勉強の為に転載しました。
https://president.jp/articles/-/26332?display=b
https://president.jp/articles/-/26332?display=b
つたない英語の接客で、訪日客に人気を博しているスポットがある。現場で使われているのはカタコトの英語だ。なぜそれでも訪日客は不満を漏らさないのか。現場のスタッフたちに「カンタン英会話術」のコツを聞いた。第1回は「秋葉原のメイドカフェ」だ――。(第1回、全2回)
※本稿は、「プレジデント」(2017年4月17日号)の掲載記事を再編集したものです。
一緒にキュンキュンして“萌え”を伝える
メイドカフェといえば秋葉原。なかでも神的存在の「@ほぉ~むカフェ」には、1カ月に約5000人もの外国人が押し寄せるという。
「ご主人様(注:メイド用語で客のこと)は世界各国からいらっしゃいますが、アジアで多いのはやはり中国、韓国、台湾の方。ここ数年はタイからのご主人様も増えています」
こう語るのは人気メイドで、@ほぉ~むカフェを経営するインフィニア社長のhitomiさん。創業当初から勤務していることから、さぞかし英語が堪能かと思いきや、意外にも「むしろしゃべれない部類」だと言う。
しかしインタビュー前、店内に潜入していた我々取材班は、外国人客と楽しげに盛り上がっているhitomiさんの姿を目撃していた。英語が堪能というわけでないなら、いったいどうやって外国人客とコミュニケーションを取っているのだろうか。
「こんな私でも楽しく会話できるのは、言葉だけに頼らないからです。例えばアニメなど、外国人のご主人様と一緒に盛り上がれる共通の話題を見つけるんです。そうすればタイトルや主人公の名前など、単語レベルの会話で通じるので、あとは身振り手振りで、表情豊かにお喋りします。なかには英語も通じないご主人様もいらっしゃいますが、共通の話題があれば、ジェスチャーや顔の表情で伝わるんですよ」
確かにhitomiさんの英語は流暢というわけではないが、「アニメーション、ムービー、ジブリ」などキーとなる単語を軸にテンポよく話しかけ、オーバーアクション気味の身振り手振りと終始絶やさぬ笑顔で、コミュニケーションが成立している。外国人たちもとても楽しそうだ。会話の様子を見ていておや、と思ったことがある。会話の端々に日本語を織り交ぜているのだ。
「ここに来る外国人のご主人様は日本の文化に触れたいという方が多いので、日本語を挟みながらお喋りすると喜ぶんです。ですからあえて、会話の端々に日本語を入れるようにしています」
外国人客に人気なのがメイドとのチェキによる記念撮影。これも楽しく会話する際の取っ掛かりとなるという。
「一緒に写真を撮ったら、台紙にご主人様の名前を書いてプレゼントします。その際、ご主人様のお名前を、例えばカタカナで“マイケル”と書いてあげて、これ、マイケルって読むんです、と教えてあげると喜んでもらえます」
外国人客は“萌え”という文字も喜ぶのでよく書き添えるという。
「萌えがわからない外国人のご主人様には、一緒にキュンキュンしてもらって、恥ずかしそうに照れている感じになったら、それそれ! それが“萌え”です、と教えてあげます。英語で説明するより実際に体感してもらったほうが、喜んでもらえるし、気持ちも通じ合うんです」
同店では、新人メイドのために英会話教室を全10回で開催。さらに、全メイドに接客でよく使うフレーズを掲載した英会話ハンドブックも配布している。好評なのが、「その国の代表的なスポットや名物」。単語を言うだけで、会話の糸口になって盛り上がるという。
「例えば『ほえあ、あー、ゆう、ふろむ?』と聞いて、ご主人様が『オーストラリア』と答えたら、『カンガルー!』と返すとすごく喜んでくれます。どんな人でも、自分の国のことを1つでも知っていてもらえるとうれしい気持ちになりますよね」
言葉が通じなくても共通点を見つけて一緒に盛り上がろうとする姿勢、これが外国人が殺到する理由なのだ。
Maid in English(メイド イン イングリッシュ)
●「おかえりなさい ご主人様」:Welcome home my master !
●「~の国から来ました」:I come from the kingdom of ~
●「メイドは永遠の17歳です」:Maid is forever seventeen years old.
●「続けて言ってください『フリフリ!』」:Repeat after me “Furifuri”
●「萌えは、かわいいです」:Moe is cute !
●「おかえりなさい ご主人様」:Welcome home my master !
●「~の国から来ました」:I come from the kingdom of ~
●「メイドは永遠の17歳です」:Maid is forever seventeen years old.
●「続けて言ってください『フリフリ!』」:Repeat after me “Furifuri”
●「萌えは、かわいいです」:Moe is cute !
日本のアニメの話なら強気で話せる
我々取材班はhitomiさんのアドバイスをもとに、メイドカフェに来ていたイギリス人と韓国人に、無謀にも英語で会話を試みた。
海外経験がほとんどなく、外国人と英語で喋ったことなんて十数年ぶりだったのでドキドキだったが、外国人観光客は意外にも非常に好意的で、一生懸命耳を傾け、理解しようとしてくれた。そのため、英単語をつなげるだけでも話が通じた。そもそもメイドカフェに来るような外国人は日本の文化が好きで興味を持っているので、日本人にも好意的に接してくれるのだろう。
やはり盛り上がったのはアニメの話。イギリス人は好きなアニメとして『らんま1/2』『聖闘士星矢』をあげてくれた。しかし、我々がそのアニメを観たのはかなり昔。内容を覚えておらず、それ以上会話が続かない。一方韓国人のほうは『君の名は。』が好きだという。韓国では日本とさほど変わらないタイミングで日本の人気アニメ映画が上映されているため、お互いリアルタイム。かなり話が続いた。なにより外国人から日本のアニメが好きだといわれると誇らしい気持ちになり、英語に対するコンプレックスが一気に和らいだ。もちろん自分がつくったわけではないが、WBCで日本が勝ってうれしいのと同じ理屈だろう。
(取材・撮影=山下久猛)
ーーーーーーーReprinted for your study.
https://president.jp/articles/-/26332?display=b
Simple English words that will make you curious!
Skills 2018.10.13
#Maid Cafe #Foreigner
Hisatake Yamashita
Hisatake Yamashita
PRESIDENT, April 17, 2017
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There is a spot that is popular among visitors to Japan for its poor English service. The language used in the field is katakana English. Why don't visitors still complain about it? We asked some of the staff in the field for some tips on "simple English conversation techniques. The first installment is "Maid Cafe in Akihabara". (Part 1, all 2)
*This article is a re-edited version of an article that appeared in the April 17, 2017 issue of The President.
We will tell you "moe" by making you curious and curious together!
Speaking of maid cafes, Akihabara is the place to be. Some 5,000 foreigners flock to the @Hoam Cafe every month.
English conversation points with Asian people: Find the common ground, always smile and overact!
Maids come from all over the world, but the majority of maids in Asia are from China, Korea and Taiwan. In the last few years, we've seen an increase in the number of masters from Thailand.
Hitomi, a popular maid and president of Infinia, who runs the @whomecafé, said. Since he has been working there since the company was founded, I thought he would be fluent in English, but surprisingly, he says, "He's just not a good speaker.
Prior to the interview, however, we infiltrated the restaurant and witnessed hitomi enjoying herself with the foreign customers. If you are not fluent in English, how on earth are you communicating with foreign customers?
The reason why I can have a fun conversation even though I'm like this is because I don't rely on words alone. For example, find a common topic that you can get excited about with a foreign master, such as anime. If you do that, you'll be able to communicate with the title, the name of the protagonist, and so on at the word level, and then you'll be able to talk with your gestures and gestures in an expressive way. Some masters don't even speak English, but if they have a common topic, they can communicate through gestures and facial expressions.
It's true that Hitomi is not fluent in English, but she speaks key words such as "animation," "movie," and "Ghibli" at a good tempo, and her over-acting gestures and constant smiles make communication possible. The foreigners seem to be having a lot of fun. I was watching the conversation and thought, oh my. He interweaves Japanese into every part of the conversation.
Many of the foreign masters who come here want to experience Japanese culture, so they are very happy when we talk to them in Japanese. That's why I try to put Japanese into every part of the conversation.
One of the most popular activities among foreign visitors is a photo shoot with a maid. This is also a good clue to have an enjoyable conversation.
A Korean man (top) and a pair of men from London (bottom right) are experiencing the maid cafe for the first time. English conversation handbook to be distributed to all maids (bottom left). Specialties from each country and words commonly used in shops are written in English, such as "Welcome home, master.
After we take a picture together, I will write your master's name on the board and give it to you. If you write your husband's name as "Michael" in katakana, for example, and tell him that it's read Michael, he'll be happy.
The word "moe" is also appreciated by foreign customers, and they often add the word "moe" to their names.
''For foreign masters who don't understand moe, I'd like to have them kink up with me, and if I feel embarrassed and embarrassed, that's it! I'll tell them that's what moe is. It's better to have them actually experience it than to explain it to them in English, so they're happier and the feeling is mutual.
The store offers a total of 10 English conversation classes for new maids. In addition, all maids are given an English conversation handbook with phrases commonly used in customer service. One of the most popular is "the country's representative spots and specialties. It is said that just by saying a word, it becomes a clue to a conversation and gets people excited.
For example, "Huea, ah, Yu, furou? When the master replied "Australia", he said "Kangaroo! She is very happy when I tell her, "I'm going to do this. Anybody would be happy to know at least one thing about their country.
Even if they don't speak the same language, they find common ground and try to have fun together, which is the reason why so many foreigners rush in.
Maid in English
I came from the kingdom of ~": Welcome home my master !
I come from the kingdom of ~.
"Maid is forever seventeen years old.
Please continue to say, "Friffly! : Repeat after me "Furifuri"
Moe is cute : Moe is cute !
I'm bullish when it comes to Japanese anime!
Based on Hitomi's advice, we recklessly tried to talk to the British and Koreans at the maid cafe in English.
I was nervous because I had little overseas experience and hadn't spoken to a foreigner in English in over a decade, but the foreign tourists were surprisingly very friendly and tried very hard to listen and understand me. Therefore, even just connecting the English words together made sense. Foreigners who come to maid cafes like Japanese culture and are interested in it, so they probably treat Japanese people well.
After all, it was the anime story that got me excited. The Brits cited "Ranma 1/2" and "Saint Seiya" as their favorite anime. However, it was a long time ago that we watched that anime. I can't remember the content and the conversation doesn't continue any further. The Koreans, on the other hand, are more interested in "Kiminoha. He says he likes the In Korea, popular Japanese anime movies are shown at a similar time to those in Japan, so it's real-time. There was quite a bit of talk going on. Above all, I felt proud when a foreigner told me that he liked Japanese anime, and my complex about English suddenly eased. Of course, I didn't make this up, but I think it's the same logic that makes me happy that Japan won the WBC.
(Reported and photographed by Hisatake Yamashita)
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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