Overview of English study method

  

 Part 1 Integral Suggestion

　　 1. We'd better develop our interest in English at the beginning of our study. To develop interest in English study is not very hard. We may have the feeling of satisfaction and achievement from our English study when we are able to say something simple in English, talk with others or foreigners in English and act as others' interpreters.
　

2. Plans are always very essential, so we must make some elaborate and workable plans before study. And we should certainly carry out these plans to the letter.
　

3. Notes should be made whenever we study any book. We may follow this advice: Don't read book without making notes. As we know that notes are the summarization, the core content, our understanding and the abbreviations of the books. Our notes are much thinner than the books so that we can learn them by heart easier and can often review and read them. We may also record our notes on tapes so as to often listen to them easier, to deepen our impression and to lighten our burden of memory. Sometimes it is needful to draw some tables and illustrations that are very impressive, visual and concise.
　
　　 4. Watching English movies, English TV programs, listening to English songs and learn English on some special occasions are also excellent and vivid English learning ways as we may combine English with some certain scenes to deepen our memory.

5. Never just memorize single English words. Learn by heart the whole sentences and the phrases that contain the new words so we may know how to use the words.

　　 6. If time permits, we may read Mini Chinese-English dictionary carefully from cover to cover, which may help us widen our sight and master knowledge in all aspects.
　
　　 7. Excellent personality is one of the decisive factors in English study. Persistence, patience, self-confidence and determination are badly needed.

　

Part 2 Detailed methods

1. Oral English:

　　 A. We study spoken English so as to make oral communications, so this order of importance of oral English study should be followed: Fluency, Accuracy, and Appropriateness. That is to say, we have to pay more attention to practical communicating ability instead of only laying emphasis on the grammatical correctness.

　　 B. Try to find some partners practicing oral English together and English corner is a good place as where we may exchange English study experience, widen our sight and improve interest in English.
　

C. If English partners are not easy to get, then we have to create an English environment ourselves by speaking English to ourselves.
　　
　　 D. This method is very effective and easy to insist on--interpreting Chinese-English novels or books. First we read the Chinese parts and then try to interpret them into English and then compare our interpretation with the original versions in the novels or books so that we can find out the mistakes, shortcomings and progresses in our interpretation.
　
　　 E. Interpreting what you hear---Changing Roles: Three people make a group: one speaks Chinese, one speaks English acting as the foreigner, one acts as interpreter. Then change roles. This is a good interpreting training method and is good for studying from one another. In addition, it may improve the responding ability and speed of students. The advanced stage of this method is simultaneous interpretation.

　　 F. Oral composition and 3-minute training method: This method is suitable for intense training. Making an oral composition about a certain topic for one minute the first time and record the composition on tape at the same time. Then listen to the composition and find out the room for improvement. Then make the same composition for two minutes for the second time and also record it. And at last repeat the above-mentioned for three minutes.
　

　 G. Retelling exercise: Retell some articles or English stories in our own words.
　
　 H. If possible, we may read some English tongue twisters loudly and quickly with one or two cakes of candy in our mouth (just as the Chinese cross-talk actors do.) to train our oral cavity muscle and tongues suitable for English pronunciation.
　　

☆ A big black bug bit the back of a big black bear. The big black bear bit back the big black bug.
　　☆ This fish has a thin fin; That fish has a fat fin;
　　 This fish is a fish that has a thinner fin than that fish.
 

I. Paying more attention to phrases and small words as one major shortcoming of Chinese English (especially Chinese oral English) is that Chinese students tend to use big words in their oral language, but the idiomatic oral English is abundant with short, active and vivid phrases. And most of such phrases are made of small words.
 
　 J. Oral English has its own features, but it is closely combined with other aspects of English, for example, writing may make oral English precise and accurate.

2. Listening comprehension:

A. We may improve our aural ability by speaking English in the native and idiomatic way. The pronunciation, intonation and sentence structure should not be in Chinese style.

B. Keeping a relaxed, natural and steady mood when listening to some materials. Namely, to establish self-confidence and to develop excellent psychological quality are essential in the improvement of aural ability.
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C. We may make some simple notes while listening, for examples, the names of people and places, time, age, distance, occupation, figures and so on to get a better understanding of the content.

D. Catching the drift of the content instead of understanding every word and never waste too much time on single words.

E. Pay close attention to CONCESSION and TRANSITION so as to correctly understand the attitudes of the speakers. The following words are most important: even though, even so, in spite of, unless, although, no matter, however, whatever, no, nor, neither…nor, but….

F. If we may learn by heart new words by listening some word tapes, the results must be satisfactory.
　

3.Reading skills

　　a. Intensive Reading: When we read the intensive articles, we should make notes of the new words and phrases and good sentences. After reading them, we may ask ourselves some questions about them by using such words: Who, What, Why, When and Where. Then try to answer them in our own words.

　　 b. Extensive reading: We must train our ability to scan, skip and read fast. Namely, the ability to catch the key words, the topic sentences and the drift of the articles.

c. Reading speed: Three ways to improve our reading speed:

1) Reading the articles from the beginning to the end without intervals so to catch the rough idea of the articles on the whole. Never waste too much time on some new words and single sentences.

 2）We may keep time when reading articles.

3) When reading articles, we can point at the words with our finger or pen point and our eyes move with the finger quickly so that we are able to read very fast.
　
　　 d. Newspaper as good reading materials can widen our sight and richen our knowledge.
　　

4.Writing skills.
　

       a. We have to accumulate abundant materials before we write something, say, learning by heart crowds of articles.

　 b. Try to express one meaning in various ways.
　
     c. Keeping English diary if possible.
　
　　 a) Prepare some new words, expressions and good sentences to be used before writing something.
　　
　　 b) We may also make some English pen pals to establish English communication relationship through some media like newspaper and magazines.