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Where is your homeland?
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A week ago, I took the speaking part of the Test in Practical English Proficiency, which was an interview. It took place in a private school in S city.
When I was waiting for the bus at the bus pool in front of S station, I was spoken to by a girl in a high school uniform of somewhere. She asked me if it was a right bus stop for the private school. Since she was showing a paper of the Test in Practical English Proficiency, I immediately realized that she was also going to take the test. I answered yes.
Actually, she was so outstanding I looked at her even before she approached me. She didn’t look like Japanese. She was blonde and her eyes were light blue.
When she spoke to me, I automatically felt like I should speak English to her. However, I realized she was speaking Japanese, so I would be rude if I answered in English. Besides, if she was a native speaker of English, how come she was going to take the Test in Practical English Proficiency?
Later, I saw her at the waiting room. I was sitting in the line of level pre-1, but she was in that of lever 1.
After the test, we met again at the bus stop in front of the school. We greeted and I asked her if where her homeland was. She answered, “My mother is Russian and my father is Japanese.”
“Were you brought up in Japan?”
“Yes.”
I felt a little embarrassed. That meant she was Japanese and she is a native speaker of Japanese.
How many times had she been asked this kind of questions? I wondered if these questions annoyed her, but she answered cheerfully. Maybe she was used to them.
I was relieved that I had been speaking Japanese to her.
“So you speak Russian, too, right?”
“Yes. I always speak Russian with my mother at home, and I spend summer vacations with my grandparents in Russia.”
“I envy you. I hear Russian is one of the most difficult languages to learn.”
“Really? I don’t think so. I speak it since I was a little kid.”
Then we talked about the test and some other things. We enjoyed chatting until the bus came.
She was a really pretty blonde, bilingual of Japanese and Russian, and excellent in English. I hope and I’m sure she will have a great future ahead of her.
一週間前、私は英検の二次試験である面接試験を受けました。それはS市のある私立学校で行われました。
私がS駅の前のバスプールでバスを待っていた時、どこかの高校の制服を着たひとりの女子高生に声をかけられました。彼女はその私立学校に行くのにこのバス停でいいのかを尋ねました。 彼女が英検の受験票を見せながら尋ねてきたので、私はすぐに、彼女も英検を受けるのだとわかりました。私は、このバス停でいいのですよと答えました。
実は、彼女はとても目立っていたので、彼女が近づいてくる前から私は彼女に気づいていました。彼女は日本人には見えませんでした。金髪で青い目でしたから。
彼女が私に話しかけてきた時、私はとっさに英語で話すべきだという気がしました。でも、彼女は日本語を話していたので、それに英語で答えたりしたらかえって失礼だろうと思い直しました。それに、もし彼女が英語話者なら、英検を受けるわけないでしょう。
その後、私は待合室で彼女を見かけました。私は準一級の席に座っていましたが、彼女は一級の席でした。
テスト後に、私たちはその学校の前のバス停でまた会いました。挨拶をして、私は彼女にどこの国の方なのですかと尋ねました。
彼女は「母はロシア人で父は日本人です。」と答えました。
「日本で育ったのですか？」
「はい」
私はちょっと恥ずかしくなりました。つまり、彼女は日本人で、日本語は母語なのでした。
彼女は、こんな質問をこれまで何度受けてきたことでしょう。彼女が気を悪くしていないだろうかと思いましたが、彼女は明るく答えていました。慣れているのかも知れません。
私は彼女にずっと日本語で話していてよかったと思いました。
「じゃあ、ロシア語も話せるのですね？」
「はい。母とは家でいつもロシア語で話していますし、夏休みにはロシアの祖父母のところに行きますから。」
「うらやましいわ。ロシア語って難しいって聞いているから。」
「そうですか？ 私は小さい時から話しているので、難しいとは思いません。」
それから、私たちはその日のテストのことや他のいろいろなことを話しました。バスが来るまでおしゃべりを楽しみました。
彼女はとても美人のブロンドで、日本語とロシア語のバイリンガルで、しかも英語も優秀です。
彼女に輝かしい未来が待っていることを望みます、というか、確信しています。
私がS駅の前のバスプールでバスを待っていた時、どこかの高校の制服を着たひとりの女子高生に声をかけられました。彼女はその私立学校に行くのにこのバス停でいいのかを尋ねました。 彼女が英検の受験票を見せながら尋ねてきたので、私はすぐに、彼女も英検を受けるのだとわかりました。私は、このバス停でいいのですよと答えました。
実は、彼女はとても目立っていたので、彼女が近づいてくる前から私は彼女に気づいていました。彼女は日本人には見えませんでした。金髪で青い目でしたから。
彼女が私に話しかけてきた時、私はとっさに英語で話すべきだという気がしました。でも、彼女は日本語を話していたので、それに英語で答えたりしたらかえって失礼だろうと思い直しました。それに、もし彼女が英語話者なら、英検を受けるわけないでしょう。
その後、私は待合室で彼女を見かけました。私は準一級の席に座っていましたが、彼女は一級の席でした。
テスト後に、私たちはその学校の前のバス停でまた会いました。挨拶をして、私は彼女にどこの国の方なのですかと尋ねました。
彼女は「母はロシア人で父は日本人です。」と答えました。
「日本で育ったのですか？」
「はい」
私はちょっと恥ずかしくなりました。つまり、彼女は日本人で、日本語は母語なのでした。
彼女は、こんな質問をこれまで何度受けてきたことでしょう。彼女が気を悪くしていないだろうかと思いましたが、彼女は明るく答えていました。慣れているのかも知れません。
私は彼女にずっと日本語で話していてよかったと思いました。
「じゃあ、ロシア語も話せるのですね？」
「はい。母とは家でいつもロシア語で話していますし、夏休みにはロシアの祖父母のところに行きますから。」
「うらやましいわ。ロシア語って難しいって聞いているから。」
「そうですか？ 私は小さい時から話しているので、難しいとは思いません。」
それから、私たちはその日のテストのことや他のいろいろなことを話しました。バスが来るまでおしゃべりを楽しみました。
彼女はとても美人のブロンドで、日本語とロシア語のバイリンガルで、しかも英語も優秀です。
彼女に輝かしい未来が待っていることを望みます、というか、確信しています。
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She asked me if it was the right bus stop for the private school.
She didn’t look Japanese.
However, I realized she was speaking Japanese, so it would be a little rude if I answered in English.
I was sitting in the line for level pre-1, but she was in level 1.
Rather than "but" you can connect it with "and" or even "while".
We greeted and I asked her what her homeland was.
You're really helpful.
When I was waiting for the bus at the bus pool in front of S station, I was spoken to by a girl in a high school uniform I didn't recognize. of somewhere.
Alternative.
She asked me if it was the right bus stop for the private school the test was being held at.
I think this sentence needs a little more information regarding what school you're talking about.
Since she was showing me (or "Since she was holding") a paper of the Test in Practical English Proficiency, I immediately realized that she was also going to take the test.
However, I realized (that) since she was speaking Japanese, so I would (or "it would") be rude if I answered in English.
How many times had she been asked this kind of questions?
I wondered if these questions it annoyed her, but she answered cheerfully.
I've been speaking it since I was a little kid.”
She was a really pretty blonde, bilingual of in Japanese and Russian, and excellent in English.
Haha, I'm sure she gets asked that a lot. :) She sounds like a very interesting person!
Yes, she was a interesting and charming girl.
It was my first experience to talk with a native Japanese speaker with Western appearance, so I felt a little strange. I enjoyed it, though.
When I was waiting for the bus at the bus stop in front of S station, a girl in a high school uniform spoke to me.
She asked me if it was the right bus stop for the private school.
Actually, she looked so striking that I had been looking at her even before she approached me.
She didn’t look like Japanese.
However, I realized she was speaking Japanese, so it would be rude if I answered in English.
Later, I saw her at the waiting room.
I usually think of a waiting room as being at a doctor's office, so it sounds a little strange to me here.
I was waiting in the line to take level pre-1, but she was waiting to take level 1.
We greeted each other and I asked her if where she was from.
That meant she was Japanese and she is a native speaker of Japanese.
How many times had she been asked that kind of questions?
I wondered if those questions annoyed her, but she answered cheerfully.
I've been speaking/I've spoken it since I was a little kid.”
She was a really pretty blonde girl, bilingual in Japanese and Russian, and excellent in English.
I've heard Asian Americans complain about always being asked, "where are you from?" and being told they speak good English, even when they (and even their parents and grandparents) were born here in the U.S. and English is their native (and only) language. I suppose there's a fine line between being interested in someone's heritage and implying that they are outsiders who don't belong.
"The waiting room" is called "待合室" or "控室" in Japanese in this situation.
How do you say it in English?
>I suppose there's a fine line between being interested in someone's heritage and implying that they are outsiders who don't belong.
Exactly. That's why I felt a little guilty about asking the question.
I hope she didn't mind it.