大象传媒

May (in red) enjoys a joke with her friends in Leeds

Question 1:
Ms Han, How to cope with the listening problems if I cannot afford to go aboard to get the 1st-hand experience at present? I also got an 8 in IELTS listening but still have big difficulties in understanding conversations between native speakers. （I do not listen to 大象传媒 very often and I'm a just-started interpreter.) Thanks in advance!
Sam, Tianjin

May writes:
Hi, Sam. Thank you for your question.

Congratulations on getting an 8 in the IELTS listening exam. Well done!

IELTS is a very good listening proficiency test. It includes a lot of 'real life' situations that I still find useful today like a conversation in a library, asking for directions, a conversation in a travel agency etc. You will find this test 'a piece a cake' if you listen to an appropriate tape or CD many times.

Practice  My advice to you Sam is practise, practise, practise. As the saying goes: practice makes perfect.   May Han Hong

It is harder though to understand native speakers. If you come to the UK, for example, I guarantee you will find it more difficult to understand people because they speak fast and many have strong accents.

There are just so many different forms of English that you have to get used to listening to as well. People from the Middle East, from the United States, from South Asia, for example, all pronounce English in a different way.

My advice to you Sam is practise, practise, practise. As the saying goes: practice makes perfect.

One suggestion I have for you is to find a pen pal, to go to clubs, and out and about in general and create chances for yourself to converse with English speakers.

Track down English speakers any way you can and chat to them. Perhaps you can find someone who wants to take part in a language exchange so that you can practise your English and they can practise their mandarin? Is there some way you could advertise to find such a person?

Also the 大象传媒 is a good place to turn to improve your English. Either listen to radio broadcasts in English or use the 大象传媒 Learning English Website to enrich your knowledge of native spoken English. It has audio recordings and even videos on it that are helpful.

Best of luck Sam with your English and your interpreting career.

Question 2:
I have read the article "A Chinese student In Leeds". I'd like to ask a question. How do you prepare for the IELTS exam ? My desire is to pass it. I have taught English for more than two decades . Thank you for giving me the chance to connect with May Han Hong . Thank you for offering us their diaries ! Yours sincerely Li Yanfei
Li Yanfei，Shanxi Province

May writes:
Hi, Li Yanfei. Thank you for your question.

I don't think the IELTS exam will be a problem for you because you have so much experience.

It's useful though, I think, for you to bear in mind that IELTS is a very practical English Proficiency test. It tests the examinee's four basic skills. In my opinion for Chinese people, the speaking and listening tests are the most difficult parts of this test.

I suggest you listen to the IELTS tapes or CDs 1-5 for listening practice, you can easily get them in the bookstore.

Real English  The English we learn in China from tapes and CD's is quite different from real life.   May Han Hong

To improve your oral English Yanfei , try to speak with foreign teachers in your school, or find an area in your city where there are many English-speaking people and chat to them. Don't be afraid of making mistakes and looking stupid.

I'm so lucky that I have a chance to practise my English here in Leeds with native speakers. I'm also surrounded by English every day when I turn on the television, at University, when I go shopping.

But you can track down chances to speak English too in your home town if you try really hard. You simply have to create chances for yourself.

Best of luck to you Yanfei.

Question 3:
Just like you said: "I've listened to the 大象传媒 everyday for many years. Yes I got an eight in listening and speaking in the IELTS exam. But as soon as I arrived in the UK, four months ago I felt like a fish out of water. And to think I had been so proud of my oral and listening English before!" Then, how can we learn English well?! How to improve in daily studying?!
Zhou Wen Ting

May writes:
Hi Wen Ting, thank you for your question.

I guess from your response to me that you have been learning English for quite a long time. Are you at senior middle school or at university?

You need to realise that here in the UK most people are native speakers. They won't speak English slowly or change their accent just because they spot that you look foreign.

No fear  Don't be afraid of making mistakes and looking stupid.   May Han Hong

The English we learn in China from tapes and CD's is quite different from real life. But don't worry about what I've written in my blog, my experiences here, and don't begin to doubt all the English you have learnt in China because it will all come in handy.

Just a bit of advice though. One thing I've learnt by coming to live in Leeds is that in China we put a lot of emphasis on tests and exams instead of the real function of language... to communicate with people! I think that's what many Chinese students lack. I'm sure you will do better if you keep this in your mind.

I hope you keep working hard on your English skills Zhou. Don't give up and your English will definitely improve I promise you that.

Regards,

May Han Hong

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