イギリス生活11週目ふりかえり
この記事はイギリス生活11週目のふりかえりですが、記事を書いているタイミングは13週目です。
特殊な磁場の影響で、時空が歪んでしまったようです。
11週目はロンドン滞在の簡単なふりかえりを中心に書きたいと思います。
これまでのふりかえりはこちら↓
1週間のスケジュール
◯土曜
この日は先週に引き続きロンドンに滞在。詳しいことは以下の記事に書いてあるのだが、ロンドンで1週間弱過ごしている。
この日は現地の方とサッカーの試合に参加したり、仕事関連の作業をしたりしながら過ごした。
マンチェスターとは異なり、ロンドンは日本人の方も多いので、この滞在期間中に色々な人と知り合うことができた。
特に印象的だった出会いが、若干24歳にして職人として海を渡ってきた日本人との出会いだ。
この日の夜、滞在先のホストマザーの計らいで手巻き寿司パーティーが開かれたのだが、その際に初めてその青年と出会った。
彼は植木職人として様々な植物を手入れするだけではなく、造園の知識も持っている。
高校卒業後、この道で生きていくと決めて、京都の老舗に住み込みで働き、スキルを身につけていったそうなのだ。
当時の苦労、イギリスに来た理由、イギリスで飛び込み営業をした話、植物を手入れする面白さなどを聞き、初めて知る業界にとても興味が沸いたし、刺激を受けた。
ホストマザーやその青年と手巻き寿司を囲みながら、夜遅くまで刺激的な会話が続いた。
更に驚くべきことに、ホストマザーが知り合いのアーティストの方を紹介してくれたのだが、そのアーティストは自分が最も影響を受けた人物だった。
自分が大変だったり、挫けそうな時に勇気をくれた曲を作った人で、結婚して早期に引退してしまっていたのだ。
その後どうなったかなど全く知らなかったので、まさかこんな形で繋がりが生まれるとは思わなかった。
さらに、そのアーティストの方と8月に食事に行くことにもなった笑
今回のロンドン滞在では、同じように日本から出てきて試行錯誤している人に出会ったり、マイケル・ジャクソンやバック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー、ジブリに触れ直したり、影響を受けたアーティストの方などに出会うことになった。
自分を支えたり、変えたりしてくれたものに再び触れる機会が多かったのは、これもまた縁ということなのだろうか。
積極的に行動を起こしてチャレンジすることで、道は開けていくし、そうして紡がれていく人や物事とのつながりが、自分を導いてくれる気がする。
そして、好きなものや軸がある人、自分のやりたいことを口に出せる人などはやはり魅力的で、惹きつけられるなぁと感じる日々だった。
今日の英語フレーズ
| English Expression | Explanation | Example Sentence |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Losing a game makes me so angry I want to vomit.** | Expresses extreme frustration and physical reaction due to losing a game. | "Losing a game makes me so angry I want to vomit; that's how competitive I am." |
| **But if I get frustrated, I lose.** | Acknowledges that allowing emotions to control one's actions can lead to failure, especially in competitive scenarios. | "I try to stay calm during chess tournaments because if I get frustrated, I lose." |
| **Is today the first day of the film's release?** | A question asking if today marks the debut or initial public showing of a film. | "Is today the first day of the film's release? I want to see it before I read any spoilers." |
| **One of my personal best films** | A personal statement ranking a film highly among the speaker's favorites. | "The Shawshank Redemption is one of my personal best films; it's just so moving." |
| **"If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything."**| A motivational quote suggesting that with determination, any goal can be achieved. | "Whenever I start doubting myself, I remember, 'If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.'" |
| **"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads."** | A famous line from the movie "Back to the Future," suggesting that the future will transcend current limitations. | "When talking about innovations in flying cars, I like to say: 'Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.'" |
| **Probably the third or fourth match.** | A statement estimating the order or occurrence of an event, not specifying exactly but within a close range. | "When did he enter the tournament? Probably the third or fourth match." |
| **I'm freaking out. This isn't working.** | Expresses a high level of stress or anxiety about a situation that is not proceeding as expected. | "I'm freaking out. This isn't working, and the deadline is tomorrow!" |◯日曜
この日は朝9時に起床後、朝10時から仕事関連の電話。
電話の結果、日本文化をイギリスの方達に伝えるイベントに参加することが決まり、6月末と7月半ばに再びロンドンに行くことになった。
実際に日本の商品を売ったり、接客したり、着物のモデルをやったりする予定笑
英語を使って働くという実践経験にもなるし、何より日本文化に関心があるため、とても良い機会だと思う。
ロンドンに来て様々な人と出会い、刺激を受けたり、宿や仕事が見つかったり、サッカーの試合に負けて、自分の行動や考え方を見直す機会にもなった。
改めて、充実したロンドン滞在だったと言える。
ちなみに、7月末にはロンドンに引っ越します。
今日の英語フレーズ
| English Expression | Explanation | Example Sentence |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **"Sometimes I struggle with differences in enthusiasm between myself and others."** | Expresses difficulty in aligning one's level of excitement or interest with that of others. | "Sometimes I struggle with differences in enthusiasm between myself and others in group projects." |
| **I hate losing.** | A straightforward expression of displeasure at not winning. | "I hate losing at chess; it really bothers me." |
| **Inconsistency** | The state of being inconsistent, not remaining the same throughout. | "The inconsistency in his performance has raised concerns." |
| **The best match so far** | Indicates that a particular game or contest is the highest quality or most intense encountered. | "That was the best match so far in the tournament." |
| **I'm bored with learning English** | Expresses a lack of interest in continuing to learn English due to monotony or lack of engagement. | "Lately, I'm bored with learning English because the lessons are too repetitive." |
| **I'm bored of learning English** | Another way of expressing a lack of interest in continuing to learn English. | "I'm bored of learning English through the same old methods." |
| **Glad you're happy** | A simple expression of contentment upon seeing someone else's happiness. | "Glad you're happy with your new job!" |
| **Make one more effort.** | Encourages trying or striving one more time despite previous failures or fatigue. | "You're so close to succeeding, just make one more effort!" |
| **Make choices you don't regret at every moment** | Advises making decisions that one will continue to be satisfied with over time. | "Always try to make choices you don't regret at every moment of your life." |
| **Listening skills have declined.** | Observes a reduction in the ability to effectively listen over time. | "It seems like our team's listening skills have declined; let's work on improving them." |
| **I'm sick of it.** | Expresses extreme frustration or boredom with a situation or activity. | "I've been doing this job for so long; I'm sick of it." |
| **Few people use English in business.** | A statement about the infrequent use of English in the business environment. | "In this region, few people use English in business; most prefer the local language." |
| **As in** | Used to introduce an example or clarification of something previously mentioned. | "There are many options, as in red, blue, and green." |
| **Exhausted** | Extremely tired or drained of energy. | "After the marathon, I was absolutely exhausted." |
| **Entrepreneur** | Someone who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks. | "He's an entrepreneur who started his own tech company." |
| **USP (Unique Selling Proposition)** | A factor that differentiates a product from its competitors, such as the lowest cost or the highest quality. | "Our USP is that we offer free returns within 90 days." |
| **Ordinary** | Commonplace or standard, without special features. | "It was just an ordinary day, nothing unusual happened." |
| **Expenditure** | The action of spending funds or the amount of money spent. | "Our company's expenditure on research and development has increased this year." |
| **Booming** | Experiencing rapid growth; very active and successful. | "The real estate market in this area is booming." |
| **Plunge** | To fall or jump suddenly from a high position. | "Stock prices took a plunge after the negative news was released." |
| **Go bust** | To go bankrupt or out of business. | "After the financial crisis, several big firms went bust." |
| **Social enterprise** | An organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in human and environmental well-being. | "She works for a social enterprise that focuses on education for underprivileged children." |
| **Competition** | The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others. | "The competition between the two stores helped lower prices." |
| **Founder** | The person who establishes an organization or business. | "The founder of the company still plays a significant role in its operations." |
| **Stand for** | Represent or denote. | "What does this abbreviation stand for?" |
| **Taken from** | Derived or copied from. | "This quote is taken from her latest book." |
| **Get used to** | Become accustomed to something, typically something that is initially unpleasant or unfamiliar. | "You'll get used to the noise in the city after a while." |
| **Overtime (work)** | Time spent working beyond the standard hours. | "He often has to do overtime work to meet deadlines." |
| **Manipulating** | Skillfully handling, controlling, or using something. | "He was accused of manipulating the data to support his argument." |
| **Persuading** | Convincing someone to do or believe something through reasoning or argument. | "She spent an hour persuading the team to adopt her plan." |
| **Reassuring** | Offering comfort or confidence to someone. | "His words were reassuring, making her feel more confident about the decision." |◯月曜〜金曜
記憶がほぼないのだが、この週は英語の授業と仕事関連のアプライや作業をとにかくやっていた。
ただし、英語に触れる頻度が先週少なかったため、リハビリに若干時間を取られた気がする。継続的かつ頻度高く英語に触れ続けないといけない。
もうすぐ目標としている英語レベルにもたどり着けそうなため、引き続き頑張りたい。
ちなみに今週の授業では、オリジナル新作映画のティザー動画を作ったり、色々なプロジェクトに取り組みました。
また、今週ついにユーロが開幕。
イングランドは熱気に包まれており、クラスメイトたちも盛り上がりを見せています。やるべきことはやりつつも、今しかできない現地での盛り上がりを体感していきたいと思います。
それ以外にあまり記憶がないので、今週は以上！（雑）
今週の英語フレーズ
| English Expression | Explanation | Example Sentence |
|---------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Allocated** | To have set aside resources or tasks for a specific purpose. | "Resources were allocated to the development team for the new project." |
| **Mitigate** | To make less severe, serious, or painful. | "The company took steps to mitigate risks associated with online transactions." |
| **I don't know what to say** | Used when someone is at a loss for words, often because something surprising or unexpected has been said or done. | "After hearing the news, I was so shocked I didn't know what to say." |
| **How can I say** | Asking for help in expressing something in words. | "How can I say this delicately? Your help wasn't really helpful." |
| **Take the bus** | To use the bus as a means of transportation. | "You can take the bus to get to the museum; it stops right outside." |
| **Which team do you think will be the champion?** | Asking for an opinion on which team will win a championship or tournament. | "With the finals coming up, which team do you think will be the champion?" |
| **Everything you said is impressive** | Complimenting someone on everything they have mentioned or explained. | "Everything you said is impressive, especially your plans for expansion." |
| **All of your statements are striking** | Highlighting that all comments made by someone have been particularly notable or impactful. | "All of your statements are striking and have made us reconsider our approach." |
| **I'm getting tired of learning English** | Expressing fatigue or boredom with the process of learning English. | "I'm getting tired of learning English; it seems like I'm not making progress." |
| **In a Film trailer** | Refers to a preview shown in theaters or on media platforms that showcases the highlights of an upcoming film. | "The scene you're talking about was in a film trailer, not the movie itself." |
| **Obliged** | Having a moral or legal duty to do something. | "I felt obliged to report the incident to the authorities." |
| **Overhear** | To hear, especially by accident, a conversation in which one is not participating. | "I didn't mean to overhear your conversation, but I couldn't help but listen." |
| **Urge** | To strongly advise or try to persuade someone to do a particular thing. | "I urge you to reconsider your decision before making it final." |
| **Detest** | To dislike intensely. | "I detest having to wake up early, but it's necessary for my new job." |
| **Fussy** | Showing excessive concern about detail. | "He's very fussy about his food and only eats organic produce." |
| **Tempt** | To entice or try to entice someone to do something that they find attractive but know to be wrong or unwise. | "The offer of easy money might tempt him into making an unwise investment." |
| **Insult** | To speak to or treat with disrespect or scornful abuse. | "He insulted me by questioning my commitment to the project." |
| **Playful** | Fond of games and amusement; light-hearted. | "Her playful attitude makes her a favorite among the children." |
| **Curiosity** | A strong desire to know or learn something. | "Her curiosity about the world led her to travel to over 50 countries." |
| **Compassion** | Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. | "His compassion for the homeless has driven him to work tirelessly at the shelter." |
| **Are you a rice person? Wheat-eater?** | Asking about personal dietary preferences between two staples: rice and wheat. | "Are you a rice person, or do you prefer wheat products like bread and pasta?" |
| **Do you prefer rice or wheat?** | A straightforward question asking for a preference between rice and wheat. | "When it comes to grains, do you prefer rice or wheat?" |
| **Would you be willing to help us with an interview?** | Requesting someone's participation in an interview, possibly for research or journalistic purposes. | "Would you be willing to help us with an interview for our study on urban development?" |
| **Wait for orders until everyone else arrives?** | Suggesting or inquiring whether to delay taking action until more people or further instructions arrive. | "Should we wait for orders until everyone else arrives, or should we start setting up now?" |
| **The euro is on my mind** | Thinking or worrying about the European currency, possibly in the context of finance, travel, or economic issues. | "With the upcoming trip to Spain, the euro is on my mind, especially with the current exchange rate." |印象的だったこと
多様性について
こちらに来てから、多様性について考えさせられる機会が多い。例えば、街にいる人の国籍、人種はもちろん様々だし、日常会話で聞こえてくる言語も多様だ。
それに加え、仕事にアプライする時も、募集要項のところに様々な注意書きが書いてある。
例えば「私たちは多様な背景、バックグラウンドを持った候補者が応募することを期待しています」と書かれていたり、人種や国籍などのバイアスを取り除くための選考プロセスなどがデザインされていたりする。
街中ではイスラエルやパレスチナ、ウクライナに関するデモが頻繁に行われているし、友人たちとの会話でも頻繁に国際問題や多様性についての議論などが話題に挙がる。
地理的要因もあるかもしれないが、そうした問題意識や多様性への理解、取り組みは、日本より進んでいるように個人的には感じる。
とにかく地道な反復、基礎練
約3ヶ月集中的に英語学習をしてきて改めて感じることが、地道な反復と基礎練の重要性だ。
授業で出てきた英単語や日常会話で使えなかった表現を復習したり、口に出して何度も唱えて定着させたりすること。
地味で面倒なのだが、こうした基礎練はスポーツでも重要だし、語学でも同様に重要だと改めて感じる。
楽しく学ぶ
とはいえ人間なので、モチベーションの波はある。最近は楽しく学べるように、Podcastや映画なども頻繁に教材として使うようにしている。
ここまで読んでくださりありがとうございました！
もし記事がいいなと思ったら、スキやシェアなどしてくれると嬉しいです！
※記事内の画像は筆者個人が撮影したものか、生成AIにて生成しています。
この記事が参加している募集
読んでくださり、ありがとうございます！記事がいいなと思ったら、よろしければサポートお願いします！ いただいたサポートはクリエイターとしての活動費に使わせていただきます！