留学の大妻中野では、今、世界8か国に、中期、長期の留学生が学んでいます。その8か国中、4ヵ国がヨーロッパの国です。アイルランド、フランス、ドイツ、イギリスです。この4つの国に留学中の生徒たちのレポートを紹介します。

Otsuma Nakano, which provides various study abroad programs, now has mid- and long-term students studying in eight countries around the world.　Four of these eight countries are in Europe: Ireland, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.　They are Ireland, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.　Here are reports from students studying in these four countries.

From Ireland – アイルランドから　 From Bray in Ireland

Hi everyone.  I’m K.H. And I’m staying in Ireland 5 months. I still can’t believe that half of my study abroad experience is over. I’ll talk about 2 things.

First is about horse riding. From 18th January, I started horse riding lesson. My school provided 10 times lessons and the bus to go to horse riding school and to return to my school. So, I’m going there every Wednesday because it’s always half day. Several years ago, I did it once and I’ve always wanted to do it again since then so, I’m really happy able to do it! The most difficult thing is that I need to repeat sitting and standing while horse’s trot. And if horse slows down, I need to kick his stomach at the same time. The horse I rode was a bit slow, so I had to do this a lot, so I used legs so much. Next few days my legs were sore but that was very fun!  Horse riding is unique to Ireland and it’s a bit hard to do this in Japan. So, it’s really precious experience. I want to fully enjoy the rest of the lessons!

Next is about musical. I did musical on 25th, 26th and 27th January. I think I talked about before in report. It finished finally! The musical’s name is “School of Rock”. This is the one of Broadway musical and it is from movie. This month, I had to go to practice to school for this in almost every weekend. That was hard for me, but I love dancing and singing so that was not a struggle me. Last two weeks, we got costumes and straight run sometimes so that was more fun. And if the song is fast, I became that I could sing so I could feel my English skill is getting better. The last week was so busy, and shows were 19:00-21:30, I needed to ask to my friends to give me lift to my friends. But our shows were awesome! On Wednesday, we made a little of mistake, but we’ve improved that next day. Thursday was much better than Wednesday and Friday was much better than Thursday. After the last night’s show, we hugged each other and screaming so happily. I’ve thought that I would cry when it’s over because it’s bit sad, but I did the show three times in this week, and last night was perfect so I just excited and I didn’t feel sad. There was only happy and fun. After that all teachers who came to watch praised our show, so I was so proud all of us.

This month, I did a lot of new things so I’m a bit tired, but they are all really fun and precious. So, I’ll continue to try new things. I have only 4 months more, so I want to use time effectively and enjoy rest of months! Thank you for reading, see you soon.

皆さんこんにちは。アイルランドに5か月滞在中のK.H.です。もう留学の半分以上が終わってしまったなんてまだ信じられません。今回も二つの出来事についてお話していきたいと思います。

一つ目は乗馬についてです。1月18日からレッスンが実際に始まりました。私の学校が行きと帰りのバスを用意してくれているので、半日授業の毎週水曜日の放課後に通っています。数年前に、一度だけ乗馬はやったことがあり、その時からもう一度やってみたいと思っていたので、今回その機会が出来て本当に嬉しいです。一番難しいことは速歩の間に、座る、立つという動作を繰り返さなければならないことと、もし馬のスピードが落ちたらお腹を同じ時に蹴らなければならないことです。私が乗った馬は少し走るのが遅かったので、たくさん足を使わなければなりませんでした。そのため、翌日から何日かは脚が筋肉痛になりましたが、とても楽しかったです。乗馬はアイルランドならではのスポーツで日本ではなかなか体験するのは難しいので、すごく貴重な体験だと思います。残りのレッスンも全力で楽しみたいと思います!

二つ目はミュージカルについてです。今月の25，26，27日に行われました。以前レポートでお話ししたと思うのですが、ついに今月本番が終わりました！名前は「School of Rock」といって、ブロードウェイのミュージカルでもあり、映画がもとになっています。今月はこの練習のためにほとんどの週末に学校に行かなければなりませんでした。大変でしたが、歌とダンスは大好きなので苦にはならなかったです。最後の二週間には衣装をもらったり、全体を通してやることもあってより楽しかったです。さらに、歌が少し速くても歌えるようになったので、自分の英語力の成長も感じることが出来ました。最後の週はとても忙しく、さらに本番は19:00～21:30なので、友達に家に車で送って貰うように頼む必要もありました。しかし私たちのショーは素晴らしいものとなりました！水曜日は少し間違えてしまったところがあったので翌日周りの子たちと修正しました。木曜日は水曜日よりもずっとよく、さらに金曜日は木曜日よりもずっと良かったです。最後の本番の後は、お互いに抱き合って、しばらくステージで大騒ぎしていました。すべて本番が終わってしまった後は、泣いてしまうかなと思いましたが、この週には3回もやれたし、金曜日は自分にとって完璧にできたので、全く悲しくありませんでした。ひたすらに楽しさと達成感が残っていました。そのあと学校で見に来てくれた先生たちに称賛してもらえたので、一緒にミュージカルを作り上げてきた皆を誇りに思いました。

今月は色々な新しいことに挑戦したので少し疲れましたが、すべてがとても楽しく、貴重なことでした。なので、これからも挑戦を続けていきたいと思います。あと4か月ほどしかないので、時間を有効に使いながら思いっきり楽しみたいと思います！

ご清覧ありがとうございました。またお会いしましょう！

From the UK – イギリスから

Hello everyone. My name is J.H.    One week has passed since I left Japan. Now I am staying at UK, Canterbury.

There was lots of things that happened during this week. I would like to introduce couple of the things that I have experienced during the stay at this country.    After arriving to Canterbury, there was a day off. So, I decided to go to a town called Canterbury town center. It was very crowded. The buildings and the people walking by made me feel like being in a sort of movie. First of all. I thought every restaurant will have Fish and Chips but it didn’t. I was so surprised.

School started from Monday. I began to attend to a Grammar school. The students attending to this school are almost all from Europe. There is only a couple who come from other countries including us. We have an hour for each class and also there is break time. We bring some snacks to school and eat them with friends. At lunch time, some people bring a pack of lunch and eats it at the canteen. I get a hot meal every day from the kitchen that is in the Canteen. Every Friday is Chips Day and the line gets very long.

To be honest, the first day was awful. The system of the school was very different to Japan. We had to move for every class and even though I had a buddy, the buddy and I had different time schedules so it was very difficult to find the way to the classroom. I think I will need time getting used to this circumstance.

That’s all from me. Thanks for reading!!　　See you all next time!

From the UK – イギリスから

Hello, everyone! I’m M.O and I’m studying in Canterbury in England. It has been a week since I came to England, every day is hard and fresh for me, so it makes me feel it’s still a week. Today, I would like to talk about town and my school.

Canterbury which I’m studying in, we can go to London by train for an hour, so this is very convenient place. But it’s countryside, we have to go town to do anything. The town is very prosperous, we have Starbucks, Japanese restaurant etc. Also, any shops where I go in were selling Harry Potter goods. Harry Potter is very popular in England too; I thought this is very England. Not only in shops, streets are also very Harry Potter, this will make Harry Potter fans exciting I guess.

Next, I will talk about my school. First day, I was too nerves, but many of my classmates talk to me and I could be more relax. Difference between Japanese school, in England we have move our class every time, so every time, our classmates will change. So I can talk to many students. When I said I’m Japanese, they said teach Japanese. So I am having lots of fun in school. During lessons, everyone is raising their hands and have a voice aggressively, I could know that they have more aggressively culture than Japan. At lunch, people who are bringing their packed lunch, are eating outside or at stairs, but I’m eating in canteen with my friend. Lunch menu is different every day, on Friday we have Fish and Chips for lunch, so canteen is very busy this day.

To get used to this culture, I think it will take more time, but every day I can find out new things. Studying in England is so hard for me, but I am feeling so glad to be in England now with beautiful views. Thank you for reading, I will see you next month.

こんにちは！イギリスのカンタベリーに留学中のM.Oです。イギリスに来て約一週間が経ちましたが、毎日が刺激的で、まだ一週間かと錯覚してしまうほど濃い一週間になりました。今日は、街と学校の様子をお話ししたいと思います。

私が留学中のカンタベリーは、ロンドンまで電車で一時間と便利な場所ですが、田舎なため何をするにも街へ行かなければなりません。住宅街を少し外れ辿り着く街はとても栄えており、スターバックスや日本食レストランなどがあります。また、どのお店に入っても必ずといっていいほど、ハリーポッターのグッズが売っています。イギリスといえばハリーポッター、この景色はとてもイギリスならではだなと感じました。お店の中だけでなく、街並みもハリーポッターの世界観そのもので、ハリーポッター好きにはたまらない場所なのではないでしょうか。

次に学校の様子についてお話しします。初日はとても緊張していましたが、たくさんのクラスメートが話しかけて来てくれ、自然と緊張もほぐれました。日本の高校とは違い、毎授業教室を移動し、毎授業クラスメートが変わるため、たくさんの子と話す機会があります。日本人だといえば、日本語を教えてといわれることも多々あり、とても楽しい環境で授業を受けることができています。また授業中、みんな積極的に手を挙げていたり、発言したりしていて、やはり日本と比べると積極的な文化なんだなと伺えます。お昼は、パックランチを持ってきている子は、外で食べたり階段で食べたりしていますが、私は友達とcanteenで食べています。メニューは毎日違い、金曜日はフィッシュアンドチップスが出るためいつも以上に混んでいます。

日本とは違いすぎる生活に慣れるにはもう少し時間がかかりそうですが、毎日いい意味で文化の違いを感じ、新しい発見ができます。とても大変ですが、毎日きれいな景色とともにイギリスに来られている嬉しさを感じています。では、また来月お会いしましょう。

From  Germany – ドイツから

I’m K.O studying in Germany. A week has passed since I came to Heidelberg. Every day I am surprised by the differences in culture and environment, but I am enjoying my life very much. This time I will introduce about school and life.

First, let’s talk about school. I study in small classes of 2 to 5 students at a language school where classes are divided by level. All my classes are in English, and I have a lot of opportunities to speak up. In Japan, it is normal that there is never a chance to speak up during class, but at a language school, someone is always speaking during class. Even if I read a sentence, I am asked about my impressions, and I have to think about　what to say on the spot and answer, so I come to class with a sense of tension. Teachers and other students　reacted to me, so I was not good at speaking up until now, but I’m not so bad at it anymore. I think the　biggest difference from Japanese schools is that they focus on speaking out and outputting what they have　learned. In Japan, even if I couldn’t communicate well in English, the other person would often understand　my intentions.　It’s frustrating because I can’t express what I want to say in English when I can’t express it. You can’t have　this experience unless you actually go abroad, so I feel that studying abroad is unique. I’m really looking　forward to the cultural program held once a week at the school, where we can take a walk around the school　and go on a short trip to France and the capital of Frankfurt.

Next is about life. It is not limited to Germany, but the scenery peculiar to regions with few earthquakes,　such as stone buildings and electric wires buried underground, is impressive. Just like in Japan, it is　interesting to be able to understand the climate, geography, and other aspects of the region from the　townscape. I wrote that there is a small trip to France as part of school events. Germany borders nine　countries, so it seems that it is normal for them to go abroad by car on weekends for trips and shopping. I　found it interesting that the perspectives of Japan and “foreign countries” are completely different. When I　went to Vancouver, Canada with my family a few years ago, I was surprised by the number of Asians, but I　felt that Germany is more diverse than Vancouver. I live in a dormitory with a shared kitchen, so I hear　many languages other than German and English.　I make friends at the dormitory and school, cook in Germany, and have a fulfilling life.

ドイツに留学中の K.O です。ハイデルベルクに来て、一週間経ちました。文化や環境の違いに驚く毎日ですがとても楽しく生活しています。今回学校と生活について紹介します。　まず初めに学校についてです。　私はレベルごとにクラスが分けられる語学学校の 2 人から 5 人の少人数クラスで学んでいます。　授業は全て英語で、発言する機会が非常に多いです。　日本は授業中発言する機会が一度もないことも珍しくありませんが、語学学校では授業中常に誰かが発言しています。文章を読んでも感想を聞かれ、その場で何を話すか考え、答えなければならないので緊張感を持って授業に臨めています。先生や他の生徒の方がはっきりリアクションしてくださるので、今まで持っていた発言に対する抵抗感が薄れてきました。　学んだ事を発言してアウトプットする事に重点を置いている事が日本の学校との一番大きな違いだと思います。　日本では上手く英語で伝えられなくても相手が意図を汲み取ってくれる事が多かったですが、ここでは言いたいことが頭に浮かんでも英語で表現できない時は一切伝わらないので悔しいです。　実際に外国へ行かないと、この経験はできないので留学ならではだと感じています。　週に一回学校で行われるカルチャープログラムは学校近郊の散策や、フランスや首都フランクフルトへの小旅行ができるそうなのでとても楽しみです。

次に生活についてです。ドイツに限りませんが石材の建築物や電線が地下に埋められているなど地震の少ない地域特有の景色が印象的です。日本と同様で街並みから地域の気候や地理などの環境が分かる　のが面白いです。学校行事でもフランスへの小旅行があると述べましたが、ドイツは九ヵ国と国境を接しているので週末に車で外国へ旅行や買い物をしに行く事が珍しくないそうです。日本と「外国」の見方も全く異なるのが興味深いと思いました。人種について。数年前に家族とカナダのバンクーバーへ行った時はアジア系人種の多さに驚きましたが、ドイツはバンクーバーよりも人種が多様だと感じました。台所が共用の寮に住んでいるのでドイツ語、英語以外にも沢山の言語が聞こえてきます。寮や学校で友達を作れたりドイツで料理をしたり濃い日常を送っています。

From France – フランスから

Hello everyone!

It has been about a month since I came to France.　　I have gotten used to life in France and am enjoying it. Let me quickly introduce my life in France. In the morning, I wake up around 7:00 and have breakfast with my host family. After that, I spend some free time and go to school at 8:30. When I was in Japan, it took me about an hour to get to school and the school started early, so now I have a lot of free time in the morning.

My classes at school are mainly grammar in the morning and speaking in the afternoon. The way I take classes has changed since I came to France. If I don’t understand something, I tell the teacher on the spot that I don’t understand. I try not to use an electronic dictionary during class.　　In the afternoon, when I don’t have class, I go shopping with my friends or study at a cafe. Since coming to the language school, I have been able to use my time more freely.

I plan my life so that I can make good use of my time. I have dinner at home with my host family. The food is really delicious and I look forward to it every day. After dinner, I talk with my host family and play word games. I use this time to review and ask my host family what I didn’t understand. On my days off, I’ll stay home one day and relax at home.  The other day I go to the castle or to see the castle. This week I am going skating with a friend.

When I came to France, I had to make all the decisions by myself because I don’t have anyone close to me, such as my parents. I am keenly aware of the difficulty of making my own choices. I also think it is important to tell others that I don’t understand.  Next month, I would like to make better use of my time and spend a fulfilling study abroad experience.