Many Chinese students have studied English for approximately ten years, but most of them cannot even speak English correctly or fluently. In my opinion, there are several obstacles that have caused this to happen. The main obstacle is fear! Another is the habit of mentally translating from Chinese to English and then to change these thoughts into spoken words and sentences. Many of these difficulties are caused by the way Chinese people study and learn the language.
We must learn to speak as a child does. When we are learning a second language, we need to remember how we learned our native language. Learning to understand and speak a language is one of the first skills a child develops. How does a child learn the language? He listens for a time and then he tries to repeat the words. Parents give great praise for the smallest effort and slightest improvement. Therefore, the child develops courage and is excited about learning. It takes a long time before he knows anything about grammar, spelling or formal sentence structures.
As for language teachers, they should avoid criticism and be very encouraging and generous with praise. Criticism or pointing out faults too often causes students to lose self-confidence and develop a fear of speaking. The best way to motivate a student is using praise.
The most important aspect of speaking is having good self-esteem. Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. When most Chinese people are asked how their English is, or they are told their English is very good, they immediately respond by saying, "Oh my English is very poor." If you say this to yourself often enough, you will believe it. When someone compliments(称赞) you, just say “thank you”.
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