法学部教員コラム vol.3
2012.11.05 法学科 Philip Hinder
法学部では、法学部教員の研究生活の一端や、大学人として
折にふれて感じたことを、コラムとして順次紹介しています！
2012-11-5 掲載
vol.5 【クリケットはいかがですか？】
執筆者：法学部 教授 Philip Hinder
（英語コミュニケーション、自己表現の英語、ビジネス英語など）
After the summer break, I asked my students if they had done any sporting activities during the vacation.
“I played cricket,” one replied.
Ｉ was somewhat surprised until he told me that he had been on a study trip to Oxford, England which is one of the many opportunities to study abroad that Kanto Gakuin University offers.
It was certainly an exciting month to be in Britain which was hosting the Olympics.
Visitors were welcomed with a warmth and cheerfulness which surprised even English people themselves, who are sometimes known for their reserve and complaining about the weather.
Sport brings people of the world closer together and , as the Paralympic Games showed, everyone has the ability to achieve great things with the right focus, determination and courage.
Reaching the top in a sport is tough, but it’s a satisfying feeling when you know you have tried your best.
Mastering English is also hard, but it’s rewarded by the ability to communicate with foreigners which opens your mind to a whole new world.
My special interest is in studying classroom interaction and methods to create the right atmosphere so that students can feel comfortable while developing skills and, hopefully, a passion for expressing themselves in English on such topics as music, travel, jobs and, of course, sport.
When you can speak English well, you’ll soon find yourself thinking in English and saying things that may be difficult to explain even in your native language, Japanese.
Many foreigners learn about Japanese culture through practicing the Martial Arts such as judo and kendo.
If you get the chance to visit England, I recommend trying cricket. It has been a national sport since the late 1700s.
It’s now a more competitive sport, but one in which fairness and ‘keeping the spirit’ of the game are still important.
One game may last for 3-5 days, and there are breaks for ‘teatime’ in the afternoon.
Often games end in a draw because of ‘rain stop play.’
Cricket will bring you closer to understanding English culture and the character of the people.
Perhaps some international conflicts would be avoided if everyone played cricket.
When there is unfair behaviour in any walk of life, English people still remark, “It’s not cricket.”
