Swimming and English Learning

Can you swim? Do you like swimming? Yes? Well, how can you learn to swim? I think the best way is to go into the water and learn. I’m afraid you’ll never learn to swim just by reading books about swimming or looking at others swimming. It’s the same with the English study. We must practice,practice and practice.

Listening and speaking are very important for beginners. The children in English-speaking countries first listen to others. Then they try to imitate and speak. We can listen to English programs on the radio. You may just understand a few words. It doesn’t matter. Just be relaxed, and try to catch every word.

Somebody may be a good listener. But he dare not speak. He’s afraid of making mistakes. You know we sometimes make mistakes when we speak Chinese. Don’t be afraid. We must be brave. If you really want to learn English well, you must try to speak with everyone so long as he knows English. Whether you know him or not is not important. When there’s nobody to talk with, you can talk to yourself in English It’s interesting and also a good way to practice your spoken English. Remember, the more you speak, the fewer mistakes you’ll make.

Reading and writing are more important for senior school students. First we must choose the books we’re interested in. A lot of reading will improve your language sense. This is the most important.

Keep writing English diaries. We can also write English articles. You may even post them to English magazines. Don’t be afraid of failure. Failure is the mother of success.

Easier said than done. Well, let’s do more practice from now on. I’m sure you’ll learn English well in this way.

When we’re studying a new language, many of us approach it with fear and anxiety. However, we would benefit a lot by changing our focus, according to communication skills trainer Marianna Pascal.

Pascal has spent 20 years in Malaysia helping people speak better English. Over time, she has discovered a surprising truth: How well somebody communicates in a new language has very little to do with his language level — but a lot more to do with his attitude.

Pascal noticed that a lot of Malaysians went into English conversations with the feeling that they were going to be judged by how many mistakes they were going to make. And they had the idea of what good proper English is supposed to be and how far they would have to go to get there.

As a teacher,she’d noticed one specific student named Faisal. Despite not knowing much English,this guy could just sit and listen to anybody very calmly,clearly,and then he could express his thoughts beautifully.

Pascal realized when Faisal entered an English conversation, he didn’t feel judged. He entirely focused on the person that he was speaking to and the result he wanted to get. He got no thoughts about his own mistakes.

Pascal believes that speaking a language is not like those exams that many of us had to take in school,where a tiny spelling or grammar mistake would result in a big red X from the teacher. In the real world, small mistakes don’t matter — what matters is whether we’re able to make ourselves understood. She concludes, “If you want to speak English like Faisal with that great confidence, here’s the one thing that you can do when you speak: Don’t focus on yourself, focus on the other person and the result you want to achieve.”

How to Get Confidence in Your English Speaking

Reading out loud can help build confidence in how your English sounds. So the next time you are reading a website, book or something else that you enjoy, take a few minutes to read the material aloud.

Before reading aloud, read the story silently first. The second time, if there is audio, you can listen to the speaker as you read along silently. 【小题1】 Then, try listening to the speaker and reading out loud at the same time.

Speak in complete sentences and give longer responses when possible. 【小题2】 Using complete sentences and giving more details in responses shows listeners that you are not afraid to speak English.

One of the biggest difficulties to confidence in speaking a second language is the constant worry about making mistakes. So our tip is: Do not worry too much about mistakes.

Understand that making mistakes is a natural part of the language learning process. Yes, you will make mistakes. But keep in mind that the purpose of speaking a language is to communicate. 【小题3】

If your English-speaking skills are at the beginner or middle level and you try to do something too difficult, you may fail. 【小题4】 But, if you do something that matches your level, you are more likely to do it well.

As you learn English, it is natural to lack some of the skills you need to communicate well. 【小题5】 But remember that, as your skills grow, your confidence will, too. You can make a plan for daily practice and spend at least 30 minutes each day practicing your English.