Mr Yang Talks about his Concept of "Impact English" on TV-33 in New Zealand

Nina: 这里是幸福碰碰碰，我是主持人Nina。今天我们要跟大家分享的话题是趣味英语教学。我们今天的作客嘉宾是SIM。SIM你好。 

Sim: 你好啊，大家好。 

Nina: 很高兴能够来到TV33的演播室与大家分享。哈哈哈，谢谢SIM啊。SIM啊，我这边有一份早期的报纸啊，呃，叫湛江晚报，大家可以看一看。呃，上面的主题是这股冲击波不寻常，啊，访湛江籍留学生杨斯毅啊。呃，你可不可以跟大家呃，简单的介绍一下这篇报刊呢，讲的是什么呢？ 

Sim: 啊，可以没问题。嗯，我一直呢就对英语学习有很浓厚的兴趣，这很大部分是因为父母都是老师的缘故。爸爸是语文老师，妈妈是英文老师，所以呢一直就想着把自己的一些经历还有学习英语过程中的一些体会写出来与大家分享。那么呢，在2002年的一天呢，我突然间就忍不住了，就一定要一口气的两个星期之内就把自己的一些从听说读写译方面的一些想法写了出来。 

Nina: 那为什么你要称之为他叫冲击波呢？ 

Sim: 啊，这个我想了很久为了定这个名字。这是因为呢冲击波它代表着一种像原子弹爆炸的时候的一种很，很有影响力的一种波啊。那么我就想先当时十年前哈，十年前的那个时候呢英语是以很飞快的速度向全世界传播着，75%以上的那个电脑信息都是用英文啊。我就想着用冲击波来形容这种英语传播的速度，而且我们是非学不可，因为它是一个很重要的工具啊。当时我要强调的就是英语是必须要学习的一种工具，一种语言。 

Nina: 嗯，我这里呃除了这份报刊呢，还有一些杂志。嗯，这个杂志呢叫《海外英语》。呃，大家可以看一看。呃，像这本杂志海外英语是哪一家出版社出版的呢？ 

Sim: 呃，是安徽出版集团出版的一个省级的刊物，嗯专门是以那个英语学习为主的内容。嗯，我是他们的啊海外顾问，而且是三个专栏的专栏作者。嗯，有关于一些口语方面的策略，嗯如何能够帮助学生呢成功的从零到比较能够就说很流畅与老外对话这样的程度的一个过程是怎么样能够获得一个这样的过程的转变的一种这样的文章在里面，而且我会把呃还有另外两个栏目是关于怎么样在听说的方面呃对电影做一下注释比如说像Gossip Girls呃像那个那个呃好多的比如说现在的Carry Diaries还有那个等等最新的美剧进行一些诠释把你们一些重要的句子加以那个注释怎么样用运用在口语中，嗯就大概就是这几个栏目。 

Nina: 嗯，那是出于一个什么样的原因你想要啊推广你的这种啊冲击波的英语的想法呢？ 

Sim: 冲击波英语到了今天我发现我可以赋予它另外一种含义，因为过去的话呢我是想强调呃英语是非学不可因为它具有这种在信息爆炸时代的这种冲击力。但是在今天的时候呢，我来到新西兰学习了差不多两年的那个硕士，还有现在又读了一个剑桥大学的专门的课程之后呢，我发现我们要学习的是有影响力的英文，嗯啊所以我把它叫做Impact English。Impact有两个含义，第一个含义呢是冲击力，第二个含义是影响力。那么既然英语具有这么大的冲击力，嗯那么我们要利用这一股冲击力，是不是因为它具有这么大的冲击力，那么我们就要利用它，我们来实现我们要利用这个武器来实现自己的影响在全球范围的影响，所以我的目标呢是用冲击波英语教育出一批具有全球影响力的学生，嗯这是我的最终的目标，我知道这需要很多很多的时间和精力去完成这个project。 

Nina: 嗯，那我们又如何能够让我们的英文能够做到有影响力呢？ 

Sim: 这个问题提得非常好，这是我一直在想，可能每天都在想的问题啊，每天都在想。然后我总结出四点啊。第一点呢我们要学习地道的英文，嗯地道就是说一定要老外说的我们才说。第二个是实用，我们要学习那些能够在各个场合都用得上的英文，嗯比如说我有一些学生说老师能不能教我一些完整的句子，嗯我一到银行我就freaking out因为我不知道说什么，我要存款我不知道怎么说，我去麦当劳我只能点我只能点hot chocolate因为我只会说hot chocolate嗯所以说这种英文就不能够帮助他在生存这个层面上能够活得比较痛快嗯嗯是吧。所以这个是实用还有呢要具有充分的思考力我发现在中国很多老师没有提高学生的那个思考的啊这方面的发展他只是教他固定的句子比如说what's your name This is pen. The pen is red.这些句子但是当一个老外问他嗯where are you from他不懂说因为他没学过怎么样表达所以说这种英文就跟实际的场合那个scenarios毫无相关这种英文就不是非常的啊那个实用而且不具有思考力最后一个目的呢就是最高层次要达到母语的内涵如果一个人的说的英文能够达到他的母语那样的水平的话那就是最高的层次嗯这是一级一级而且是必须的一个过程做起来并不是很容易所以说这就关键就在于如何首先呢要提高自己的兴趣嗯兴趣是很重要的嗯呃在现代的二语教学的研究中啊motivation就是动机这个词已经被反复的强调我最近看了很多的文献都发现动机是学习一种外语的第一要素学生首先要知道他为什么要学习这种外语嗯他有很强烈的动机是不是老是不是父母逼他去学的嗯是不是考试所主导的还是自己内心想学的当然第三种是最好的嗯但是要培养这种内心希望去学的你要告诉学生学英语究竟有什么用能够给他带来什么样的好处对啊这些就是我们要强调的嗯应该在课堂教学中在教学之前去强调的嗯但是很多呃做法呢不单止在中国在很多非英语国家的英语教学呢是照着课本去讲课学生不知道自己学的这个东西有什么用他没有兴趣没有动机嗯他就不能够产生那种欲望啊老师只是在在讲他觉得学生应该学的东西但学生可能觉得自己不应该学那个东西嗯所以说我们要教的是what they want不是说what we want them to do而是说what they want to do what they want to learn这就是不同的。 

Nina: 嗯那你觉得现在当前的这种英文教学存在哪些问题呢？存在哪些弊端呢？

Sim: 当前的英文教学在很多方面，听说读写，还有甚至是单词语法、发音等方面都存在各种不同的问题，各种各样的问题。但是我觉得最一开始要强调的是发音，一开始要强调的是pronunciation。这一点让我非常 impressed，因为很多中国的学生，他之所以发音不好，并不是因为他不懂单个单词的发音，而是他不懂在连续的句子中的发音，比如说"I should have done that"，老外不会这么说，而是会说"should've done that"，这个叫做Connected speech，在中国没有老师教过这个问题，这样子的话，他们就不能够模仿老外说出那种比较纯正的英文，他们只能一个字一个字地说。所以，这种英文就不能够帮助他们在生存这个层面上活得比较痛快。 

Nina: 看来发音很重要。

Sim: 是的，发音的重要性不能被忽视。很多学生可能害怕说英语，担心发音不准确，担心别人听不懂，或者害怕被笑话。这种心理障碍可能会导致他们不敢开口说英语。所以，帮助学生克服这种心理障碍，让他们敢于用英语表达自己是非常重要的。 

Nina: 是的，你说得对。有些学生可能会害怕犯错，害怕说错单词或语法，这样就阻碍了他们的学习进程。另外，你刚才提到了一些英语教学的方法，比如使用图片和交际教学法。这些方法确实可以帮助学生更好地理解和使用英语，让学习变得更有趣。 

Sim: 对，我认为兴趣是非常重要的，而且要激发学生的主动性。在教学中，我们要尽量减少老师的说话时间，增加学生的说话时间，让他们在小组中进行交流和合作，这样他们会更自信地用英语表达自己。另外，要让学生将英语与实际生活联系起来，让他们明白学好英语对他们的未来和生活有什么好处。 

Nina: 嗯，你说得非常对。英语是一门非常有用的语言，它可以帮助我们更好地理解世界，提高沟通能力，拓宽职业机会，而且还可以让我们在国际舞台上更有竞争力。所以，学好英语不仅是为了考试，更是为了提高自己的素质和能力，让自己更加全面发展。 

Sim: 正是这样，学好英语是为了更好地面对世界，不仅是为了应付考试。我希望我的冲击波英语方法能够帮助更多的学生真正地掌握英语，提高他们的兴趣，让他们在国际舞台上脱颖而出。 

Nina: 非常感谢你与我们分享你的见解和方法，Sim。希望你的冲击波英语能够取得更多成功，影响更多的学生。 

Sim: 不客气，Nina。我也希望能够为更多学生提供帮助，让他们能够用英语更好地面对未来。谢谢你的邀请。 

Nina: 谢谢大家收看本期节目，我们下期再见！ 

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Nina: This is "Happy Encounter," and I'm your host, Nina. Today, we're going to talk about fun English teaching. Our special guest today is Sim. Hello, Sim. 

Sim: Hello, everyone. Nina: It's great to be in the TV33 studio with you today. Thank you, Sim. I have an early newspaper here, called the "Zhanjiang Evening News." You can take a look. The main headline is about this unusual wave, and it features an interview with a Zhanjiang native studying abroad, Yang Siyi. Could you please briefly introduce this newspaper article and what it's about? 

Sim: Sure, no problem. Well, I've always had a strong interest in learning English, largely because both my parents are teachers. My father teaches Chinese, and my mother teaches English. So, I've always wanted to share some of my experiences and insights from my English learning journey with others. One day in 2002, I couldn't resist the urge to write down my thoughts on listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translation aspects within two weeks. 

Nina: Why did you choose to call it "Impact English"? 

Sim: Ah, I thought about the name for a long time. I chose "Impact" because it represents a powerful wave, like the shockwave produced when an atomic bomb explodes. Back then, around ten years ago, English was spreading rapidly across the world, and more than 75% of computer information was in English. I wanted to describe the speed of English propagation with the term "impact wave." It emphasized that English was a crucial tool and language that everyone must learn. I wanted to stress that English was a necessary skill because of its significant influence during the information explosion era. 

Nina: Besides this newspaper, I also have some magazines here. This magazine is called "Overseas English." Can you tell us which publishing company produces this magazine? 

Sim: Well, it's published by Anhui Publishing Group, a provincial publication mainly focused on English learning content. I am their overseas consultant and a columnist for three sections. These columns cover strategies for spoken language, how students can progress from zero to fluent conversation with foreigners, and how to interpret and apply important sentences from the latest American TV shows and movies, such as Gossip Girls, The Carrie Diaries, and others. 

Nina: What motivated you to promote the concept of "Impact English"? 

Sim: Over the years, I've come to realize that I can give a new meaning to "Impact English." In the past, I wanted to emphasize that English was a must-learn language because of its influence during the information explosion era. But today, after studying in New Zealand for nearly two years for my master's degree and taking a specialized course at the University of Cambridge, I've realized that we need to learn influential English. "Impact" has two meanings: one is the shockwave effect, and the other is influence. Since English has such a significant impact, we should utilize it. We should use this powerful tool to make a global impact. My ultimate goal is to educate students with "Impact English" who can have a global influence. I know this will take a lot of time and effort to accomplish. 

Nina: How can we make our English language impactful? 

Sim: That's a great question, one I've been thinking about every day. I've summarized it into four points. First, we need to learn authentic English, the kind spoken by native speakers. Second, it should be practical, focusing on English that can be used in various situations. For example, some students ask if I can teach them complete sentences. They say they get nervous when they go to the bank because they don't know what to say when depositing money, or they can only order "hot chocolate" at McDonald's because that's all they know. This type of English doesn't help them live comfortably in practical scenarios. So, practicality is essential. Third, students need to develop critical thinking skills. I've found that many Chinese teachers don't encourage students to develop their thinking abilities. They only teach fixed sentences like "What's your name?" or "This is a pen." These sentences are not relevant to real-life situations. Finally, the highest level is reaching the level of native speakers' proficiency. If someone can speak English at the level of their native language, that's the highest achievement. It's a step-by-step process and not an easy one. The key is to first cultivate your interest. Interest is vital, and in modern second language teaching research, motivation is emphasized. I've recently read many papers and found that motivation is the first element when learning a foreign language. Students need to know why they are learning this language and have strong motivation. It might be because their parents are pushing them, they are driven by exams, or they genuinely want to learn. The last one is the best. However, you need to cultivate that internal desire. You have to tell students why learning English is beneficial, what it can bring to them. These are the things we should emphasize before teaching in the classroom. Many practices, not only in China but also in many non-English-speaking countries, follow the textbook and don't tell students why they are learning something. Students may feel they shouldn't learn it because they don't see the purpose. So, what we teach should be about what they want to do, not just what we want them to do. 

Nina: What do you think are the current issues and drawbacks in English language teaching? 

Sim: Current English language teaching has various issues in areas such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. However, I think we should emphasize pronunciation right from the start. Many Chinese students struggle with pronunciation not because they don't know how to pronounce individual words but because they don't understand how to pronounce words in continuous sentences. For example, native speakers wouldn't say, "I should have done that," they would say, "should've done that." This is called connected speech, and this concept is not taught in China. As a result, students can't mimic native speakers and can only speak word by word. This kind of English doesn't help them in practical, real-life situations. 

Nina: Yes, the importance of pronunciation cannot be overlooked. Many students may be afraid to speak English, fearing they'll mispronounce words or be misunderstood. This psychological barrier can hinder their learning. Additionally, you mentioned various teaching methods like using pictures and communicative teaching. These methods can indeed help students better understand and use English, making learning more enjoyable. 

Sim: Absolutely, I believe interest is crucial, and students should be encouraged to be proactive. In teaching, we should minimize the teacher's talking time and maximize the students' speaking time, allowing them to communicate and cooperate in groups. This boosts their confidence in using English. Furthermore, students should connect English with real-life scenarios to understand the benefits of learning it for their future and life. 

Nina: That's absolutely correct. English is a highly useful language that helps us better understand the world, improve our communication skills, expand career opportunities, and make us more competitive on the international stage. So, learning English is not just about exams; it's about enhancing our overall quality and abilities for a well-rounded development. 

Sim: Exactly, learning English is about facing the world more effectively, not just passing exams. I hope my Impact English method can help more students truly master English, ignite their interest, and make them stand out on the international stage. 

Nina: Thank you very much for sharing your insights and methods with us, Sim. We hope that your Impact English continues to achieve success and influence more students. 

Sim: You're welcome, Nina. I also hope to help more students and empower them to face the future confidently with English. Thank you for having me. 

Nina: Thank you all for watching this episode. See you in the next one!