English Learning | 广以学长学姐谈英语能力提升
The following article is from GT生涯发展 Author 生涯君 Mr.CC
“我高中阶段英语水平一般，
跟不上全英教学怎么办？”
“怎么利用好预备学期，
为专业课程做好准备呢？”
“看不懂英文教材，
是否应该买中文教材辅助理解？”
……
对于刚刚入学的同学而言，这些都是常见的焦虑。不必担心，学长学姐们已经走过了这段适应期，正有满满的经验想要分享给你。
今天，广东以色列理工学院学习与生涯发展中心邀请了来自不同年级和专业的10位同学，为大家倾情分享英语学习经验。快来看看吧~
分享者
占天睿
20级数学与计算机科学专业
林炯锡
21级材料科学与工程专业
李晖泓
20级生物技术与食品工程专业
方艺锜
21级生物技术与食品工程专业
黄遒勉
21级机械工程与机器人专业
李沛宸
21级机械工程与机器人专业
魏勖吾
21级机械工程与机器人专业
杨煜
21级机械工程与机器人专业
于润洋
21级材料科学与工程专业
岳重盛
20级材料科学与工程专业
问答
1. 刚入学时，英语的哪些方面比较薄弱？
英语听力水平有限，口音很重，词汇量欠缺。后来发现还有英语“软实力”的短板，比如英语沟通的礼仪、邮件格式、文化差异等等。
听说读写样样都弱。预备学期，每天早晨六点爬起来写英语作业，但英语成绩还是濒临挂科。
最主要问题在于词汇量。但是不用担心，大一阶段的很多课程都是和高中衔接的，会把原先熟悉的中文名词一点点替换成英文并熟悉。
与外国人面对面交流不同于人机对话，可能会遇到口音以及语速太快的问题。
组织语言的时候经常卡住，不知道该怎么翻译。很多时候词不达意。
2. 如果上课时或者其他情况下，听不懂教授在讲什么，你会怎么做？
如果是比较短的句子或单词，我会把老师说的发音记下来，然后课后问教授或同学，或者自己去查。不过这个方法有时效果并不好，一是在老师的腔调富有异域特色的时候，想要记清楚准确的发音是有难度的；二是老师课后有时也会忘记自己说过什么。
如果是比较长的或完全无法理解的句子，我会马上举手问“Excuse me, could you repeat again？”疫情期间，如果是有录播的网课就更好了，可以课后反复听。即便不是网课，也可以跟教授商量把课录下来。
下课后，我们也要考虑教授是否有充裕的时间交流，可以先把不懂的地方简单做下标记，然后之后通过邮件问教授或与教授另约时间。
主动提问。教授通常会换一个说法，或者用一些肢体语言给你讲解。
我在预备学期把一位老师的课程视频上传到YouTube网站中，网站自动配了比较精确的字幕。通过字幕，我学习了很多常用的单词，把读音和拼写对应起来。和教授交流，最重要的就是脸皮要厚，不怕犯错，勇敢地说出来。
首先，要尽量避免这种情况。大家可以提前做准备，在寒暑假就开始熟悉专业单词，这样可以缩短听课现场的反应时间。教授一般会把专业词汇放在Moodle上面，但你得选这门课才能在Moodle上看到，所以可以拜托本科生部门先跟教授沟通，把专业词汇拿给同学们提前记忆。
其次，和教授交流的时候，要抓住重点，忽略细枝末节，比如口头禅、副词等。
再次，同时上两门相似课程，也不失为一种好办法。
此外，容易被同学们忽略的是，交流是双向的，很多时候不是你听不懂教授的话，而是教授听不懂你的话。所以面对非英语母语专业的老师，可以多用简单句，这样对双方都有利。
我会自己复述一遍，和老师确认我的理解是否准确。或者查找课本中是否有和老师表达意思相近的语句。
其实不必听明白每一个词，也可以听懂老师在讲什么。大一的许多内容都是和高中重合的，很多时候你只需要明白老师这段话大概讲的是哪块知识，大脑就会像“眨眼补帧”一样自动跟上，把自己熟悉的知识替换成老师所说的“英文版本”。这个过程可能刚开始有些困难，但只要坚持两三周就会很有成效。同样，一些非英语母语的老师讲话时会带一点口音，刚开始可能听着别扭，但随着你的“听力记忆”慢慢形成，你不仅能够轻松理解，甚至会觉得不同老师的说话风格还挺有趣。
老师的母语不是英语是很常见的情况，所以老师讲话时也会注意以理解为最终目标，不会刻意使用复杂句式。不懂就问，即使你问最简单的问题，他们也会夸赞你提了个好问题。
老师一般会在课前把这节课的课件发在Moodle上。用iPad记笔记的同学可以直接看课件里的解析，或者对照老师黑板上的板书，这样应该可以解决大部分问题。如果还是不懂，先做好标记，等下课或者office hour问老师。可以叫上同学一起去请教老师，请教过后一起解决问题。
课堂之外，可以在交流前告诉教授放慢语速。若是难以理解，可以让教授在纸上写下所要表达的重点内容。
可以请教授使用更加形象的表达方式，比如画图、举例子。
3. 在课堂中，遇到不会的生词时，你会怎么办？你会专门花时间来识记学科常用词汇吗？
通常情况下，我会分三个阶段尝试把生词“煮熟”：第一，课前阶段。先简单预习一下教授指定的参考书，把新词highlight一下，先留个印象。第二，上课阶段。遇到听不懂的生词，如果它是关键的概念并可能影响后续的理解，我会现场向老师提问。第三，课后阶段，再浏览一遍生词，并尝试在参考书或网上查没有问到的生词，并把生词记到背单词软件的生词本里，方便复习。
我会单独花时间记单词。比起死记硬背单词的中英文，我更喜欢用一种更开放的记忆法：在背单词中英文的同时，通过与其相关的概念、符号、含义来增强记忆，并且尝试“用英文解释英文”或者“用图像解释英文”。比如数学的专业名词/概念“orthogonal”，我会记下“<v,w>=0”,“inner product”，”⊥”和“ATA=I”。这样就可以把记单词和学科的学习结合在一起，一石二鸟。
理想状态下，当然是建立一个生词本，然后每次上课遇到不懂的单词就把它记下来，反复去背。但是我比较懒，上课有些不懂的生词或者一些不影响理解的词，只是查一下。过几天遇到了就会觉得挺面熟，再去查一下。慢慢就记住这个词了。很推荐大家去花时间去记一下学科常用词汇，我在这方面吃了亏。
生物领域的很多词汇的构成有一定规律，很多是从希腊文或者拉丁语等语言里面演化而来，大家感兴趣的话可以了解一下构词法。对我而言，遇到不会的单词，我会用词典查询，记忆专有名词，用构词法推断中文意思。构词法在生物化学领域还是比较准确的。
我没有专门背单词，因为我把生物课上了两遍。记单词不是上两次课的主要产物，而是一个副产物。
我的做法是，在不影响知识连贯性的情况下直接跳过。听课就像做阅读理解题似的，没准儿“下文”就有答案呢！当然，如果这个生词涉及到一些关键的概念，你可以随手查一下，但一定要用比较专业的电子词典，或者用直接用谷歌、必应等搜索。还有一些小技巧——你可以尝试在浏览器搜索时，添加这个词出现的对应章节或者课程名称，来提高检索准确性；能搜出英文结果就尽量搜英文的，哪怕看不懂也可用edge浏览器自带的网页全文翻译；能不用百度就别用，百度搜索的准确度不高，如果实在想用，可以去用一些网页插件进行重定向。
我自己没有单独花时间记单词，都是平时上课或者复习时反复看顺带记忆的。每天单独花在英语上的时间只有一个多小时，但是因为是全英文教学，所以可以说只要我在上课就无时无刻不在学习英语。
遇到生词很正常，现场查就可以了。如果是课堂重复度高或者出现在概念定义里的单词就要背下来。预备学期没有课本的话，要专门去找一些学科专有名词来背记，不过单词较少，基本上记一百个常用的够用两个月了。在正式学期会经常遇到不认识的单词时，只用眼熟它们、保证语句的整体理解足矣，不用一个词一个词地去背。正式学期每门课基本上都会有课本，读一读课本，大致理解每节关键词，上课的时候老师会展开解释的。
如果查词时间太长，可以暂且搁置，留待课后解决。
4. 你是否曾经尝试过学习中文教材来辅助理解，效果如何？推荐其他同学使用吗？
不推荐。一是因为课后工作量会更大，要记单词、定义和定理的中英文；二是因为中文教材往往不能100%贴合课堂所学，很多时候就像是在学一门内容相似的新课程，查找对应的知识点很耗费精力。而且，一些关键概念、定义、符号的使用不同，甚至翻译得完全相反，会造成不必要的麻烦。
不推荐。必须要跨过语言关。
不推荐。国外的教材一般很厚，写得很全面很仔细；例子也很多，甚至到了冗余的地步。就拿微积分来说，如果仔细读《Calculus Early Transcendentals》和《托马斯微积分》的话，其实会觉得它们比同济的教材更容易懂。吃透一本教材，知识就已经很扎实了。如果想找中文的辅助资料，可以去b站上随便找一个播放量高的课程，质量都很好。如果想找帮助理解英文的专业资料，可以去YouTube搜索3blue1brown的视频。
试过，效果不佳。如果不能短时间内把中文教材学到融会贯通的程度，很容易对上课产生负面影响，因为解题方法和学习顺序不同。建议先硬啃外版教材，再结合课程学习。
如果能找到一样的知识点，可以更好地辅助理解。预备学期以及第一学期克服困难期建议使用，往后建议尽量少用，除非该门科目真的非常难。
在一定程度上确实能很好地帮助理解，在一些学科上（有机化学、基础材料）帮助我取得了更好的成绩。但是会花费相当多的时间，而且找一本贴合所学知识的教材并不容易。要记住，任何时候中文教程都只能是帮助我们理解的辅助材料，老师上课讲的内容和给的资料才更重要！
5. 大一第一学期每天大概花多少时间学英语？对于刚来适应英文教学环境的新生，你有什么建议？你还有哪些小秘诀？
一般准备每门课会花费30分钟左右。要保持镇定和积极的心态，勇敢地多听多说多练。学校会在各个学期给各个专业量身定制英语课，Dr.Connie的课堂很棒。很多APP都有单词本功能，可以背自己想背的单词。每天可以朗读一篇自己感兴趣的英语文章，还可以和朋友约定聊天只讲英文。
大一每天学习英语一到两小时。看美剧很有用。此外，我会多去office hour，或者跟教授的小孩玩。
大二的时候为了准备雅思托福，每天花一两个小时背英语单词。预备学期如果有网课，听不懂也得逼着自己听。用chrome浏览器开启字幕，把每个英语单词都对得上号。学英语非常需要投入时间，而且必须是有效时间。
我前期花在英语学习上的时间不够多，给后期带来很大麻烦。独自练口语的时候，可以用谷歌翻译，如果它能准确转为文字，就说明读音没有太大问题。音标可以帮我们矫正口音问题。讲话之前先打腹稿，想好要用哪些句式。读文献的时候，可以先大致浏览，再看正文中最重要的部分，以便节省时间。大胆一些，就像一位老师说的，“害羞的人没有办法学”。
每天平均花20分钟学习英语。要预习教材，把教材的重点句搞懂，多给教授写邮件交流。我还会看美剧，听英语歌，听球赛的英文解说，关注地道的句子表达。
单独花在英语上的时间，每天只有一个多小时。因为是全英教学，所以只要我在上课就无时无刻不在学习英语。
课本上的概念和例题就是你最好的帮手。
多看英文原版课本，尽可能让自己进入一个全英环境，看邮件跟课件时不要养成上来就开翻译软件的坏习惯。
每天抽出半小时背单词。先要对生词做到“眼熟”，眼熟的最好方法是要提前预习。我平时用百词斩记忆单词，观看英文动画片。
如果不是为了考试（雅思、GRE），没必要特意划分一段时间来学习英语。建议自己手写学科笔记，既能加深对学科的印象，又能练习英语。多参加能练习英语的课（TECHNICAL ENGLISH COMMUNICATION），多参加学校举办的活动（pen pal、配音大赛、辩论赛、演讲等）。
秘籍在手，
队友在旁，
相信你的英语学习之路
一定会顺顺利利！
《English Learning | 还在担心广以的全英文教学？这里有颗定心丸！》
《Experience Sharing | 请收好这份英语学习秘籍！》
《English Learning | 适应广以全英文教学，学长学姐现身说法》
《雅思、托福、GRE经验分享》
（请各位同学到Career& Learning Center的Moodle site浏览相关资源）
"My English level in high school is just average. What should I do if I can't keep up with the English teaching?"
"How to make good use of the preparatory semester to prepare for professional courses?"
"I can't read English textbooks. Should I buy Chinese textbooks?"
...
These are common problems for first-year students. But don't worry, the seniors have gone through this adaptation period and have lots of experiences to share with you.
Today, the Career & Learning Center of Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) invited ten seniors from various grades and programs to share their English learning experiences. Come and have a look!
Introduction of GTers
Zhan Tianrui
Cohort 2020 in Mathematics with Computer Science
Lin Jiongxi
Cohort 2021 in Materials Science and Engineering
Li Huihong
Cohort 2020 in Biotechnology and Food Engineering
Fang Yiqi
Cohort 2021 in Biotechnology and Food Engineering
Huang Qiumian
Cohort 2021 in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics
Li Peichen
Cohort 2021 in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics
Wei Xuwu
Cohort 2021 in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics
Yang Yu
Cohort 2021 in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics
Yu Runyang
Cohort 2021 in Materials Science and Engineering
Yue Chongsheng
Cohort 2020 in Materials Science and Engineering
Q&A
1. When you enrolled in the program, what was the most challenging part of learning English?
My English listening was very poor; I had an accent and limited vocabulary. Later, I found that I have limited "soft power" in English, such as English communication etiquette, email format, cultural differences, etc.
Li Huihong
My English listening, reading, and writing skills were weak. In the preparatory semester, I got up at 6:00 every morning to do my English homework, but I almost failed in English.
The main problem was vocabulary. But don't worry, many courses in the first year are related to the courses in high school. We need to translate the Chinese words into English and get familiar with them.
Face-to-face communication with foreigners is different from man-machine dialogue. You may have problems with accents and can't catch up with the words as they speak too fast.
I often got stuck in language expression and didn't know how to translate it. Very often, my words didn't make sense.
2. What would you do if you couldn't understand what the professor was talking about?
If it is a relatively a short sentence or a word, I would remember the pronunciation and then ask the professor or classmates after class or check it myself. However, sometimes it does not work well. First, it is challenging to remember accurate pronunciation if the teacher has an accent. Second, the teacher sometimes forgets what he said after class.
If it is a relatively long sentence or I can't understand it, I will immediately raise my hand and ask "Excuse me, could you repeat it?" During the pandemic, it would be better if there was a recorded online class, and you could listen to it again and again after class. Even if it is not an online class, you can discuss it with the professor to record it.
After class, we should also consider whether the professor has enough time to talk to us. We can mark the things we don't understand and then ask the professor by email or make another appointment with them.
Take the initiative to ask questions. The professor usually uses a different expression or body language to explain the content to you.
I uploaded a teacher's course to the YouTube in the preparatory semester, and the website automatically provided more accurate subtitles. I learned many commonly used words through subtitles and matched pronunciation with spelling. When communicating with professors, the most important thing is to be thick-skinned. Although you may make grammatical mistakes, be sure to speak up.
Firstly, we must try to avoid this situation. If you do not understand the terminology, no matter how many times you repeat it, you will not understand it. So you should prepare in advance and become familiar with these words during the winter and summer vacations, which can shorten the reaction time in class. Professors usually put the terminology on Moodle, but you have to enroll in the course to be able to access it. You can ask the Undergraduate Department to talk to the professor first and get the terminology to memorize in advance.
Secondly, when talking with professors, you should focus on the key points and ignore the words which are not necessary, such as pet phrases, adverbs, etc. Also, taking two similar courses simultaneously is a good idea.
In addition, students might forget that communication is a two-way process. In many cases, it is not that you can't understand the professor's words, but the professor can't understand you. Therefore, when speaking with non-native English-speaking teachers, using more simple sentences is more accessible to both of you.
I repeat it and ask the teacher to check whether my understanding is correct. Or I look at the sentences in the textbook that have similar meanings to the teacher's expression.
Actually, you don't need to understand each word. A lot of content in the first year is the same as you have learned in high school. You only need to understand what the teacher is talking about, and your brain will automatically keep up. Now, you need to replace the knowledge you are familiar with in the English version. This process may be difficult at first, but it can be very productive after two or three weeks. Similarly, some non-native English-speaking teachers have an accent, which may initially sound awkward. Still, as your "listening memory" is gradually formed, you will not only be able to understand it quickly but even feel that it is interesting to see the different speaking styles of teachers.
Commonly, the teacher's first language is not English. To ensure you can understand it, they don't use complex sentences on purpose. Ask if you don't understand. Even if you ask the most straightforward question, they praise you for asking a good question.
Teachers usually post the coursebook on Moodle before class. Students who use iPad to take notes can directly read the analysis in the courseware or check the notes on the blackboard, which should solve most problems. If you still don't understand, mark it first and ask your teacher after class or during office hours. You can invite your classmates to seek advice from the teacher and then discuss the problems together with your classmates.
After the class, you can ask the professor to speak slowly. If it is difficult to understand, you can ask the professor to write down the main points on the paper.
You can ask the professor to use a more vivid way to express it, such as drawing pictures and giving examples.
3. In class, what would you do when you don't know the words? Do you dedicate time to memorizing common vocabulary in your subject?
I usually try to memorize the new words in three phase: the first is the pre-class stage. I briefly previewed the learning materials provided by the professor and highlighted the new word to get familiar with it. The second one is the class stage. When I do not know a new word, I will ask the teacher directly if it is a crucial point and may affect my understanding. The third one is the after-school stage. I reread the new words and try to find them in the learning materials or on the Internet, and record the new words in word memorizing software for review.
I would dedicate time to memorizing words. Rather than just spending time memorizing word by word, I prefer to use a more flexible memory method. While memorizing English words, I improve my memory through related concepts, symbols, and meanings. I try to use a monolingual dictionary in English or draw pictures to explain it in English. For example, if there is a mathematical terminology/concept "orthogonal", I will write down "<v,w>=0", "inner product", "⊥" and "ATA=I". This way, I can combine word memorization with subject learning, killing two birds with one stone.
Ideally, we should have a new vocabulary book and write the new words down whenever I don't understand them in class so I can review them. But I'm lazy and scan it if the new words are unimportant. I found the word looked familiar a few days later, so I rechecked it and slowly remembered it. I highly recommend memorizing common vocabulary in the subject as I struggled with it.
Many words in biology are formed by word formation, and they often evolved from languages such as Greek or Latin. If you are interested, you can learn about word formation. For me, the first is to use a dictionary, the second is to memorize terminology, and the third is to use word formation to infer Chinese meanings. Although word formation is not always accurate, it is relatively precise in biochemistry.
I didn't memorize the words because I took the biology class twice. Word memorization is not the main product of attending the class twice but a by-product.
My approach is to skip it without affecting the coherence. Listening to the teacher in the class is like solving a reading comprehension question. Maybe there is an answer in the following context. Of course, if the new word involves some key concepts, you can check it, but you must use a more professional electronic dictionary or search Google or Bing. There are also some tips: you can try to add the corresponding chapter or course name where the word appears when searching in the browser to improve the retrieval accuracy. If you can find English results, try to search in English, even if you can't understand it. You can use Edge to translate the full text. Don't use Baidu, and the search accuracy is not high. If you want to use it, you can use some web plugins for redirection.
I didn't dedicate my time to memorizing words. I just read and remember it in class or when I review it. The time spent in English class is only more than an hour a day, but because it is an English medium environment, if I am in class, I am learning English all the time.
It is normal to see the new words. Just check them. If the word has a high frequency of repetition in the class or appears in the definition of concepts, you must memorize them. If there are no textbooks in the preparatory semester, you need to find the terminology for the subject to learn it. There are not many words, and it would be enough for two months to memorize 100 words. When the new semester starts, you will often see new words. As long as you know the general meaning of the sentence, there is no need to memorize it word by word. Each course has a textbook. Read the textbook to understand the keywords of each section. The teacher will explain them in class.
If it takes too long to search the word, you can leave it after class.
4. Have you ever tried to read Chinese textbooks to help you understand the meaning? How effective is it? Do you recommend other students to use it?
I don't recommend it. Because of the heavy workload after class, memorizing words, definitions, and theorems in both Chinese and English is necessary. Also, Chinese textbooks often cannot 100% match what has been learned in the class, and it is like learning a new course with similar content. It is very time-consuming to search for the corresponding content in English. Worst of all, some key concepts, definitions, and symbols are used differently, or the translation is the exact opposite, causing unnecessary confusion.
I don't recommend it. You have to overcome the language barrier.
I don't recommend it. English textbooks are generally very thick because they are written in detail; there are also many examples, sometimes too many. Take calculus as an example. If you read Calculus Early Transcendental and Thomas Calculus, you would find them more accessible to understand than Tongji's textbooks. You would have solid knowledge after reading a textbook. If you want to see supporting materials in Chinese, you can go to Bilibili to search for any courses with high playback volume, and the quality is excellent. If you want to get professional materials to help you understand the English version, you can go to YouTube to search for 3blue1brown's videos.
I tried it, but it didn't work well. If you cannot fully understand the content of the Chinese textbook in a short period, it could cause a negative impact in class because the problem-solving method and learning sequence are different. I suggest studying the English textbooks first and then exploring other areas based on the learning requirement.
If you can find the same knowledge points, it would be easier for you to understand them. I suggest you use it in the preparatory and first semesters to overcome some learning difficulties. Try not to use it afterward unless the subject is challenging.
To a certain extent, it could be beneficial. I have good academic performance in some subjects (organic chemistry, basic materials). However, finding a textbook that matches what you have learned is very time-consuming and challenging. Remember that the Chinese textbooks can only be the supporting materials to help us understand. The course content and the materials provided by the teacher are more important!
5. How much time did you spend learning the English language every day in the first semester in the first year? What advice would you give new students who are used to the English teaching environment? Any other tips?
It usually takes 30 minutes to prepare for each class. You need to maintain a calm and positive attitude, and you should listen and talk bravely and practice more. The university will design English classes for each program each semester, and Dr. Connie's class is excellent. Many apps have a word book function to memorize new words. Every day, you can read an English article you are interested in and chat with your friends in English.
I studied English for one to two hours every day in my first year. Watching American TV shows is very useful. I also use office hours frequently or play with the professor's children.
In my second year, to prepare for IELTS and TOEFL, every day, I spent an hour or two memorizing English words. If there is an online class in the preparatory semester, you must force yourself to listen even if you don't understand it. You can use chrome to open subtitles and match each English word. Learning English is very time-intensive, and it should be worthwhile.
I didn't spend enough time on English learning in the early stage, which brought a lot of trouble afterward. When practicing speaking skills, you can use Google Translate. If it can be accurately translated into text, pronunciation is not much problem. Phonetic symbols can help us reduce accent. Before speaking, you must figure out which sentence structure to use. When reading literature, you can scan it first and then look at the most critical parts of the text to save time. Be bold. As one teacher said, "Shy people can't learn."
I spent an average of 20 minutes a day learning English. I need to preview the textbook to understand the key sentences and write more emails to the professor. I also watch American dramas, listen to English songs and commentary of football games, and pay attention to authentic language expressions.
I only spend more than an hour learning English daily. Because it is an English-medium environment, I am learning English all the time as long as I am in class.
The concepts and examples in the textbook are your best helpers.
You should read more English textbooks, try to be involved in an English environment, and don't develop the bad habit of opening translation software when reading emails and courseware.
I take half an hour to memorize words every day. You must be familiar with the new words. The best way is to preview these words. I usually use BaiCiZhan to remember words and watch English cartoons.
If it is not for the exams (IELTS, GRE), there is no need to dedicate much time to studying English. I suggest writing notes for the subject by yourself, which can not only have a better understanding of the subject but also practice English. You can join more English classes (Technical English Communication) and participate in more activities held by the university (pen pal, dubbing competition, debate competition, speech, etc.).
With improvement tips and peer support,
we believe you will have a great performance in English learning!
Tips for Adapting GTIIT's English-Medium Instruction
Experience Sharing by senior students
Experience sharing of the winner of the national English competition
Video and PPT materials of experience sharing
（For more resources, please visit the moodle site of Career & Learning Center）
文/图：GTIIT学习与生涯发展中心
Text/Photos: GTIIT Career & Learning Center
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