one of kindergarten-children. It took him one year; he trained learning English by tape recorder whose speed was first at 3-year-old level and finally reached 5-year-old one at last. How should we grow Japanese children’s guts? – Is “the fruit after training in the two years (2009-2010): the transition measures for elementary schools” shining in every teacher now? I hope that classroom teachers would quickly start this way not depending upon ALTs as possible as they could.

 

■ここまで読まれた先生方、「辛い」とお思いでしょうか？「教えることは学ぶこと」－釈迦に説法でしょうか？－指導者として不安な先生は、今すぐ裃を脱いで、この単純な「道理」を納得なさってください。「英語を学ぶことは楽しい！」と先生ご自身が輝いた時から、子供たちのための英語学習が始まります。

 

You who have read until here, do you think it is “tough”? “Teaching is learning.” – Is this that one cannot teach a fish to swim? – Those teachers who are worried as English-instructors should take your armors off and understand this simple “common truth.” Just when the teacher could shine with the joy: “Learning English is fun!” , teaching English will begin.

 

和文：1,976語, 英文：1131 letters (■を含んでいます。)