英語で飯を食う覚悟があるんなら、下の文章を全部英訳してみろ、というキツーイ指摘が複数から寄せられました。 そんな殺生なあ、とおもいつつ、前半だけやってみました。 これで勘弁ッ!!!
It was early this year that I learned of a female Asahikawa resident who got full score in TOEIC
Boy, what sort of a woman is she? I wondered to myself. How could she get full score of 990 in the test where 900 is regarded as an advanced learner?
Isn’t she a hermit, weird , or eccentric?
My growing interest in her led me to search more about her online.
1. Name: Akemi Nozuki,
2.Online nickname : Monto
3. Occupation : teaching at university and a technological college as well as tutoring privately.
4.Career : graduated from Monterey graduate school California U.S.A.
5. Others : She’s a steady contributor to the promotion of language education as is shown in her enthusiastic activity with some non-profit organizations as well as in her own blog.
These are the details and general impressions about her as a result of searching.
The other day I ventured to ask her for an interview and she kindly accepted.
The minutes of the interview are as follows. I hope you’ll like them.
(Nomura) Miss Nozuki, I thank you very much for your comments to my blog which is far less interesting than yours.
First of all, let me ask you about TOEIC test. To all appearances, getting a full score is far beyond common sense.
How did you build up your skills of reading and listening?
(monto) It was really a surprise for me.
I was told later that low scorers did better than high scorers for a specific question in the test, so it was regarded as inappropriate and got removed from scoring.
So I did not answer the whole questions correctly.
(Nomura) But full score is a full score.
(monto) Thanks a lot. (lol) Well,
A proverb goes “What one likes, one will do best.”
I’d say the reason for my best record is simply a result of my hard working. English language has done me so much – information, friends, experiences – things I couldn’t have enjoyed in my own cultural background.
(Nomura) So these two elements – like and enjoy – were your driving forces.
(monto) After all, TOEIC score is just a yardstick by which people can judge your skills in reading and listening only. It doesn’t ensure your all round performance.
Another reason for my full score is that I’ve been good at grammar ever since I was small. I remember I was a strange elementary school girl , because I loved Japanese grammar most. (lol)
（Nomura) That brings me to the next topic. Some of my students were saying like “I love English. I want to be able to speak fluently. And I’ve tried hard to memorize new words and phrases. Still I’m unable to use them the way I want. Now what sort of advice would you give to those people?
(Monto) I’d say to them they’ve got to create more chances to practice their new words and phrases. As long as you are in Japan, you can’t sit and wait for those opportunities to come. Don’t wait. You gotta create.
(Nomura) I couldn’t agree with you more. But when you respond that way, they’ll surely come back and say, “How can I do it when I have no one to practice with?”
(Monto) They may be right. But the professional teachers such as the ones on TV or radio programs say they were taking advantage of every minute, irrespective of whether with a partner or not, to practice their language skills – for instance, trying to explain everything that catch their eyes as they walked along the street. This story was quite impressive for me. All of these efforts added up to meaningful results – leading those people to what they are today.
(Nomura) Even when you are all alone, you can do something to make a progress.
(monto) I know it may sound easier said than done, though.