Teaching Chinese Students 外教谈英语学习(3)

range of purposes for which they are likely to use their international language, and to select courses where those purposes are recognized and understood by their teachers.

学习目标不宜太高

重要的是，你应当为自己订立实际可达的目标。要是目标订得太高， 想学到和英语母语人士一般的流利自然，除了极少数资赋特优的天才外，对一般人而言是不切实际的。中国的英语学习者不应该因为自己在应用英语时有些中国味，就感到自己没有学通而耿耿于怀。所谓学通英语，就是指在一般的情况下，你的英语能让讲标准英语的对方完全了解，同时，你也能了解他所说的。当然，所谓的“一般情况”也是依讲英语的对象的不同而有差异。若是在国际间以英语来沟通，所涉及的内容是航空管制或是资讯科技，或是任何一门科学技术，那么：有关高级技术的专门词语全都成了“一般的普通用语范围”。程度高的学生必须先考虑自己所学的英语，可能要无用在那些目标范围，去作国际沟通；在选定课程时也应让教师认清并了解这些目标范围，互相配合。

Appreciate Your Strengths

I have said it is important to recognize your achievements. It is also important to appreciate your strengths. Failure to do so leads to misplaced anxiety and misdirected effort. In my experience Chinese students usually have (relative to the stage they have reached) a large vocabulary. In addition, they are good at spelling. (Many intelligent native speakers fail to come to terms with the writing system of English, which is not irrational, but is complex, and spell badly.) Chinese students have some characteristic weaknesses too. Even when they can distinguish unfamiliar English sounds quite well, they often fail to do so because they speak much too fast. Then they wonder why native speakers have trouble understanding someone whose English is so fluent! They need someone to say – just slow down! Take it easy! Stop trying to prove how fluent you are, and your spoken English will improve.

重视学习的成果

重视学习的成果 我曾提过，认清自己学习的进展成效十分重要，而体认并珍视自己的长处，更是重要。如果说不重视自己的进展和长处，在学习过程中，就会因步骤零乱而焦躁不安，目标错误而徒劳无功。我发现，中国学生（以他们所达到的学习