リスニングの課題　トラッドジャパン餅のディクテーションから

今朝の早朝レッスンで、宿題に出していたトラッドジャパンのディクテーションを点検した。下記が作品だが、399ワードで13ワードの修正で済んだのは立派だ。赤が修正後の正解、右隣の（　）内が受講生が聞きとったものだ。

ここには、日本人なら誰でも経験する課題が明確に出ている

◆聞き間違い

・ａ　と　ｔｈｅ

・ｉｓ　と　ｈｉｓ

・ａｎｄ　と　ｉｎ

◆そもそも聞こえない

・ｈｉｓ ｏｒ ｈｅｒ ｂａｃｋ

・ｏｆ

◆意味のない単語の塊に聞こえてしまう

・role to play　(allowed to pray).

リスニング力アップの道は長くて遠いが、英検1級道場では自分の可能性を信じ、地道にコツコツと一つ一つの単語を聞き分ける基礎訓練を続けている

＜トラッドジャパン　餅　ディクテーション作品例＞

At the(a) new year in Japan, a type of mochi called kagamimochi is put on display in many homes as a celebratory offering to the gods.

It is also a new year custom to eat zoni, a kind of soup containing mochi and other ingredients. Because mochi is very stretchy, it’s seen as a symbol of longevity and it has been regarded as an auspicious food for centuries.

Let’s see exactly what mochi is and how it’s traditionally made.

Mochi is made from rice, to be more specific, a kind of glutinous rice called mochigome is used.

A mortar and a mallet are essential tools for making mochi. Mochi making is always done by two or more people.Mochi rice that has been left to soak in water overnight is steamed and then put into the mortar. It’s thoroughly mashed using the mallet. Once the grains of rice have lost their shape, the pounding begins.

To pound the rice evenly all the way through, a second person must keep adding some water to maintain the right hardness of the mochi and also keep flipping it over. After about 10 minutes of doing this in perfect harmony, the mochi looks nice and shiny and is ready for consumption.

The freshly pounded rice cakes can be mixed with various condiments and foods. Because mochi itself is(has) light in(and) flavor, it goes well with anything whether it’s sweet or salty. Mochi hardens when it cools. But when harden mochi is boiled or grilled, it regains its original springiness.

Mochi is preservable and can be enjoyed whenever you want.

Mochi also plays a key role in various situations. This is an event to celebrate baby’s first steps. Each of these one-year-olds tries to walk with a 1.5 kg lump of mochi strapped his or her back. By having them do this, the parents wish their children will never go hungry.

When a(your) new house is built, mochi again has a role to play(allowed to pray). This ritual tells the guardian deity of the (deity's) land that the building’s framework has been completed. To thank the neighbors for coming to celebrate this special occasion, pieces of mochi are thrown to them.

Mochi is something you give away at festive (feastive) events. Mochi is a very special food that makes an appearance at every pivotal moment in the lives of the Japanese.