多読向け教材シリーズ。

ニュースサイトから英語学習にうってつけの記事を厳選していきます。
今回はVOA-Voice of America English Newsより。350 wordsというかなり短めの素材です。中3~高2くらいのレベル（英検準2〜2級）です。

要約をページ下部に記載しています。読んだ内容と一致しているか確認をしてみましょう。

また, 今回は英検2級くらいのスピードの音声もついていますので, リスニング→記事確認がおすすめです。
動画もありますので, 記事とともにご活用下さい。

Article（記事）

●Using Culture to Teach Arabic to American Students

By Caty Weaver, May 25, 2016

● word数：約350 words

●黙読の目標時間：1m45s（WPM200で算出）

● Audio File（記事の読み上げ）（スピード：英検2級程度）

＊本文は以下URL or  以下の"引用部分"

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/using-culture-to-teach-arabic-to-americans/3345003.html

Using Culture to Teach Arabic to American Students

May 25, 2016

Learning a new language is not easy, but an Egyptian in Washington, D.C., says he knows how to make it less difficult.

Tamer Elsharkawy teaches Arabic to children. He says that “the magic key to teaching language is culture.”

Elsharkawy came to Washington through the State Department’s Teachers of Critical Languages program. The program brings teachers from China and Egypt to the United States. One of the goals of the program is to help American students learn Chinese and Arabic.

The program helps the teachers and students learn about the cultures of other countries. Elsharkawy says learning languages helps students learn more about the world.

“Some parents reach out with me to because they wanted to know how to deal with their children here in Washington, D.C. about this kind of stuff like Islamophobia. They are not Muslims, but they want to teach their children something correct about this topic. So this is a part of what we are doing.”

Spanish is the native language of many of Elsharkawy’s students at Cooke Elementary School. So, many of them are learning English and Arabic at the same time.

Flora Lerenman teaches English at Cooke Elementary. She helped the school become a part of the Critical Languages program. She says learning two languages at the same time helps the children learn faster. And she says the children are learning more than just a new language.

“I really believe in students having a global education and an international outlook.”

Elsharkawy said he is also learning about the world. He has explored the local Muslim community and the many cultures in Washington.

“I think Washington, D.C., is, like, the most fantastic place for anyone from any nationality to be here -- lots of colors, lots of religions."

Elsharkawy says he knows that the children at the school -- some of whom are as young as five years old -- might not remember all of the Arabic words he teaches them. He says they might even forget his name. But he says he hopes that they will always remember him as a teacher they liked and respected.

I’m Caty Weaver.

Video (動画)

Summary（要約）

ワシントンＤＣのあるエジプト人教師Tamer Elsharkawyは, アメリカのTCAP（＝中国語やアラビア語を学ばせるために中国やエジプトから教師を招くプログラム）を通じてワシントンにやってきて, 子どもたちにアラビア語を教えている。彼によれば, 新言語を学ぶのが簡単ではないが, 文化理解がその習得の鍵になる。言語を学ぶこと, それは文化を学ぶことだから, 世界についてさらに多くを学べる。世界的視野, 広い視野で考えることができるのだ。

肌の色, 宗教が様々なワシントンにおいて, Elsharkawyのもとにはイスラム教恐怖のようなものに関して子どもに教えればよいか相談にくるが, 言語学習を通じてイスラム教への正しい知識を伝えることもできる。その文化理解が言語学習を加速させてくれるのだ。

Summary: Neyo O

Opinion（コメント）

Some parents in the United States think Islamophobia is a real thing, i mean, they  sometimes have a little fear of Muslims living in their neighborhood. I kind of relate to it, but this would be a stereotype. They are good people and they are one of us. Many were born , have grown, have gone to the same school in the United States, though they have a different religion.  The Egyptian teacher says that it is important to use culture in order to improve a language ability, Arabic, but it is the opposite for me. Learning languages enables us to accept different ideas, cultures, religion or something.

Eric S

アメリカの, それもワシントンの外国語教育でアラビア語っているの？宗教色を強くしてしまうんじゃない？というのが最初にこの記事のタイトルを見た時の印象でした。TCAPで実際に働く教師の意見を読んでみて, イスラム教恐怖を少なからず感じる現地住民にとってはむしろ正しく文化を理解する手段にもなっているのだと分かりました。ニューヨークやシンガポールのような人種のるつぼだからこそ, 異文化理解のために言語教育が重要だと実感します。

Neyo O