To be an INTERPRETER

フランス語学習

目標としていた試験が一段落ついたので、並行してフランス語を再開しました。

I have once studied French as the second foreign language.
At that time, I practiced French pronounciation intensely,
and French pronounciation is more regular than English one,
so I still remember the sound.
I have to learn the conjugation again, which is far more complicated than English one.

Textbooks about French is hard to find at bookstores compared with those about English.
I have difficulties in finding one.
Now I go to the library and find some proper textbooks for me and I'm studying them.

図書館に、東京大学の教養学部で使用されているフランス語教材（文法ではなく読解教材）もあり、
借りてみました。むちゃむず〜〜。さすがです。

At the same time, I have some picture books( for children ) in French
which I bought at a major bookstore some years ago, including "Hansel et Gretel".

And sometimes I try to read "A la recherche du la temps perdu" by Proust
（失われたときを求めて　in Japanese）,
which is the very book I am anxious to read by myself,
and which is an all-time dream of mine.

Consumption Tax

Prime minister Abe has decided to raise from next April
the rate of consumption tax to 8 percent.
Many are criticizing this decision,
but I want to know how they are trying to raise the cost of social security
in this aging society if consumption tax rate should remain as it is.
I admit that there is another way to raise fund,
for example, to increase the individual payment of aged-people's medical expenses,
or to raise other prices of public services.

Japan is deep in debt. 1,000-trillion-yen debt.
Government seems to have no measure to pay off.
We can't laugh at Europe.
Next time it could be our turn to go bankruptcy.


By the way, I've got pregnant and gonna have a new baby next year.
I went through heavy morning sickness this summer, but I'm fine now.
The baby means much to me, so does my task.
About a week later, I'll take English proficiency examination,
and I am studying in spite of many interruptions.
The ardent passion for my resolution makes any dreams come true.

Connection with neighbors

Yesterday was Autumnal Equinox Day and we visited our ancestors' grave.
We don't have much time to spend for ancestors
and it is a good idea to think about them only this time of the year.
I try to remember them as often as possible,
but easy to forget in everyday businesses.

A skeleton dead was found in a residence in Fukuoka.
The dead turned out to be a 16-year-old girl.
TV said she lived with her mother and her father lived apart from them.
Her mother seemed to have had little money with her
and the daughter seemed to have starved to death.
They were alienated from neighbors and all other people,
or it is more likely that the mother herself wanted to withdraw from society.

Municipal committees tried to get in touch with them, but failed.
This kind of case often happens, and public office eventually can't help them.
The most important thing is to keep in touch with them,
to continue communicating with them.
Connections among neighbors have decreased but with it this death woudn't have happened.
We have to do something to tighten the connections
with which we can help each other.

Is English necessary for Japanese?

A strong typhoon hit Japan last holidays,
which has caused serious damages to some areas, not including my location.
This year definitely is characterized as plenty of water-related disasters.
I am hoping missing people will soon be found.

I am wondering if English is necessary for all Japanese.
If English is a must for them, less and less people will learn Japanese.
Must we speak English ? English is more important for us than Japanese ?
I don't know. I'm serching for an answer.
I study English because I love languages, not because I think it necessary.
Do those who can't speak English have no chance to become first-class ?

For now, I can't agree that we should speak English well like native speakers.
It seems more significant learning English as one different language
than speaking it like their mother tongue.
To find English difficult and completely different is important, isn't it ?
It tells us what a language is.
Yet I'm on my way to the answer. I'm not sure the opinion above is right.

Make the 2020 Tokyo Olympic a Pacemaker of your study

I didn't expected Tokyo would win the race between three potential sites for 2020 Olympic,
but once Tokyo has been chosen, the year of 2020 becomes a kind of pacemaker of my study.

Many athletes want to play at the Olympic games held in Japan, their own country,
and I guess they have started making their plans,
they have to achieve what and by when, for example.
They have got a goal, 2020, which is one of fundamental things to accomplish something.

I watched a TV program today, in it many professional English speakers talked about
what you need to develop your English ability.
One said copying is the most effective,
another said you should learn "the English you studied at junior high school" and so on.

No doubt all those things are useful and worth trying.
However, I don't think the method is the biggest reason
why many Japanese can't speak English well.
For most people, the problem is that they can't continue studying.
The only thing you definitely must do is to keep on learning.
No matter what measures you take, you can improve your English, just by continuing on.
It doesn't matter much which school you go to or which textbooks you use
or who you are taught by.

Then, to continue, you need a pacemaker.
Without one, you can't keep your motivation.
You set a goal and make plans based on that due date.
For example, I applied for English certificate Examination Grade 1 today,
which I regard as a goal and clarifies what I should do by then.

Now, I wonder what to finish by 2020 Olympic, what kind of person I like to be then.
7 years from today. What can we do in 7 years?
2020 has become my pacemaker.