Wells’ Personal English Learning Posts – The Art of Success in English (Original Text Republished + Translation)! ^_^ Feel free to share your suggestions!

　 Du Zihua, from Qingdao, Shandong, is an expert in English education. He is the vice president of New Oriental Education Group, the dean of New Oriental Practical English College, and an English advisor for the Beijing Citizens’ Foreign Language Speaking Organization. A highly popular and respected expert in English education. During his time at Shandong University of Technology, Du Zihua never gave up on learning English; he read a large amount of English materials every day and watched English movies repeatedly, immersing himself entirely in a vibrant English-speaking world. Effective English learning methods enabled Du Zihua to be admitted in 1989 to the translation program at Beijing Foreign Studies University, a program that many linguists aspire to attend. By that time, as a postgraduate, Du Zihua had improved significantly in all aspects of English, including spoken English, listening comprehension, and writing. He began working as an English teacher, a senior translator, and an interpreter. During this period, Du Zihua creatively invented the “Cinematic Audiology* Method.” This enjoyable and easy way of learning was quickly well received by everyone. Driven by their interest, students were able to not only fully understand all the dialogue in the films but also grasp the local customs, traditions, and dialects featured in them. After graduating from graduate school in 1992, in order to study the differences between Eastern and Western cultures more deeply and to gain a better understanding of Western society, culture, thought, as well as educational approaches and methods, he began traveling to dozens of countries in the West, and worked and studied in the United States and Canada for three years. 　　After returning to China, Du Zihua became even more aware that the single-minded and rigid way in which Chinese students learn English limits their learning to textbooks alone; they fail to truly broaden their thinking, and their ability to communicate in English is not properly developed. How can this meet the country’s growing demand for foreign language professionals? Du Zihua decided to devote himself immediately to the field of English education and management, eager to share everything he had learned throughout his life, especially his unique teaching methods, with all those who are interested in English. 　　In 1994, Du Zihua joined New Oriental School, which provided him with a larger platform for teaching and showcasing his talents. The “Film Listening Improvement Course,” “900 Sentence Patterns in English,” and “TSE Speaking Class” that he founded and teaches are highly popular among English learners. The New Oriental Practical English Institute, led by him, is committed to cultivating more talented individuals with both moral integrity and professional skills for society. He works tirelessly and with great enthusiasm to make tangible efforts to address the issue of Chinese students achieving high scores yet lacking practical skills. Through various forms of lectures, the writing of numerous articles, and the publication of materials, countless Chinese people have come to understand the true essence of learning English. Wherever he goes, there is thunderous applause, and his lectures are always packed. In particular, \"Du Zihua’s Success Principles in English\" published in June 2002 summarizes his 15 years of experience in using, teaching, and researching the English language. It systematically and concisely explains the correct methods and basic principles of learning English, and has been hailed by English experts as a \"compass for learning English\". Interested sailors can take a look at Du Zihua’s video lectures! I’m sure it won’t disappoint anyone! Du Zihua’s Video 01: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTE2MDkyMDg=.html Du Zihua’s Video 02: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTE2MDkyMjg=.html This post was last edited by wells1432 on 2009-4-15 at 15:09

(I) 1. Can you learn English well? Please answer the following questions carefully, and read thoroughly the answers and analyses provided in the book for each question, so as to compare them with your own understanding and approaches. With careful attention, you can gain many insights and apply these insights to your own English learning. Question: How long will it take me to learn English well? Explanation: This question is difficult to answer because there is no objective standard for measuring English proficiency. One thing is for sure: mastering English requires being prepared to study it over the long term. No one can truly master English in three months or half a year. Learning English requires a great deal of accumulation, including the accumulation of vocabulary, phrases, sentence patterns, and grammatical structures, and accumulation itself is a time-consuming process. At the same time, developing a sense for language takes even more time. I want to learn *English. If the method is right, it’s possible to gain a sense of proficiency and achieve a basic level of mastery in one or two years. A fairly high level can be achieved in four to five years. Of course, learning *English is never-ending; English skills always improve with practice. Please think about how many years you have been learning English. Many people have spent ten years without mastering English. If the method is wrong, it’s almost impossible to learn well. No one can master English in three months or half a year! 1. Can you learn English well? Please answer the following question carefully and read the answer and analysis written in this book carefully. Then compare it with your own understanding and actions to truly internalize the principles, and apply these principles to your English learning practice. Question: How long will it take me to learn English well? Analysis: It’s very difficult to answer this, as there is no objective standard for measuring one’s English level. However, it’s clear that learning English is a long-term process; no one can master English well within 3 months or half a year. English learning requires a lot of accumulation—of vocabulary, phrases, sentences, and grammar structures—and this accumulation takes time. Developing a sense for English learning also takes longer. I believe that if you use the right methods for learning English, you can develop such a sense within one or two years and lay a solid foundation, allowing you to reach a high level of proficiency in four or five years. Of course, learning English never ends; skills improve through practice. Think about how many years you have spent learning English—many people spend over ten years yet still cannot master it well. It’s impossible to learn English well without using the right methods. No one can master English well within 3 months or half a year. Note: The Chinese text is taken from Mr. Du Zihua’s book “The Success Principles of Learning English.” This post was last edited by wells1432 on 2009-4-15 22:30.]

Question: How many English books have you read? Do you read it all at once over a period of time, or do you read it intermittently? Explanation: To learn English well, one must read a large amount of English books. Divide the reading materials into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. For each level, one has to read a dozen or so books. Moreover, one should dedicate a period of time to intensive reading. Chinese people read far too little in English. One should read a large number of English books, books on various topics. It should also be emphasized that the key to reading English books is to broaden one’s horizons, embrace new ideas and information, and understand the world. When reading, one should really engage with the content; don’t treat reading as a way to learn English. Of course, if one reads enough English materials, mastering English becomes inevitable. If you read enough English materials, mastering English becomes inevitable. Question: How many English books have you read? Did you read them continuously in a short time or intermittently? Analysis: If you want to master English, you must read a large number of English books. These books should be categorized into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels; you need to read more than ten books at each level and finish reading them all within a very short period of time. Since Chinese people read so few English books, we have to read a large quantity of them, covering various subjects. Here I want to emphasize that the key to reading English books is to broaden one’s horizons, gain access to new ideas and information, and understand the world better. Reading English books is not merely a way to learn the language but also a means to understand it. Of course, it is inevitable to master English if you read a lot of English books.

Question: Which English textbooks have you studied in detail? How do you ensure precision? Explanation: It is not enough to read a set of classic books. One should learn two or three sets of advanced English reading textbooks. Each set has its own advantages, allowing for a solid grasp of the core knowledge and skills in English. In traditional intensive reading classes, there is too much explanation of vocabulary and grammar, while there is too little practice. You should practice more by using the words you have learned to construct sentences, as well as practicing the use of the grammar structures you have just learned. It should also be emphasized that one must thoroughly understand the main idea of the article; this way, you will be motivated to read more English books, and by imitating the author’s ways of expressing ideas and presenting opinions, you will gradually learn to express your own thoughts in English. The goal of learning precision is to learn to express thoughts in English! (Translation)

After watching Teacher Du’s video lectures, I found one point particularly inspiring. It mentioned a saying that goes: knowing 800 words is enough to travel around the world, and he said that this must be true. When we used to study English, we always thought our vocabulary was insufficient; we focused solely on increasing the quantity of words we knew, without putting effort into mastering them well.

For Du Zihua’s lecture on the secrets to success in learning English, please visit the linked webpage! It shouldn’t disappoint anyone. http://qidian.eneting.com/english/Articles/Upload/20062249122373692/%B6%C5%D7%D3%BB%AA%D3%A2%D3%EF%B3%C9%B9%A6%D1%A7.pdf

I’m sorry, fellow sailors; I still haven’t managed to complete this “homework” every day. I need to put in more effort! Question: How much English do you listen to? For example, how many English tapes have been listened to, the number of times English broadcasts have been listened to, the number of times English TV programs have been watched, the number of times English movies have been watched, and the number of times lectures given in English have been attended. Explanation: When learning *English, the concept of “quantity” must be emphasized. To improve English listening skills, one must listen a great deal. Chinese people don’t listen to enough English content. You need to create opportunities to listen to English. You can listen to cassette tapes and English broadcasts, watch TV and English movies, and listen to courses taught in English, such as mathematics, physics, economics, politics, law, and history. You can take any course taught in English. If the amount of listening time is not sufficient, mastering listening skills remains just theoretical. As long as you hear a certain amount, you’ll be able to understand English!