365 Days of Interactive Slow English. Summer Issue (Includes CD): Summer Issue

Author: TED English Education Series Editorial Committee
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Dear readers, thank you for choosing 365 Days of Interactive Slow English. With the acceleration of China's internationalization process, more and more people have realized the importance of learning English. As a tool for communication and interaction, listening and speaking skills in English are particularly crucial. How can one improve their English listening and speaking abilities? Practice has proven that dictation and shadowing are the most effective methods. Professor Zhong Daolong, the author of the book Learn English with the Reverse Method, taught himself English speaking at the age of 45 and became a translator within a year by dictating every word and sentence of VOA's slow-speed English recordings. Professor Zhong believes that as long as one has a solid foundation in junior high school English, they can listen to slow-speed English. Compared to normal-speed English, slow-speed English features simpler vocabulary, a slower delivery pace, and concise sentence structures. Although native English speakers do not speak in slow-speed English in daily conversation, as a learning method, slowing down the speed is highly effective—it's like the "decomposed movements" in sports training, giving beginners ample time to absorb and reflect. This is particularly suitable for non-native English speakers who are just starting out. Moreover, slow-speed English uses only basic vocabulary, which are highly frequent in usage. Mastering these basic words is the starting point for learning English. Once you master slow-speed English, you won't have too much trouble engaging in general English communication. Therefore, we have meticulously designed this powerful interactive 365 Days of Interactive Slow English CD-ROM. With just a regular home computer, you can freely dictate and shadow any recording of carefully selected VOA slow-speed English broadcasts, completely eliminating the hassle of rewinding and searching. After dictation, you can easily compare with the original text for repeated practice and reflection. Additionally, we have designed a companion book that includes English-Chinese transcripts of the broadcasts, as well as new words encountered in each article and listening comprehension exercises tailored to the content. Before using the CD-ROM for dictation and shadowing exercises, you can first pronounce the new words, then click the play button and minimize the interface to do listening exercises based on general listening comprehension. During your free time, you can also use this small book as reading material to reinforce memory and understanding. In the process of learning English, we have found that there are countless English learning methods. As long as you persevere, you will eventually master English. In reality, mastering English is not about the method but about perseverance. Give yourself a reason to keep going! We have arranged a 365-day learning plan, dividing the year into 52 weeks, with different content assigned to each day. Monday is for news reports, Tuesday for getting to know humanity, Wednesday for the science corridor, Thursday for historical anecdotes, Friday for entertainment and sports, Saturday for the English refueling station to learn an English idiom, and Sunday for reviewing the week's dictation before you can relax and enjoy your day. Additionally, based on the difficulty of the selected articles, we have divided them into four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn, from easy to hard. This division is not about starting from winter but can begin from any Monday. In reality, the four seasons we have divided are not about weather but about the feeling of the seasons. In the early stages of learning, due to poor listening skills, many words are difficult to distinguish. At this point, dictating one minute of recording often takes 60 to 100 minutes. Therefore, to dictate the 2–3 minutes of recording we have planned each day, you will need at least 3–4 hours. This is an extremely challenging process, much like a harsh winter, making it very difficult to endure. However, once you complete the "Winter Plan," you will truly experience the joy of breaking through the ice of listening and speaking and enter spring. At this point, your listening skills will have greatly improved, and dictating one minute of recording may only take about 10 minutes. After completing the "Spring Plan," you will move into the "Summer Plan," which is the consolidation phase. At this stage, the articles we have arranged are noticeably longer, and your dictation speed further increases. Except for specific names, places, and technical terms, you will no longer encounter words you don't understand. In the "Autumn Plan," you should consciously practice thinking in English and directly understand the content you hear in English. Gradually, you will find that you can listen to slow-speed English as easily as listening to Chinese broadcasts. Dear readers, after experiencing the trials of winter, the joy of spring, the passion of summer, you are sure to welcome a bountiful autumn in English listening and speaking. Perhaps, after a year, you too can become an oral translator.