Essential English Essays: Favorite Recitations (Enjoying Life) (1 Book + 2 CDs)

Author: Li Ji
Publisher: Jiangxi Education Press
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: "It is no coincidence that two international English speech competition champions from Nanjing University come from the same institution, as it is closely related to Nanjing University's persistent practice and theoretical research on memorization over the past decade. From Nanjing University's practices and the success of students Liu Xin and Xia Peng, we hope to inspire and motivate young friends to become the third and fourth international English speech competition champions from China in the near future." — Associate Professor Li Ji (School of Foreign Languages, Nanjing University). Memorization holds special importance and necessity in Chinese English learning. In China, there is neither the natural language acquisition environment of mother-tongue countries (such as the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, etc.) nor the English-medium education in second-language countries (such as India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, etc.). For a long time, English in China has been treated as a foreign language in a self-contained, closed language course. It is no wonder that the English proficiency of Chinese learners is generally low. Due to its oral-aural and interactive nature, memorization allows learners to immerse themselves deeply in English, making English learning somewhat resemble the natural acquisition of English as a mother tongue. The cultural, technological, sports, and entertainment information embedded in the memorized texts also somewhat align with the English-medium education in second-language countries. In short, memorization is the key to learning English in China. Without memorizing hundreds of selected English examples, mastering English is simply a dream. Based on the above theoretical knowledge and practical insights, we have compiled the series To Love Memorization—Selected English Mini-essays. This series reflects new concepts and trends in memorization teaching.
First, in terms of content selection, we prioritize works closely related to modern life rather than classic literary works with the musty scent of distant years. The series covers modern hot topics such as counter-terrorism, media, technology, politics, entertainment, and education. The timeliness and new concepts of the selected materials are closely linked to another core idea of memorization: "memorize to apply." We believe readers should internalize the memorized materials and flexibly transfer them into their spoken and written English. Thus, mechanical and passive memorization transforms into a flexible and active process of English acquisition. It is worth mentioning that we have also selected a collection of English works on Chinese themes, such as Confucius, Mulan, the Monkey King, and Beijing. Memorizing these pieces can help us confidently and fluently convey Chinese culture to international friends. This aligns with the adjustment of English teaching material guidelines in the new century, where the goal of learning English is not only to "bring in" Western culture but also to "send out" Chinese culture.
Second, the layout of the series also features innovative elements. Unlike the traditional arrangement of single memorization texts, we adopt a unit-based presentation. Each unit focuses on a theme and consists of three articles: one for mandatory memorization and two for optional memorization. This approach empowers readers with a certain degree of freedom. We have also carefully crafted guiding phrases for each unit and selected text, designed to spark interest and inspire deep thinking. Our starting point and goal are to comprehensively enhance readers' verbal and intellectual abilities.
At the end of each memorization text, we have included "Highlights and Insights," which deliberately analyze the texts from three perspectives: structure and organization, coherence and cohesion, and word choice and rhetoric. These insights highlight the brilliance of the texts, making them easier for readers to imitate and learn. While the comments on each text are brief, readers should develop a complete framework in their minds after reading the entire book.
Lastly, in terms of production, we strive for perfection, presenting the series in a bilingual (Chinese-English) format with rich illustrations. The audio-embedded text design sets it apart from similar books in the market. English, as a global language, has never been the exclusive domain of Westerners. Over the past century of Western influence spreading eastward, China has produced a number of culturally brilliant figures with profound English proficiency and deep thoughts, such as Gu Hongming, Hu Shih, and Lin Yutang, whose works are included in this series. In the past decade, China has also contributed two international English speech competition champions—Liu Xin and Xia Peng. Their winning speeches are also featured in this book. Both come from Nanjing University, a school that has long emphasized memorization. From Liu and Xia's success, we hope to inspire young friends to become the third and fourth international English speech competition champions from China, and to showcase China's voice on the global stage!