In this thread, I will share with you my 30 some years of experience in studying English, started in the late 70s, as a high school student in one of the poorest towns in China, continued in Tsinghua and Cambridge, and then as a professor in the United States teaching my Chinese postgraduate students English, and finally as a dad watching my two kids growing up into their college and high School years.
One word of wisdom for all learners: however good your English sounds like, however well you write, if you cannot think in English and cannot use the simplest few words to express your idea, then you have not learned English yet. Next time when you speak, pay attention if you can correctly use the few words like she he her him, do did does, has have.
1. 踏上英语旅程的死路
1980年秋，我跨出上图中的门坎，坐了一整天的长途车到省城，然后再坐两整天的火车到北京。当我踏上清华大学校园，加入了80 级的2000新生时，北京的天空特别清爽，我觉得我几乎可以飞入兰天。
按考分，我和90名分数最低的新生被分配到英语C班，其它学生到B 班，或A班。
到了11月，天气已经变得寒冷，教室外面的天空似乎永远恢沉沉的。在那个年代，标准的英语学习方式是记住尽可能多的单词和语法规则，然后把精心挑选的教科书背得烂熟，恰如在高中背古文一样。早餐后读，晚餐后读，睡前还要读。我们随时随地都在读。校园的每一个角落都充满朗朗的读书声。除了背书，更多时间花在背英语单词上。单词卡，正面英文反面中文，人人随身带。
平均而言，我学英语，比所有其他学科加起来，花的时间还要多。
一年后，外面的天空一样的无味，老师解释语法规则的声音变得越来越象吹眠曲。在我的白日梦中，我可以看到我将来绝不可能学会阅读，写和说就不用提了。
