Teach spoken English

Comment on "The English exam question" (China Daily, Oct 23)

Just as the article said, "Chinese students, usually starting from primary school, spend 10 or more years on English study until the college exams. Yet it is not unusual for a senior high school graduate to struggle in reading an English essay or novel or communicate in fluent English."

 

Speaking English is the focus of a class in Beijing on Oct 23, 2013. Liu Chang / for China Daily

I suggest that Chinese schools should stop teaching "formal" English and start teaching "normal" English. Schools and teachers should stop focusing on dictionary pronunciation and instead let students know how native speakers actually speak with reductions, linking, intonation, flaps, stops, etc.

Moreover, the most important thing is to stop forcing students to learn English. If a student doesn't like or want to study English, there is a reason for that. Criticism, punishments, or extracurricular studies will hardly make a student enjoy learning a language.

Cmknight, from China Daily forum

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(China Daily 10/31/2013 page9)