Guest:
Login
|
Register
|
Search
|
FAQ
Chinadaily BBS
»
English Study
»
Original Works 原创区
» some opinions on writing in english language
Last Thread
Next Thread
37
1/2
1
2
>
Subject: some opinions on writing in english language
Visited forums ...
English Clubs 英语俱乐部
Translation Tips 翻译点津
Easy Time 休闲英语
Translation of Special Chinese Terms
animalfarmer
(animalfarmer)
Primary Member
UID 25547
Digest Posts 0
Credits 167
Posts 140
Registered 2004-3-26
Status Offline
some opinions on writing in english language
[i]ps: This is an little article I wrote two years ago. Please give your comments here either on the language of this article or on the content thereof. Thanks[ /i]
It seems that the most difficult language skill for an ESL student is the writing skill. Here I would like to share some of my ideas on how to practice.
At first, you need to think in English, which means to forget that you are a Chinese (even though you are), then try to write it down. Learn to think like a native from an English speaking country can be the best way to study that language for those who look english as a second language.
Next, do not stop reading. Making Reading one of your hobbies can be a great help since those articles and books make you see the way in which those native speakers think and express. But if you are just starting your journey of studying english. The recommendation should be given of spending more of your spare time on reading than writing.
Thirdly, I find that to speak with and listen to those natives can also be a help, for the written english is more like the spoken one in syntax than what you thought it should have been. That means the most foundamental part of writing could be to write down what you wish to speak.
Finally, Those quotes and poets are great sentences, but bear in mind while you use them that much of them were composed in some abnormal ways of sentence structure, which can be different from those we run into each day. If becoming a newspaper editor or a professional writer is not your dream, it is not necessarily appropriate to imitate the ways those poets and authors do.
2007-10-9 12:04 AM
#1
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
markwu
Senior Member
UID 27361
Digest Posts 0
Credits 3430
Posts 3068
Registered 2004-4-21
Status Offline
Finally plus one, read the works of copywriters and ad-men; read words in ads in english; find glossy magazines in english and read the words in their ads; read jokes in english; read book summaries in english.
2007-10-9 09:52 AM
#2
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
seneca
(seneca)
Super Member
UID 21228
Digest Posts 0
Credits 15435
Posts 13988
Registered 2004-1-22
Status Offline
Fully agreed, animalfarmer. More students ought to think the way you do. Literature gives you maximum exposure to the language (any literature, to any language). Reading develops your feel for the language, writing opens your mind to it, speaking opens you to other speakers of the same language.
I think literature should be part of any foreign language studies.
2007-10-9 10:37 PM
#3
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
changzhou007
Junior Member
UID 117245
Digest Posts 0
Credits 1695
Posts 1600
Registered 2006-11-12
Location Floating World
Status Offline
Yes, literature, literature and literature.
I don't hesitate to cast my vote for it with two thumbs up.
As a matter of fact, I have posted a few things to share my own experience of learning English in two threads, in which I urged others to give the English Novels a chance and to dive themselves into the raging sea of English novels, they will survive and thrive, and they will find the sea peace and calm, gentle and tender, the intimacy between them and the sea will grow stronger and stronger.
Unfortunately, the responses were few and far between, very discouraging ... sigh, feeling that my throat was drying up and my voice was fading away ...
I hated it to say, that was the way my friends and classmates at Tsinghua were learning English. Not because we are smart, but because we were guided in the right direction. Sometimes, I can not bear to see the way my fellow Chinese students learning English, as if they had been stuck in the dark tunnel year after year and not able to see the light at the end of it.
Here are the links of the two thread.
Easy Time 休闲英语» What are your favorite audio books (有声读物或书籍)?
http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/vie ... &extra=page%3D1
English Square 英语广场» Let's share experience of learning
http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/vie ... &extra=page%3D2
2007-10-10 12:26 PM
#4
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
sarayang
Primary Member
UID 143049
Digest Posts 0
Credits 137
Posts 114
Registered 2007-8-18
Status Offline
Thank you all for your kind suggestion
To be frank, I try to learn English for years but I can't speak or write freely. I believe the problem is that I didn't find the right way. I want to make a living by doing some kind of jobs such as translating in two years. At present, I spend all my time to study Enlish. I don't have a chance to go to school so I need kind advices about it. Many thanks again. I'll do as you suggest. Read, learn and write. And hope to get more help.
2007-10-10 03:13 PM
#5
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
placid_mind
(placid_mind)
Primary Member
UID 41768
Digest Posts 0
Credits 268
Posts 266
Registered 2004-10-17
Status Offline
Wherever there is education, there is the study of literature.
2007-10-11 10:16 AM
#6
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
animalfarmer
(animalfarmer)
Primary Member
UID 25547
Digest Posts 0
Credits 167
Posts 140
Registered 2004-3-26
Status Offline
QUOTE:
Originally posted by
markwu
at 2007-10-9 09:52
Finally plus one, read the works of copywriters and ad-men; read words in ads in english; find glossy magazines in english and read the words in their ads; read jokes in english; read book summarie ...
very brilliand idea ! Markwu , sometimes the english in ads is very GOOD english.
2008-2-15 10:14 AM
#7
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
animalfarmer
(animalfarmer)
Primary Member
UID 25547
Digest Posts 0
Credits 167
Posts 140
Registered 2004-3-26
Status Offline
QUOTE:
Originally posted by
sarayang
at 2007-10-10 15:13
To be frank, I try to learn English for years but I can't speak or write freely. I believe the problem is that I didn't find the right way. I want to make a living by doing some kind of jobs suc ...
oh, you surely can succeed in learning english or any other work, since I strongly believe that schooling is not a very important element in one's EDUCATION. Sometimes school can even spoil it !
2008-2-15 10:23 AM
#8
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
marya1003
Primary Member
UID 151976
Digest Posts 0
Credits 151
Posts 141
Registered 2007-11-30
Status Offline
Write more
QUOTE:
Unfortunately, the responses were few and far between, very discouraging ... sigh, feeling that my throat was drying up and my voice was fading away ...
Don't sigh, Changzhou, didn't you notice that the two of your posts have been read by many people, though many did not make a reply.
They are really helpful and I BELIEVE each person who has seen it will learn something
Audio books is a very helpful way indeed. And I remember one of our teachers in university suggested us to write more. As you write, you will consider how to organize each sentence, how to use each word, or which word is a better choice in a certain context, ect. Try a write a few lines in English everyday, it can do some help.
2008-2-15 03:20 PM
#9
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
ckgzjchen
Newcomer
UID 156888
Digest Posts 0
Credits 2
Posts 2
Registered 2008-2-14
Status Offline
This is a great stage to share our english learning experience.I am english major when I was studying.At that time,my teacher told us to recite the short article and do it every day.Most of my classmates can not stick to do that.Actually,it is really hard for everybody.However, I do that.surprisingly,after a year,my english had improved greatly especially my spoken english.My experience is that there is a great number of sentences in my mind when I talk with others .Therefore,if you can persist in doing it,there is no doubt that your english would be good.
2008-2-15 04:13 PM
#10
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
changzhou007
Junior Member
UID 117245
Digest Posts 0
Credits 1695
Posts 1600
Registered 2006-11-12
Location Floating World
Status Offline
QUOTE:
Originally posted by
marya1003
at 2008-2-15 15:20
Don't sigh, Changzhou, didn't you notice that the two of your posts have been read by many people, though many did not make a reply.
They are really helpful and I BELIEVE each person who ha ...
Thank you for your feedbacks, which are kind and encouraging.
Rereading my post today, I don't know why I said so strongly, maybe I was frustrated and felling helpless for others. The funny thing is that I am not allowed to edit my own post any more.
And thing going from bad to worse, I am not allowed to put any new post in my own thread, Easy Time 休闲英语» What are your favorite audio books (有声读物或书籍)?.
2008-2-17 08:40 AM
#11
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
changzhou007
Junior Member
UID 117245
Digest Posts 0
Credits 1695
Posts 1600
Registered 2006-11-12
Location Floating World
Status Offline
animalfarmer
, thank you for reading my article,
a writing lesson
, aloud. That is an honor for me.
The quality of the recording is pretty good and no background noises, and your narrative voice is fluent with American or Canadian accent in which I couldn't tell one from another.
BTW, that is a great site i would like to recommend, Somehow i can not put the link here.
2008-2-17 08:43 AM
#12
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
animalfarmer
(animalfarmer)
Primary Member
UID 25547
Digest Posts 0
Credits 167
Posts 140
Registered 2004-3-26
Status Offline
QUOTE:
Originally posted by
changzhou007
at 2008-2-17 08:43
BTW, that is a great site i would like to recommend, Somehow i can not put the link here.
changzhou007
Thanks for your warm-hearted sharing.
the article is good for its content, so I'd like to share it in an alternative way
the recording:
http://my.piekee.com/thinkerallan/audio/87022.html
2008-2-17 09:44 AM
#13
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
xunhuan_2002
(A New Fresh 2009 !)
Junior Member
UID 155257
Digest Posts 0
Credits 842
Posts 833
Registered 2008-1-14
Status Offline
So many VIPs of this forum here who are proficient in English and give out lots of good advice and tips on English learning,Markwu,Changzhou are two of my favorite posters here.Furthermore,I like ckgzjchen 's way to improve oral English,anyhow,I wonder what kind of short articles I should recite? Reciting markwu or changzhou's articles may be a good choice
2008-2-18 12:13 PM
#14
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
changzhou007
Junior Member
UID 117245
Digest Posts 0
Credits 1695
Posts 1600
Registered 2006-11-12
Location Floating World
Status Offline
QUOTE:
Originally posted by
xunhuan_2002
at 2008-2-18 12:13
So many VIPs of this forum here who are proficient in English and give out lots of good advice and tips on English learning,Markwu,Changzhou are two of my favorite posters here.Furthermore,I like ...
I am not sure if that is a good idea to recite a speech or an essay. To be frank, I never did although I did recite a few lines or conversations from a play or a novel or
my own
speeches,essays and presentations.
When you are watching the actors delivering the perfect lines in a movie, has it come across your mind how those actors repeated their lines tens and hundreds of times in a rehearsal?
The thing is, everybody can be an actor to speak the lines out loud as well.
Ideally, you and your buddy can try out a few lines or a short dialogue in a novel, a classic or a contemporary one, otherwise, you can play all the characters in a book.
For example, you can play Romeo
and Juliet
. Why don't you give it a try? Here is a famous scene in Shakespeare Play, Romeo and Juliet.
2008-2-18 01:55 PM
#15
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
marya1003
Primary Member
UID 151976
Digest Posts 0
Credits 151
Posts 141
Registered 2007-11-30
Status Offline
QUOTE:
And thing going from bad to worse, I am not allowed to put any new post in my own thread, Easy Time 休闲英语» What are your favorite audio books (有声读物或书籍)?
Why? What happened?
Anyway, I'm so happy to see you have started another thread
Online Reader's Digest Magazine
2008-2-18 04:58 PM
#16
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
changzhou007
Junior Member
UID 117245
Digest Posts 0
Credits 1695
Posts 1600
Registered 2006-11-12
Location Floating World
Status Offline
QUOTE:
Originally posted by
marya1003
at 2008-2-18 16:58
Why? What happened? Anyway, I'm so happy to see you have started another thread
Online Reader's Digest Magazine
Only god knows why. I want to share something with all of you in this community, and I am glad that helps in a small way. Sometimes I wonder, is that too much to ask for? Or have I gone too far?
Glad you like my new thread about Reader's Digest. On the top of the great stories, I like its writing style and appreciate its quality and standard of words and sentences. I have been reading the Magazine since my college years.
2008-2-19 08:35 AM
#17
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
xunhuan_2002
(A New Fresh 2009 !)
Junior Member
UID 155257
Digest Posts 0
Credits 842
Posts 833
Registered 2008-1-14
Status Offline
Changzhou is a good person who guide us in the right direction of English learning,It's like sending the fire pot in the freezing cold weather,offering a compass while got lost in the endless wildness.I appreaciate it very much for changzhou's hard work and kindness.In current status of my oral English ,I feel I 'm reaching the bottle neck ,Although I have been learning English from Junior to college ,till now,and persisted listenning to English evening broadcasted by China business radio everyday for more than a year,I find out it helps only a little on my spoken.I still can't express my ideas and thoughts freely and fluently,I feel confused and puzzuled ,frustrated and depressed ;I assume I'm like a person drown in the English ocean and need a person like changzhou's help and rescue . Please come to rescue my poor oral English,Changzhou
2008-2-19 12:14 PM
#18
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
changzhou007
Junior Member
UID 117245
Digest Posts 0
Credits 1695
Posts 1600
Registered 2006-11-12
Location Floating World
Status Offline
xunhuan_2002
Before we talk about your "poor oral English" as you put it, although your English is pretty good, I would like to ask you a few warm-up questions.
1.What are the key differences between written Chinese and spoken Chinese in terms of sentences, words, the structures of paragraphs, etc.?
2. What are the key differences between written English and spoken English in terms of sentences, words, the structures of paragraphs, etc.?
3. What are the key differences between business/work reports in Chinese and stories/novels in Chinese in terms of sentences, words, the structures of paragraphs, etc.?
4. What are the key differences between business/work reports in English and stories/novels in English in terms of sentences, words, the structures of paragraphs, etc.?
OK, let us do two experiments together.
Experiment number one.
1. You are going to recite your own post #19, and read it out loud over and over until you are able to say it fluently without looking at your own script.
2. Imaging I were there with you, repeating your post #19 to me in English, and observing your audience (this is me, in this case) to see if I can understand what you are talking about.
3. Surprisingly, your listener will have hard times to follow you, he/she may not understand your talk fully. Why? Because you are reciting the sentences with the style of the typical written English, not spoken English.
Experiment number two.
1.Revisit your own post #19, extract the meanings of it. I am sure you can do it.
2.Rather than recite it word by word, you are going to rephrase it in a way your audience can grasp easily.
3. Imaging I were there with you, you will talk to me, like talking to a school boy, naturally, you will come up with the words and sentences that are vivid and straightforward and casual and easy to be understood. In this way, your messages will get across to the listeners, and well received and digested.
I'd say, small words and simple sentences are the heart of spoken/oral English. Take some time to think about what I said. You can do it.
2008-2-20 08:42 AM
#19
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
xunhuan_2002
(A New Fresh 2009 !)
Junior Member
UID 155257
Digest Posts 0
Credits 842
Posts 833
Registered 2008-1-14
Status Offline
changzhou I got your idea,Yes, I can't agree with you more that small words and simple sentences are the heart of spoken English.
I'd like to disclose my own thought about the difference of written english and spoken english.I think I can give a second thought on which vocabulary is more apropriate in the following sentence I'm going to write,however,turning to the spoken English,I take no time to dig out the eligible word to express my idea in the very moment of that conversation scene. I suppose your point of view will surely work due to my above concerns.
I find out a strange phenomenon about me,when I speak English to my foreign cusotomer,I suddenly realise I can't search the right word to express,on the other hand,I feel I've accumulated many "amazing words" in my memory,but got no chances to use them when intending to deliver a speech.It's a contradiction,isn't it? a big headache.
I think your questions just hit the point,written English is more formal ,official, serious; not vivid,animated;so it's hard for ppl to understand.But,the spoken english has this characteristic and advantage. Your two comparisions are so fabulous that make me understand the difference between written and spoken english easily.
Thank you so much changzhou.You are indeed a talented instructor.I'll read more times of your post 20 .LOL
2008-2-20 09:55 AM
#20
练习翻译？遇到难题？快来翻吧
37
1/2
1
2
>
Printable Version
|
Email to Friend
|
Subscription
|
Favorites
Forum Rules
Feedback
Privacy
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
