Winter Issue -- 365 Days Interactive Slow English (Breaking the Ice of Listening and Speaking) [1CD]

Author: Ted English Education Series Editorial Committee, Chief Editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: The CD included with this book is compatible with both PC and MP3 players. 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 recognized the importance of learning English. As a tool for communication and interaction, listening and speaking skills 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 Learn English with the Inverse Method, taught himself English speaking at the age of 45 and became a translator within a year, using the method of 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 is like "decomposed movements" in sports training, giving beginners ample time to comprehend and reflect. This is particularly suitable for non-native English speakers who are beginners. 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 slow-speed English is mastered, engaging in general English communication will no longer be a major issue. 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 VOA's slow-speed English broadcasts we have carefully selected, completely eliminating the need for 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 designed based on the content. Before using the CD for dictation and shadowing exercises, you can first pronounce the new words, then click the play button and minimize the interface to practice listening comprehension on a broader basis. During free time, this small book can also serve as English 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 one persists, they will eventually master English. In reality, mastering English is not about methods but about persistence. 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 meeting people, Wednesday for science and technology, Thursday for historical anecdotes, Friday for entertainment and sports, Saturday for the English refueling station (learning an English idiom), and Sunday for reviewing the week's dictation before you can enjoy a well-deserved break. 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 in winter but allows you to begin at any Monday. In reality, the four seasons we have divided are not about weather but about a sense of progression. In the early stages of learning, due to poor listening skills, many words may be indistinguishable. At this point, dictating one minute of recording might take 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 significantly improved, and dictating one minute of recording may only take 10 minutes or so. 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 specialized terms, you will no longer encounter words you don't understand. In the "Autumn Plan," you should consciously practice thinking in English and directly understanding 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 enduring the trials of winter, the joy of spring, and the passion of summer, you are sure to welcome the fruitful autumn of English listening and speaking. Perhaps, in a year, you too can become an oral translator.