海外経験のなかった純日本人が英語で仕事をするということ

私は今、東南アジアのある国で英語を使って仕事をしています。プロジェクトの推進、上司への報告、海外取引先との会話は全て英語となります。ネイティブスピーカーのように英語を話すことはできませんが、ビジネスの世界ではなんとかやっていけるぐらいの話せる力はついてきたのかなと思います。

私自身、社会人になるまで海外での生活経験はなかったため、海外で働くまでは、日本で英語を勉強していました。そんな私の話せる力ってどの程度なのかを参考にしていただくために、本日はある方法で実験を行いました。

方法としては「どうやって英語を話せるようになったかを振り返ってみる」というお題で、英語で考えてそのまま文章にし、それを後からみて、どのような英語を使っているか分析し第三者目線でレビューを行いました。

時間がある人は、今回作った英語の文章も最後に貼り付けておくので読んでみてください。

■結果
1．かなり平易な単語しか使っていない
語彙力の問題なのかもしれませんが、私が普段使っている英語は非常に簡単なレベル。これでも英会話は成立しています。

2．冠詞の使い方は適当
たぶん英語を話すリズムで単語の前にtheを付けるかどうか瞬時に判断しています。文法的に合っているかどうかなんて気にしていません。

3．内容がわかりやすい
平易な単語を使っているからかもしれませんが、すごく分かりやすいです。これがテスト問題だったら皆さん満点のスコアを取れるのではないでしょうか？普段から誰でもわかるようにシンプルな言い回しで話すというのが染みついているからだと思います。

4．英語的な構造で文を組み立てている
英語的な構造って何だ？と思われると思います。もし私が日本語で考えたものを文章にしていたら、最初の文は以下のように書いていたと思います。

どうやって英語を話せるようになったか・・・
Now I am thinking of English how we can improve speaking skill

英語と日本語で出だしが違いますし、日本語で考える表現と英語的で考える表現は根本的に違うのでしょう。

■結論
平易な単語しか使っていなくても、英語的な表現ができていれば、海外でやっていける。ただ、それを身につけるためには、普段から英語を使う環境に身を置くというのが一番早道だと考えます。
ポイント：英語で考えて英語で話す

Now I am thinking of English how we can improve speaking skill and I am not thinking in Japanese to make this story but in English.

When I started to learn to speak English, it was Shunkan Eisaku Bun. Which was book to train to translate Japanese to English instantly. There were a lot of sentence in Japanese and translate into English and speak it repeatedly. It helped me to make English sentence without taking time. I might had trained it for 3months around.

Next my way to learn was to have lessons of Philippines online school. It was very cheap and cost around 200 to 300 yen in one lesson which has 25mins. Teacher is basically Phillipino but sometimes I could have English teacher from England. It was a little expensive than normal lesson. In this lesson, I could get used to communicate with English speaker. It helped me not to bother in English communication in oversea travel. I had continued this online school for 4years.

What I felt in this school in the middle of period, learning method is up to them. So one teacher prepare some text book and read it and then ask a few questions or opinion if I can understand the text book or I can say some opinion. Another teacher was having listening material and we listened it and did same things as what I did in text book. Frankly speaking, that was nice in the beginning but it was not enough when I come to get used to it. However teacher is always different and I did not have good options to improve my English skill further.

When I was in middle of 20’s, I chose to work in one of Asia country and started work in global company. That company, common language was English. So when I communicate with local guy or international staff, I needed to speak English. Then I knew first time that when I go to oversea travel my English was enough. But when it come to work, it was not enough. What I am thinking in Japanese, I cannot message in English correctly. Then it was very stressful and embarrassed.

For 1st and 2nd year, I am really struggled to speak English and reach some points which is able to communicate local staff. Local staff’s English is broken and their accent was different from native English but they used easy word so that it doesn't take time to get used to it. Even so communicating with international staff and oversea customer was very hard for me and listening is not perfect.

In 3rd and 4th year, I had lucky thing that we hire new guy who work with me. She had been staying England for over 20years. So she was native. Her speaking was real English. But she help me to speak in not 100% speed. As she was my team, in order to proceed job, we have to speak every day. Honestly it was not speak but discussion. Her blood was Asian but mind was European. Way of thinking was different. If her thought was different, we had to discuss to reach point. My position was higher than her. Sometimes I needed to convince her to proceed Job in my way. That was very tough for me. Then I spent such a day every day, my speaking skill was drastically improved. Honestly I may have fear when I speak with other native speaker but speaking with English speaker is not stressful now.

That’s a my story. How to improve speaking skill is I think to discuss with native speaker. It will help to make English brain.

So this is real difficult thing to make this kind of environment in Japan so I will propose you to come in oversea country and make a lot of experience to speak in English. That is fastest way.