Part Ⅵ Writing (45 min)
Some teachers argue that no Chinese should be used in Englishclasses while others contend that Chinese language should havea role to play. What is your opinion? Write a composition ofabout 400 words to state your view.
In the first part of your essay you should state clearly your main argument, and in the second partyou should support your argument with appropriate details. In the last part you should bring whatyou have written to a natural conclusion or make a summary.
You should supply an appropriate title for your essay.
Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow theabove instructions may result in a loss of marks.
Say No to Chinese in English Class
Since language learning has become an irresistible trend nowadays, English, as the most widelyused communication tool in the world, has gained more popularity than the other languages. Thushow to teach English has aroused an increasing concern in English teaching domain and out.Inevitably, there comes the dispute over whether Chinese should have a role to play in teachingEnglish. From the perspective of a student, I propose an absolutely negative answer to thequestion.
To begin with, language acquisition demands more than the study of language expression but alsounderstanding of the culture and history behind. It is undeniable that no single language can beone hundred percent fully converted into another language. Therefore, the Chinese equivalents inEnglish teaching frequently suffer ambiguity and loss of original implications. Take“borrow”and“lend” for example, both mean“jie”in Chinese, yet their English definitions are remarkablydifferent. “Borrow”means“take or receive from another person, with his or her permission andunderstanding that it will be returned after a certain time”and“lend”means“to give the possessionor use of something on the condition that it will be returned later”. Without English explanation, anEnglish learner will find it difficult to distinguish the two. So in English classroom, Chinese actuallyimpedes learners’ understanding of English.
Furthermore, once a teacher teaches English in Chinese, it is inevitable for him to follow Chineseway of thinking. Thus after being filtered through, the essence of English language lapses whenreaching the students at the end. For the students’ part, they are likely to be conditioned to relyon Chinese since their mother tongue is much easier to convey their opinion. In this case, thesituation will deteriorate. Studying English via Chinese translation just strengthens the Chinesethinking mode, which partly explains the phenomenon of“Chinglish”. Only by throwing off thewalking stick of Chinese explanation, can students be trained to express themselves in English andthink in English. It can be a bit painful in the beginning, but no pains, no gains.
From all above, considerable disadvantages can be observed in teaching English in Chinese. As forus students, the study cannot amount to anything if we still rely on our mother tongue in thecourse of learning a foreign language. Therefore, I want to call on both teachers and students touse English exclusively for the sake of good command of English.