How to learn English well

How to learn English well 浙江工业大学之江学院国际经济与贸易学科带头人王国安教授 Office: 行健楼206室 136-00516079 wangguoan@yahoo.com http://econet.zjgsu.edu.cn/andrew.wang/

Contents • The importance of the English language • The weaknesses of English learners in China • How to learn English well - Reading, listening, speaking, writing and translating • Proverbs to remember • Questions and answers

I. The importance of the English language English is the most dominating language for international business/trade, international academic communication, international relations, diplomacy though French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Chinese/Mandarin are the working languages in the United Nations, too. English is spoken in the developed countries, such as the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the former British colonies, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia,the Philippines and so on. English is spoken by the elite and the rich in other developing countries.英语是全球普通话。 English can be read on the computers all over the world.

II. The weaknesses of English learners in China • Too shy to speak, thinking that we are culturally and linguistically inferior to the English-speaking white people. • Claim that there is no English-speaking environment. • Test-oriented teaching methods, too much importance to grammar. • Able to read, but unable to speak or write poorly. • Good at tests, poor in communication skills.

III. How to learn English well- Positive attitudes • Bold enough to speak; • Culturally confident, but open to learn; • Socially interactive and outgoing; • Do not be afraid of making mistakes, we can make progress by making mistakes; Don't pay much attention to pronunciation, instead pay more attention to content expression and fluency; • Learn how to swim by swimming; • Practice makes perfect; • Rome is not built in a day.

III. How to learn English well- Reading • 《英文21世纪报》 • Simplified English books, novels • Bilingual readings • 《中国日报》www.chinadaily.com.cn • Academic journals in English of your own specialization or major • Do not consult your dictionary whenever you come across every new word. Use 《有道词典》.

III. How to learn English well- Listening and Speaking • Voice of American (VOA), special English program, read after/imitate it to improve your fluency or read aloud and recite some good writings for half an hour every day • Watch CCTV-9 International • Listen to VOA’s standard English美国广播公司 or BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation 英国广播公司 or • CNN：Cable News Network ,美国有线电视新闻网,以提供即时电视新闻报导而闻名 • Watch English movies on your computer • Participate in English Corner on campus

III. How to learn English well- Listening and Speaking Talk with your partner in English for about one hour every day. The topics can be family matters, news on your campus, in Hangzhou/Zhejiang/China/the world. Make friends with foreign friends/students and go shopping/outing/sightseeing with them or help them with their Mandarin learning in return. Chat with foreign friends at MSN,QQ or Skype.

III. How to learn English well - Writing • Keep a diary or write a weekly report in English and recite some well-written essays. • Request your foreign/Chinese friend/classmate to proofread your writing. • Use spelling check to check your spelling mistakes automatically before your submission. • Ask a native speaker of English to revise your abstract and final version of your paper or any academic writing before your submission, in return you may help him/her with his/her Mandarin. • Coauthor papers with native speakers in English.

III. How to learn English well- Interpretation and Translation • Watch press conferences hosted by Premier Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi’s and listen to their interpreters’ interpretation. • Translate some writings and compare your translations with their published translations. • Show your English translations to native speakers of English and request them to revise them. In brief, read aloud for half an hour, listen and imitate for half an hour, talk for half an hour every day and keep a diary, your English will be fluent within one year.

III. How to learn English well- English Tests • 教育部的大学英语四、六级考试（CET-4、6） • 剑桥商务英语中级、高级（BEC） • 托业 TOEIC - Test of English for International Communication（职场英语标准）。是针对在国际工作环境中使用英语交流的人们的英语能力的测评。 • 托福 TOEFL(Test of English as a foreign language) • 雅思 IELTS (International English Language Testing System, 中文名为国际英语语言测试系统）是由英国文化协会（The British Council，即英国驻华大使馆/总领事馆文化教育处）、剑桥大学考试委员会（CESOL）和澳大利亚教育国际开发署（IDP Australia）共同举办的国际英语水平测试。此项考试是为申请赴英语国家（美国、英国、澳大利亚、加拿大、新西兰等）留学、移民的非英语国家学生而设，用来评定考生运用英语的能力。 • 上海外语口译证书考试（中级/高级）

IV. Proverbs to remember • Practice makes perfect. • Rome is not built in a day. • No pains no gains. • When in Rome as Romans do. • Confident, interactive and outgoing. • We live to learn and learn to live. • God helps those who help themselves.

国际经贸易人才 应该游学世界、洞察世界，了解世界、改造世界,视野广阔、英语流利、性格活跃、善于沟通；具有野蛮人的强健体魄，现代人的开拓思维，国际人的全球视野和外向的知识结构;应该系统掌握经济学的基本原理、国际经济与贸易的基本理论，了解现代国际经贸的环境和发展现状，掌握通行的国际贸易规则、法律与惯例，熟悉我国对外贸易的政策、法规和我国主要贸易伙伴的基本情况，通晓最新的国际贸易业务运作方式，能够无障碍地用英语和网络进行涉外沟通，成为具有创新精神和全球目光的应用型、操作型和复合型国际经贸人才。学生应该毕业后能在外贸公司、跨国公司、政府对外经济贸易管理部门、涉外企事业单位和科研院所从事与国际经贸有关的营销、管理、调研、翻译和宣传策划工作。

Any questions? Mobile: 136-00516079 E-mail:tradelaw@hzcnc.com http://econet.zjgsu.edu.cn/andrew.wang/ Office: 行健楼206室王国安教授

How to learn English well