今日は子供たちを学校に送り出したあと、二度寝をしてギリギリまで寝てました。
月曜日と水曜日の１限目だったライティングをドロップして、空いた時間はカレッジの図書館で勉強しようと思っていたのに、早速さぼってしまいました。


↑押すと文字が変わるエンピツ投票ボタン

今朝は休講のフリしてました(笑)


今日のリテラチャー（文学）のクラスでは、宿題だった作文（昨日の日記にペーストしてあります）を、全員みんなの前で発表しました。
みんな結構シリアスで、第二次世界大戦を経験したロシア人のおばさんの作文は、なかなか涙を誘うものでした。
笑いを取っていたのは、私だけだったよ(^^;


今日は宿題は出なかったんだけど、残っていたグラマーの宿題（教科書の予習）。
新しいチャプターは受動態で、まぁ、結構得意なパートだから、しばらくは苦しまないで済むかな？なんちて。

それと、明日のカンバセイションのテスト勉強を少しだけ。
このクラスのチャプターテストはペーパーで、問題数は少ないけどトリッキーで嫌いなんだよね。


ええと、今日はよく寝た一日でした(笑)
昼食後、子供のお迎え時間まで１時間昼寝。
帰ってきて夕飯の支度まで２時間昼寝。
で、やっと元気になって、先週の金曜日に出たリスニング＆ノートテイキングの宿題をやろうとしたんですが、かなり手強いことが判明して後回し（先週の金曜日にTV放映された、ブッシュVSケリーのディベートを聞いてノートを取るというもの）。

悠長に昼寝もできた一日だったけど、常々『一日が３０時間あったらいいのに』と思っている気持ちに変わりはありません。
もしももう少し時間に余裕があったら、本を読みたいよ。
英語でも日本語でも。





完全にうちのカレッジからいなくなるわけじゃないのね(T-T)

半日以上、買い物に手間どりました。


↑押すと文字が変わるエンピツ投票ボタン


だって時間がもったいないんだもん(-_-;


夜中２時過ぎまでかかって、明日のリテラチャーで提出するぶんを終わらせました。
はふー。
ライティング系の宿題が多い週末だったな。


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[English Through Literature] "My Oedipus Complex" Short Story Analysis

TITLE
My Oedipus Complex

AUTHOR
Frank 0'connor

SETTING
The place is in a home somewhere in Ireland. The season is through fall and winter, and the time might be during the war in 1910's.

PLOT
Larry who is a 5year-old-boy, loves his mother as if he were her lover. His father is gone to the war, so the father comes back home occasionally. While the father is home, Larry is jealous of him for a position in his mother's love. They both try to get mother's attention and fight over a bed which is for sleeping with the mother. Before long, Larry has a baby brother, so the object of Larry's jealous changed to the baby from the father. The father's is also. Finally, Larry matures little, and Larry and his father accept each other.

CHARACTERS
Larry: A 5 year-old-boy. He loves his mother a lot and he thinks he is equal with his father and jealous of father. He wants to take the place of father.
Mother: A pregnant. She is waiting and praying for her husband while he is in the war. She tried to be equal to her son and husband.
Father: He visits home briefly from the war. He doesn't seem to have an attachment to his son, and fight with the son over his wife.

CONFLICT
All through this story is conflict of jealousy which between a little son and his father over his mother.

CLIMAX
Larry tried to get into his parents bed, actually his mother's side, many times. Shortly, the father got mad at Larry, and Larry also resisted and shouted at the father. Soon after that, Larry's baby brother came out, so the relationship between Larry and father has changed.

SYMBOL
I think the bed is the most characteristic symbol in this story. Larry and his father fought for the bed in the bed, and finally they made good relationship in the bed. I could see Larry's maturity, mother's dilemma, and father's weakness in the bedroom.

POINT OF VIEW
The point of view is from the first person who is Larry.

TONE
The tone of this story is humorous. Sometimes Larry talks like a grown-up and he believes fantastic things. They are so cute and make me chuckle.

IRONY
Two enemies who are father and son turn into a team (friends) by getting a new common rival, who is a baby.

THEME
An oedipus complex that little boys often feel jealousy to their fathers due to deep love to their mothers. In addition, in this story, a little boy's maturity overcomes the oedipus complex. He through out a tunnel which is the complex, so find the attachment to his father and accepts an appropriate position in his family. In this story, a little boy's mental growth is drawn. The boy is typical, not peculiar.



[English Through Literature] "Mother" Write a memory piece of your teenage years

Riding a Motorcycle

　An exhaust note of a motorcycle which passes my car makes me remember my youth.
　When I was sixteen, my parents got divorce, so I haven't seen my father ever since. In my country, general welfare for single mothers is not good enough; therefore, my mother had to work hard to raise my older brother and me. While I had been attending to a high school, I had worked part-time for my school expenses because my mother had been paying a lot of expenses for my brother's university. Thus I had to give up getting into an university, and I didn't have any hopes for my future. However, I had only one enjoyment. It was riding motorcycle.
　I bought my motorcycle by myself even though it was extremely expensive for a high school girl. It was too big for my tiny body, but I worked harder than before to keep it and did practice in riding to control the big machine. Of course, my mother had objected against dangerous riding motorcycle, but finally she admitted it because she found that I had been enjoying it safely and seriously.
　Since then, I had been riding the motorcycle for eleven years, almost every day until I got be a pregnant. In those years, I had had a lot of experiences through the motorcycle. I would go on journeys all around my country by my motorcycle and a tent, even to the southernmost island and the northernmost island. Moreover, I've met many generous and interesting people during the long journey, so I've learned a lot from the people and difficulties in my poor journey. In addition, I used to write article about motorcycles and travels for magazines for a long time.
　When I got be twenty years old, my mother said, "I couldn't do any thing for you, though you've already gotten your future by yourself. I'd been worrying about you all the time, but riding motorcycle has become valuable for you. Good for you, I'm proud of you."
　Now, I don't have enough muscles to control a big motorcycle although I've always wanted to ride it. Yet I've been scheming to get a motorcycle which matches with me again in the future!




[English Through Literature] "Mother" p.75-76 Grammar Practice

1. When I was a teenager, I frequently behaved badly toward my mother.
I knew that I had been behaving badly. I promised I would stop.
2. It amazed my parents that they had achieved so much in such a short time.
"We have achieved so much in such a short time," said my father in amazement to my mother.
3. My mother listened to music when I came home from school.
My mother had listened to music every day of my school life.
4. "I have talked to you for the past ten minutes and you haven't heard a word!" said my mother in exasperation.
I had talked to you for at least ten minutes before I realized you hadn't heard a word.
5. My parents have returned to Russia only once since they arrived in this country.
My parents returned to Russia for the first time last year.
6. Although my mother continually worried about dying, she didn't express her fears to me.
Although my mother had been worrying about dying for years, she only expressed her fears to me last week.
7. You have handed in your exam, so there is nothing we can do about it.
You had handed in your exam, so there was nothing we could do about it.
8. When I was younger, I ran around senselessly.
I had run around senselessly for years before I was stopped by the death of my mother.
9. After my father graduated, my mother quit working.
"I didn't know you have quit working!" exclaimed my father to my mother.
10. I always looked for my mother in the garden.
Although I had looked for my mother in the garden for nearly ten minutes, I still hadn't found her by the time dinner served.
11. My father and mother studied English soon after they arrived in the United States.
My father and mother have been studying English for the past three months.




[English Through Literature] "Mother" p.76 Building Vocabulary Skills

1. I read your manifesto last night and have decided to vote for you.
2. Teenagers frequently act hastily and suffer the consequences.
3. To play the violin well a musician needs a perfect pitch.
4. After immigrating to new country, it is not uncommon to long for one's place of birth.
5. Any student who hands in his essay late will be penalized.
6. I don't know where you get your meanness from.
7. The government issued a pamphlet explaining its policy toward immigration.
8. The lessons involving anatomy were my father's favorite classes at university.

１限目のカンバセイションは、教科書から与えられた６つのシチュエーションにおける、A、B２人の会話を考えて、パートナーと練習するというもの。
シチュエーションについてアナライズするのが先週の宿題だったんだけど、ちょっと宿題の意味がわからなかった私は、先週のうちに同じく「意味わかんない」と言っていた友達２人と相談して、なんとか宿題は終わらせてありました。
まぁ、そんなに難しいことじゃないんですけどね。


↑押すと文字が変わるエンピツ投票ボタン



２限目のグラマー＆ライティングでは、先週から出されていたライティングの課題を提出しました。
さすがマディちゃん、今日の休憩時間に全部添削＆採点して返してくれたわけなんだけど、相変わらず私のグラマーはボロボロで、採点は“A（内容と構成）/C-（文法）”でした。
でもなんだか、この“C-”の採点に、私はマディの愛情を感じました。
文法が私のウィークポイントだと、１年前からマディに言われ続け、先日送ったメールの中でも、「どうか私の英語に厳しくして」とお願いしてあったから。

帰宅して早速、再提出用のDraft#2を書きました。

------

[Grammar&Writing] Writing Assignment Draft#2

A Career I'm Interested in

　I have been seeking a new profession since I lost my job that I thought it was my life's work. I only know my former profession; therefore, I haven't found any interesting career since I came to the U.S. However, this is beginning to change because I have had new experiences, and I've become interested in teaching people recently.
　The first of my experiences related to teaching was when I became an assistant in a Japanese class in this college. It was a beginning class, and most of the students in the class had never studied Japanese before. Although only six weeks have passed, the students can already read and write two kinds of Japanese syllabic characters. It is amazing! My son can't even do that, even though he has been studying Japanese writing for three years. Moreover, I saw such pleasure in the students' face. One of the students, a Russian woman, who was not able to understand a lecture by spoken Japanese, and of course, got Fs on her quizzes. However, when I was correcting her quiz last week, I found she had gotten an A on her quiz! I was so pleased to see her success. Since then, she has been enjoying the class more. She has been asking me questions without constraint and saying "Hi" to me in Japanese lately.
　The second cause of getting interested in teaching is due to helping my daughter with her homework. I help my children with their homework everyday. Last Monday, my daughter brought home some hard math problems. They seemed for the sixth grade even though she is only in the fourth grade. In fact, my daughter's teacher knows that she is strong in math. Yet the problems were too hard for her. She cried, threw the homework on a wall, and shouted bad words. Fortunately, I was able to show her how to solve them. It took me an hour to make her understand, but she finally showed me a big smile and kissed me.
　Through these experiences, I've noticed that teaching people makes them happy. Furthermore, making people happy is very satisfying. As a result, I have become interested in teaching.



読みやすくなったでしょう？
下記のDraft#1と比べると、いかに私の文法がサイテーか、一目瞭然ですよね(笑)

[Grammar&Writing] Writing Assignment Draft#1

A Career I'm Interested in

　I have been groping my new professional since I lost my job that I thought a life work. I know only my former occupation very well as a professional. Therefore I haven't found interesting career since I came to the U.S. However, it is changing because I have had new experience, so I've been interested in teaching people recently.
　The first of my experiences related to teaching is that I have been helping a Japanese language class as an assistant in this college. It is the beginning class, and most of students in the class had never learned Japanese language. Although it is only six weeks passed now, they can read and write two kinds of Japanese syllabic writing. It is amazing! My son can't do it, even though he has been learning writing Japanese for three years. Moreover, I saw pleasure. One of the students, a Russian woman, who was not able to understand a lecture with spoken Japanese, and of course, she got grade F on quizes the teacher gives in every class. Yet last week, I found her grade A as I was correcting the quiz! Since then, she might have been enjoying attending the class. She has been asking me questions without constraint and saying "Hi" to me in Japanese lately.
　The second cause of getting interested in teaching is due to helping my daughter's homework. I help with my children's homework everyday as same as other mothers. On last Monday, my daughter brought hard homework which was math problems, and they seemed for the sixth grade. Even though my daughter is in the fourth grade, her teacher gave them because my daughter is strong at math. Though she is strong, the problems were too hard for her. She cried, threw the homework to a wall, and shouted evil-words. Then I showed her how to solve them. It took me an hour to make her understand, she finally showed me a big smile and kissed me.
　Through these experiences, I noticed that teaching people makes them happy. Furthermore, making people happy makes me satisfied. As a result, I have been interested in teaching; however, I don't have any ability of teaching.


けどねー、毎回、先生の訂正に沿って書き直してるときは、「そうだよ！　こっちの文法だよ！」って思うんだけど、ちっとも身に付かない気がするんですよね……。




なんかさー、私の場合、アイデアや書きたいことが次から次へと出てきて、それに自分の文法がついていってない気がします。
それが今回の“A/C-”の意味かなって。
頭にひらめくままにガーッと書くクセをやめて、もっと一文一文落ち着いて書けるようにならないとダメですね。
ましてこのクラスはグラマーに重点を置いているので、どんなに内容がいい作文でも、文法がダメだといいグレードはもらえないんじゃないかな。


長い長い一時帰国中、どんどん英語が聞き取れなく＆話せなくなっていく自分に焦っていたけど、カレッジが始まって１週間もたてば、とくにリスニングはほとんど元に戻ったのね。
でもやっぱり文法は、“慣れ”とかじゃないもんね。
自分が勉強したぶんしか自分の身に付かない。
逆に言えば、たくさん勉強しさえすれば、書くための文法は必ず身に付くんですよね。




■本日のHOMEWORK
Conversation: Do hand out / Prepeare for "Role-Playing" with partner / Prepeare for Quiz(vocabulary dictation)
Grammar&Writing: Study for Exam which will be on Oct.7

今日は子供たちが通う日本人補習校で運動会だったため、Japanese Cultureのクラスを欠席。

でも、かーさんは“お休み”じゃないのですよ。
朝６時に起きて、米８合ぶんのおにぎりとおいなりさんを作って運動会へ。
高校のラグビー場を借りての運動会なので、日陰がなくて毎年辛いんですよね……。
今年で４回目の運動会ともなると、こっちもいろいろ慣れてきて、今日も自分の子供の出番以外は、宿題やったり爆睡したり。
おかげで１週間ぶんの疲れを挽回できた感じです。

いつもはボロボロになって帰宅するんですが、爆睡のおかげで今日は結構元気。
夕食後、うちの下宿人くんと２人で近所のコーヒーショップへ行って勉強。
彼はPC持参で数学の課題です。
４時間、２人とも無言でもりもりやったので、私はマディのクラスのWriting Assignmentを終わらせました。

しかし、ほぼ毎週２人で訪れるこのコーヒーショップ、店員さんにも顔を覚えられているんですが


↑押すと文字が変わるエンピツ投票ボタン


１３歳も年齢ちがうし……



ライティングクラスをドロップすることで、大きな悩みがなくなった（解決されたわけではないけど）ので、とても気持ちの軽い週末でした。
だって、今度の月曜日からは、あの先生の授業に出なくていいんだもん。

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[Grammar&Writing] Writing Assignment Draft#1

A Career I'm Interested in

　I have been groping my new professional since I lost my job that I thought a life work. I know only my former occupation very well as a professional. Therefore I haven't found interesting career since I came to the U.S. However, it is changing because I have had new experience, so I've been interested in teaching people recently.
　The first of my experiences related to teaching is that I have been helping a Japanese language class as an assistant in this college. It is the beginning class, and most of students in the class had never learned Japanese language. Although it is only six weeks passed now, they can read and write two kinds of Japanese syllabic writing. It is amazing! My son can't do it, even though he has been learning writing Japanese for three years. Moreover, I saw pleasure. One of the students, a Russian woman, who was not able to understand a lecture with spoken Japanese, and of course, she got grade F on quizes the teacher gives in every class. Yet last week, I found her grade A as I was correcting the quiz! Since then, she might have been enjoying attending the class. She has been asking me questions without constraint and saying "Hi" to me in Japanese lately.
　The second cause of getting interested in teaching is due to helping my daughter's homework. I help with my children's homework everyday as same as other mothers. On last Monday, my daughter brought hard homework which was math problems, and they seemed for the sixth grade. Even though my daughter is in the fourth grade, her teacher gave them because my daughter is strong at math. Though she is strong, the problems were too hard for her. She cried, threw the homework to a wall, and shouted evil-words. Then I showed her how to solve them. It took me an hour to make her understand, she finally showed me a big smile and kissed me.
　Through these experiences, I noticed that teaching people makes them happy. Furthermore, making people happy makes me satisfied. As a result, I have been interested in teaching; however, I don't have any ability of teaching.


後日談
上記の課題、５日に提出してその日のうちに添削＆採点されて返ってきました。
採点は“A/C-”。
おお、なんという点数差(笑)
“A”は内容と構成に対する採点、“C-”は文法です。

Listening&Note-takingの授業。
前半はクラスで『English Literature of Shakespeare』の授業を聞きに行きました。

アカデミッククラス（メインストリームともいう）だから、英語聞き取れ度は５０％以下だったけど、それでも前回聞きに行ったサイコロジーの授業よりは理解できたかな。

興味深かったのは、“Old English”という話題。
つまり、シェイクスピアが生きた１６世紀に使われていたのは、現在の英語とは単語も文法も異なる、“Old English”というもの。
オリジナルの脚本を忠実に再現した映画『ヘンリー５世』（たぶん…）を見せてくれたんですが、もうセリフが何語なんだかわからず、一緒に座っていたフランス人の友達に
「これ、フランス語？」と聞いてしまったほど。
彼女も
「フランス語じゃないよ。でも何語なのかわかんなーい。たぶん、イタリア語かスペイン語？」
で、それがOld Englishでした。

ヨーロッパ人のせいか、私の友達は多少は聞き取れていたようだけど、


↑押すと文字が変わるエンピツ投票ボタン


それともう一つ面白かったのは、“変化していく言語”というネタ。
つまり、イギリスで使われていたOld Englishが変化していって現在の英語になったように、現在の英語もまた変化の途中にあるという話。

顕著なのは、カリフォルニアでは誰もが耳にする“スパングリッシュ”。
カリフォルニア、特に南部は国境が近いので、メキシコからの移民が多く暮らしています。
彼らの２世、３世ともなると、我が家と同様、家庭ではネイティブ・ランゲージを、外ではネイティブスピーカーと同じ英語を使って育ちます。
だから、だんだん英語とスペイン語が混じって、それはもう、“スペイン語なまりの英語”というレベルではないので、冗談半分に“スパングリッシュ”なんてよばれているんですけど。

日本でも若者が使うスラングや“ら抜き言葉”が市民権を得て、広辞苑にまで載るようになったように、どんな言語も時とともに変化していくんですね。


ところでこの『シェイクスピア文学』の先生は、シェイクスピアのオーソリティだそうです。
生徒に人気も高く、レクチャーもわかりやすくて笑えるところもあります。
でも残念なことに、昨年で退職されたそうで、現在は趣味で『シェイクスピア文学』のクラスだけを教えているとか。
だから、あと何年教壇に立ってくれるかわからないので、興味のある人は次のセメスターにでもクラスをとりなさい、と、私たちの先生はすすめていました。

なんか、年をとってもこういう情熱のある先生ってステキですね。




さてと。
今セメが始まってから、私の最大のストレスになっていたESLライティングクラスのS先生のことを少し。

次の春セメスターのクラススケジュールがウェッブサイトで発表されていたのでチェックしてみたら、




でもね、たぶん春セメからは、オレンジカウンティの別のカレッジかユニバーシティで教えるんじゃないかな。

これからオレンジカウンティに留学予定の方や、コミカレでESLを受ける予定のある方のために忠告しておきます。

S先生のクラスは避けた方が賢明です。

ここで検索できます。
どこかの誰かが運営する、国内全ての大学やカレッジの先生たちに、生徒が評価を下している、恐ろしくも便利なサイトです。



教科は“Language”になってます。


■本日のHOMEWORK
Listening&Note-taking: Just listen "Lecture 6" / Rewrite today's taken note (hand in)