Lesson 2

9.3

(I=interviewer  DS=Dr. Smith  C1=Caller 1  Y=Yang An  S=Su Qin)

I: Welcome to today's programme. We've invited Dr.Smith to share with us effective strategies for learning English. Hello, Dr. Smith, many of our listeners have questions about learning English. I suppose you're ready to take calls from our listeners. So start phoning in!

C1: Hello, Dr. Smith. I've spent a lot of time reading English coursebooks, but I've made little progress.My question is how to learn English effectively.

DS: Well, my advice is to increase your knowledge of English beyond the classroom. One way to do that is by reading more. I would recommend that you try simplified classic literature, such as short stories and novels rewritten in simple English. The other way is to listen more, for example, listening to English programmes. With sufficient language input, I'm sure you can learn English effectively.

Y: Hello,Dr. Smith. My name is Yang An. I find memorising new words very difficult.

DS: Hi, Yang An. So what do you normally do to memorise new words?

Y: I just try to memorise the word list and it is so difficult and boring.

DS: Well, I don't think memorising the word list is the best way to learn words. First,you should learn words in context. For example, when reading English stories, try to keep reading on even when you come across some new words. A lot of the time, you'll be able to guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word without looking it up.Also, you should learn words in chunks. For example, we

say "open the book", but "turn on the computer". Or we say "eat an apple", but "take the medicine".

Y: OK. I see. So I need to learn words in context and in chunks. Thank you very much.

S: Hello, Dr. Smith. I'm Su Qin. Learning grammar is a big headache for me. I've put so much time in memorising grammar rules and doing a lot of exercises, but my English is still really bad.

DS: Hi, Su Qin. Just memorising the rules is not helpful. My advice is that when you learn a grammar rule, you should try to use it in speaking and writing activities. By doing so,you'll be learning grammar in a more natural way than from a grammar book. Very slowly, you will start to acquire the rules and use them without thinking.

S: Ah!I'll try this and see how it goes. Thank you very much.

I: Thank you, Dr.Smith, for joining us today. I'm sure our audience has better ideas about how to learn English effectively now.