都留文科大学学報（第152号）

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Hello, my name is Aaron Christopher Dods. Please call me Aaron. After working as a part-time teacher of English at Tsurubunka University for three years I am delighted to have joined the Center for Language Education as a full-time teacher of English.As a part-timer I really enjoyed my one day a week at Tsurubunka University-the verdant hills that surround the city of Tsuru were a welcome relief from the concrete jungle of Tokyo. Just as importantly, I found the students here to be without fail friendly, courteous and eager to learn. It is no wonder that I jumped at the chance to work here as a full-time English teacher when the opportunity arose.Having lived in Japan for more than twenty years I understand the challenges that young Japanese adults face when it comes to the English language. On the one hand, they realize that English is the lingua franca of the world and the de facto language for international business. They understand that as the Japanese population continues to decline, Japan will rely more and more on the outside world to drive its economy through the diversication of exports and the harnessing of inbound tourism. On the other hand, it is more than likely that they found their English language classes at junior high school and high school to be repetitive and boring. In a largely monocultural society, it is also likely that they have had very few opportunities to expose themselves to living, authentic English.So, it is a relief to be able to say that, after twenty plus years of teaching English in this amazing country, I am still as passionate as ever about encouraging Japanese university students to “speak English”. As I mentioned previously, English is becoming more and more critical as a skill that young people need for their careers. But it’s not just that-being able to communicate in two (or more) languages has been shown to improve mental health, allow you to engage with a broader more diverse group of people and, ultimately, broaden your horizons. As long as students can benefit through the learning of English, I will be here doing all that I can to help them!Embracing Tsuru語学教育センター　講師Dods, Aaron Christopher　語学教育センターに着任いたしました奈良夕里枝（ならゆりえ）と申します。私は日本語教師として韓国で10年、日本でも10年以上にわたり、日本語を教えてきました。都留文科大学では指定の26単位を取得すると日本語教員養成課程の修了書がもらえます。日本語教師になりたい人はもちろんですが、最近は児童・生徒が多様化していて小学校・中学校・高校にも親の都合で日本語を全く知らないまま授業に参加するケースが増えています。そのような学生を専門にサポートする日本語教師という仕事もありますが、担任の先生に日本語教育の知識があれば、その児童・生徒にとっても安心で、早く日本語の面でもクラスメートになじんで、授業にもついていけるようになるのではないかと思います。また、近所に日本語を学びたい人が引っ越してきたり、社会に出てからもボランティア日本語教師として活躍したりと、グローバルな現代では日本語を教える機会が突然出てくることもあります。さらに、日本国内よりも海外の方が日本語教師の就職先は多くありますので、海外で仕事をする選択肢としてもおすすめです。これを読んで興味を持った皆さん、ぜひ一緒に日本語教育について学んでみませんか？語学教育センター　特任教授奈良　夕里枝日本語教師って？初級の壁、「て形」を教えているところです！This was me April 7th 2019 when I rst came to Tsuru for 下見。I immediately fell in love with the town.16２０２３年７月３日（月）