Poor "Taro"! Readers of the Japan
Times probably know who I'm talking about. "Taro" represents
all Japanese school kids who study English for years, yet still
can't speak it. Several recent articles have explained why "Taro"
can't speak English and what should be done about it. Most people
blame the entrance exam system and the way English is taught.
While I agree the system needs change, I believe a person's attitude
toward English is even more important in whether or not they become
a successful speaker.
My own students certainly illustrate
this. It's easy to see the difference betweent the "Taro's
" and good speakers. I always get the feeling that the "Taro's"
are either ashamed of speaking English or they think it' a joke.
On the other hand, the good speakers sincerely want to communicate.
Some are shy, and some are still beginners, but they try even when
it feels uncomfortable. By the time they're 2nd or 3rd year students,
I can talk with them about almost anything. I really admire these
students because I know how hard it is to speak a foreign language,
especially at first.
I was lucky to study Japanese
in an excellent American university program with native Japanese
teachers. We met five days a week and had intensive speaking practice
as well as reading and writing. Still, when I tried speaking Japanese
outside the classroom, my Japanese friends laughed at my "testbook"
style. While they were shouting "maji?" and "umai!",
Iwas saying things like, "Kono osakana wa oishii desu ne!"
I gave up before long. My friends' English was much better than
my Japanese, and I hated being laughed at.
But I learned a lot from this
experience. One thing is that even a good education is not enough.
I had to make a lot of effort outside the classroom as well, creating
my own opportunities to hear and speak Japanese. And just as important,
I had to swallow my pride: I was going to say stupid things. I was
going to be laughed at. And I was going to sound fairly unnatural,
especially for the first few years. All this was inevitable. But
it didn't matter anymore. I decided that learning to speak Japanese
was more important than the discomfort I was sure to feel from time
to time.
I think good English speakers
in Japan have made a similar decision. They know they have to take
responsibility for their own learning, and they have to be tough.
It isn't easy! Unforutnately, there's a tendency in Japan to treat
English speaking as comedy or performance rather than as communication.
Just think about TV. People are laughed at for their "amazing"
talent. Even Language schools use the "comedy" of speaking
English to make hit commercials. But it's not only television. English
speakers in Japan are often asked to perform. Someone at a party
might say to a native speaker, "Hey, Junko speaks English.
Speak English together for us!" Or a guy at the bar tries to
make everyone laugh by saying strange things in English to an embarrassed
foreigner. This kind of environment surely makes it harder for Japanese
to take English seriouly as communication. Most people don't like
being laughed at, but sometimes we just have to ignore it and forge
ahead.
The important thing, it seems
to me, is to overcome the feeling that speaking English or any foreign
language is unnatural. Make English your own and communicate! Even
Taro can do it if he really wants to.
Kay
Hetherly is an Associate Professor at Seikei
University where she teaches American literature and culture. Originally
from Texas, she has lived in Tokyo for 9 years. She loves books,
movies, squash, nihonshu, and Sangenjaya. Kay's recommendations
for this month: Cookie's Fortune(movie), Shoeless Joe(novel), Juuyondai(nihonshu).
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