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The competition has been there for a long time. I personally know some people who have won the regional champion. They are as boring as other non-perfect Englis

by yzh 11y ago

The competition has been there for a long time. I personally know some people who have won the regional champion. They are as boring as other non-perfect English speakers. To some of them, this is just a way to get themselves into a good university. It's no use to speak English, or frankly speaking, any foreign language well if one does not know how to think and what to express. It's the content that matters. Yitang Zhang doesn't speak perfect English but when he speaks, people would listen. I think what Chinese students really need is logic and philosophy.

muddyrivers 11y ago
I agree with you, except I wouldn't call them boring. It is a skill, a very pragmatic one, to speak excellent English, although it is wasteful to over-spend so much time on it. In this sense, it is the same, if not worse, than the competitions in math, physics, chemistry, etc. I refused to continue the intensive and monotonous trainings for these competitions after I had a taste of it in a summer camp when I was in high school. Don't get me wrong, I love math and science. I didn't like the info-dump and repetitious natures of the training. I want to take time to think and think deeper. Or I might simply be a slower thinker than the other kids. Anyway, I spent time in reading extensively, and played basketballs when my brain got tired. Edit: BTW, I have utmost respect and admiration for Mr. Zhang Yitang.
cherry_su 11y ago
What makes them boring?
- yzh 11y ago
  Boring is a very subjective word. Maybe coincidentally the people I met were boring to me. My point is, being good at oral English does not necessarily make one a thoughtful and interesting person. Several of the materials they performed were not that good in terms of content itself. And whenever the results are related to college entrance exam, I cannot help but questioning the purpose of some people who took the competition. That said, I agree there are also true and excellent speakers and thinkers among them. If this competition can serve as a catalyst for ordinary people in China to learn English, especially people from small cities, then it's great.

by yzh 11y ago

muddyrivers 11y ago

I agree with you, except I wouldn't call them boring. It is a skill, a very pragmatic one, to speak excellent English, although it is wasteful to over-spend so much time on it. In this sense, it is the same, if not worse, than the competitions in math, physics, chemistry, etc. I refused to continue the intensive and monotonous trainings for these competitions after I had a taste of it in a summer camp when I was in high school. Don't get me wrong, I love math and science. I didn't like the info-dump and repetitious natures of the training. I want to take time to think and think deeper. Or I might simply be a slower thinker than the other kids. Anyway, I spent time in reading extensively, and played basketballs when my brain got tired. Edit: BTW, I have utmost respect and admiration for Mr. Zhang Yitang.

cherry_su 11y ago

What makes them boring?

yzh 11y ago
Boring is a very subjective word. Maybe coincidentally the people I met were boring to me. My point is, being good at oral English does not necessarily make one a thoughtful and interesting person. Several of the materials they performed were not that good in terms of content itself. And whenever the results are related to college entrance exam, I cannot help but questioning the purpose of some people who took the competition. That said, I agree there are also true and excellent speakers and thinkers among them. If this competition can serve as a catalyst for ordinary people in China to learn English, especially people from small cities, then it's great.