2 . For many of us, the desire to speak a foreign language is overshadowed by the idea that it’s a long journey or that there’s no practical reason to learn. However, research has shown that speaking two languages has many advantages in this connected world today. Businesses with people around the world need someone who is not only capable of communicating in another language but also culturally aware and open-minded. Many companies prefer the people who are able to speak more than one language since they have faced more difficult situations in their language learning than the people who only speak one language, thus they desire to deal with more challenges in the work.

While creativity can be a difficult thing to measure, researchers have attempted to measure creative ability in a number of ways. One of the tools that are most widely used to understand creativity is a test known as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). The TTCT was first introduced in 1962 by Ellis Paul Torrance and measures one’s divergent (发散的) thinking in some key areas.

Divergent thinking is how well and how quickly your mind can solve problems. A study conducted by the University of Mashhad collected the TTCT results of the people who speak only one language and the people who have learned two languages and clearly showed that the second of the two groups performed better.

Some reasons for this could be that people who speak two languages are often faced with situations where they must consider various things, which can have an effect on problem-solving ability.

Language allows you to express your thoughts to other people, but what if there are no words to express what you’re thinking and feeling? Understanding a second language can allow you to express something you may not be able to with only one language.

Because language is linked to culture, you will find that by speaking more than one language you have a better understanding and appreciation of other cultures. This allows you to establish stronger connections with people from other cultural backgrounds. Nelson Mandela once said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” Communicating in someone’s native language is not only a great way to show respect, but also helps you develop a deeper personal connection that goes beyond just being understood.

For any problem my English teacher finds with us, she talks to us face to face. Although it is very     1     for my teacher, it is more     2     than other types of feedback. During the face-to-face communication, my teacher tells us exactly where our problems are and how we can     3    . It also gives us an opportunity to     4    further questions about anything we don’t understand. I think this kind of feedback is helpful. I love it.

I don’t think memorizing the word list is the best way to learn words. First, you should learn words in     1    . For example, when reading English stories, try to keep reading on even when you come across some new words. A lot of time, you’ll be able to guess the meaning of an     2     word without looking it up. Also, you should learn words in     3    . For example, we say “open the book”, but “turn on the computer”. Or we say “eat an apple”, but “    4     the medicine”.

8 . In many languages, the word for “mother/mom” takes an m-sound. Is there any reason for such near-universality?

Linguists(语言学家) generally argue for “the arbitrariness of the sign”: no connection exists between the word dog and the furry quadruped. A rare exception is onomatopoeia, where words representing the bark of a dog (bow-wow) and the buzz made by a bee are more or less similar to the sound. Yet most things are not subject to naming this way.

What about mama? It does not sound like a mother, but the fact is that some sounds are more widespread than others around the world. There are many dozens of observed consonants which are rare and hard for non-natives to learn.

In contrast, a few—such as b, m, p, t, d and k—show up far more frequently, in nearly every spoken language in the world. That is almost certainly because they are easy to make. A baby vocalising will, at first, make a vowel-like sound, usually something like “ah”, which requires little in the way of control over the mouth. If they briefly close their mouth and continue vocalising, air will come out of their nose, thus making the m-sound that is used in “mother” around the world.

Though the “mamas” bear the most obvious similarity, the “papas” have striking commonalities, too. Babies can easily stop their breath when they close their lips (rather than going on breathing through the nose). This produces a b-or a p-sound. It is surely for this reason that so many names for “father” use these consonants: papa in English, abb in Arabic and baba in Mandarin. T-and d-sounds are similarly basic, involving a simple tap of the tongue against the teeth: hence daddy, tatay (Tagalog) or tayta (Quechua).

Father and mother are, therefore, an oddity. F-is not especially easy to utter(发音); th-sounds are even harder. English, Greek and Spanish are unusual in having them. Even Anglophone children may struggle with th-sounds when they are five, or older still in many cases.

Anyway, it is hard to find linguistic universals amid the world’s dazzling variety.

9 . Have you had any problems while learning English? What did you do to overcome them? Here are five tips for you to enjoy learning English.

1. Read

Read as much as you can in English. No matter what it is, from cartoons to British literature, anything counts.

Naturally if you wish to develop, I would recommend you to choose something that provides you a challenge. So renew your library pass, subscribe to your favorite English magazine or go online!

2. Immerse (沉浸)

Understanding British or American culture can be a part of language learning. There are a lot of expressions or situations that can be understood and remembered better if you know a couple of customs, behavioral patterns, books or poems.

It is always inspiring to realize that you understand a short story, a text or even longer pieces of art in English.

3. Share

Where and how, you might ask. Well, there are many ways to do this. You can start your own blog in English about your hobby, travel experiences or anything that interests you.

If you don’t feel like writing, read others’ blogs or articles and feel free to comment if you have a question! You can also try to find an online community that has the same interest as you where you can share your own ideas, thoughts and beliefs.

4. Dare

This usually seems to be the most difficult part, but you have to overcome yourself! If you find yourself in a situation where you have the chance to use English, catch it!

You must overcome your fear that you might speak incorrectly, and you can also ask your partner to correct you. So whenever you travel or meet foreigners, don’t forget to speak as much as you can!

You can also subscribe to lively web pages that provide not only many interesting ways of online learning but also the chances to meet and speak to other language learners too!

5. Relax

Never forget the power of relaxation! You don’t always have to force yourself to study if you are tired. You can also listen to some music, watch a movie or listen to an audio (有声的) book (in English of course). It doesn’t sound too difficult, does it?