LETTER FROM HAPPY ENGLISH SCHOOL　　Nov. 30th, 2021

Hello, how are you doing？　It is getting cooler and cooler and is beginning to feel like winter. Yet, we still see red and yellow autumn leaves here and there. Some are tinged with blazing red and some are hued with glittering yellow. Through my life up until now, the most beautiful autumn leaves that I have ever seen are those in Eikando Temple. There were a wide variety of maple trees and gingko trees whose leaves decorated the gardens and created harmonized color coordination. In particular, I will never forget the delicate beauty of green moss carpets with different-shaped colorful leaves artistically lying on them. They were breathtakingly gorgeous sights.

By the way, speaking of acquiring English, I have been teaching English for more than 30 years and studying English almost through my life and have realized that studying grammar, building vocabulary and practicing translating Japanese into English lay the groundwork for the language development. While working on all these bases, learners need to do a lot of reading and listening comprehension practice and also writing and speaking training.

Indeed, it takes time and effort to gain English proficiency. Although there is no royal road to learning, people can have a good command of English if they realize what they need to work on to improve their English. Learners always need to expand their vocabulary and build up grammar knowledge. On top of that, they need to do translation exercises by employing the stock of their own words and structures. More importantly, by referring to the model answers, they should memorize collocations and set phrases in them if they do not know them or if they do, they need to reinforce their memory.

You should make it a rule to describe situations or feelings in English and make sure that you look up the example sentences in Japanese-English dictionaries to learn accurate and natural expressions and to get more knowledge. This way, you can practice and learn more effectively and also you can use the expressions on your own. The more you go through this process, the more capacity you have for English. You can definitely gain communicative competence in a sure and steady manner.

Bearing these things in mind, you should read, listen, write and speak a lot. You will see your progress in all of these skills if your groundwork is firm and solid.

When you are stuck in learning, you should review your bases, and reinforce the weak foundation. This is how you can build your ‘language tower’ but not the Tower of Babel.

気温は時には冬のようなの日がありますが、秋の名残の木々の色づきがまだ楽しめる今日この頃です。今までに見た最も素晴らしい紅葉は永観堂のもので、様々な種類の紅葉や銀杏が苔の絨毯の上にあでやかな色を織りなしているのが、素晴らしい光景でした。

さて英語の学習のことになると30年以上もレッスンし、ほぼ生涯学習していた中でいえることは、語彙・文法・英作の練習の大切さです。それらの土台がしっかりしているとコミュニケーション能力が着実に培えます。そのうえたくさん読み、聞き、話し、書くトレーニングをして、慣れる親しむことをたくさんしていくようにしてください。

語学学習は長い道のりです。王道はありません。あるとすると英語にどっぷりつかれるように留学などで環境を固めることです。しかし、自分の日本語と同様、自分に知識がないとしっかりパブリックスピーチとかディベートとかができるわけではありません。しっかり日本語で意見が言えなかったり書けなかったりする人は、英語でももちろんそうはできません。要は、教養と語学力双方磨くことが大切です。