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发表于 2004-7-20 17:41:36
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Re:Making Friends Here!!!
How can I improve my English?
A question that is frequently asked by international students who expect to teach is "How can I improve my English?" This is of special concern to students, who find that the English they have acquired abroad in pursuit of a high TOEFL score allows them to read English quite well but is of little use when they need to negotiate housing, navigate the university registration process, do a bank transaction, or understand the endless questions newcomers generally face. It is of even greater concern to graduate students when they must communicate with their advisors and teach.
Columbia University provides help to in-coming graduate students in the form of courses available through the American Language Program. During the Fall registration period, in-coming international graduate students who are expected to teach are asked to take the EPT (or English Placement Test), a test that is similar to the written TOEFL test, and the SPEAK Test, a test of spoken English. The EPT results give the administrators at the American Language Program a way of comparing each student's English proficiency to that of other Columbia students. Students who do not get a sufficiently high score on the SPEAK test are asked to enroll in the two semester International Teaching Assistants Training Course given by the American Language Program. This course emphasizes oral skills in English, especially pronunciation, as well as teaching skills.
Students who are not asked to enroll in the ITA Training Course can nonetheless take advantage of some of the classes offered at the ALP. Graduate students who are interested in doing so should speak to one of the coordinators of the ALP: John Een or Leila May Landy. With the help of the EPT and SPEAK test scores, the coordinators can suggest the best formal classes for students to take, as well as offer suggestions on appropriate materials for students to use on their own in the lab. Such materials could include pronunciation tapes, grammar practice materials, listening materials, etc. In addition, The American Language Program offers a "Language Exchange Program" in which native speakers of a language are matched with American students who are trying to learn that language. The idea is that one hour of conversation in English is exchanged for an hour of the other language.
Besides taking advantage of the professional advice and English classes offered for international students at the ALP, students who would like to improve their English can do a number of things on their own. One's language skills improve the more one uses them; it is therefore essential that students wanting to improve their English take advantage of every possible social opportunity on campus to speak in English. Joining a club, participating in pick-up basketball or soccer games, taking a fitness class in the gym, attending department parties, engaging in small talk with classmates, all of these are opportunities to improve one's language skills. International House (500 Riverside Drive) is a great neighborhood place for students to meet English speakers or students with whom English is a shared language. International House offers a number of social activities, parties, and excursions, all of which provide chances to meet other speakers of English. Riverside Church, at 120th and Riverside, has a free conversation program: volunteers at the church who are interested in meeting international students donate their time to converse with one student one hour a week.
I seek it on internet.you know there are lots of articles like this. these essay maybe can help us in English study.but i want to say burning desire is the best teacher. |
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楼主: sunmengsi
发表于 2004-7-14 07:33:00
