Tips on English Learning from Two Successful Examinees in GEPT Advanced Level

The following news report is about two students who has recently passed the GEPT Advanced Level. 

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=229081

劉富蘭克林 通過英檢高級

【聯合報╱記者謝恩得／嘉義縣報導】  2010/01/01

 

嘉義協同中學國三生林妤珊、高二生劉富蘭克林都通過英檢艱深的「高級」程度，是英檢開辦以來該校第2、3名通過英檢高級。他們除了父母鼓勵讀英文，主要靠著閱讀各類書刊，增進英文程度。

My comments:  Only through reading can we enlarge our vocabulary and learn to read and write well.

協同中學校長林錫麟表示，該校的英語教學是傳統強項，課堂間用很多方法讓學生的英文程度進步。

林妤珊、劉富蘭克林雖然都在國外出生，但2、3歲時即隨著父母回台，他們的父親都在大學任教，但是也都是一步步將英語學好。

My comments: Yeah, there is no short cut.

林妤珊說，幼稚園時被英語好的同學嘲笑，她在小三時由父母指導開始讀簡易童書，現在很喜歡讀各種英文書，尤其是小說，她也漸進式的背了許多單字，林妤珊說她背單字從讀音來背比較容易記。

My comments:  Words which you can pronounce correctly are easier to remember.  That's why I put emphasis on reading aloud and speaking.

她若讀一篇文章或書刊內有不懂的單字，當天查字典後還可背起來，但可能三天後就忘了，因此她都記下來，隔天再看，累積下來就背了很多單字。

My comments: Many years ago, I read on Studio Classroom that we will not forget the words we have reviewed for three days in a row.

劉富蘭克林曾參加徐有庠先生紀念基金會辦的學生物理英文辯論比賽獲獎，他也是從大量閱讀開始，他建議不必讀有名的作品，可以從自已有興趣的開始，笑話也行，現在他都看歐美古典小說做為休閒樂趣。

My comments: Girls might find many articles which would interest them in Seventeen magazine.  My former student Jung-hsuen (陳蓉萱), who got early admission to the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at NTU many years ago, told me she liked to read the juicy gossip in Seventeen.