受講生34 女性
試験の様子
会場は京都。試験官は男性と女性が一人ずつ。両方日本人に見えましたが女性はハーフだったかもしれません。とてもにこやかに “Please have a seat.” “You can put your bag on the next chair.” と声をかけてくださいました。その後簡単な挨拶、名前、どこから来たかを聞かれ、男性の面接官と同じ長岡京からだったので場が大変和みました。基本的には女性試験官が質問、男性試験官が採点。
質問内容（英語はできる限り実際の通りに再現）
（以下、J：日本人試験官、N：ネイティブ試験官、A：受験者）
N: OK, now we are going to ask some questions about Japanese culture, so please answer. I’m interested in Japan’s hot springs. I’ve heard that Japan has many hot springs, why are there so many?
A: It’s because Japan is a volcanic country... so that’s why there are so many hot springs in Japan.
N: OK, I’d like to go to a hot spring, which one do you recommend?
A: I think Kinosaki is good. It is located in the northern part of Hyogo prefecture and there are many Japanese style lodgings with a hot spring, and you can go around each of them even if you don’t stay in that ryokan. You can enjoy many kinds of hot springs. （外湯の説明があまりうまくできなかった。始めに城之崎は日本でも人気のある温泉地のひとつだという点、終わりに浴衣を着て外湯をまわるのはとても日本らしい雰囲気が味わえるという点を付け加えればよかったと後悔。）
N: Oh, really... but it sounds so expensive!
A: No, no, it’s cheap. It’ll be less than 1000 yen. （質問の意味を外湯の料金のことかと取り違える。）
N: To stay in a ryokan?
A: Oh, you mean staying in a ryokan! Sorry, the average price will be between 10,000-20,000yen, but I think you can find cheaper one on the Internet.
N: What is the big difference between usual hotels and ryokan?
A: Oh, yes. Ryokan is usually run by a female owner called Okakmi. She will welcome you wearing Kimono. And the rooms are different. They are all Japanese style so the rooms are all tatami-matted, and they have no beds, you should sleep on futon on the floor. And also they will provide you yukata, a cotton-kimono, instead of pajamas. （大きなところからはいっていけばよかったのにわりと細かい違いの説明からしてしまった。ただ女将の説明を入れたことは興味を持ってもらえたらしい。）
N: Oh, a female master... interesting. She must be respected by Japanese women! （ここがよく聞き取れず他にも何か言っていた気がする。）
A: Yeah, I think so... （ごまかす。）
N: I see. Do Japanese often go to hot springs?
A: Yeah... but not so often as every weekend, but... as long as we have some long holidays.
N: Right. How often do Japanese people take a bath?
A: Oh, you mean, at home?
N: Yes.
A: Well...everyday. It depends on people, but in my case, I take a bath everyday, but some people feel it’s too hot to take a bath in summer, so they just take a shower... but many Japanese take a bath everyday in winter.
N: I’ve heard Japanese way of taking a bath is different from Westerners. Could you tell me the difference?”
A: Well... difference... in Japan, after pouring hot water in a bath tub, all the family members use the same water. So we should wash our body before entering the bath tub. There is a place to wash our body, so first we wash our body and then enter the bath tub so that the water can be kept clean and all the family members can use the same water... In my image, Western people pour soap into the hot water and make it bubbly, but Japanese don’t do that. （あまり考えたことがなかったので一瞬焦ったがホームステイの経験を思い出しながら話した。重複が多い。）
N: Alright, thank you. I’ve heard a lot about Japanese people in Edo period.
What were they like?
A: Oh, are you interested in the characteristics of Edo people?
N: Yes.
A: Well, there were samurai soldiers （warriorsの方が適切だったのだろうが出てこずこれで通した） and they have samurai spirits called Bushido, which put importance on loyalty, sincerity and being brave.
J: Well, she wants to ask what kind of people were living besides samurai in the Edo period.（隣の男性試験官が口を挟む。また質問の意味を取り違えたことに気づく。）
A: Oh, besides samurai! OK, there were merchants who were trading stuffs... and farmers of course, they were the majority actually, and ...（士農工商…と指折り数えてしばらく考え）oh, there were craftsmen, also!”
N: Alright, so there were kinds of classes, right?
A: Oh, yes! And it was made by government to make people think... if there were lower-class people than them, they can feel they are living... more... richly.
N: Ah, huh.
A: So... it was a kind of the government’s strategy.
N: OK, thank you very much. We enjoyed talking with you very much.
A: Thank you very much.
試験を終えて
始まるまでは大変緊張しましたが面接はとても楽しめました。最後はもう終わりか、という感じでした。質問の意味を何度か取り違えたのが気になりますが “Am I answering your question?” などと確認すればよかったかもしれません。でもとにかくCELの２次対策セミナーで言われたとおりに、笑顔で元気に、明るく、目を見て答えました（思案中は他を見ていたと思いますが…）。就職活動のときと同じく、相手の質問に “Yes!” “OK,...” などと反応してから回答しました（就職の面接では何か質問されたらとりあえず「はい！」と大きな声で答えてから後の説明をするように教えられましたので…）。質問は基本的には答えやすいものばかりがあたりラッキーでした。
面接官の質問が簡単に思えたのもCELの授業のおかげだと思います。自分では合格の手ごたえあり…ですがどうでしょう。結果を待ってみます。本当にお世話になりました、といえることを祈ります。とりあえず、ありがとうございました。
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