Learning a Foreign Language (学外语)
2012-03-04 00:05阅读：
Learning a
Foreign Language
(学外语)
Learning a
foreign language was one of
the most difficult yet most
rewarding experiences of my
life.学习外语是我一生中最艰苦也最有意义的经历之一。Although at times learning
a language was frustrating,it
was well worth the
effort.虽然时常遭遇挫折，但却非常有价值。
My experience with learning a
foreign language began in junior
middle school,when I took my
first English class .I had
a kind and patient teacher
who
often praised all of the
students.Because of this positive
method ,I eagerly answered all
the questions I could, never
worrying much about making
mistakes.I was at the top
of the class for two
years.我学习外语的经历始于初中的第一堂英语课。老师很慈祥耐心，时常表扬学生。由于这种积极的教学方法，我踊跃回答各种问题，从不怕答错。两年中，我的成绩一直名列前茅。
When I went
to senior middle school,I was
eager to continue studying
English ;however,my experience in
serior middle school was very
different form before.While my
former teacher had been patient
with all of the students,my
new teacher quickly punished
those who gave incorrect
answers.Whenever we answered
incorrectly, she pointed a long
stick at us and, shaking
it up and down, shouted ,
'No! No! No' It didn't
take me long to lose my
eagerness to answer to answer
questions. Not only did I
lose my joy in answering
questions, but I also lost
my desire to say anything
at all in English.到了高中后，我渴望继续学习英语。然而高中的经历与以前大不相同。以前，老师对所有学生都很耐心，而新老师总是惩罚答错的学生。每当有谁回答错了，她就会用长教鞭指着我们，上下挥舞大喊：“错！错！错！”没有多久，我便不再渴望回答问题了。我不仅失去了回答问题的乐趣，而且根本就不想用英语说半个字。
However
that state didn't last long.
When I went to college,I
learned that all the students
were required to take an
English course. Unlike my serior
middle school teacher,my college
English teachers were patient
and kind,and none of them
carried long,pointed sticks! The
situation was far from perfect,
though.As our classes were very
large,I was only able to
answer a couple of questions
in each class period.Also,after
a few weeks of classes,I
noticed there were mang
students spoke much better than
I did.I began to feel
intimidated.So,once again,although for
different reasons,I was afraid
to speak.It seemed my English
was going to stay at the
same level forever.好在这种情况没持续多久。到了大学，我了解到所有学生必须上英语课。与高中老师不同，大学老师非常耐心和蔼，而且从来都不带教鞭！不过情况远不尽人意。由于班大，每堂课轮到我回答的问题聊聊无几。上了几周课后，我还发现许多同学的英语说得比我好的多。我开始产生一种畏惧感。虽然原因与高中时不同，但我却又一次不敢开口了。看来我的英语水平要永远停止不前了。
That was
the situation until a couple
of years later when I was
offered an opportunity to study
English through an online
course.直到几年后我有机会参加远程英语课程，情况才有所改善.The communication medium
was a computer,a phone line,and
a modem.这种课程的媒介是一台电脑、一条电话线和一个调制解调器。I soon got
access to the necessary
equipment,learned how to use the
technology form a friend and
participated in the virtual
classroom 5 to 7 days a
week. 我很快配齐了必要的设备并跟朋友学会了电脑操作的技术，于是我每周用5到7天在虚拟课堂里学习英语.
Online
learning is not easier than
regular classroom study;it requires
a lot of time,commitment and
discipline to keep up with
the flow of the
course.网上学习并不比普通课堂学习容易。它需要发许多时间，需要学习者专心自律，以跟上课程的进度。I worked hard to meet
the minimum standards set by
the course and complete the
assignments on time. 我尽力达到课程的最低要求，并按时完成作业。
I
practiced all the time.I carried
a little dictionary with me
everywhere I went,as well as
a notebook in which I
listed any new words I
heard.I made many,sometimes
embarrassing,mistakes.我随时随地都在学习。不管去哪里，我都随身携带一本袖珍字典和笔记本，笔记本上记着我遇到的生词。我学习中出过许多错误，有时是令人尴尬的错误。Once
in a while I cried out
of frustration,and sometimes I
felt like giving up.But I
didn't feel intimidated by
students who spoke faster than
I did because I took all
the time I needed to
think out my ideas and
wrote a reply before posting
it on the screen.有时我会因挫折而哭泣，有时甚至想放弃。但我从未因别的同学英语说得比我快而感到畏惧，因为在电脑屏幕上作出答案之前，我可以根据自己的需要花时间去琢磨自己的想法。Then,one
day I realized I could
understand just about everything
I came across,and most
importantly,I could 'say' anything
I wanted to in
English.突然有一天我发现自己什么都懂了，更重要的是，我说起英语来灵活自如。Althougth I was still
making many mistakes and was
continually learning new ways of
saying things,I had finally
reaped the benefits of all
of my hard work.尽管我常常出错，还有很多东西要学，但我已尝到刻苦学习的甜头。
Learning a
foreign language has been a
most trying experience for
me,but one that I wouldn't
trade for anything.学习外语对我来说是非常艰辛的经历，但它又无比珍贵。Not only did learning
another language teach me the
value of hard work,but it
also gave me insights into
another culture,and my mind was
opened to new ways of
seeing things.它不仅是我懂得了艰苦努力的意义，而且让我了解了不同的文化，让我以一种全新的思维去看待事物。The
most wonderful result of having
learned a foreign language was
that I could communicate with
mang more people than
before.学习外语最令人兴奋的收获是我能与更多人交流。Talking with people is
one of my favorite activities,so
being able to speak a new
language lets me meet
new people,participate in
conversations,and form new， unforgettable
friendships.与人交流是我喜欢的一项活动，新的语言使我能与陌生人交往，
参与他们的谈话，并建立难以忘怀的友谊。Now
that I speak a foreign
language,instead of staring
into space when English is
being spoke,I can
participate and make
friends.由于我已能说英语，别人讲英语时我不在茫然不解。我能参与其中，并结交朋友。I am able to reach
out to others and bridge
the gap between my
language and culture and
theirs.我能与人交流，并能弥合我所说的语言和所处的文化与他们的语言和文化之间的鸿沟。
