【英语语言学习】在路上学英语

On some French trains, the conductor's whistle signals more than just a departure. For commuters traveling on an express train from Reims to Paris — a 90-mile, 45-minute ride — it means the beginning of English class.

"Before the course, we were sleeping in the train in the morning," says passenger-student Gilles Hallais. "So I prefer practicing English."

Hallais, 44, is a journalist at French public radio. He says while he doesn't need English for his work, he does need it for his life. "I think it could be a handicap if I don't speak fluent English."

Rail officials hope these classes, called English on Track, will become more popular, especially after a recent study ranked France at the bottom in Europe in English proficiency², which is one offshoot of the country's efforts to protect French culture and language.

In France, unlike in some other European countries, the law mandates³ that foreign shows on television must be dubbed⁴ into French, not just subtitled. So young people don't have the chance to beef up their English while watching American shows.

Learning On The Rails

David Potier, head of commercial relations with France's state rail company, the SNCF, says when a high-speed rail link opened between Reims and Paris a few years ago, the number of regular passengers quadrupled to 1,000 a day. He says it makes sense to offer such professional customers special services at competitive prices.

Jerome Paillot, a 37-year-old native of Reims, recently began working at the French headquarters of an Italian coffee company. He believes improving his English is important for his career.

David Potier, head of commercial relations with France's state rail company, promotes the English classes and Canadian Afton Piercy is one of the teachers.

David Potier, head of commercial relations with France's state rail company, promotes the English classes and Canadian Afton Piercy is one of the teachers.

Eleanor Beardsley/NPR

"I do the purchase order and I communicate every day with my export service," he said. "The English language is used every time."

The setting has its perks⁵. Huddling⁶ around English books and a bag of croissants in plush seats at the back of a rail car, four commuter¹ students say the intimate size of their group allows them to practice freely, without feeling intimidated⁷.

Canadian teacher Afton Piercy said students find it easier to talk in the train rather than in a formal classroom.

"Sometimes in English classes, there's lots of writing but not as much discussion and listening — and that's very important," she said. Piercy's French is not great, she said, but she's working on it.

The French rail network is the largest in Europe, carrying more than 100 million passengers a year on 800 high-speed routes. And though the train is traveling at up to 180 miles per hour, it doesn't disrupt the English lesson. There's no noise, no bumps. It's a very smooth ride.

1 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。

2 proficiency   

n.精通，熟练，精练

参考例句：

• He plied his trade and gained proficiency in it.他勤习手艺，技术渐渐达到了十分娴熟的地步。
• How do you think of your proficiency in written and spoken English?你认为你的书面英语和口语熟练程度如何？

3 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。

4 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 perks   

额外津贴，附带福利，外快( perk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perks offered by the firm include a car and free health insurance. 公司给予的额外待遇包括一辆汽车和免费健康保险。
• Are there any perks that go with your job? 你的工作有什么津贴吗？

6 huddling   

n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事

参考例句：

• Twenty or thirty monkeys are huddling along the thick branch. 三十只猴子挤在粗大的树枝上。
• The defenders are huddling down for cover. 捍卫者为了掩护缩成一团。

7 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》