「話せる」友だち探しが上達の早道

BY JAMES WATT，Freelance Writer

　英会話がどうにも上達しない。そんな時は、共通の趣味を持つネイティブスピーカーの友だちをみつけるのが早道。楽しくおしゃべりしているうちにメキメキ上手くなること請け合いです。「でも、そんな人、どうやって見つけるの？」という時は、インターネットをのぞいてみるのもひとつの方法。

　I first started learning German in high school, and I had great marks. I thought I was the German-as-a-Second-Language Albert Einstein. So, I was surprised when I went to Austria, where German is the national language, and discovered that I had no idea what anyone was saying. And when I talked to the people I met, they looked at me as if I were speaking Bengali.

　When I got home, I realized two things. First, people don't use the grammar we learn in class. And second, accent is important, and my accent was horrible. I checked the Net and found the Web site of a German expatriate club in my city. I went to a dance at the club, I had a great time, and I started going regularly. After a few years I returned to Austria and found I was fluent in German. I still made mistakes, but I'd learned so much at the club that many people mistook me for a native.

　If you want to really understand English, you should try the same thing. Forget much of what you learned in class and find a bunch of foreigners to talk to and to learn from. Here are Web sites that may help you.

● www.tokyoamericanclub.org

　The Tokyo American Club (TAC) in Azabudai offers many services to club members, and it is one of the oldest, most organized, and best funded of all the ex-pat clubs. They have a number of restaurants, a pool and fitness area, a library, and almost 5,000 members around the world.

　The club has presentations and outings almost daily, and there are groups within the club for like-minded people to get together and to chat. In some ways, it's the best club in Tokyo for those who wish to learn more about the U.S. and have a chance to speak English.

　There are a couple of downsides to the club, though. I spoke to the membership clerk, and she told me that while they have a few public events in July and August each year, everything else is for members only. This is understandable; of course, that is how clubs work.

　To become a member, however, may require a second mortgage. The club membership fee is as much as ¥2.1 million, and the monthly fee is ¥20,000. New members are chosen by a board of present members. To get in, you have to win over the membership board (made up of club members), but that shouldn't be too hard if you have a good smile and a strong handshake (and a thick wallet!).

● www.tokyocanadianclub.com/

　The Tokyo Canadian Club (TCC) is the less polished younger brother of the TAC. It has events two or three times a month, and while its Web site is almost devoid of content, it does post information online about all its events. One difference between the TCC and the TAC is that everyone is welcome at the Canadian events, and the entrance charge covers food and drink at many of its get-togethers.

　The TCC is also less sophisticated in terms of the events it hosts. While the American Club has many cultural resources at hand with the library, club meetings, etc., the Canadian Club has no permanent space, and events tend to revolve around only three things: alcohol, food, and Canadians getting together to drink alcohol. Sounds perfect to me.

　To that end, on May 26, the TCC is hosting its annual Great Canadian BBQ at the Canadian Embassy in Akasaka, and everyone is welcome. You can find prices and other information at the site. For security reasons, you will have to order your ticket ahead of time and take your identification when you go, so contact the TCC at tcc@gol.com for more information.

● japanese.meetup.com/438/

　Our last club doesn't have much of a Web site either, but it has events regularly in the Tokyo area, and one is posted on the site with plenty of time for people to respond.

　The Tokyo Japanese-English Language and Culture Meetup Group has monthly meetings and excursions for people who are interested in learning more about both Japanese and English culture.

　You have to join the site to make comments, but that's a convenient way of finding and joining other clubs in your city that run through the same site (www.meetup.com/). Just search for "Meetups in Tokyo/ Osaka/Fukuoka" and you should find something interesting. If you don't, you can always organize your own "meetup."

　From the pictures on the site, you can see that the Tokyo club has a pretty diverse membership, so I'm sure everyone can find someone there with common interests. Honestly, having common interests with a native speaker is the best way to learn a new language. That's how I learned German.

　There are literally hundreds of expatriate clubs in Tokyo, and I'm sorry I couldn't cover them all. If you are interested in Australian, British, or clubs in other cities, please visit surfin-english.blogspot.com for more information.

• German...club　海外居住のドイツ人クラブ。expatriate = ex-pat
• like-minded　同じ趣味（好み、意見）を持った
• downside(s)　マイナス面、弱点
• require...mortgage　第2抵当を必要とする＝借金の必要がある