As we suggested in the last BCP2001 Newsletter, shop wisely so we can save time for more important tasks, one of which is to further improve our English skills. Is it really necessary? Sure!
No matter how high your GRE or TOEFL scores are, or you have worked with Americans for years, believe me, you will still feel overwhelmed in the first few months in the US! Considering Chinese s English ability, foreigners in China tend to speak English in simple words and at a low speed. To a student pool of Americans, Europeans, Indians..., your professors needn t care about their speaking speed, slang usage, terms, and jokes with culture background. Also your American pals will ask you questions about China, which could be no easy to explain in English.
Meanwhile, it will be your first time in life that you have to finish so much readings and write papers in English. For some, they will need to read 100 pages and write 2-3 papers per week. More or less your English is Chinglish. Though Chinese can understand it easly, your professor could be so confused that he would give you a C.
To get rid of the potential frustration earlier, practice English from now on!
Read, read and read! Read good English articles written by Americans. In "BeBeyond Daily Readings" we 0select well-written and interesting articles mainly from New York Times, the best media in the US. Persist to read one article per day and learn not only the writing structure and usages, but the culture and society information as well. Little by little, you will see the progress.
Write, write and write! Practice makes perfect. Written English is the weakest part in Chinese English Education and there is no shortcut to it. From now on, try to think in English: write down your thoughts on whatever topics you think of, discuss on issues from different argument angles. To make sure your thoughts are fully understood, show your writing to friends or discuss with friends.
Tips: Forum is the best place to have such interactive communication.
The harder you work on improving English skills, the easier your future life will be.