Unit11
Tips for English Learning
Q: I have been learning English for six years, but I still can't understand a film in English. What's the wrong with my learning process?
A: The secret of learning anything, whether it be maths or engineering or English, is to give yourself manageable learning steps. You are trying to run before you can walk! By watching an English film, you are throw yourself in the deep end, and drowning, rather than entering the shallows, and gently going deeper! Give yourself easier tasks: Do not think that you are thereby not learning -- you are learning by gradually building up confidence and fluency.
Q: I cannot read books originally written in English because of my poor vocabulary. I once decided to recite 20 words a day, but I forgot all of them after a few days. I feel frustrated.
A: I found my students often choose books that are far too difficult, hoping that the deeper the hill, the higher they could climb. Not true! Recite vocabulary may be helpful, particularly to get your tongue round the pronunciation. But you need to use it to penetrate deeply into your memory bank. So reciting 20 words a day is not nearly as effective as consciously using them in sentences.
Q: I have accumulated more than 4,000 vocabularies, and passed CET-4, but I still cannot talk fluently in English. Could you give me some advice?
A: Language is a peculiar thing: you can study till the cows come home, yet still be unable to communicate. The main thing is to get the balance between study and practice right. Make sure that what you think you have studied and learned, is applied, or used, both in speech and writing. That way, what you have learned also becomes part of your active repertoire.
Q: When I connect to Internet, is it better to explore the English Websites?
A: Exploring the Web may be a good idea, but it can take a lot of time and what one finds is of uneven quality. Using search engines to wander around the Web can easily become addictive. And it is very easy to forget the original purpose. I suggest you find one or two sites that seem helpful and stay with them.
Q: It might be a silly question to ask, but is there any shortcut for English learning?
A: Sorry, but there's no shortcut. It just takes time, patience and persistence. Each person's brain is different, meaning someone may take 5 years to master what another can manage in one. (And the slower learner may master geometry or chemistry 5 times faster than the speedy English learner.) Learners should know about the limits and abilities of their brains, and map out a personal study schedule. The schedule should include reading and reviewing texts, plus other books consistent with the skill level of the learner. Besides, you should also set aside time for peaking English with anyone who speaks it. English is not like any other subject. You have to practice instead of merely accumulating knowledge about it. |