Discuss how famous masters learn foreign languages

Mr. Lin Yutang (1895-1976), a native of Longxi, Fujian Province, is a famous modern Chinese writer, scholar, translator, linguist, who studied in the United States and Germany, and has a high degree of achievement in the study of English, he obtained a master of arts from Harvard University, a doctorate in linguistics from Leipzig University, and then he returned to China and taught at Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Xiamen University.

Lin Yutang was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twice in 1940 and 1950. He has founded publications such as "Analects", "Human World", "Cosmic Wind" and other publications, including the novels "Beijing Smoke and Clouds" and "Laughter is Wrong". Essays and essays on the feast of life, the art of living, and the translations of Selected Poems of Dongpo and Six Notes of Fusheng. In 1966, he settled in Taiwan, and in 1967, he was appointed as a research professor at the University of Chinese in Hong Kong, where he presided over the compilation of the Lin Yutang Contemporary Chinese-English Dictionary (lin yutang Contemporary Chinese-English Dictionary was compiled and published, which Lin Yutang regarded as the pinnacle of his writing career). He died in Hong Kong in 1976 at the age of 80.

Lin Yutang's works such as "My Country and My People" and "The Art of Living" were written in English and published abroad. His famous novel "Jinghua Smoke and Clouds" was completed in English. Lin Yutang's English works, if you read more, you will find that they are very authentic, far from being comparable to current scholars, and even more authentic than ordinary Americans, which has a very big relationship with the education he received in the church school. As long as you have a certain foundation in English, it is very comfortable to read Lin Yutang's English works, because he does not like to use difficult English vocabulary.

When Mr. Lin Yutang was at Harvard University, he once gave advice to Chinese who studied English: "Chinese write English, find chapters and excerpts, and use more deep sentences, so I can't learn well." For example, to admire people very much, you say 'I admire him profoundly', but British and American people do not say so, using admiral greatly is natural, and using 'I take off my hat to him' is the real authentic English. ”

So how do you learn authentic English? Like many people now brush the question OK, as soon as they start to speak, they stutter, in fact, the goal of learning English, in the words of Mr. Lin Yutang, is "only in the qingshun nature four words." Anyone who is not based on colloquial language must not be able to write plain and natural, proficient and authentic English. ”

Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill can be counted as english everyone, his famous sentence: We shall fight on the hills. We shall fight in the streets. We shall fight blood and sweat and tears. What a sturdy sentence! Why is there a word that is not available to elementary school students? Why is there a word of exaggeration?

Pay attention to the use of common words and spoken words; the English word "have", of course, has, but the spoken word is have got (Have you got any money?) Foreigners say so, we have to write like this! Forget about it! is also a colloquial language.

You are telling me (I have to wait for you to say)? Not a chance (never) is also a colloquial language. These four words get, forget, tell, and chance are all very common words, but when used in spoken language, they are the most important part of learning English well!

If you only ask for long words, new words, and strange words that look elegant and good, the first step is wrong. Therefore, being good at flexibly using ordinary words is the only way to learn English.

In addition, Mr. Lin Yutang summarized the eight main points of learning:

One. When learning English, you must learn the whole sentence and do not concentrate on words. During the school year, the grammar, pronunciation and cavity of the whole sentence must be read out individually.

Two. School hours cannot be literate enough. Knowledge must be used at the same time. Whenever a new word is encountered, at least one of the correct uses of the word must be learned. Later, when you see that there are many uses, remember more.

Three. Literacy cannot be memorized. The usage in the sentence is naturally easy to remember.

Four. When reading English, you must be able to read it with your eyes and ears. Hearing, seeing, speaking, and copying are all indispensable. Four preparations, words and sentences naturally remembered.

Five. Four to "mouth to" is the main one. English is English, if you refuse to speak, how to learn to speak?

Six. Oral lectures must be practiced overlappingly, and every word must be recited ten to dozens of times until the accent is proficient. Outside of school Chinese the same principle as learning ancient Texts, and memorization must be used as a shortcut to entry. Recite one or two sentences for each time. Over time, there will be great progress.

Seven. There are two taboos in oral speaking exercises. (1) Avoid shyness. Scholars are shy in class, and there is no opportunity to practice elsewhere. (2) Avoid scoring. When I think of the score, I am afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of saying the wrong thing, so I can't open my mouth. The final winner is still a student who is not afraid of shame, is not afraid of mistakes, and practices fully. If the instructor corrects it at any time, it is natural to be more wrong and less wrong, from less wrong to pure, from pure to fluent, and even from fluent to proficient. This is the method of first suffering and then sweetness.

Eight. Read well. Pronunciation and spelling, all must be paid attention to. Sloppy and confused, not only is English not good, but any knowledge is not good.

The above is Mr. Lin Yutang's eight basic principles on English learning, worth cherishing, in fact, learning English is not a difficult thing, as long as you master a certain method, perseverance and never give up, enhance your confidence, you will be able to break the English language.