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114- Should students make friends in the classroom to learn English better? Marry, Donna and Sarah are freshmen in University in China. They just met a few days prior and are now living in the same dorm room, as is common in university life in China. They walk into their first class, their Principals of Western Medicine class. It is taught by Mr. Murray, an American. He begins to speak and talks for an hour in English, introducing himself, and where he is from. The three girls understand very little of what he says. They begin to feel anxiety as the class continues. At the end of the class, Mr. Murray speaks in fluent mandarin, he says, “If you didn’t understand what I talked about today, there is no need for you to come back tomorrow.” The three girls return to their dorm and cry all night. The next morning at breakfast, one of them - Marry, said, “We must speak English and only English together, if we want to pass our university classes!” The others agreed. Four years later, they graduated at the top of their class, their English was fluent and, in my own opinion as their English teacher, the best I have encountered in China. This example is one I share with my students often. Many of them want to have good English, but, they do not dare to open their mouth to produce the language. They often go to class and receive the language- listening, and reading but again, do not use their English. I then ask my students to look to their left and right. They see each other, “These people around you also want to improve their English skill. These people around you are your best resource to learn the language.” I say. “Learning any skill take time and practice. 10,000 hours is required to master a skill.” I tell my students. Most students have an hour class, once a week. The realization of the amount of time required to master their language of choice dawns upon them. “If you talk with your friends in English, that 10,000-hour mark comes quickly, if you don’t, then the amount of time extends off into an unknown time in the future.” This helps the students put their task into perspective. Suddenly they begin to talk to each other, just as the three university students did in my earlier example. Friends are an important part of Chinese society; it is a common reason they list as to why they want to learn English - “To make foreign friends” they say. Yet, many are too shy to speak English with their Chinese friends. Why? I think it is an issue of ‘face.’ The fear of making mistakes and losing their ‘face.’ Often, they say to me, “But teacher, we make mistakes and aren’t sure how to fix them.” To which I reply, “Good! We learn from our mistakes. If you make one, write it down, then come and ask your teachers about the proper use, or ask for correction! That is why your foreign teachers are here!” The students that implement English in their daily life with friends and family are the students that progress the most. My little student Emma and her mother are exemplars of this fact. They speak English at home and in every opportunity they get. Little Emma will have a great advantage on her classmates when she enters school as her English level is Advanced and her classmates are beginners. She will be able to spend more time on other subjects like math and science and literature, her English homework will be a breeze and she will have more free time to play. (A common issue in China, a lack of free time for children in school.) All in all, an English class lasts for an hour or two a week. At that speed, a student who only uses English in the class will reach fluency in 5,000 weeks. If they produce English at every opportunity, then they will master the skill quickly. Friends are key to doing this as they are around often, they have a similar goal, they have strengths that can help each other. Plus, it gives language learners the advantage of a “secret” language. Many Chinese have a rudimentary understanding of English. Yet, if a student learns English well, then others do not know what they are talking about. This gives friends the opportunity to gossip and discuss things freely without outside listeners interference. This is fun! Learning language with friends, is fun. They are eager to learn, so learn together!
