Arguments against learning English. Excuse Myths Against Early English Learning

" English: pros and cons ".

Svetashova Maryana Alexandrovna

Needless to say, absolutely all students will have to pass the main state exam in English in the near future - everyone knows about it! Are you ready to take a foreign language as a compulsory subject?

The OGE is a compulsory exam at the end of the 9th grade of high school in Russia. Serves to control the knowledge gained by students of 9 years old, as well as for admission to institutions of secondary vocational education.

Please note that today the procedure for passing a foreign language is an optional discipline. But 2-3 years will pass, and it will become compulsory for every student who graduates from the secondary level. Therefore, it is worth considering whether you are ready to receive a high school diploma?

Among all languages ​​studied in our region, English takes the first position.Knowing English is absolutely essential today for every educated person, for every good specialist.

Heis an international language: the language of the computer, sports, business and the business world, medicine, politics, science and technology, music, tourism.

Since 2014, in the Irkutsk region, schoolchildren have been trying their hand at this discipline, in the form of the GIA. The exam consists of two parts - oral and written, according to the results of which a student can score 70 points in total (maximum).

Analyzing various tables and diagrams, reading reports and statistics on passing the exam, we can safely say that the level of language and communication training for most of the students has increased.

Table 1

The number of those who took part in the OGE

Percentage of those who passed the exam on the OGE

2014

139

90,65

2015

215

95,35

2016

1436

84,45

2017

1257

98,49

The average score of the examinees is approximately 50%, while the number of participants who did not pass the subject is less than 3%. Due to the fact that in 2015 there were changes in the rules of the state final certification, namely in the oral part of the OGE, the number of participants increased significantly. The positive dynamics is also explained by the fact that the students more consciously approached the exam. Also in 2017, teachers had the opportunity to qualitatively and seriously prepare students in an already approved format.

Along with the above circumstances, it is imperative to recall that not all students have a desire to teach, and even more so to take an exam. Therefore, teachers and teachers need to motivate such children with the help of various methods, information and modern teaching technologies in order to implement cognitive and creative activity. To attract students to extracurricular activities.

Today it is difficult to be a truly literate and interesting person if you do not know English - this language once became the language of international communication, but, even being far from the centers of international trade and diplomacy, it is simply necessary to know it. Would you like some arguments in favor of resuming learning English, even if the relationship with him has not worked out since school?

So the first reason is practical. Not knowing the language, it is difficult to apply for a good position - if in the questionnaire you write that you speak English at the school level, and someone indicates that it is spoken, for sure this “someone” will bypass you. The overwhelming majority of employers amuse themselves with the thought that sooner or later their company will enter the international level, and therefore prefer to hire personnel with the necessary skills. Therefore, even if you still have plans to study English online, feel free to write that you already know it, without postponing classes for a long time. Subsequently, an advanced level of English will help you directly draw information on the specialty from excellent international publications.

The second reason. Today, tourist trips abroad have become very affordable. Therefore, it is not at all excluded that soon you will go to a place where it will be very difficult to speak Russian. However, residents of most tourist countries are fluent in broken English, and speaking English more or less tolerably, you can avoid funny situations, dangers and even monetary costs, because it is much more difficult to deceive a person who is not in an information vacuum.

The third reason. The spread of the Internet made it possible to make acquaintances all over the world, flirt and even conclude international marriages. A banal ignorance of the language can hinder the development of romantic relationships, and vice versa, English will help you make pleasant and useful acquaintances.

The fourth reason. In order to feel like a very cultured person, you should read Shakespeare or Byron in English, so to speak, in the original, or even better, learn a couple of sonnets and, on occasion, read them in warm company. This will surely make a good impression. And in general, the more a person knows, the more valuable he is to those around him.

Is it difficult to improve your level of English? Today it is no longer - we will not argue that English language courses in St. Petersburg are likely to be more productive than on the periphery. But even in small towns, you can find an opportunity to learn the language, if you make an effort to this. After all, the main thing is desire, isn't it? Good luck!

Purpose of this article:

• a little "think out loud" about the difficulties that many of our clients face when it comes to learning English;
• analyze the ways to study it and possible options;
• choose the most suitable path that will lead you to the desired result and
• will protect your family budget from serious waste.

Learn English you will (you will definitely), if you want to connect your future with Australia, even temporarily. If the question becomes more serious, and the words "Immigration to Australia", "Study in Australia" are used, you simply will not be able to avoid passing the IELTS test!

If you have studied English since childhood, spoke English in your family since childhood, graduated with honors from a comprehensive school with in-depth study of the English language or "University Foreign Language" in your homeland - then this article is not for you. Please go back to the main page of the site and study other, more informative sections for you.

Of course, the ideal option for anyone who does not meet the requirements of the previous paragraph is to move to one of the preparation and delivery centers for the IELTS test in Australia or New Zealand and learn English until you can easily understand "that nonsense, carried by a drunken aborigine. " This is ideal, which is not available to everyone and is far from real life. There are a number of restrictions, both financial and immigration regulations imposed by the Australian Department of Immigration (DHA).

No very best teacher will develop a student's language skills if the language is not native to him. That's right, an English-speaking teacher does not know your language and thus will not give you concessions in the process of explaining: subtleties, phrases or grammar. You will not ask him in Russian: "What is it and why exactly?" You will have to ask him a question in English and get an explanation in English. If you don't understand, it means in "English-gestural" language! But there will be no concessions and indulgences for you!

Moreover, the HOW they taught English in Russia, guided by the methodology of the Ministry of Education, cannot be taught initially. It's wildness when some uncle, who has only been to England on business trips, issued a decree where to start in studying and how to finish! Your Russian-speaking teachers themselves learned by these rules (not their fault) and, accordingly, will transfer this knowledge to you. As a result, "ugly speech patterns and stupid grammatical forms" are initially embedded in the student's subconscious. In real life, no one will ever say that, you may even simply be kicked out of a decent society if it is said there. Alternatively, the English-speaking teacher is not initially familiar with such "nonsense", therefore you, the students, will not encounter them either.

Thirdly, what can be a successful language learning in Russia if you, having just finished 4 hours a day with the best teacher, went out into the street and when boarding the bus you hear not in English: "Where is your ticket, mate?" , and in Russian: "Where are you going without a ticket?" When Russian is spoken on TV, when the price tags in the store are in Russian ... In 15 minutes you will forget everything that you went through during 4 hours with the teacher.

Fourth, a language can only be learned when you speak it! You will simply have to return to Russian in order to ask a question in the store or to relatives in the family. 4 hours with a teacher is not enough to develop speech skills.

What is the problem with learning English in Australia?

First of all, it is a human insecurity and a feeling of self-doubt. It is not easy to explain to an Australian ethnic seller what you want in an Australian store for a person with a low language proficiency. It is not only words and phrases that are forgotten, sometimes people simply "jam" the language. It all ends with primitive monkey gestures. This is a very difficult threshold, which at times remains simply insurmountable for many.

Secondly, purely for everyday reasons, a newcomer to another country will be drawn to his ethnic circle of already old immigrants. This is understandable, you need everyday advice, you need understandable explanations for everyday issues, you just need to relieve stress in the communication of "people who are close in their historical spirit." And here: a question in Russian, an answer in Russian, newspapers in Russian, vodka - also Russian, "heart to heart" in Russian - today, tomorrow, after tomorrow ... From what they left, they came to that!

Thirdly, there is a misconception that if you settle in an English-speaking family, then everything will come by itself, your English language skills will begin to develop by themselves. Yes, we agree, but this will only happen if you live in a student hostel and follow the same daily routine as everyone around you. If you pester with a question in "English - gestural language" to the owner of an English-speaking family who has just come from work, where you are going to live, then in 90% of cases you will hear: "Leave me alone, I'm tired, I came from work, I sleep I want "or" Don't you see - I watch rugby on TV! " As a result, the person closes in on himself again.

Fourthly, it is possible to get a job to learn the language "in practice", but without a fluent language you will be hired as a waiter at best. Language progress will go, but within the framework of the menu and a couple of phrases like: thank you, come again, good luck ... etc. In a real situation, you will be taken as a loader to a grocery store, as an office cleaner at night, as a watchman at a construction site - to the place where language progress develops "narrowly", according to the specifics of the enterprise. Moreover, you will get tired during the work shift - and you still have to do your homework and prepare for tomorrow's classes at the Australian Language College. Your working capacity, and, consequently, the effectiveness of such classes in a language college drops sharply.

In the fifth ..., in the twenties ..., in three hundred and fifths ...

Let's now look at the current issue from a financial point of view.

Option 1.

When applying for a student visa to study English in Australia for 50 academic weeks This is firstly. Secondly, in order not to receive the restrictive condition 8534 "Without the right to stay" on the initial student visa), you will have to present:

• a certificate of full payment for a language course in a college. That's roughly AUD 300 per week. We consider AUD 300 x 50 = AUD 15000;
• the availability of funds on the account based on the payment of accommodation AUD 1500 per month plus 28 days, medical insurance and a round-trip air ticket. It turns out: AUD 18000 + AUD 600 + AUD 2000 = AUD 20600;
• visa fees, payment of a medical examination, payment for translation of documents when applying for a visa, travel to Moscow for passing a medical examination, additional costs - approximately AUD 2000.

We are considering the option that you do not work, but only study and spend all your strength on learning the language.

To summarize ... - AUD 37,600 for a stay in Australia - 1 year + waiting time and hassles in the process of preparing an immigration case and making a decision on granting a visa - about 6 months. This does not include the fees of immigration agents if you apply for a visa yourself.

Add to this amount of funds the immigration agent's fee, add a little for "unexpected expenses" and you get AUD 40,000 - the funds that must be spent for a year of English language training in Australia.

Option 2.

We learn a language in Russia. The study period is 50 weeks - the period is identical to that discussed above. We consider ideal conditions: you do not work, study 5 days a week individually with a teacher for 3 academic hours a day, do not leave the apartment (go out only to get to the classroom and then with headphones in your ears at this time), you only listen to English-language satellite TV programs. Eat, study, do your homework and sleep ...

For example, a very experienced teacher from St. Petersburg, to whom we refer our clients, charges about 500 rubles per academic hour of individual lessons. Total: 1,500 rubles per day, 7,500 rubles per week. It turns out: 50 weeks for the course x 7,500 rubles = 375,000 rubles;

• installation and payment for the connection of satellite television equipment - approximately 10,000 rubles + 1,000 (rough) rubles per month. It turns out: 21,000 in 1 year;
• food, utility bills for an apartment - 3000 rubles per week. It turns out 150,000 rubles.

Let's sum up ... - 546,000 rubles. Divide by the AUD to RUR exchange rate - what happened?

To learn a language in Russia under "ideal living conditions" cheaper than under "harsh living conditions" in Australia.

Let's now look at it in terms of the "Immigration Rules" of the Australian Department of Immigration (DHA).

When you finally succeed in obtaining a positive decision on granting you a student visa to study English in Australia for a period of less than 44 calendar weeks (10 calendar months), then in 100% of cases the immigration officer "imprints" a small inscription on your visa stamp: 8534 "No further stay". It is translated simply: "Without the right to stay." This visa restriction condition states that you MUST leave Australia before the time specified on this visa. You will not be able to apply for any other visa category in Australia. (except for refugees) and extend the current one for a further period. You are DEPORTED! After 10 months of stay in Australia, you return to Russia and start the immigration process again by applying for a new student visa.

Therefore, to study English in Australia, the most rational way is to take the ELICOS language training course with a duration of 44 calendar weeks (10 calendar months + 2 days)- up to 50 academic weeks (It is still difficult to say how many 50 academic weeks will stretch in calendar time, taking into account breaks and vacations - this will be exactly indicated in the Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), which will be issued to you by the Australian educational institution).

When you learn English in Russia, the entire immigration process can proceed in parallel, since in most cases at the first stage of immigration (confirmation of profession) it is not required to provide a certificate of passing the IELTS test. In other words: "You are at home in Russia, warm, comfortable, learning English, and the immigration process at the" first stage "is moving by itself. The process has approached the" second "stage - we went to take the language test. to the required score - the immigration process went on painlessly. If you didn’t pass it, study further, then we went to take the language test again. As soon as we passed the test, the "ice broke" again ... Your nerves are fine!

What can we advise in these cases?

First of all, it's good to weigh everything yourself again. We can only give general advice, we do not know your individual abilities, true aspirations and desires. We only ADVISE.

Those who need to know the language at the "Academic level" - as a rule, for further admission to an Australian university or college (with subsequent immigration to Australia through Independent (professional) immigration)- those people are better off learning the language in Australia. You will need a professional level of language teaching with a "bias" towards academic knowledge of the rules for writing reports, research and reports. This requires knowledge of the structure of written assignments, their features and standard rules from the point of view of traditional academic teaching. It is best to apply for a "combined" visa of subclass 573 (or 572) for two years or more with preliminary study of English at a language college at the same university, which has such a preparatory language department. In the case of a student visa of subclass 570, where the educational process itself will last more than 10 calendar months, visa restrictive condition 8534 "Without the right to stay" is not imposed. After 10 calendar months (minimum) of successful language learning and passing the "Academic Section" of the IELTS test in Australia, you have a chance to change your educational institution to a university without violating the visa regulations. If you do this correctly, then you will have the opportunity to extend the initial student visa for the full term of study at a university in Australia (without leaving the country) and study calmly, and then immigrate 100% to Australia as a person who studied at an Australian University and received Australian university education, also without leaving Australia.

For those who need to know the language at the "General level" - as a rule, for registration of the immigration process for an independent category of visas, work visa, etc. - the better to learn the language in Russia. For "general English" it is enough to understand and express your thoughts in writing and orally. For these purposes, an experienced Russian-speaking English teacher is fine.

When choosing a teacher, pay attention to the fact that you need classes with an emphasis on passing the IELTS test. It's not the same as just learning English!

Isolate yourself from the outside world, work with the teacher individually, watch only English-language news broadcasts (ABC, CNN, SBS, Sky News, Euro News, etc.) and transmission of a cognitive nature (Geographic Channel, Planet of Animals, Historical Channel, Travel, etc.)... This is very important, as the announcers in these programs speak the correct, very expressive, natural language without accents, jargon and abbreviations. Watch movies on DVD - once with subtitles and no sound, the second time with sound but no subtitles. Watching children's cartoons is very important, as you will subconsciously perceive the most basic expressions in the simplest structural presentation. Sing karaoke in English - it's just fun, but with a huge effect of memorizing words. Play computer "word guesses".

Under no circumstances go to English courses in Russia! (We repeat once again, learning English is a completely different concept, in contrast to preparation for the IELTS language test)... Don't waste your time and money! Don't trust any new trendy speed learning technology! Don't fall for the "mass fooled hook"!

We draw your attention to the fact that we gave ONLY ADVICE, based on our own experience. This is by no means a "guide to your action." The choice should only be yours!

According to our personal conviction, we we do not recommend our clients come to Australia to study English in order to successfully pass the IELTS language test, since in this case there will be no argument in favor of Australia!

And, if it is, then when and where to start? "There is an opinion that the early start of learning a language is an unforgivable complication of the content of preschool education, and it is harmful, because it" deprives the child of childhood. "However, the existing experience of domestic and foreign studies in this sphere, proves that learning a foreign language, in the case of the correct organization of classes, develops children, raises their educational and cultural level.

So, as a result of an experiment carried out in schools in England and Wales, which involved 6,000 children, it was found that foreign language classes have a positive effect on the knowledge of their native language, many children with weak general abilities showed excellent success in speaking a foreign language. Research from leading universities in the United States and Canada has shown that bilingual children develop better cognitive abilities than monolinguals. The beneficial effect of learning a second language on the development of native speech was proved by L. S. Vygotsky, L. V. Shcherba noted, and other domestic scientists. Long-term experimental teaching of a foreign language, carried out by the collective of the laboratory for teaching foreign languages ​​of the Research Institute of General and Secondary Education of the APN RF, confirmed the "beneficial effect of the subject on children: on their general mental development (memory, attention, imagination, thinking), on the development of ways of adequate behavior in children. in various life situations, for a better command of the native language, for the speech development of children in general. "

Of course, studies on the influence of learning a foreign language on the general development of a child cannot be considered complete, but it seems possible to argue that learning a foreign language does not have a negative impact on the formation of a child's personality. Rather, based on the results of experimental schools, we can talk about the positive impact of a foreign language on the development of children.

At what age is it better to start learning a foreign language? Many parents wonder if they started teaching their child a foreign language too early, and what age is most favorable for starting classes. There is no single opinion on this matter. Some practicing teachers are sure that "the best thing is to speak with a child in foreign languages ​​from the day of his birth. This develops hearing, gives an idea of ​​the sound diversity of the world." (Karine Nesheret, director of the "Intellect" school).

Let's turn to the theory. Both in domestic (L. S. Vygotsky, S. I. Rubinshten) and foreign psychology (B. White, J. Bruner, W. Penfield, R. Roberts, T. Eliot) there is evidence that the child learns a foreign language easier than an adult. The duration of the sensitive period is characterized by different authors differently: Penfield and Roberts define it from 4 to 8 years, Eliot - from 1.5 to 7 years. Physiologists believe that “there is a biological clock in the brain, just as there are stages in the development of the endocrine glands of a child in time. new conditions. After the age of 10, many obstacles have to be overcome. The child's brain has a specialized ability for a foreign language, but it decreases with age. " (Penfield V., Roberts L. Speech and brain mechanisms. - L .: Medicine, 1964. - S. 217.)

Most researchers agree that special classes in a foreign language can be conducted with children 3 - 10 years old, up to 3 - meaningless, after 10 - it is useless to hope for a positive result, which is possible only for a small part of students, those who have communicative and linguistic characteristics above average. It is best to learn a foreign language at the age of 5 - 8, when the child has already mastered the system of the native language well enough, and he is conscious of the new language. It is at this age that there are still few stamps of speech behavior, it is easy to "encode" your thoughts in a new way, there are no great difficulties when making contact in a foreign language. If the methodological system is built quite competently from a linguodidactic and psycholinguistic point of view, then success in mastering the proposed limited language material and creating the necessary prerequisites for further mastering any foreign language is provided to almost all children. (Teaching a foreign language to preschoolers / review of theoretical positions. Foreign languages ​​at school. No. 1. 1990. S. 38 - 42.)

Karnikova E.A.,

English teacher

MOU school number 124, Samara

Greetings, dear readers, in another article on self-development.

Today we will touch on the importance of learning English. We will give you the arguments for and against, as well as analyze some resources that will help you in learning.

Let's start with you with arguments against, which are very few, but they still exist among the people and spread exponentially among ordinary people, crushing their desire to develop and become successful people. So that this does not happen so often and so that my conscience does not gnaw at me, I will give you a couple of such arguments and prove to you that they are not supported by reality.

Arguments against language learning

So the argument is, a number of times, that people think they don't need English for life in principle. This is perhaps the deepest and most merciless delusion. In our time, technologies are developing unusually quickly, mainly informational, the spheres of economic activity are also expanding, and you and I, like the rest of the world, are undergoing gradual globalization.

The problem is that all these processes are taking place under the American and British flags, and in order to keep up with progress, we need to stay "on the wave" with the rest of the world, and not wait for our kind people to decide to transfer new progressive technologies and information solutions in our native language. This may not happen at all, or it may happen very late. And if it does, then, for sure, not for disinterested purposes. Consider, for example, what is the fastest translated from English. And most popular films and books are translated the fastest. Why? Because there is a material interest. Now think, is anyone interested in your education and development besides you ?!

Now for the number 2 argument: Many people know English at the most basic level and think that's enough for them. Oh, how wrong they are! Development itself presupposes communication with the right environment and literally literal knowledge of the language. How can such people be helped by knowing a couple of words in the form: milk, newspaper, yogurt and my mother works as an engineer if they suddenly have to reserve a hotel room when they go on vacation. Or they will need to know what time and where breakfast will take place. Is the cost of breakfast included in the price of the tour and the like.

And finally, 3, the most offensive and stupid excuse or argument in my opinion. People say: "I will never need English, I will find everything in my native language, and in general I do not think that I will ever meet a person who wants to communicate with me in English." Here, probably, you shouldn't even try. The man is a staunch conservative, to put it mildly. He sat in his cave, so let him continue there and sit until the roasted rooster pecks. And when it bites, it will be, believe me, late. But let's leave these people alone. This is their choice, and if you go to them with your convictions, you will still remain misunderstood, and even with an offensive word, you will probably be remembered. Think, why do you need it ?!

What will knowledge of English give you?

Now let's talk about the positive factors that learning this language will bring you. Firstly, like any difficult task that you complete, this will give you more confidence in yourself and your strengths, which is already important. After all, the stronger and more confident you feel, the easier it will be for you to solve complex issues and the easier it will seem to you difficult cases.

Secondly, these are the factors I mentioned above, where I wrote about how harmful negative beliefs are for your future. This is actually so, take my word for it. You will no longer lag behind the world and will be the first to be informed, new knowledge will also be available for you to be among the first to receive.

Thirdly, when learning a language, you expand your world boundaries. Actually your own world. You can already watch the news of another country, evaluate its culture and understand its position in relation to what is happening. This is often useful when reading newspapers and watching the news. You will already have the opportunity to evaluate the new incident from different angles, and not only under the prism of our media and the convictions that are suggested to us. As you already know, everything is learned in comparison, and in order to have something to compare with, we, in fact, need knowledge of other languages. In addition, you can, if you wish, visit the country whose language you studied and it can become your second refuge in case of any critical situation.

Free sites for learning English

Now I will give a couple of resources that I myself use to learn the language and the quality of which seemed to me good. In any case, in relation to the rest of the services.

First on the list we have is lingualeo.ru Here you can train your English skills daily and for free. Moreover, the service is made as convenient and simple as possible for understanding and studying materials in English. Your personal dictionary is here. Dictionaries with the most frequently used parts of speech in English and, of course, the grammatical rules of this very language. In essence, the resource is a collection of materials for learning English scattered across the Internet.

The second on the list for better study, I will give you funny british teacher's channel... It will help you just playfully raise your English level up a notch.

And finally, the third resource I will give you is the site of another Briton - a podcaster who does charity work and generally works for the good of society www.podcastsinenglish.com I especially liked his approach. He manages to use the example of ordinary and at the same time interesting life stories to tell how grammar is used in the English language and why it is generally needed.