国際交流部長／国際教育連携推進機構副機構長／教授
フィリップ・ラッシュ 先生
School of Foreign Studies
Department of British and American Studies
Professor Philip RUSH
Hello. It's nice to meet you! My name is Philip Rush.
I come from the United Kingdom. My family all come from an area in the far south west of England called Cornwall. My parents had to move closer to London because of my father’s job, so I was brought up in a small town in Northamptonshire, in the centre of England. However, Cornwall is, and always has been, where my heart is.
フィリップ・ラッシュ 先生
School of Foreign Studies
Department of British and American Studies
Professor Philip RUSH
Hello. It's nice to meet you! My name is Philip Rush.
I come from the United Kingdom. My family all come from an area in the far south west of England called Cornwall. My parents had to move closer to London because of my father’s job, so I was brought up in a small town in Northamptonshire, in the centre of England. However, Cornwall is, and always has been, where my heart is.
Cornwall is unique in England. In many ways, it is not England at all. Cornwall was a separate country with its own King and its own language at one time, just like Wales, Scotland and Ireland. It is a beautiful but hard place, with rocky cliffs, granite hills with little plant life, isolated beaches of golden sand, and huge seas. The people there are like the land: tough, strong, and not comfortable with outsiders. Yet they have warm hearts and help each other all they can.
Most of my family are farmers and fishermen, two of the main jobs in Cornwall before tourism took over. The industry that made Cornwall rich in the past was mining for tin and copper. At one time Cornwall was one of the richest parts of the UK. Now the mines, like the metals, are gone. Only the ruins and ghosts remain.
Cornwall is where I can completely relax and forget about the world’s troubles. We spent every spring and summer holiday there when I was a child. My first teaching job was there. I still try to go there twice a year, even though it is so far from Japan.
I came to Japan in 1985, at the time of ‘the Bubble’. For a (fairly) young person, Japan was so dynamic and exciting. Everything was exotic and fascinating. The language was a real challenge. The Japanese must be incredibly clever, I thought. How can anyone learn to read and write so many thousands of kanji? I had studied French and Spanish at school and at university, and after graduation I had taught these two languages for nine years in England. Because I love travel and languages, I also tried to learn some others. However, Japanese was so hard!. I do my best, but still have a lot to learn. I envy you!
I came to Japan in 1985, at the time of ‘the Bubble’. For a (fairly) young person, Japan was so dynamic and exciting. Everything was exotic and fascinating. The language was a real challenge. The Japanese must be incredibly clever, I thought. How can anyone learn to read and write so many thousands of kanji? I had studied French and Spanish at school and at university, and after graduation I had taught these two languages for nine years in England. Because I love travel and languages, I also tried to learn some others. However, Japanese was so hard!. I do my best, but still have a lot to learn. I envy you!
I played cricket for Nagoya Cricket club for about 15 years. I love cricket. Many people do not know the game in this country, but when I was playing, there were over 20 teams in Japan, though most of them were of course non-Japanese players. Cricket is a lot slower than baseball, but it has many techniques and skills. We used to play all over Honshu, sometimes having to travel five hours by car to a game, then play for six or seven hours, before driving home again. That’s a very long day! Sadly Nagoya Cricket club is no more, but I still follow the game as much as I can.
You chose this university to learn and master a foreign language. I want to help you to achieve your goal as much as I can. I have told you when I came to Japan, so you can easily work out how long I have been living and teaching here. I am always so impressed how hard Japanese students try with their studies. My three children were born and grew up in this country, but even with one native-speaking English parent (me) it was not easy for them to speak English fluently and confidently. Even after you graduate you will have to keep working hard at your language skills. You need to take advantage of the many native speaker classes here to improve your English, but it is also important to study the cultural and literary background to really get inside an English-speaking culture. Here at NUFS I teach several content courses, in which I try to introduce topics especially related to the UK, and in which I try to give you a picture of how British people think and act. I also have reading classes in which I try to introduce students to the themes, cultural context and symbolism of English literature. If you learn about the cultural background of a country, its language will become more alive for you.
Studying abroad is also a wonderful adventure. As the Head of the International Office here at NUFS I am delighted to be able to offer many of you the opportunity to study abroad on one of our many scholarships, and of course, my team and I will do our best to look after you and find you the place best suited to you. Living and studying abroad will deepen your knowledge and change your life. Study hard, get the necessary qualifications, and have a great time abroad!
Studying abroad is also a wonderful adventure. As the Head of the International Office here at NUFS I am delighted to be able to offer many of you the opportunity to study abroad on one of our many scholarships, and of course, my team and I will do our best to look after you and find you the place best suited to you. Living and studying abroad will deepen your knowledge and change your life. Study hard, get the necessary qualifications, and have a great time abroad!
I wish you all the very best with your life at NUFS. I am also looking forward to being able to meet you one day soon in one of my classes.
All the very best
Philip Rush
All the very best
Philip Rush