シャドーイング練習: Business English - Lesson 1 - Business English Course | Business English Conversation - 動画で英語スピーキングを学ぶ

レッスンを作成中...
1
You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English Podcast for professionals on the move.
2
In this Business English Pod episode, we'll be looking at ways to give and ask for opinions.
3
We'll be looking both at more formal or careful language as well as at more informal or direct language.
4
Giving and asking for opinions is a very important part of meetings and discussions of all types.
5
First, let's listen to a more formal situation.
6
We'll be listening to part of a meeting at Digisoft, a multinational software company.
7
Sheila, a vice president, is talking to Walt, George, and Bruce, three software engineers, about the deadline for the new software release.
8
Release here means launch, that is, bring the product onto the market.
9
So, let's move on to the topic of release date.
10
Gentlemen, when do you think we'll be able to launch this product?
11
Walt?
12
Well, I tend to feel that we should probably be able to start testing the product in April.
13
That means that if all goes well, we can have a first release in May or June.
14
I see.
15
Thank you, Walt.
16
What's your reaction to that, Bruce?
17
May or June?
18
Well, from my point of view, that sounds about right.
19
Excuse me, may I come in here?
20
I wonder if I could say something.
21
Go ahead, George.
22
What would you like to add?
23
Well, it seems to me that May is much, much too early.
24
Actually, we are still having some pretty major problems with bugs in the update engine, and I just don't see how we will be able to fix those bugs.
25
Okay, now let's listen to George, Bruce, and Walt walk into the break room right after the meeting.
26
Sheila, their boss, is not here.
27
This is a more informal situation.
28
Hey guys, did you see the Chelsea-Lewithful game last night?
29
What did you think, Walt?
30
Quite a game, huh?
31
Chelsea looked pretty good.
32
You always have to rub it in, don't you, Bruce?
33
You know I'm a Liverpool fan.
34
How about you, George?
35
Actually, that was one of the greatest games I've ever seen.
36
But the way you guys keep telling the boss we can finish the product by May, none of us are going to have time to watch any more football games.
37
We're all going to be working overtime every night, burning the midnight oil.
38
So now you've heard both formal and informal conversations.
39
First, let's look at the formal conversation.
40
How does Sheila ask for her employees' opinions?
41
Sheila is in charge.
42
She is the boss and the chairperson of the meeting.
43
One way for her to ask for an employee's opinion is simply to say his name with a rising intonation or tone.
44
Gentlemen, when do you think we will be able to launch this product?
45
Sheila also uses some other ways to ask for her employees' opinions.
46
All these ways are relatively formal.
47
They signal that this is a formal meeting.
48
She says, I see.
49
Thank you, Walt.
50
What's your reaction to that, Bruce? And?
51
Go ahead, George.
52
What would you like to add?
53
Together with these speakers, try some other formal phrases for asking for an opinion.
54
How do you feel about that, Cecilia?
55
Could you please share your thoughts on that, Sam?
56
What's your view on this, Richard?
57
Tony, what's your feelings on this?
58
Now, let's look at the language Walt, Bruce and George use to express their opinions in a formal situation.
59
Walt says...
60
Well, I tend to feel that we should be able to start testing the product in April.
61
This language, I tend to feel that, shows a careful, formal tone.
62
Walt uses this tone because he is talking to his boss, and perhaps because he's not sure whether or not the others will agree with him.
63
Let's keep listening.
64
I see.
65
Thank you, Walt.
66
What's your reaction to that, Bruce?
67
May or June.
68
Well, from my point of view, that sounds about right.
69
Bruce, likewise, uses more formal, careful language.
70
Well, from my point of view, this makes him sound more polite, since he's talking to his boss.
71
In addition, it gives him time to think.
72
Giving yourself time to think is another reason to use these phrases.
73
How about George?
74
How did he offer his opinion?
75
Excuse me, may I come in here?
76
I wonder if I could say something.
77
Go ahead, George.
78
What would you like to add?
79
Well, it seems to me that may is much, much too early.
80
Think about the ways that George uses to express his opinion.
81
I wonder if I could say something and, well, it seems to me that these ways of expression are quite careful.
82
George has a good reason to be careful, doesn't he?
83
He disagrees with his colleagues.
84
Now let's practice some further formal or careful phrases for expressing your opinion.
85
I have the impression that he didn't really want to come.
86
Don't you think that that's a little early?
87
I tend to feel it's a bit too early to start.
88
Next, let's turn to the more informal discussion between Walt, Bruce, and George.
89
Remember, they're in the break room right after the meeting.
90
Bruce asked George and Walt, Hey guys, did you see the Chelsea-Louisville game last night?
91
What did you think, Walt?
92
Quite a game, huh?
93
Chelsea looked pretty good.
94
This is an informal, relaxed discussion among colleagues.
95
You can tell it's informal because Bruce uses the informal word, guys, to address George and Walt.
96
Also, he says, what do you think?
97
This is an informal way to ask for an opinion.
98
Walt says, You always have to rub it in, don't you, Bruce?
99
You know I'm a Liverpool fan.
100
To rub something in is an idiom.
101
It means to remind someone on purpose of something that is uncomfortable or painful.
102
Here it's done as a joke.
103
It sounds like Walt is a Liverpool fan and he's unhappy because Chelsea won the game.
104
Let's keep listening.
105
How about you George?
106
Actually that was one of the greatest games I've ever seen.
107
How about you is another direct way to ask for an opinion.
108
Next, notice how George starts his sentence with actually.
109
Actually is a direct or informal way to state an opinion.
110
It shows us that George has something new or surprising to say.
111
With George, practice more direct ways to state an opinion.
112
The point is we're doing very well in this market.
113
The way I see it, we're heading for trouble.
114
Obviously, there's only one choice.
115
Basically, I think we have two options.
116
Finally, let's listen to the end of the dialogue again.
117
How about you, George?
118
Actually, that was one of the greatest games I've ever seen.
119
But the way you guys keep telling the boss we can finish the product by May, none of us are going to have time to watch any more football games.
120
George means that if Bruce and Walt keep telling the boss that they can meet the May deadline, everyone is going to have to work very hard.
121
In fact, they're going to have to work so hard that they won't have any time to watch football games.

コンテキストと背景

ビジネス英語の品質を向上させるためには、意見を述べたり求めたりする力が非常に重要です。このレッスンでは、正式な会話と非公式な会話の両方で、どのように意見を交換するかについて学びます。具体的な文脈として、Digi Softという多国籍ソフトウェア会社のミーティングの一部が取り上げられています。この場面では、副社長のシーラが三人のソフトウェアエンジニアに新しいソフトウェアのリリース期限について話している様子が見られます。

日常コミュニケーションのためのトップ5フレーズ

  • Gentlemen, when do you think we will be able to launch this product? - これは、意見を求める正式な表現です。
  • Well, I tend to feel that we should probably be able to start testing the product in April. - これは、意見を述べる際の慎重な表現です。
  • Excuse me, may I come in here? - 話を遮る前に使う丁寧な表現です。
  • Actually, that was one of the greatest games ever! - 非公式な会話で使われる直接的な表現です。
  • What do you think? - 簡単ですが、非常に効果的な意見を求める表現です。

ステップバイステップのシャドウイングガイド

シャドウイングは、英語のスピーキングスキルを向上させるために非常に効果的な方法です。このビデオの内容を使って、以下の手順で練習してください。

  1. リスニング: ビデオを最初に通しで聞いて、全体の流れをつかみましょう。
  2. フレーズの特定: 日常会話で使えるフレーズを書き出します。上記のトップ5フレーズを参考にしてください。
  3. シャドウイング: 発音やイントネーションに注意しながら、ビデオのスピーカーの後についていきます。特にフォーマルな会話とインフォーマルな会話の違いに注目しましょう。
  4. 録音: 自分の声を録音し、元の音声と比較してみます。発音や流暢さを確認します。
  5. レビューと改善: 自分の録音を聞き返し、改善が必要な部分を特定します。必要に応じて再度シャドウイングを行い、徐々に慣れていきましょう。

このように、シャドウスピークを取り入れた練習を行えば、IELTSスピーキング対策にも役立ちます。言葉の使い方やニュアンスを理解し、ビジネス環境での会話に自信を持てるようになるでしょう。

シャドーイングとは？英語上達に効果的な理由

シャドーイング（Shadowing）は、もともとプロの通訳者養成プログラムで開発された言語学習法で、多言語習得者として知られるDr. Alexander Arguelles によって広く普及されました。方法はシンプルですが非常に効果的：ネイティブスピーカーの英語を聞きながら、1〜2秒の遅延で声に出してすぐに繰り返す——まるで「影（shadow）」のように話者を追いかけます。文法ドリルや受動的なリスニングと異なり、シャドーイングは脳と口の筋肉が同時にリアルタイムで英語を処理・再現することを強制します。研究により、発音精度、抑揚、リズム、連音、リスニング力、そして会話の流暢さが大幅に向上することが確認されています。IELTSスピーキング対策や自然な英語コミュニケーションを目指す方に特におすすめです。