Learning English used to be about developing four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. After all, that's the exams are designed—with four skills tested separately.
But over the years, educators have come (realize) that these four skills should never have been separated, but practiced all at once. And the best way to do that is, perhaps, through public speaking.
According to Mei Deming, a professor of English at Shanghai International Studies University, giving a speech in an international language (require)a speaker to integrate (使成为一体) knowledge and content (mental)and express the result systematically. Speakers must draw on the beauty of the language as a whole in order to communicate with an audience.
This is why the annual China Daily "21st Century Cup" National English Speaking Competition has been gaining in popularity since it began in 1996. "This competition has worked a model for developing students' public-speaking skills in English and provided ideas for English teaching in schools and in learning in a broader sense," said Mei.
Shi Guohua, English teacher at Shanghai Qibao High School, held a similar view. He said that key competence in acquiring English today comes from the ability to express oneself rather than in simply passing exams.
He also (stress) that communication should go both ways since traditional English speaking education has focused too much on getting messages out while (ignore)the receiver of these messages—the audience. "It's important to understand the audience and build the link between the content being delivered and the interests of the audience," he said. "It's also important to create an impressive opening to a speech."
As China continues to play an important role in global conversations, there will be more (chance) for young Chinese people to present China and tell attracting stories. And in order to tell Chinese stories (well), we first need to develop a more overall English skill. Working on public speaking is, perhaps, the place to start.
