英语访谈对话 343 Learning Languages

 　　Ben: It helps in that I have insight¹ to how somebody learning² a foreign language needs things explained because I've learned³ 4 myself. However in some ways it doesn't help because the Japanese learner, the Japanese sort of mind, and how they learn languages is so very different from anywhere in Europe or South America so activities that would work really well with a European western, South American audience, or South American class, don't seem to work at all due to some of the differences in Japanese and Western culture.

　　Eli: Do you think the whole sort of Japanese schooling⁴ system is very different?

　　Ben: It's extremely different.

　　Eli: How is that?

　　Ben: I haven't got a great insight into it but I think the kids have to work a lot harder here. All, I teach a lot of high school children and they're often coming to my lesson, in between their breaks between cram⁵ school, on a national holiday, in the summer holiday. When I was a kid I'd be playing in the park and beating up girls up the street with a wooden stick or something.

　　Eli: And do you reckon⁶ that is kind of passed on with the ****** of work society here, like sort of similar sort working, or?

　　Ben: Yeah, I suppose so. I think a lot is expected of them all throughout there lives. Two of my neighbors are both salarymen, and they often are arriving at home very very late, and a lot more is expected of the Japanese staff at the school than is of the western staff. They'll often ask them to do jobs that take twice as long as what they ask us. I don't know whether that is because they expect the Japanese staff can do more, or they just think we're stupid, which some of us are!

1 insight   

n.洞察力，洞悉，深刻的见解

参考例句：

• Good teachers have insight into the problems of students.好的教师能洞察学生的问题。
• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。

2 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

4 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

5 cram   

v.填塞，塞满，临时抱佛脚，为考试而学习

参考例句：

• There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。
• The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的，再也挤不进去人了。

6 reckon   

vt.计算，估计，认为；vi.计（算），判断，依靠

参考例句：

• Don't reckon upon your relatives to help you out of trouble.不要指望你的亲戚会帮助你摆脱困境。
• I reckon that he is rather too old to marry again.我认为他的年龄太大，不太适于再婚。