 简述：《“平和英语杯”我的英语学习之路普通组应征文》，作者刘慧泉
LEARNING ENGLISH IS SUCH A PLEASURE FOR ME 刘慧泉 08-09-17 My younger brother complained to me yesterday that he has a miserable summer holiday because he has been assigned to attend an extra English class every afternoon. It may apply to most kids that learning English has become a commitment they have to date to their parents. However, fortunate as I was, I have never been obliged to study English and have found English learning quite interesting and pleasing. The English alphabet came to me when I was ten, Junior 1, an age nearly passing the so-called ‘critical period’ for second language acquisition. At first, I did not show any particular talent in English, what’s more, my pronunciation was a bit weird thanks to my English teacher’s coaching, but I was not in the least perturbed then. I naively believed that by paying my dues—— taking notes at the right time and handing in homework punctually —— things would get better in time. Two semesters had past and so came the first summer holiday. Unlike my fellow classmates, I had no extra classes, which meant that I should spend a whole summer staying at home! Apart from occasionally reading classic novels, my only pleasure came from the English tapes which had been handed to students accompanying the textbooks. I listened to the tapes and imitated the pronunciation and accent of the readers. Two months later, I had read through Junior 1 texts and finished previewing Junior 2 textbooks. A new semester came and everybody was astonished to find that my English had progressed so much. I was able to distinguish that the teacher’s pronunciation was mostly incorrect and gradually gave up paying attention in English classes. Despite all this, I topped the list in all English tests with ease. Neglecting my teacher’s coaching and persuasion, I was unaware that it was my sense for English which I had developed during the summer vacation that had the upper hand in passing the exams. Language sense is by no means enough for English acquisition, especially for senior school in which grammar rule counts most. As a result, my confidence and pride was severely damaged after taking the first English exam after entering senior school. My performance proved to be far less than satisfaction. But there was worse to come, my English teacher, who happened to be the head-teacher, invited me to have a talk with her in front of the class. My heart almost lost its beat. Being sent to see the teacher just a few days after the new term began? What bad impression would I leave on my schoolfellows? In the office, she told me that she intended to elect me English assistant after consulting my performance in junior school, but changed her mind after this exam. She managed to motive my initiative, even in a way that hurt my dignity. I eventually sorted out that all my achievements in previous were simply out of luck, not strength. Since then, I determined to thoroughly reform my attitude towards English to catch up with others. For a whole year, I had been exceptionally absorbed in English. I wrote down whatever mentioned in class that I had not known or was unfamiliar with in notebooks and kept reviewing it after school. Thanks to my untiring efforts, I was able to answer my teacher’s difficult question about a single word or grammar point she had only referred to once in class, which never failed to amaze the class. Up to the time I graduated, I had in total collected four English notebooks, each of which was separated into three areas: grammar; mistake corrections and phrases. If piled up, they were as thick as three English textbooks. In senior 2, without any controversy or suspension, I became English assistant. I was not passionate about this post at all until an American teacher, Brynn, arrived at my school. Owing to my job, I was picked up as the presentative of my class to join an oral training program which took place every Wednesday afternoon. Based on the confidence of my English ability, I dared speak to her regularly and was most intimate with her. She was not only a qualified teacher but also a sincere friend. With her helpful instructions, my oral English stepped to a higher stage and won a couple of first prizes in oral competitions, beating other contestants of my school and the city. I cried awfully when she returned America. She continues to be one of the most significant figures in my heart. High school was really tough for me, but fruitful as well. English had become my only joy when I was painfully occupied with physics, chemistry and biology. Time passed quickly and the college entrance exam drew near. When the result came out, I was very disappointed because I did not show any privilege in English, and only got 134 out of 150. It was an easy exam and it suddenly dawned on me that this would reveal something. I checked the specific mark of each part of my paper and found that in the writing section, I got 16/25. Obviously bad handwriting was not an excuse. Grammar was a piece of cake for me but writing concerns not only grammar but also sentence patterns, which I ignored while preparing for the exam. The following summer holiday was so long and cruel. The only way to prevent me from being hysterical was to indulge in English, especially English writing. First of all, I needed a proper textbook. However, at that time, the book market was littered with assorted English textbooks which were so diverse and exquisitely packed that I could hardly decide which to select. New Concept English, Crazy English of Li Yang and US family album which I had finally decided to buy were just some of the bewildering amount of material that had been circulated. Then I began to memorize NCE series, which is known as the most authoritative English textbook for second language learners, which, as a matter of fact, I quite agree. I began with NCE 2, in which articles are relatively short and easy. NCE 3 has longer and more complex passages. As a result, I had to take great pains to cope with new sentence patterns and overcome my laziness to keep on going. Now that the foundations had been laid, I succeeded and suddenly started to enjoy the process. Up to now, I’ve managed to memorize 90 articles of NCE 2. I’m also going to bring an end to my NEC 3 self-study. The marks of my essays may be the best witness of my progress, but the most valuable reward is the appreciation that had been cultivated through reciting these native and beautifully written passages. Yet my relation with English hasn’t come to an end. Now I’m studying in UIC, which has a whole English environment. Few things could be more impressive than the pleasure that descends on me when I am talking to people whose kind I have never met in a different language! I have always said to myself that there are three choices which I have made are the most reasonable and correct of all. The first is that I fell in love with Harry Potter series when I was 12, the second is my admission to UIC, the third is that I ordered CE a year ago—— all related to English! English has brought so much fun to me. At every important stage of my life, English has carved a mark there. I am fully aware of the fact that I still need consolidation and expansion in English, but I am not in a hurry. As you sow, so you shall reap. As long as the determination and thirsty for enjoying English is there, nothing is not to be conquered. Learning English is such a pleasure for me that I could hardly get rid of it for a single day! 王 网 网络支持：Rebecca&May
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