Think of Best Age for Starting English Training

Part One

The following is the latest news on October 21,2013 from China daily.

A new college entrance examination is in the making in many provinces in China. The English exam is in the firing line for reform. English listening tests in the college entrance examination will be stopped in Shandong province from next year. And the English test scores will be reduced in Beijing from 2015.

That is a good news for Chinese students.

English has become an international language is a product of the development of modern history of the world.That’s its historic background why English has become so popular and important worldwide.That’s an objective existent fact we can not deny.

Indeed it is pretty helpful when we go abroad studing,traveling or doing business.And it has been set for one of the most important subjects of the college entrance examination in China.

Therefore,its significance is obvious.

But this more or less determines that English-learning in China will inevitably turn out to be test-oriented to some extent.

We are obliged to pass all kinds of English examinations for a better future.Since we can not change the environment,what we can only do is change ourselves and adapt to it.

Since reform and opening up,English has made its way into China’s economic and social development.All Chinese students are learning English with full of passion and enthusiasm.The overall environment for English-learning is getting pretty good,which is much better than learning other second languages,such as Japanese,Russian,Korean, etc.

You can read news on Chinadaily,listen to the live broadcast CRI,and  watch CCTV9,they are all in English version.And there are also a diverse range of English-version websites available in China.

I do not know whether the other countries designate a second language as a subject of the college entrance examination as China does.

And I believe in his article,he lays more emphasis on communication than passing the examination.But he ignore one important fact what Chinese student must face is English examinations.If not,they can not go to the university which they long for.

I totally agree with his second point the second language should be taught in the same way as their native language.Language is learned naturally by first listening, then speaking, then writing and lastly, reading. This is the natural way that every child on the planet learns a language.

Usually a second language is taught in in school in a totally different and quite unnatural sequence. They are taught to write, read, listening and then speak.

The English-learning process in China is unnatural,that’s an indisputable fact,we all Chinese know that,but what can be done?Do we have a better choince?Are we able to choose the natural way as we want to learn English?

The answer will be absolutely affirmative:NO!

Our economic conditions are not allowed.

Because most Chinese can not afford to have a foreign language teacher,even including most public schools in Chinese hinterland.

Let alone afford to travel around America,Britain and other places where the native languge is English for years like what foreignors do in China.

If we can do that,we will be able to speak English fluently and accurately without any problem.

Languages, however, need active participation and thus must be taught in very small classes - the smaller the better. It can not easily be taught in a class of 60 students or above.

we've found that the richer the school, the more importance English has. Because the students have wealthier parents who can afford to travel etc.
It is the realistic situation make English-learning much more difficult for us.

Whatever,there is no deny that we Chinese have studied English very well

It is inseparable from much time and energy which we have paid.

Anyway,the mastery of a language is not an easy thing,even for those foreignors who have much chances to travel around the world.I am wondering how much Chinese Michael can listen,speak,read and write.I am also curious about whether he can pass English subject of our college entrance examination.Maybe he is considering whether it is worth paying such price as Chinese did to learn Chinese,and for what purpose?