第9回：リーディング対策2
前回に引き続き、IELTSのリーディングテストで出題される問題形式の中から２つを選んで解説をしていきます。
(2)内容の真偽を問う問題
このタイプの問題では、短文がいくつか与えられます。受験者はそれらの短文が本文の内容に一致しているかどうかを判断します。直接本文で述べられていることからだけではなく、言外に含まれたことから作者の意見を読み取る力も必要とされます。この問題では、受験者が本文から正確な情報を探し出せるか、作者の意見を正しく理解しているか、正しく推論できるかといったことが問われます。
このタイプの問題の解答の仕方を説明します。
まず、与えられた短文全てに目を通します。短文中のキーワードになる語句には線を引くなどして印をつけておいて、後で本文から該当箇所を探すときに役立てます。
次に、本文をスキャニングして、短文中のキーワードを探し出します。ある短文のキーワードを探している途中で、別の短文に関係したキーワードを見つけたときは、その個所に印をつけておき、後で分かるようにしておきます。
本文中にここだと思う個所を見つけたら、そのあたりをじっくり読みます。短文の内容が本文の内容と合致していたら、TRUEと解答欄に書き、そうでなければ、FALSEと解答欄に書きます。短文の内容に関して、本文中には言及されていない、情報が与えられていないという場合には、NOT GIVENと書きます。答えが分からなくても、本文で扱われている話題に関して自分が持っている知識を基にして、またこの作者ならこのように考えるだろうと推量して、必ず答えを書くようにしましょう。
短文中で使われている語句に注意することが大切です。このタイプの問題では、言い換えや類義語がとても多く使われます。また、法助動詞（have to / must / will / can など）、副詞（always / never / usually など）、数量詞（most / many a few / some / all など）にも注意を払いましょう。これらの単語は、短文内での使われ方によって、本文の意味内容と微妙に異なったり、まったく違う意味内容になったりするからです。
(3)選択肢の中から適切なものを選ばせる問題
このタイプの問題では、不完全な短文の書き出しそれぞれに対して、その後半部になる４つの選択肢が与えられます。受験者は短文の書き出しにつながるように、４つの選択肢の中から最も適切なものを１つ選びます。この問題では、本文全体の要旨をしっかりと理解しているか、個々の細かい点についても押さえているか、といった本文の内容理解が問われることになります。
このタイプの問題の解答の仕方を説明します。
まず、与えられた書き出し部分を読んで、本文のどの箇所について述べられたものなのかを把握します。本文全体の要旨を述べたものなのか、本文の特定の細かい点について述べたものなのかを見極めます。本文全体の要旨についてであれば、本文をスキミングして素早く要旨をつかみます。本文の特定の細かい点についてであれば、本文をスキャニングして素早くキーワードを見つけます。
最後に、本文の内容に合うように、選択肢の中から最も適切なものを１つ選びます。
英文パッセージ
English and World Englishes
A common observation about the use of English around the world has lead to the claim that English has become the most widely taught, read and spoken language that the world has ever known. It has official status in 60 countries, and is highly visible in another 20 more. Within these contexts, it is used as the dominant language for books, academic journals, the media and international sports and entertainment. Given this wide spread and usage of English, it would seem inappropriate to view the language as the sole property of any one community of people, be they English, American, Australian or any other.
It is necessary to view English not as a language that is spoken by a homogeneous group of people; it is in fact spoken by a wide variety of people and as such is always being influenced by and mixed with specific cultural and social realities. Many people see this development of pluralism in the English language as leading to a variety of World Englishes that is in the constant process of developing new norms in English. While these varieties of English have much in common, they are also quite unique in their grammatical innovations and tolerances, lexicons, pronunciation, idioms and discourse.
Due to this spread of English and the consequent development of regional varieties, a question that needs to be asked by learners, teachers, administrators and policy makers is what variety of English should be taught and learnt. If there is no reason to think that the development of one variety is any stranger than the other, then what is best for learners in a specific context? Such kinds of questions seem to be at the core of English language teaching around the world.
The emergence of English varieties makes it quite clear that people can not be expected to conform to the norm of a group to which they do not belong. In addition, students should be treated as people in their own right, not as deficient native speakers. The growth of World Englishes leads to the emergence of people speaking differently from each other which is not better or worse, but just different. It needs to be understood that the new emerging English varieties carry the weight of different experiences in different surroundings.
Addressing the problem of what standard of English to teach, students, teachers and administrators should accept that students need to make the language their own, identify with it, and not let the teacher impose authority upon them in the form of an alien pattern of behaviour. All those involved in the learning process need to focus on creating a local variety of English and not on adopting Western cultural norms.
The nurture of local varieties can be achieved through the development of authentic local texts and materials which have a focus on regional cultures. Giving local people a “voice” by having the people in the materials be people who learners can identify with creates culturally appropriate varieties of English based on the regional use of English. Most importantly, there is a need to present non-native speakers as skilled users of English in textbooks and materials in order to convince students that they are successful multi-competent speakers, not failed native speakers.
Viewing non-native speaking teachers as effective and appropriate teachers is also crucial in the development of a local variety. For instance, Educated Japanese English places emphasis on interactions with Asian nations and cultures. Therefore, a local teacher or one from the region is more likely to be successful. This is due to such teachers having a greater control over the variety being taught, and the fact that they best relate to the experiences of learners. Students may prefer the fallible non-native speaking teacher who presents a more achievable model.
The spread of English as a global language has occurred because it serves the communicative and communal needs of various communities and nations around the world. Accepting this, it is then logical that the language itself will be diverse reflecting the pragmatic and cultural norms of the local variety. Therefore, there is a need to move from irrational traditionalism to dynamic pragmatism. The challenge for those involved in English Language Teaching is the recognition and development of local varieties that exist alongside international standards of intelligibility. Also, of great importance is the recognition that differences in use should not be viewed as errors or deviants from some ‘Anglo’ norm.
【(2)の練習問題】
Do the following statements agree with the information in the reading passage? On your answer sheet writeTRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1) Many countries use English because it is the easiest language to learn.
2) Industrialized Western nations are the owners of English.
3) Local cultural and social situations have an effect on the use of English.
4) World Englishes share similarities and differences.
5) All people involved in English Language Teaching have reached a consensus about what variety to teach.
【(3)の練習問題】
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.1) The growth in English varieties means students should be
A focused on learning native speaker’s form of English.
B conforming to one style of English.
C respected as individuals and not unsuccessful speakers of English.
D taught by native speakers.
2) People who speak World Englishes are
A better than native speakers.
B different from native speakers.
C worse than native speakers.
D similar to native speakers.
3) Course books should concentrate on
A local cultures and people.
B traditional English culture.
C the international use of English.
D developing speaking skills.
4) The development of a local variety of English in Japan needs to involve
A communication practice.
B using native English speaking teachers.
C the use of non-native English speaking teachers.
D educating Japanese people about English culture.
5) English as a world language has developed because of
A Western economic power.
B the influence of Western popular culture.
C the spread of the Internet.
D the necessity for communities and countries to communicate with each other.
6) Everyone participating in English Language Teaching needs to acknowledge
A that their variety is sub standard.
B global standards of understanding.
C the cultural norms of native English speaking countries.
D traditional teaching approaches.
7) The writer argues that
A English is the key to economic success.
B students need to focus on the traditional forms of the language.
C the number of people learning English has reached a peak.
D World Englishes should be encouraged and developed.
【練習問題の解答】
② 1) NOT GIVEN 2) FALSE 3) TRUE 4) TRUE 5) FALSE③ 1) C 2) B 3) A 4) C 5) D 6) B 7) D
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※本記事は、2007年に週間Student Timesに掲載された記事を転載しております。現在とは問題形式が異なる場合がございますので、必ず最新情報はご自身でお調べください。
