<p class="ql-block">May 05, 2023</p><p class="ql-block"><b>Overcoming the Apprehensions in Learning English</b></p><p class="ql-block">In my earlier years, I studied English in junior high school, high school (No.3 Boys' High School, Beijing, China), college (Central South University, Changsha, China), and graduate school (Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan). The focus of my studies back then was mainly on reading English books and technical literature to aid in research and development of science and technology. The ability to comprehend English was considered a standard for academic advancement.</p><p class="ql-block">When I moved from Beijing, China to California, United States, my goal for learning English changed. I wanted to communicate effectively with people in my new environment, which meant improving my listening and speaking skills. Since I had been away from formal English learning for many years, I was apprehensive about whether I could achieve this goal.</p><p class="ql-block">Fortunately, I was able to overcome my concerns with the help of an effective English learning approach after enrolling in the ESL (English as a Second Language) program at TAS (Torrance Adult School). Our class combined lectures, group discussions, and writing exercises to help us learn and practice the language in a variety of contexts. I found this method to be very useful in improving my understanding of English and my ability to communicate with others.</p><p class="ql-block">Another concern that I had to overcome was my lack of confidence in my ability to communicate effectively with others. I was apprehensive that my limited vocabulary and pronunciation would hinder my ability to interact with native English speakers. However, through regular practice and participation in group activities, I found that my skills gradually improved. I also received encouragement and support from my classmates and teachers, which helped me to gain more confidence in my ability to communicate in English.</p><p class="ql-block">Looking back, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn English again as an adult. With the help of supportive learning circumstances and effective teaching methods, I was able to overcome my apprehensions and improve my language skills little by little.</p> <p class="ql-block">2023 年 5 月 5 日</p><p class="ql-block"><b>克服學(xué)習(xí)英語的顧慮</b></p><p class="ql-block">早年，我在初中、高中、大學(xué)和研究生階段學(xué)習(xí)英語。那時我的學(xué)習(xí)重點主要是閱讀英文書籍和技術(shù)文獻，以輔助科技研發(fā)。理解英語的能力被認為是學(xué)術(shù)進步的標準。</p><p class="ql-block">當(dāng)我從中國搬到美國后，我學(xué)習(xí)英語的目標發(fā)生了變化。我想在新環(huán)境中與人有效溝通，這意味著提高我的聽說能力。因為我已經(jīng)遠離正式的英語學(xué)習(xí)多年，所以我很擔(dān)心我能否實現(xiàn)這個目標。</p><p class="ql-block">幸運的是，在報名參加 TAS（托倫斯成人學(xué)校）的 ESL（英語作為第二語言）課程后，我能夠在有效的英語學(xué)習(xí)方法的幫助下克服我的顧慮。我們的課程結(jié)合了講座、小組討論和寫作練習(xí)，以幫助我們在各種環(huán)境中學(xué)習(xí)和練習(xí)語言。我發(fā)現(xiàn)這種方法對提高我對英語的理解和與他人交流的能力非常有用。</p><p class="ql-block">我必須克服的另一個擔(dān)憂是我對自己與他人有效溝通的能力缺乏信心。我擔(dān)心我有限的詞匯量和發(fā)音會阻礙我與母語為英語的人互動的能力。但是，通過經(jīng)常練習(xí)和參加集體活動，我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的技能逐漸提高了。我也得到了同學(xué)和老師的鼓勵和支持，這讓我對自己的英語交流能力有了更多的信心。</p><p class="ql-block">回想起來，我很感激有機會在成年后再次學(xué)習(xí)英語。在支持性的學(xué)習(xí)環(huán)境和有效的教學(xué)方法的幫助下，我逐漸克服了顧慮并提高了我的語言技能。</p>