1 . Why do children learn so quickly? Is it simply a necessity, or is a child’s brain more capable of taking in new information than an adult’s brain?

“It is a common way of thinking that ‘children are like sponges’ and have the magical ability to learn new skills faster than an adult, but there are some misconceptions here, “ said Debbie Raven, a researcher at the University of Chester. “A child’s cognitive (认知的) development is age-related and, naturally, children perform worse than their older peers in most areas. However, there are times when being young brings an advantage, and this is especially true around their earliest years.

This advantage is largely due to neuroplasticity, meaning the brain’s ability to form and change its connections, pathways and wiring based on experiences. Neuroplasticity is what gives children the capacity to learn-and, if necessary, unlearn-habits, routines, approaches and actions very quickly. This ability is most constant and rapid before a child’s fifth birthday, when much of what they encounter or experience is novel. “This ability to learn quickly is connected to several areas, including plasticity, their experiences with adults, their environment, and their biological drive to explore, “ Raven said. “Childhood is a place where children spend their time catching up with adults’ more sophisticated abilities. “

Language learning, in particular, is an area where children often have a huge advantage over adults. This is largely because “babies are able to tune in to the rhythm and sounds used in their native language, and can therefore become fluent speakers by the age of four. “This ability can help young children learn a second or third language with apparent ease, Raven said.

In a research paper, the authors suggest that “human babies are born seeing and hearing linguistic information that older children and adults miss, although they lose this ability with more experience in their environments. Moreover, babies can “discriminate speech sounds and tones used in al of the world’s languages, making them open to al input, regardless of the linguistic environment they are born into.

3 . Learning to pronounce English words correctly can be one of the hardest parts of learning English. Here are some tips to help you pronounce even the difficult English words correctly.

Learn to listen. Before you learn how to speak, you’ll need to learn how to listen.     1     Did the speaker sleep or slip? Did he hurt his chin (下巴) or his shin? If you can hear the difference, it will be easier to speak the difference.

    2     When you speak, you move your mouth. How you move your mouth affects how you pronounce a word. The first step to correcting your mouth shape is to notice it and pay attention. There are a few ways you can check that your mouth and lips are making the correct shape, for example, using a mirror (镜子).     3    

Pay attention to your tongue (舌头). The main difference between rice and lice is in your tongue. When you speak, you move your tongue to make sounds. You probably didn’t even notice that, since you do it without thinking. To improve your English pronunciation, it’s a good idea to check what your tongue is doing. Some difficult sounds for non-native speakers to make are the letters “L” and “R”, and the sound “TH”.     4    

Break words down into sounds. Words are made up of syllables (音节), or parts. The word “syllable”, for example, has three syllables: syl-la-ble.     5     To check how many syllables a word has, place your hand flat just under your chin. Say the word slowly. Each time your chin touches your hand, that’s a syllable.

Pronunciation is important for you to learn English well. Just remember: Practice makes perfect!

8 . It has been shown that watching English movie trailers(预告片) can improve your English vocabulary and thinking skills.     1    

The first step is to find them. Go to YouTube and do a search for something like “official trailer”. Several film trailers will appear.     2     Animated films can be an especially good choice for English practice no matter how old you are. These films are usually humorous and relatable. To find animated films, try doing a search for something like “animated official trailer”.

Make sure the video you choose offers closed captions(字幕), which you will use later. You can find the closed caption mark at the bottom of the video. It may be listed as “CC” or something else. Keep in mind that trailers more than five or seven years old may not offer closed captions on YouTube.    3    

Next, watch the video at a normal speed without closed captions. Try to understand what the story is about overall. Then watch it again to seek more details.     4     It will give you an idea of whether the dialogue is too fast or difficult for your skill level.

    5     Find the “CC” setting at the bottom of the video and click the captions. This can help you in several ways. You can confirm whether you understand the dialogue in your first viewing, make clearer any dialogue you do not understand, and connect the sound of words with their spellings. You can also write down a few of the new words in a notebook or on your mobile phone.

9 . Anyone who has studied a foreign language knows how difficult it is to become really fluent.     1    

Find a conversation partner

Try to find someone in your school who is a native speaker and ask him or her to meet with you regularly to have conversations in that language.     2    

Watch TV

Try to find a foreign language TV station and watch often. At first the actors will seem to speak too quickly, but try to recognize a few words or phrases.     3     Pay attention to patterns of pronunciation and the way that the voices rise and fall when questions are asked and statements are made. Children’s shows are great for learning and reviewing basic concepts.

Go out and practice

If you are visiting a foreign country and trying to learn the language, you’ll want to take every chance to go out and practice.     4     Successfully making a purchase (购买) or getting information in a foreign language will help you become more confident. Going grocery shopping in your hometown may not be very interesting, but in a foreign country things are different.     5