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

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.