网友linmoonyo：SHOULDISPEAKSLOWLYORQUICKLY?
John：Thesimpleansweristhatyoushouldspeakusingyournaturalspeed.Speakingtooquicklymightmakeitmoredifficultfortheinterviewertounderstandyou,whileintentionallyslowingdownyourspeedofspeechmightcauseyoutothinktoomuchandmakemoremistakes.
Onethingtopayattentionto,however,isthatsomestudentsspeeduptheirspeechwhentheygetnervous.Trytoavoidthisbyfindingwaystorelaxintheinterview.
Letmeknowanythingisunclear.
网友torsion：向大家推荐一个练口语听力的好东东，美国情景喜剧《Friends》非常好！
John:Friendsisgreat,evenifyou”veseenitfiveorsixtimes!
YoucanfinditatmoststoresinBeijingthatsellDVDs.I”mnotsurehowreadilyavailableitisoutsideofBeijing.InChineseit”scalledeither老友记or六人行.
Forthoseofyouwhodon”tknow,FriendsisanAmericansitcom(sitcom=”situationcomedy”).
网友snow_du：Justsoso
John：Actually,you”renottheonlyonewhothinksso.Aswithanypopculturephenomenon,Friendshasitsdetractors.Here”sanarticlethatcallsit”Themostoverratedcomedyever”:http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/12/apontv.friends.ap/
Myopinion–andI”vewatchedalotofsitcoms–isthatFriendsisagreatshow.Itmaybeoverrated,itmaynotbethebestshowever,butitcertainlyisentertaining.
Ifyousearcharoundonline(tryhttp://www.google.com/),youcanfindalotmorepeoplewhocriticizetheshow.Ifyou”reafan,youmightwanttoreadsomeofthesecriticismsandseewhatyouthink.
John：Firstofall,Ithink”torsion”hasagoodpoint:therealvalueinwatchingashowlikeFriendsisinfindinganenjoyablewaytostudyEnglish.
Asfarashowtouseit,thereareseveralways.Firstofall,justwatchingitisagreatwaytoimproveyourlistening.Tryitwiththesubtitlesoff!AnotherveryeffectivewaytoimproveyourEnglishusingatelevisionprogramistoimitateafterthespeakers.Youcaneitherjustimitateasyouwatch,doingyourbesttokeepup,oruseyourremotecontroltopausetheshowandimitatesentencebysentence.ThisisalsomosteffectiveifdonewiththesubtitlesOFF.
NewConceptisalsoaqualitysetofmaterials.Attemptingtomemorizeitbyheartisanadmirablegoal,butrealizethatsimplymemorizingthingsisnotthebestwaytobecomeagoodspeakerofalanguage.Youalsoneedtofocusonimprovingyourpronunciationthroughimitation.Perhapsyoucouldmemorizesomeofthepassagesandusetheotherpassagesasimitationmaterials(listentothetapes!).
Ihopetheseanswershavebeenhelpful!Letmeknowifanythingisunclear.
网友emily801024：ThisisyourstudentofNewOrientalSchool.Inyourclass,youaskedus“Howtosay……”isn”tagoodsentence.However,sometimesIheardsomenativespeakersusethissentence(“Howtosay……”).Wouldyoupleasetellmewhy?Isthesentencewrongorright?Canweuseit?
Anotherquestionisaboutmygrammar.WhenI’mwriting、reading,therearen’tmanygrammaticalmistakes(alsohavesome),butwhenI’mspeakingtosomebody,Ialwaysmakelotsofmistakes.WhatshouldIdo?
John：Emily,”Howto…”cannotcomeatthebeginningofaquestion.So,forinstance,”Howtosay”table”inChinese?”,isanincorrectwayofaskingaquestion.Youmay,however,saysomethinglike,”Couldyoutellmehowtodothis?”Iimaginethatyou”veheardnativespeakersusingsentenceslikethat.
Asfarashowyoucanimproveyourspokengrammar,thereisofcoursenoeasyanswer.It”sgoodthatyounoticeyourmistakes,buttrynottoworryaboutmakingmistakeswhileyou”retalkingtoothers.Afteryou”vefinishedaconversation,ifyouremembersomemistakesthatyoumade,takesometimeonyourowntorepeatthesentencesinthecorrectmanner.Then,thenexttimeyouhaveaconversation,youwon”tmakethesamemistakesagain.
Anothergreatwaytoimproveyourspokengrammaristospendtimeeachdayimitatingafteratape.
IhopeI”veansweredyourquestions!Letmeknowifanythingisunclear
