4/1 (wed.) 〜 4/3 (Fri.)

実践ビジネス英語　　　Wednesday, April 1

1) Happy new academic year. Please forgive my gravelly voice. I'm just getting over a cold.

2) Umemura compliments Garcia on her fluency in both Spanish and English, which Garcia attributes to her parents' insistence that she learn both languages. She says that not all immigrants teach their children their native languages. But her parents wanted to ensure she was connected with her cultural heritage. She says the family initially spoke mostly Spanish at home, but spoke more English after she started school.

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Bilingual Advantages (1)

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3) in the true sense of the word
Carmen truly is bilingual. She can function equally well in two languages. There are many variations of "in the ... sense of the word." For example, "Friday was exhausting 'in every sense of the word.' We worked non-stop and there were lots of frustrating last-minute changes. So it was physically and emotionally exhausting." Or "He is charitable 'in the best sense of the word.' He always helps people anonymously."

4) Awesome is what I call it.
This expression lets us stress, this is what I feel, this is what I think. So you can say things like, "John never gets to work on time. 'Careless and insensitive is what I call it.'"

5) not always the case with
This is not always the situation. This does not always happen. We also say "something is not the case" meaning that's not what's going on. That's not what's happening. Something like, "Mary is sometimes careless, but 'that's not the case' here. She was given the wrong data."

6) native tongue
In this case "tongue" means language. My native tongue is English. My mother's native tongue is Spanish. There's also the expression "native to," which means a plant or animal is indigenous to somewhere. "Kangaroos are 'native to' Australia," for example. "But tigers 'are not native to' South America."

7) stick to
In this case, "stick to" means keep to some particular thing, not deviate from it. You could say, "He should have 'stuck to' research. He is not suited for the sales department." There's also the expression "stick to one's guns,"
which means maintain your position in the face of opposition. Something like, "They tried to make her do lots of overtime.
But she 'stuck to her guns' and said 'No.'"

8) converse in
To have a conversation with someone in a certain language. My husband and I converse in Japanese and English depending on the subject and our mood.

9) have one’s parents to thank
Carmen sincerely means that her parents are responsible for some good thing, some benefit to her. But you can also use "have someone to thank" in a sarcastic way to mean this is someone's fault, as in, "We 'have John to thank' for all this extra work. We have to correct his mistakes." Speaking personally, I "have my father and his mother to thank" for my big nose.

10) pass on to
To convey or give something that we have to someone else. "He 'passed on' his love of history to his daughter." "Pass on" can mean decline some opportunity, decide not to take it, as in, "He 'passed on' a chance to be assigned overseas." Or "I'll 'pass on' dessert. I'm full."

実践ビジネス英語　　　Thursday, April 2

1) Nissen says many Latino people speak a blend of Spanish and English called Spanglish, but Garcia says that her parents were against it. Nissen cites an article that said almost 10% of working age adults have limited English skills. And Garcia says Spanish speakers make up two-thirds of that group. She believes individuals and the government should invest in English education. But Umemura advocates preserving immigrants' original languages as well.

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Bilingual Advantages (2)

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2) hybrid
Hybrids combine elements of different things into one, "hybrid cars," of course. You could also say, "This dish is a 'hybrid' of French and Japanese cuisine." Or "Our latest model is a 'hybrid' of a touch pad and traditional laptop computer."

3) it makes sense to
Carmen says "it makes sense" for individuals and the government to invest in English education. She means it's wise. It's advisable. "Make sense" can also mean something is understandable because the logic, the reasoning behind it holds up. Something like, "'It makes sense' that the company is shutting down that division. It's been in the red for years."

4) be strict about
Carmen says her parents "were very strict about" not mixing up Spanish and English. They insist that some rules, some practices be adhere to. "My Japanese teachers in college 'were very strict about' pronunciation," for example. Or you could say, "Our boss 'is strict about' punctuality."

5) mix up
Here, "mix up" means combine the elements of different things. It can also mean confuse different things, mistake them for each other. Such as, "I accidentally 'mixed up' the figures for this fiscal year and last fiscal year." Or "I'm so embarrassed I 'mixed up' Carry and Jenny's
names."

6) working age
Bill says nearly 10% of adults of "working age" in the US have limited proficiency in English. "Working age' is at an age where you are eligible to work. We also say "voting age" and "drinking age." Things like, "Many people of 'voting age' never bother to cast a ballot." Or "20% of 'drinking age' Americans have at least two glasses of wine a week." I made that up by the way.

7) be responsible for
Carmen says immigrant workers and their families will "be responsible for" most of the growth in American labor force in the next several decades. They will cause it to happen, bring it about. So you could say, "Ellen 'is responsible for' our getting the clients. His presentation was excellent." Or "Our laptop division 'was responsible for' 20% of overall sales last year."

8) invest in
Carmen says it makes sense for individuals and the government to invest in English education. "Invest" can mean put money into something, in the hope of some profit or benefit, like, "It's important to 'invest in' good business clothes to make a good impression." Or "The company 'is investing in' a new research and development facility." But it can also mean pursue some activity, take some action, again in the hope of a] benefit. Things like, "Daily exercise is an 'investment in' long-term health."

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実践ビジネス英語　　　Friday, April 3

1) Umemura says he still has to make a conscious effort to speak correct English, which can be tiring. Nissen, Garcia and Umemura mention some of the apparent benefits of bilingualism, including a broader perspective on life, prevention of Alzheimer's and greater ability to multitask. Garcia adds that bilingualism was once considered disadvantage in the United States. And Nissen says many people thought it hindered children's mental development.

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Bilingual Advantages (3)

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2) make a conscious effort to
A conscious effort is an intentional effort, a deliberate effort. For example, "She's 'making a conscious effort to' procrastinate less." You'll also hear about a 'conscious decision' or a 'conscious attempt.' "He 'made a conscious decision to' join a small company instead of a large one."

3) syntax
This is the way words are put together to make phrases and sentences. If I said, "He a letter wrote," that is incorrect "syntax" in English, though the same order would be correct in Japanese, wouldn't it?

4) have a long way to go
A lot still has to be done, it will take a lot of time before something is accomplished. You could say, "I 'have a long way to go' before this presentation is ready for the client." Or "She 'has a long way to go' to be a good writer."

5) brain-stretcher
A brain-stretcher strengthens your brain, enhances your mental capabilities. We also say "brain teaser." This can be a problem or a puzzle that people solve for fun, like, "She bought a book of 'brain teasers' to do on the train." It can also mean a difficult problem like a technological challenge or other problem. For example, "How to introduce more renewable energy, the government has been struggling with this 'brain teaser' for years."

6) xenophobia
"ゼノホビア" or "ズィノホビア" either one is okay. This is a fear and hatred of people or things that are foreign. There are enormous number of words ending with "phobia." "Acrophobia" is a fear of heights. "Claustrophobia" is a fear of enclosed or small spaces. And we use "phobia" by itself to mean a very strong fear or dislike of something. A friend of mine has a "phobia" about pigeons, for example. She is really scared of them. Another friend has a "phobia" about caterpillars.

7) mentally tiring
Seiji says that having to make a conscious effort to speak correct English is mentally tiring at times. He could also say "mentally taxing." It drains his mental resources. You could also use this for physical resources, like, "That marathon is especially 'taxing.' A lot of it is uphill."

8) have a second language
Bill says many researchers and educators used to think that having a second language wasn't good for the development of a child's academic and intellectual abilities. To have a second language is to speak a second language. We also "have a second job." "He 'has a second job' to help pay for his children's education," for example.

9) not be good for
Will harm in some way, be detrimental to. Things like, "Eating so much greasy food 'is not good for' her health." Or "Changing jobs so often 'is not good for' his career."

【原稿チェック： Sei Shimura, Hiromi】
【ディクテーション： Sanae】