英検対策講座part①【Writing】

はじめに

この記事では、僕が今まで書いた英検 1 級風のエッセイを公開します。
一通り目は通していますが、一応、ネイティブチェックがすべてのエッセイに入っているわけではないので、所々、間違いや不自然な箇所もあります。

英検 1 級の英作文で満点が取れても、所詮は
ノンネイティブの英語です。ただ、だからこそ、同じような学習背景を持った純ジャパの学習者の一つの目安となるかもしれません。

記事の中身としては、まず、実際に英検 1 級の満点解答（2015 年度第 3
回）を再現し、内容や展開、語彙文法の面で気を付けるべき点を簡単に述
べます。その後は、数partの分けて、ひたすら僕が 2015 年から 2020 年にかけて過去問のそれぞれのトピックについて書いたエッセイを18-20トピック分載せていきます

和訳や解説は一切ありません。悪しからず。

この記事が想定している読者
・英検 1 級で満点をとる英作文がどれくらいのレベルなのか興味がある人
・エッセイを丸暗記してライティングで高得点を取りたい人
・社会問題について書くための表現を集めたい人
・英字誌や英検 1 級語彙セクションに出てくる語彙を文章で覚えたい人

本題に入る前に、実際に満点をとってみてわかったことや、私が英検 1 級の英作文を書くときに気を付けていることを以下に列挙します。

・principal を principle と間違えて書くなど、明らかな間違いもあるが満点
はとれている。ノンネイティブ用の試験なので完璧が求められるわけではな
い。
・完璧は求められないとは言いつつも、基本的には英字誌を読んでいて覚
えた表現をコロケーション単位で使っているので、語法は大体合っているは
ず。
・英検は英語の試験であり、知識の試験ではないので、詳細なデータは提
示する必要はない。100 年後に化石燃料が無くなるというのも適当。ただ
し、3 つの理由のポイントが被らないように気を付けたり、常識的なことは英語で表現できる必要がある。                                                                       ・理由の段落では、1 文目にメインのアイデアを書き、2 文目以降にその根
拠（例、データ）を提示すると読み手の頭に入っていきやすい。採点者も人
間なので、同じ内容のことを書いていても、分かりやすい書きかたと分かり
にくい書きかたをしていれば、前者のほうが内容の項目で高得点が取れる
可能性が高い。                                                                                                ・段落の初めは、Firstly や in conclusion など、定型的な表現を使うことで
時間を節約する。大事なのは中身なので、自在に英語を操れる高度な英語
力を持っていない限り、ここにはこだわらない。
・同じ語彙表現を繰り返し使うと語彙力がないと捉えられたり、文章が退屈
になるので、言い換え（パラフレーズ）をする。ただし、無暗に類義語を乱用すると、コロケーションやニュアンスの面で不自然になる危険性があるの
で、自信がある表現のみ使う。
・英検準 1～1 級レベルの語彙を適度に混ぜていくと語彙力のアピールにな
る。ただし、難しい語彙はスパイスのようなもので、使いすぎるとくどくなるので注意が必要。基本は簡単な語彙をしっかり使うこと。語彙の大きさを誇示するのではなく、語彙を効果的に使うことで表現力を評価してもらうという姿勢で書く。

それでは、僕が書いたエッセイを以下に載せていきます。第２弾をいつ出すかは未定ですが、書いてほしいトピックがありましたら教えてください。また内容に関して質問がありましたら、記事の最後に追記する形で答えていくのでコメントください。

①The benefits of learning second language

 Recently, more and more people have started to learn second language. I am going to give you a bit of a refresher before diving into the more specific side of main session. Let`s think of immigrants, for instance, most immigrants move to foreign countries either for better employment opportunities and income or for an improved living environment. As I mentioned just above, what these three benefits have in common is to broaden the view of learners remarkably.The primary catalysts for its rise to prominence are mainly categorized into three benefits; expanding our horizon, getting more opportunities, and seeking better information
  First, I am going to offer you the basic concept of expanding our horizon. The major factors for its to be payed attention are highly-diversified from country to country and person to person. That is why, what I would like to emphasis on this paper is to launch into something which we have never regard as importance. By acquiring second language, we could live up to universal sense which shared by people all over the world. by doing so, we finally will be able to gain sociability adaptability, and applicability in the process of getting a second language at the same time.
  On the top of the first benefit, I would like to focus on opportunities. It is quite easy to guess that bilingual person is superior to people who can speak only one language in that culture, customs, and knowledge about the linguistic area where he or she can speak. From the point of that view, learning second language will lead us to better result. For example, job promotion, overseas posting, and even making friends. All of these opportunities will be a driving force to give more chance to anything markedly.
  Finally, I want to share about seeking better information. The internet, the biggest unparalleled information tool in the world, includes numerous information written in other languages. It is estimated that the number of websites written in Japanese is only 1.19% as a whole. On the other hand, English, Chinese, and Spanish, these three languages account for slightly over 55% I total. This means we could say Japanese is no longer useful in that we get a piece of information on the internet. By mastering the second language which I mentioned above is the most efficient way to obtain information sources.
  To sum up, learning second language offer tons of benefits for us. Therefor we can get more information, intelligence, innovative view, and opportunities. In the future, more and more people will begin to learn a second language and Perhaps, if this trend kept going, these three languages would be most dominant language in the future.

②Should democratic nations actively promote
the spread of democracy to nondemocratic
nations? （賛成）

　I think democratic nations should play a larger role in spreading
democracy to nondemocratic nations. There is an array of benefits that
a country can enjoy by implementing democracy.
　In democracy, citizens can decide the future of a country. In
nondemocratic countries, however, people’s freedom is strictly
restricted and they can’t make important decisions about the future of
the country. When citizens are not happy with the decision’s
policymakers make, discontent arises and citizens cannot fully enjoy
their lives. Allowing citizens to participate in the decision-making
process is vital because it is an important part of basic human rights.
　In addition, people can reap huge economic benefits by
implementing democracy. In democracy, governments do not make
excessive intervention in the economic activity, and goods and services
are traded freely. As many free economy advocates point out, the
economy thrives most when the government makes intervention only
when it is necessary.
　Lastly, in a country where freedom is stifled, people’s anger erupts
and the country is very unstable and insecure. For example, the Chinese
mainland government meddles too much in the politics of Hong Kong,
triggering a series of protests. Students took to the streets and
vociferously called for greater democracy. If the mainland government
adopts democracy, people’s anger will be appeased and the situation
will be stabilized.
　Therefore, I strongly believe that democratic countries should
actively promote democratic value. It can ensure greater freedom,
boost the economy of countries, and lead to stability and security.
（250 語）

③Has a university degree in the humanities
lost its relevance in today's world? （反対）

　Some people downplay the value of humanities and say a university
degree in humanities lost its relevance in today’s world. However, I
think a university degree in humanities remains valuable for the
following three reasons.
　First, the study of history provides people with keen insights into
how to solve today’s tough problems. For example, the history of
earthquakes recorded in old documents enables geologists to pinpoint
the location where the next enormous earthquake is likely to strike. The
ability to gain information from historical documents help us find
solutions to today's issues.
　Second, foreign language skills and solid understanding of foreign
cultures help you thrive in the modern society. With technological
advancement, the world got significantly smaller and we have
increasing chances to do business with people from overseas. A degree
in foreign literature is valuable in this respect.
　Third, the study of philosophy helps people find the meaning of life
and pursue true happiness. Even though the world economy is
prospering, a lot of people today struggle to find meaning in life and
sometimes suffer from depression. Philosophy gives them
opportunities to understand themselves better to enjoy their life.
　In conclusion, contrary to the widespread notion that a university
degree in humanities lost its value, it has numerous practical uses that
help people succeed in life and realize happiness.
（222 語）

④Will infectious diseases become a bigger
problem in the coming decades? （賛成）

　The recent spread of the Covid-19 brought the issue of infectious
diseases into public consciousness. While some people say humans will
be able to bring infectious diseases under control in the future due to
medical development, I have a pessimistic view that infectious diseases
will become a bigger problem for the following three reasons.
　First, as our understanding of medicine grows, so do infectious
diseases. What I mean by this is that viruses can evolve and develop
resistance to newly-developed antibiotics. Since viruses and bacteria
replicate themselves very quickly, they can swiftly catch up with
medical advances.
For this reason, viruses will remain a serious threat to humans.
　Second, persistent poverty in underdeveloped nations provides a
breeding ground for infectious disease. Impoverished nations don’t
have adequate medical facilities or personnel to deal with infectious
diseases. On top of that, malnourished children, the number of which is
expanding, are vulnerable to diseases.
　Third, international organizations such as the WHO are not reliable.
For example, the Ebola virus swept across African countries several
years ago and caused tremendous damage. The belated and woefully
inadequate response of the WHO is largely to blame for this.
International organizations are incompetent in the face of a grave
crisis.
　In conclusion, for the above-mentioned three reasons, humans will
never have sufficient capability to rein in infectious diseases and they
will continue to pose a serious threat to humans in the coming
decades.
（239 語）

⑤The benefits of AI outweigh its disadvantages（賛成）

　Some argue that AI will pose serious threats to humans, citing
concerns that AI will take jobs from us for example. However, I agree
with the statement that the benefits of AI outweigh its disadvantages
for the following three reasons.
　First, AI can significantly improve medicine. For example, AI is now
able to diagnose skin cancer with stunning accuracy by harnessing the
power of deep learning. Driven by massive data, deep learning can
speed up diagnostic procedures and potentially save millions of people
with life-threatening diseases.
　Second, AI can help unleash human potential by replacing tedious
and repetitive jobs. Even in the modern society, a lot of people have to
deal with monotonous tasks that don’t require creativity. If these jobs
are supplanted by AI, humans can use their creativity more effectively,
spurring an avalanche of innovation.
　Third, AI can bring together people with different backgrounds. The
world is now interconnected and we have increasing chances to
interact with people from overseas. Machine translation can help us
overcome language differences and greatly facilitate communication.
We must be aware that the reckless use of AI could endanger
humanity. However, if proper laws and regulations are put in place so
that we can tap the full potential of AI, the benefits of AI undoubtedly
overshadow its disadvantages.
（217 語）

⑥Should capital punishment be abolished? 　　（反対）

　Death penalty has always been a highly contentious topic of debate.
Some say it is cruel and anachronistic, while others say it brings many
benefits to society. For my part, I support capital punishment for the
following three reasons.
　Firstly, death penalty can serve as an effective deterrence against
criminal activity. Since all animals, including human beings, have a
strong inborn desire to live, the prospect of death is a potent enough
reason to discourage potential criminals from committing ferocious
crimes.
　Secondly, capital punishment can mollify the resentment of victim's
family members. Family members, in the face of ordeal, harbor strong
hatred and anger toward the perpetrator. The only way to bring
calmness of mind to victim's close relatives is death penalty. As a
matter of fact, the recent poll conducted in the U.S. showed more than
70% of people expressed support for death penalty for this reason.
　Thirdly, criminals should face punishment commensurate with the
gravity of the crime they committed. The more serious the offence is,
the harsher the punishment should be. Following this basic logic
underpinning the modern criminal justice system, it is only natural that
a person who commits a horrendous crime should be sent to a death
row.
　For the above-mentioned three reasons, I regard death penalty as
an ideal form of punishment for cold-blooded criminals and should
universally be implemented.
（228 語）

これにて第一弾は終了です。ああ、疲れた。そろそろ大学の期末テスト期間に入るので憂鬱だし、オンライン授業はやる気でないし、加えて、僕が一番嫌いな梅雨の時期という三重苦に囲まれていますがあと少しで夏休みだという事を考えるとちょっとだけなら頑張れる気がしてきました。多分次回の投稿は来週くらいになると思います。(おそらく内容はIELTS)

それでは

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!