How I Study English

I often hear some students say English is difficult, and it gives them a headache. So they can’t learn it well. But English is very easy for me. I’m good at it. I’m very glad to tell you something about how I study English.

First, I think an interest(爱好) in English is very important. When I was in Grade One, we had a new subject—English. It was fresh for me. I was interested in it, so I worked hard at it. Soon we had an English exam and I got a very good mark. How happy I was! After that, I learned English harder and harder. Our English teacher often teaches us English songs, the songs sound nice. I often think how interesting English is!

Second, I think English is a foreign language. I should learn it well in the following ways: Listen to the teacher carefully, speak bravely, read aloud and have a good vocabulary(词汇). Then practice again and again, never be tired. And I also have a good habit: Asking whenever(不论何时) I have a question, I must make it clear by asking our English teacher. How happy I am when I understand!

Besides this, I often read English stories, jokes and easy novels. From these I know English is not only interesting, but also useful. They help me understand a lot of things. So to do more reading is an important way to learn English well.

And I also do some exercises from our class magazines, and I often write English diaries. English has become a close friend of mine.

Now I have learned English for more than two years. I always keep the first position in our school. From these words, I hope every student can learn English well.

I am often asked how I learned to speak, read and write Chinese. The short answer, in my case, was a combination of good fortune and hard work.

【小题1】. I have a particularly visual memory — very helpful for characters. Another big part of the good fortune is how early I started Chinese. All students in Australia are required to study a foreign language from Grade 7. The options at my school were Japanese, German, and Chinese. My mother had studied German in school. My sisters were studying Japanese in their primary school. 【小题2】.

The first year was fun, but then our teacher moved to China and the replacement was ill-equipped for the task. The next year my family moved to the US. For the next two years I studied Chinese with a tutor who came to my home. She was my first native Chinese speaking teacher. She had been living in the US for over a decade. We got along well and I have many fond memories of our lessons. 【小题3】

Back in Australia to start Grade 11, my new school was chosen partly because it offered advanced Chinese classes. 【小题4】. I fell in love with China for no real reason. Something about the place just attracted me.

By the time I arrived in Beijing in February 2014, I could already read and write Chinese pretty well.

【小题5】! Instead of grasping for ways to translate my English thoughts, I began to understand how to form Chinese thoughts.

I am Canadian, so I started learning French when I was 10 years old. But my entire experience with the language was in the classroom. All of that changed, however, during my last summer of high school. At age 17, I flew across the country by myself for the first time! I was headed to Quebec to live in the province(省)with a French-speaking host family. I would learn French at a local college.

When I arrived, I met my host family. They didn't speak any English. Though nervous, I introduced myself as best I could.

On the first day of school, all of us students were given a test to determine our language level. We also signed a contract promising to speak only French all summer. This even included times we communicated with our other English-speaking classmates.

The struggle to communicate in a second language was harsh but exhilarating. I made a lot of new friends, ordered food from restaurants and even saw a movie in French. I didn't understand most of it, but I loved the whole amazing experience.

On the weekends, my classmates and I took trips to different locations around the province. On one trip, we went whale watching on the St. Lawrence River. Even though it was raining, we could see giant whales swimming around our boat.

The most memorable part of our trip was a visit to historic Quebec City. I walked along the cobblestone (鹅卵石) streets and took pictures of the European-style buildings, and I learned about an important battle that took place nearby. I also got to enjoy a “beaver tail”-a special local food. It was truly an Eastern Canadian treat!

By the end of summer, I was communicating pretty fluently. I couldn't wait to go back to school and talk with my French teacher. Being fully immersed (沉浸) in a French-speaking environment was a valuable learning experience. At the time, I had no idea that I'd end up living abroad for more than 10 years. I'll never forget that first experience that paved the way for my future adventures.