English Courses Online

A Chinese proverb, “It is better to teach fishing skills than to give the fish” tells the true essence of teaching. Of course there are a lot of publications on English teaching pedagogy, however, D. W.’s A Revolution: Learn to Learn English is exceptional, which in the author’s opinion, may drive some teachers of English out of job, can challenge the traditional English teaching, and can make quacks terror-stricken in China. How to learn English is a question often being asked.

English Test Entrance Exam Unpad 2009

English Test Entrance Exam Unpad 2008

English Test Entrance Exam Unpad 2007

English Test Entrance Exam Unpad 2006

In today’s China, the educational system typically directs students to goals that run counter to their own heart-felt interest. Many students study what they don’t like in order to get the required documents (though maybe not the practical skills) for a job, and most of them learn the skills for taking exams, not the skills needed in the workaday world. D. W. is acutely aware of the problems of the Chinese educational system, so he emphasizes the individual student’s own desire and motivation and demands that the study of language have some connection with the practical use of language in the real world. His method for learning to read English gives students a preparation for the use of English in their careers and provides the foundation for a genuine enjoyment of the English language throughout their lives, which regard education as a life-long activity, not something that stops upon receiving the diploma.
The introduction of the book, Why a Revolution? first explores the English worship in China. It believes that English worship is a grave error because most Chinese are working and living in China and they use Chinese much more than English, which, however, does not mean to resist against English completely for the reason that English is necessary in the certain fields in our era of globalization. Then it discusses the Absurdities in the schools (such as teacher-oriented, lack of teacher-student interaction, and too many examinations) and tricks of English charlatans (they boosts that English tests can be passed within one or months or English can be mastered in two months under their guidance). The introduction ends with the author’s motto of the revolutionary learner: on my own and for my sake, for he believes “God helps those who help themselves.”
Chapter 1, ‘First step: I decide to have a better life’ explores that to those who want to be lucky dogs in the global village linguistic competence makes life more meaningful and English can be an important tool to change one’s fate, so the requirements are to try to speak English and to be a person written large. The most impressive part of the chapter is that it offers the English learning ladder, which comprises eight levels: beginner, elementary, lower intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate, advances, professional and expert. The next chapter, ‘The revolutionary idea to understand the nature of the English language and speak all the truth about English’ offers D. W.’s mottoes on learning English: “Anybody can speak English unless he or she is dumb”, “‘Learn English in months!’- Advertising only!”, “Classroom learning can easily waste your time”, “Input decides output”, “What to learn – have your own say”, “Make learning a habit”, “Have your own way”, “A wise person never relies on the teacher”, “More comfort, less hard work”, “Link: how riddles can help you learn English”, “Make an ambitious plan but allow for laziness”, and “Find your comrades”. D. W. thinks that English learners should know the British English vs. American English: differences in pronunciation, in grammar & vocabulary, pay more attention to accents: British, American, Chinese & international, and know the different methods the foreign teachers and Chinese teachers adopt in class, and know the importance of the Internet to the English-learning revolution, have a clear mind of the relationship between tests and their English proficiency. D. W. believes that there are two fallacies about learning English: fallacies about memory and “thinking in English”. His answers to the question “What can I do if I have a poor memory?” are that the ways to memorizing English words are learning them in the meaningful contexts, and that “The more it is used, the better it gets.” There are two min-understandings about “thinking in English” in learning English: The Chinese can also think in English; Thinking in English means “no Chinese.” D. W. believes that “thinking in English” really means to input information in English directly and to output information in English directly, and thinking in English can only limited within certain scope, thus suggesting reading more of the translated versions of the Chinese classics and establishing the Chinese’s thinking in English. Usually Chinese teachers teach English from ABC, but D. W. thinks it is effective to begin with words, phrases and sentences and to learn some Chinese English. As for the teacher’s role, his motto is that “The supreme art of war is to subdue the students to learning without teaching.” The method of English learning is of great importance, and D. W. lists the following methods: reading aloud (suitable for elementary and intermediate levels), reciting (for elementary and intermediate), memorizing vocabulary (for elementary, intermediate and advanced), grammar analysis (for post-elementary and intermediate), reading & observation (intermediate and advanced), interest-guided reading (for all levels), removal of mines (for immediate and advanced), translating & interpreting (for all levels), audio & visual (for all levels, but it is an important way of acquiring knowledge and information especially for advanced), chat (for all levels after intermediate) and multi-dimensional storming (for the levels after the post-elementary).
‘The tactics & weaponry of the revolution’ explores the issues such as speaking, listening, reading, writing, translating, vocabulary, grammar, reading aloud, reciting, memorizing words or even a dictionary, analytical reading, perspective reading, interest-guided reading, mine-clearing, translation, audio-visual, chat, multi-dimensional storming, the superlative degree: the one-book method, proficiency in English: success of the one-book method, and dictionaries & grammars. All the tactics listed here promote the revolution: learn to learn English.
‘Make your own reasonable plan’ comprises two parts: to make sure where you are on the learning ladder, and to make recommended learning plans for learners at different stages, thus making suggestions to the specific group of learners (preschool, pupils, college students, those who have got jobs but desire to learn, self-taught learners, those who want to live abroad, those who want to be postgraduates, those who want to study abroad, and those who is engaged in translation and interpretation.), which means to teach students in accordance with their aptitude.
The last Chapter, ‘A life with English, a personal experience’ shares D. W.’s successful experience in learn English. D. W. maintains that learning English should start “with a love of the future”, that the learners should have an idea, “I am glad of my English but not crazy for it”, and keep in mind the purpose of learning, that trying to take part in the translation competition is one of the effective ways of learning English. He also offers us some mottoes such as “English forever”, “A little humor makes you less boring”, “Felling English by the word”, and “Playing with English”. D. W.’s experience tells us the nature of learning English at different levels and is feasible and practical to English learners.
The appendices comprises 1) five stories of success in learning English including three Chinese, a Polish and a Japanese, 2) a list of the core English words offered by Neil Gratton based on his statistic data of 67 English novels, 3) Internet resources for English learning, and 4) dictionaries & grammars available, which tell not only the methods of learning English but also how to be a person with English.
The full name of the book’s author is Chu Dongwei, who puts D. W., the abbreviations of his given name, on the book cover, which demonstrates his unique character.
All in all, the book under review challenges the traditional and present education systems in China and attaches more importance to English competence rather than the results of English tests, which brings hope to the reform of English education in China.
Reviewed by XU JIANZHONG
Tianjin University of Technology, P. R. China