Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, “The limits of my language are the limits of my world.” For those hoping to study in America, here are my five tips when it comes to learning the English language:
1.Starting too young can compromise your Chinese language and “wen hua.”
When it comes to learning any language, the majority seems to agree that the younger you start the better. While I agree that if you start young, you’ll have more time to master the pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar than someone twice or three times your age, picking up a second language at a very young age is not always the best option.
Five-year-old me with one of my English teachers.
From my experience, when children pick up a second language before mastering their native language to a literate level, the second language will, in most cases, replace their first language as their native language. For example, I started Kindergarten the U.S. when I was five years old. Over two years, I went from “yes,” “no,” and “bathroom” to someone who spoke English as fluently as my American-born peers. Consequently, Chinese has taken a backseat in my day-to-day life.
2.Avoid starting too late, or you will simultaneously struggle to learn English and do honor-level coursework.
My cousin started High School in the U.S. at the age of 14. On top of struggling to master English (despite having taken English lessons since elementary school in China), she must learn howchemiosmosis generates ATP in light reactions. At least when you start young, you’re learning simple words like “red” while everyone around you is also learning the color wheel.
3. The best age to start learning English is different for everyone, so ask yourself these questions instead.
To respond to the one question I consistently get askedby Chinese parents—“what is the best age for my child to start learning English?”—I think you’re asking the wrong questions. I think these Chinese parents should first ask themselves: “to what extent am I comfortable letting my child lose the Chinese language?” and “how self-motivated is my child to learn English and receive an American education?” Then, it becomes a balancing act.
[photo: Shu Wang] Shu and her friend from school.
For example, a friend of mine Shu Wang immigrated to America when she was fourteen (the same age as my cousin), and she told me that despite the challenges of a different culture and lifestyle, she doesn’t regret starting a bit later because she’s experienced the “best of both cultures.”
4.Learning English is not only dependent on when you learn it, but also the environment you are in—put yourself in the right environment.
[photo: Shu Wang] Shu and her high school friends.
Using my previous examples, Shu picked up the language much easier than my cousin because Shu attends public school with me. Even if she didn’t want to, she would eventually master English in an environment that forces her to speak, read, and write in English to her teachers and friends. My cousin, however, attends public school where she has surrounded herself with other Chinese students in her situation. Outside of school, her friends and her prefer to chat in Chinese, so, essentially, she has established, for herself, an environment not much different from her life China.
My cousin and her private school friends in the U.S.
Of course, I understand that we naturally gravitate and befriend those we find we have the most in common with, but learning a second language is about pushing ourselves beyond the language, the friends, the lifestyle we feel comfortable with.
5. Think outside the box when it comes learning English.
My baby sister self-learning English through online children's shows.
The typical approach to learning English would be taking a class or memorizing words off of flashcards, but these are not your only options. It doesn’t always have to be the same boring methods. For example, my baby sister was three years old when she came to America. She picked up English entirely on her own—by watching TV shows like “Curious George” and “Little Einsteins.” Children’s shows areperfect for anyone hoping to learn English because all the characters speak really slowly and they interact with the audience. Another great way to improve your listening skills is by listening to songs in English; if you’re looking for a challenge, try rap music.
[photo: Shu Wang]
My advice final to anyone trying to learn English is to take advantage of any and all available resources and, most importantly practice it with confidence. The road to learning any language is marred by mistakes to be made and built from hard work.
作者：实习编辑 Kayla Guo 文中所有照片由作者提供
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