INDYWORLD 4STEPS ENGLISH 8 "To act is to open your heart!"
[A Word from Indy-sensei This Week]
"Even a machine can line up English words. What matters is what kind of 'heart' you put into those words. Cast aside your shyness and try becoming the character!" 💉 (If you felt a flutter for Miki Kano, you get three candies!)
[Story]
Miki: (BANG‼️)
"I'm coming in! Taro, what are you doing?"
Taro: "Whoa, Miki! (I knew she'd come) You're doing it again! I'm in the middle of something important... you know, self-study."
Miki: "...Huh? Why is this? The moment I stepped into your room, I'm speaking in Osaka dialect. That's strange. Oh, potato chips."
(Starts eating them without asking)
Taro: "Ah, my midnight snack..."
Miki: (While stuffing her cheeks with chips)
"...(Hugging Indy) Ah, Indy! You're looking handsome today too! You really soothe me. ...Wait, I've really started speaking in Osaka dialect. What am I saying? It's so weird."
Taro: (Whispering)
"Indy-sensei, please help me. Miki is being way too free today..."
Miki: "Taro, what are you mumbling about? Just tell your big sister Miki everything."
Indy-sensei: (Sniffing Miki's presence, inner voice)
...Taro, look closely.
Miki's 'chatter' right now,
she sounds spirited, but—
there's exhaustion deep in her eyes.
She must be bottling up quite a lot from her nursing job.
For now, just wait for the storm to pass.
Miki: (Suddenly looking serious, staring intently at Taro)
"...Taro, did you change? Lately, you seem strangely confident, or something... Well, whatever. I'm getting sleepy. I have an early day tomorrow, so I'm heading home."
"...Or maybe..."
(A short pause)
"Should I stay the night?"
Taro: (Face turning bright red)
"W-what are you saying! No way, you should go home. It's already late!"
Miki: (For a moment, looking lonely and exasperated)
"...Geez! You really are... a total idiot!"
(Miki exits like a storm.
From outside the door that slammed shut—)
"Taro, you idiot! You coward!"
Taro: "...Phew. I thought my heart was going to stop. What was that all about?"
Indy-sensei: (Shaking his head in disbelief)
"...Taro, you are a genuine 'coward.' But tell me, did you hear what Miki just said? She instinctively senses the 'change' in you as you try to transform yourself little by little through your English training."
Taro: "Oh, do you think she noticed...?"
Indy-sensei: "That's right. But if you stay as you are, you won't be able to reach the 'loneliness' or 'worries' deep in her heart. Listen, the 'Drama Method' isn't just for having perfect pronunciation. It's a 'technique' to step into the other person's heart and share their tremors. The next time she comes to this room, it'll be your turn to 'heal' her with your English."
[Summary of Episode 7: The Secret of the Drama Method]
"Shyness" isn't a wall, it's a door!
Taro got stiff in front of Miki because he was trying to look good. In the Drama Method, you break through that self-consciousness by becoming a "character.""Observe" the other person's state.
The "worries" and "irritation" behind Miki's tough attitude. Reading the emotions behind the words is the first step to true communication (drama).
[Indy-sensei's Special Lecture on the "Drama Method"]
After Miki leaves, Indy-sensei speaks quietly. What is the Drama Method? This technique that breathes life into English was proposed by the Broadway director Richard A. Via, and it is a historic method that is currently being preserved by **MLS (Model Language Studio)**.
These three things are important.
① Emotion makes words come alive.
"This is a map." ...How boring!
→ "This is the secret map of the treasure island!"
See? Suddenly your voice has power, right?
That is the moment life dwells in words.
② If the situation changes, the meaning changes.
Are you saying "I am swimming..." at a public pool, or screaming it in a sea full of sharks?
If the situation becomes dramatic, your pronunciation and expressions will become desperate.
That desperation creates "English that gets through."
③ Conversation isn't "lines," it's "communication."
You aren't reading a script.
You listen to the other person's words, and because your heart is moved, your own words overflow.
The Drama Method is practice for cultivating a "heart for conveying."
[Story: Conclusion]
Taro: "A treasure island map... A sea with sharks... I see, what my English was missing was this 'situation' and 'emotion'."
Indy-sensei: "That's right. The pounding of your heart when Miki said 'Should I stay the night?' That is drama. Try putting that agitation into your English. The 'This is a map' from your textbook should become living English."
Taro: "...I'm starting to look forward to the next lesson."
Indy-sensei: "That's the spirit. Next time, be sure to get close to Miki's heart."
[Indy-sensei's Editor's Note]
Richard Via's teachings haven't faded even now.
Say goodbye to superficial English and speak from the heart.
Taro, that "innocence" of yours will become a weapon.
But, you'll need a "bold heart" like Elvis for the big moments.
That's when the "sound" and "heart" you've learned will create the greatest miracle.
The true meaning of the name "Kano"...
I feel like I'm starting to see it a little.
Still,
"Should I stay the night?"... even I got a little nervous from that (laughs).
Next time, it's the coming-out episode.
...Don't you dare miss it.
Thank you for reading until the end.
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