本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛On the weekends, one day could easily go by without speaking a word in English. When I go to work on Monday, I feel almost like a mute suddenly needs to speak. It takes a while to find the right rhythm. Then I thought about people who are staying home looking for a job, what happens when a telephone comes in all of a sudden while you are surfing the Chinese websites.
Because English is our second language, it is not engrave in our heads like our mother tougue. It is so easy to lose it in a very short period of time if we don't consciously remind ourselves to use it. How to emerse yourself in English? It is easy when you are working with a bunch of English speaking people. But what to do when you are staying home alone or with your family members most of the time?
In my earlier days, I subscribed to the newspaper, and read it every morning, even just the headlines. I don't watch TV that much, English or Chinese. But I always tune the radio in my car to CBC or a local news station such as AM 680. Lately I started reading English short stories. My favorite author is Jack London. His writing is short and easy to understand. My latest reading is "Ice Bound" by Dr. Nielsen, who was rescued from the south pole a couple of years ago. Reading textbooks or journals in your profession is probably more beneficial for keeping up with the technical jargons, but it is much drier and more boring, need some real discipline to continue. I haven't be able to succesfully complete even one book yet.
Surfing the Chinese website is recommended to be kept in a minimum during the day. Because the mental switch between languages is much harder when you are emersed in the language you are familiar and comfortable with. I don't know how many times I was caught speechless in the middle of reading posts on rolia.net when some co-worker butt in and asked me a question.
Go out to the library or grocery store or gym or anywhere out of your house at lease once a day. I am more alert and tend to think in English more when I am out of my comfortable home. Even you don't get a chance to talk to someone in English, it is still better off to go out than staying in the house. Needless to say, if you go out, your chance of using English is 100 times greater than staying in the house (unless you are living with non-Chinese speaking people).
That's all for today. I completed my share of emersing in English. This is another thing we can do: try to write something in English everyday.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Because English is our second language, it is not engrave in our heads like our mother tougue. It is so easy to lose it in a very short period of time if we don't consciously remind ourselves to use it. How to emerse yourself in English? It is easy when you are working with a bunch of English speaking people. But what to do when you are staying home alone or with your family members most of the time?
In my earlier days, I subscribed to the newspaper, and read it every morning, even just the headlines. I don't watch TV that much, English or Chinese. But I always tune the radio in my car to CBC or a local news station such as AM 680. Lately I started reading English short stories. My favorite author is Jack London. His writing is short and easy to understand. My latest reading is "Ice Bound" by Dr. Nielsen, who was rescued from the south pole a couple of years ago. Reading textbooks or journals in your profession is probably more beneficial for keeping up with the technical jargons, but it is much drier and more boring, need some real discipline to continue. I haven't be able to succesfully complete even one book yet.
Surfing the Chinese website is recommended to be kept in a minimum during the day. Because the mental switch between languages is much harder when you are emersed in the language you are familiar and comfortable with. I don't know how many times I was caught speechless in the middle of reading posts on rolia.net when some co-worker butt in and asked me a question.
Go out to the library or grocery store or gym or anywhere out of your house at lease once a day. I am more alert and tend to think in English more when I am out of my comfortable home. Even you don't get a chance to talk to someone in English, it is still better off to go out than staying in the house. Needless to say, if you go out, your chance of using English is 100 times greater than staying in the house (unless you are living with non-Chinese speaking people).
That's all for today. I completed my share of emersing in English. This is another thing we can do: try to write something in English everyday.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net