Why is English Education in Japan Controversial?

このQ&Aのポイント
  • Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aims to globalize Japan’s workforce and says that Japan must become more competitive in the English language. This has touched off a debate among native English teachers, Japanese who teach English, Japanese speakers who don’t speak English, and English sheepdogs owned by both Japanese and English speakers.
  • On one hand, there are people who question the need for Japanese people to study English since it is not commonly used in Japan. On the other hand, there are those who believe that Japan should learn English to keep up with the rest of the world. Meanwhile, some remain neutral in the debate.
  • While internationalization was popular in the past, with many Japanese students studying abroad to gain a broader understanding of language and the world, the focus has now shifted to domestic solutions. The impact of previous internationalization efforts on Japan's competitiveness in the global workforce is being questioned. The Liberal Democratic Party is considering doubling the number of Assistant Language Teachers to improve English proficiency, but the effectiveness of this approach has not been assessed. There are also discussions about changing the English proficiency test to focus more on verbal communication skills. Some argue that a test-oriented approach may discourage students from studying English.
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  • ベストアンサー

翻訳をお願いします。

長いのですが、下記の英文を翻訳していただけないでしょうか。 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aims to globalize Japan’s workforce and says that Japan must become more competitive in the English language. This has touched off a debate among native English teachers, Japanese who teach English, Japanese speakers who don’t speak English, and English sheepdogs owned by both Japanese and English speakers. On one hand, you have people who ask why Japanese people should be required to study English at all since English is not used in Japan, the country where most students will spend the rest of their lives working for a Japanese company. On the other hand, people say that Japan needs to learn English to keep up with the rest of the world. The few strays not in either camp say, “Woof!” Whereas internationalization was the big thing a decade or so ago, and droves of students were studying overseas to gain a broader understanding of language and the world, nowadays Japanese people are turning inward, seeking domestic solutions. They’re beginning to think, “Why should I go abroad, risk getting shot or car-jacked by someone in America, when I can just stay and study here in Japan?” The question is, did all that previous domestic internationalization combined with study abroad make Japanese more competitive in the global workforce? If so, shouldn’t we still be reaping the benefits? Japan seems to have forgotten about this part of its recent history, the results of which could help shape their future in English language education. In an attempt to get Japanese speaking better English, the Liberal Democratic Party is thinking of doubling the number of Assistant Language Teachers in the next three years. Is that like double mint or double fudge? Twice as much has got to be better? Keep in mind that the number of ALTs was just recently reduced when the Democratic Party of Japan targeted ALTs as “wasteful spending.” Why has no one done any assessments to gauge if the number of ALTs makes a difference in students’ English comprehension? If the LDP regards native English speakers as vital to teaching the language, as they say they do, then you have to wonder why ALTs aren’t actually teaching any classes themselves. Why must they “team teach” together with a Japanese teacher in the classroom? Certainly in my country we wouldn’t consider having an American teacher in a Spanish language class being taught by a Spanish teacher. Another proposed change by the LDP is to shift from the current Eiken test used to gauge English proficiency, to using the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) instead because the TOEFL concentrates more on verbal communication skills. Whenever we talk about testing, people invariably point out that tests aren’t very accurate at testing language communicability. Others argue that the more test-oriented English is, the more students will hate studying English. Well, English is not a disease and no one has yet died from studying it. Lots of students hate broccoli, studying, getting out of bed in the morning and walking the dog. And someday they’ll have to do all of those things before leaving for work in the morning! I realize that students already take enough exams. Furthermore, they have to pass tests to receive their yellow belt, green belt or black belts in martial arts. There are university entrance exams, driver’s tests and maybe someday, lie detector tests. After they get married, their spouses will test them on their spending habits while their children will forever test their patience. And we’re complaining about a TOEFL test? Even if they do not pass the TOEFL test with flying colors, it’s not the end of the world, so we should not act like it is. Yes, it would be nice if there were no tests at all. There would be less stress for students and less work for teachers, who could then focus on teaching more communicative competency, the ultimate goal of English communication. But students would never study if there weren’t tests!

  • suasu
  • お礼率35% (5/14)
  • 英語
  • 回答数5
  • ありがとう数2

質問者が選んだベストアンサー

  • ベストアンサー
  • ddeana
  • ベストアンサー率74% (2976/4019)
回答No.5

ddeanaです。I realize that~~から始まる最後の2段落の訳です。筆者の気持ちがわかってきてだんだん語気の荒い訳になってしまっていますが(笑)お許しを。 ___________________ 私は学生達が既に十分すぎるテストを受けていることを実感としてわかっている。その上彼らは武道(空手・柔道・功夫(カンフー)など)における黄帯、緑帯、黒帯を受け取る為にテストに合格しなければならない。大学の入学試験、運転免許試験、そしてもしかしたらウソ発見器によるテストもあるかもしれない。結婚したら彼らの配偶者は浪費癖についてテストする一方、子供達は永遠に(親としての)辛抱をテストし続ける。これだけのことがあるのに、トーフルテストに文句をつけるってか? たとえ学生達がやすやすとトーフルテストをパスしないからと言って、世界が終わるわけじゃないし、あたかもそうであるかのごとくに私達が振舞ってはならないのだ。 確かにテストというものがまったくなかったら、それはそれでいいことだろう。学生はストレスが減り、教師は仕事が減る。さすれば教師は英語でのコミュニーケションの究極のゴール、より高いコミュニケーション能力を教えることに焦点を絞ることが出来るのだ。だが、もしテストというものがなかったら学生どもは絶対に勉強などしなくなる!

suasu
質問者

お礼

大変参考になりました。面白そうな文章だと思ってたのですが、学が足りず・・・ ご労苦をお掛けいたしました。誠にありがとうございます。

その他の回答 (4)

  • ddeana
  • ベストアンサー率74% (2976/4019)
回答No.4

ddeanaです。 The question is~~から始まる段落から、Another proposed change by the LDP~~から始まる段落までの訳となります。 __________________ 疑問はこういうことだ。留学を組み合わせたこれまでの国内での国際化は全て、世界規模の人材市場で日本の競争力をより高めたのか? もしそうならば、我々はいまだにその恩恵を享受すべきではないのではなかろうか?日本は、近代史において、英語教育の将来の方針を決めるこの部分を忘れているようだ。 日本人がより上手に英語を話せるようにする為に、自民党は今後3年間以内に英語を母国語とする外国人教師(※1)の数を2倍にしようと考えている。それって目くらましか、か、二重にごまかしてるんじゃないのか? 2倍にすることで上手になるっていうのか? 民主党が、英語を母国語とする外国人教師を「無駄遣い」の対象としたことを忘れてはいけない。なぜ誰一人として英語を母国語とする外国人教師の数が、学生の英語理解において違いを生み出すのかどうかを評価する査定を行わないのだ? ※1 ALT:「外国語指導助手」というのが正式名称ですが、実際には外国語と言っても英語以外は実質対象外なのでこの名称をそのまま使うことにすごく違和感があります。従って「英語を母国語とする外国人教師」と訳させていただきました。制度そのものについては下記をご参照ください。http://kotobank.jp/word/ALT%28%E5%A4%96%E5%9B%BD%E8%AA%9E%E6%8C%87%E5%B0%8E%E5%8A%A9%E6%89%8B%29 もし自民党が、彼らがそうするといっているとおり、英語を母国語とする人を英語を教える必須要件として考えているならば、どうして英語を母国語とする外国人教師が直接自分でクラスを担当しないのか、あなたがたは疑問に思うべきだ。なぜ彼らが教室で、日本人の教師と一緒に「チームとして教える」必要があるのだ? 私の国では、まず間違いなくスペイン人の教師が教えているスペイン語のクラスにおけるアメリカ人教師の必要性など考慮しない。 自民党の提案したもう一つの変更は、英語能力を評価する為のテストを、現在の英検からトーフル(※2)へ移そうというものだ。なぜならトーフルは口頭でのコミュニケーション能力により重きを置いているから。私達が(英語)検定について話す時はいつでも、皆、検定は言葉による伝達可能性(※3)を調べる上ではあまり正確ではないと常に指摘する。 ※2 TOEFL:英語を母国語としない人々の英語コミュニケーション能力を測るテストですが、通常トーフルとそのまま言われます。 ※3:communicability:自分の選んだ文章などを使って意味を伝達できるかどうかを判断する観点のこと 別の人は、今よりももっとテストによる英語を重んじるようになると、更に多くの学生が英語を学ぶことを嫌がるようになると主張する。まあ、英語は伝染病ではないし、英語を勉強したからと言って死んだヤツはいまだいない。多くの学生がブロッコリーを嫌い、学ぶ事を嫌い、朝ベッドから起き上がる事も犬と散歩することも嫌う。そしていつの日かやつらは朝仕事に行く前にこうしたことを全部やらなければならなくなるのだ。

  • ddeana
  • ベストアンサー率74% (2976/4019)
回答No.3

ddeanaです。前の回答、見直しが不十分だった部分を補足しておきます。 >イングリッシュ・シープドング イングリッシュ・シープドッグという犬種です。これは、飼い主が何語を話そうがその飼っている犬まで英語教育が必要かどうか考えちゃうほどの論争というジョークです。 >アメリカで誰かに打たれたり 漢字が間違ってましたので、「アメリカで誰かに銃で撃たれたり」に変更いたします。

  • ddeana
  • ベストアンサー率74% (2976/4019)
回答No.2

長すぎるので1度では無理そうです。3回ぐらいに分けて訳してみます。 ________________________ 安倍晋三総理大臣は、日本の労働力のグルーバル化を目指し、日本は英語力をもっとつけるべきだと述べている。これは英語が母国語の教師、英語を教える日本人、英語は話さないが日本語を話す人、そして日本語を話す人と英語を話す人両方が飼っているイングリッシュ・シープドングに至るまで論争を引き起こしている。 片方では、ほとんどの学生がその人生の大半を日本の会社の為に働く国、日本では英語を使わないのに、そもそもなぜ日本人が英語を学ばねばならないのだと尋ねる人々がいる。もう一方では、世界のほかの国々についていくには日本は英語を学ぶ必要があるという人がいる。そのどちらにも属さないわずかな例外の人々は「やかましい!」と言うのだ。 10年ぐらい前は国際化は大きなことであり、学生達は群をつくって語学と世界についてより広い理解を得ようと海外で勉強していたが、今日日本人は内向きになり、国内での解決法を求めている。彼らは考え始めているのだ、「日本にいて、日本で勉強できるので、アメリカで誰かに打たれたり、車の盗難にあうリスクを背負ってまで、なんで海外にいく必要があるんだ?」

  • sakiorin
  • ベストアンサー率0% (0/4)
回答No.1

安倍晋三首相は日本の労働人口を国際化しようとして、日本が英語でより競争的にならなければならないと言います。これは、現地の英語の先生の間の議論、英語を話さない、英国の、日本の話者を教える日本人と日本人と英語を話す人によって所有される英国種の牧羊犬を発射しました。一方、日本(大部分の学生が日本企業で働くことに残りの彼らの命を費やす国)で英語が使われない時から、日本人がなぜいったい英語を勉強することを要求されなければならないかについて、尋ねる人々が、あなたにはいます。他方、日本が残りの世界についていくために英語を学ぶ必要があると、人々は言います。どちらのキャンプの少ない迷子も、言いません。「ウー!」ところが、国際化は10年ほど前大きいものでした、そして、大勢の学生は 言語のより幅広い理解を得るために海外で勉強していました、そして、世界、この頃は日本の人々は中で回っています。そして、国内解釈を求めました。「ちょうどいることができて、日本でここで勉強することができるとき、なぜ、私は海外に行かなければならなくて、撃たれるか、アメリカで誰かによって車ジャッキで起こされる危険を冒さなければなりませんか?」と、彼らは思い始めています。問題はそうです、前の国内国際化が海外の勉強と組み合わさったというすべては日本人を世界的な労働人口でより競争的にしましたか?もしそうならば、我々はまだ利益を得ていてはいけませんか?日本は最近の歴史のこの部分を忘れたようです。そして、それの結果は英語教育で彼らの将来を形づくるのを助けることができました。よ�‚ �よく日本の談話をイギリスにしようとして、自由民主党は次の3年で副Language Teachersの数を二倍にする考えです。それは、倍のミントか二重の作り話のようですか?二倍多くはよりよくなければなりません?民主党が「無駄な支出」としてALTを対象としたとき、ALTの数がつい最近減らされたことを心にとめておいてください「。」数のALTが学生の英語の理解力で違いを生じるならば、Whyが誰も判断するいかなる評価もさせないで?自民党が現地の英語を話す人を言語を教えることに不可欠であると考えるならば、彼らがすると言うように、あなたはALTがなぜいかなるクラス自体も実際に教えていないかについて疑問に思わなければなりません。彼らが「組にする」必要なものが教室で日本の先生と共に「教える」理由?確かに私の国で、我々... こうですか? 間違っていたらすみません

suasu
質問者

お礼

お答え頂きありがたいのですが、これは翻訳ソフトを使用されたのでしょうか?なんだか日本語がめちゃくちゃ・・・ ありがとうございました。

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