受講生18　女性

試験の様子

試験官: 2名

N: a man in his 50’s. He looked tired and never smiled until the last question was answered. He spoke in a small voice.

J: a Japanese woman in her 50’s. Throughout my interview test, she continued to show her warm smile except when she took some notes.

質問内容

（以下、J：日本人試験官、N：ネイティブ試験官、A：受験者）

A: Good afternoon.

N: Good afternoon. Please put your bag on the desk. Please have a seat.

A: Thank you very much.

N: We’d like to ask you some questions. The first question is Hakone. Lots of people say that Hakone is a nice place. Why is it so nice? Please tell me what Hakone is like?

A: Yes. Hakone is a very nice place. It is very popular among both local tourists and foreign tourists. Because it has a nice view there. There are great mountains, (I forgot to mention Mt. Fuji.) good hot springs and a beautiful lake. There are also lots of very good accommodation facilities that attract foreign tourists. It is located near Tokyo. It takes about 2-3 hours by train from central Tokyo. So it is very popular among tourists from abroad and at home.

N: OK, then please tell me about Nara period.

A: (I was panicked. I didn’t expect the time was asked. Some time before my test has started, one of my friends who have just left her test place reported me that she was asked about the end of Edo period. But I tried to look calm, at least on the surface) Oh, Nara... Yes. Nara period has started in 710. During that time Buddhism has flourished. Nara was a capital city at the time. Now you can find lots of historical objects there, including a great statue of Buddha.

N: All right. Next, in Japan some colors have some meanings, red and white, and black and white. Why are there those colors? And when are they used?

A: Yes, it’s true. We have those colors in Japan. The color of red and white is used for happy occasions like opening of new stores and weddings... (I was not confident that the color is used for this occasion, but the Japanese examiner nodded.) On the other hand, the color of black and white is used for unhappy occasions like funerals. Those colors are used depending on occasions and purposes.

N: OK. Then, there are some traditional gardens in Tokyo. Which garden do you recommend?

A: Yes, we have some traditional gardens in Tokyo. I recommend Hamarikyu garden. It is located in front of Hamamatsucho station. (I mistook it for Kyushibarikyu garden.) There are lots of trees there. Especially a pine tree at the entrance has a unique shape. It is also very old. Inside the garden there are other trees. There is also a tea house where you can enjoy our traditional tea ceremony.

J: Well, …, that’s all for today. Thank you for coming here.

A: Oh… Thank you very much. I really enjoyed the interview test.

Then the native speaker smiled for the first time, to my relief.

試験を終えて

思い起こして見ると、なんと至らない回答だったかと思います。が、とっさに聞かれた時の自分の実力がこれなのだと、納得しています。もっと具体的な話を盛り込めばよかったなあ、と思います。質問されて回答した後に突っ込みがなくて、物足りない感じがしました。質問も、箱根について?とか、庭について?とか、一般的であまり面白みがない感じではありました。これも、セルでの授業が実際の試験よりももっと高度でおもしろかったからかと思います。

合格発表まで落ち着かない気分ですが、感触は悪くはなかったので、楽しみに待ちたいです。自分だけ悪くないと思い込んでいるだけで、実際は合格点に達していないかもしれませんが。

いろいろとご指導いただきありがとうございました。

ページトップに戻る▲

次の受講生のレポートを読む>>