Section A Discussion

Discuss and answer the following questions.

1.      Do you think it is necessary to learn another language besides your mother tongue?

2.      How long have you learned English? Do you think English is very difficult to learn?

3.      If possible, what other foreign languages do you want to learn? Why?

4.    Speaking from your own experience, what effective ways would you like to suggest to help others learn English?

Section B Quotes

Study the following quotes about language learning. Do you accept the ideas expressed in the quotes? State your reasons.

1.    Whoever is not acquainted with foreign languages knows nothing of his own.                       — Goethe

2.   Language is not an abstract (抽象的) construction of the learned (有学问的人), or of dictionary-makers, but is something a rising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground.                 — Walt Whitman

3.    I haven't conquered Spanish yet. I'm learning and understand what's said during training. I'm progressing little by little. Spanish is very difficult for me, although I am getting used to it. I am making an effort. It's complicated. But if I can conquer Spanish, it will have been a great achievement.                   — David Beckham

Section B Quotes

1.    Whoever is not acquainted with foreign languages knows nothing of his own.  — Goethe

Interpretation:

Learning a foreign language is comparable to a journey of discovery. One needs to be familiar with some foreign languages in order to understand his or her own native language.

2.   Language is not an abstract (抽象的) construction of the learned (有学问的人), or of dictionary-makers, but is something a rising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground.                                  — Walt Whitman

Interpretation:

Language is not something produced from nowhere by the intellectuals or dictionary-makers. Rather, it is something coming from the commonplace activities and emotions of many generations of human beings, including their work, needs, relationships, happiness, love and preferences. Language is broadly and deeply rooted in these common happenings.

3.    I haven't conquered Spanish yet. I'm learning and understand what's said during training. I'm progressing little by little. Spanish is very difficult for me, although I am getting used to it. I am making an effort. It's complicated. But if I can conquer Spanish, it will have been a great achievement.                      — David Beckham

Interpretation:

Here Beckham, the world-famous football star, shares with us his experience in learning a foreign language. From what Beckham says, we can see that learning a foreign language is difficult for everyone. But if we make an effort, we can conquer it. As the saying goes, where there is a will, there is a way.