英孚英语熟练度报告：中国学习者该怎么学英语？
【前言】2012年11月，英孚教育发表了2012年度《英孚英语熟练度指标报告》，在全球范围内对英语学习者的测试成绩进行了评估。全球化环境对人们的英语熟练度提出了更高的要求，而属于低熟练度水平的中国学习者，又应该如何有效的学习英语？来听听Caroline Engstler 博士给大家的建议：【本期人物】
Caroline Engstler 博士
Caroline Engstler 博士为英孚教育资深语言教学研究员，常驻瑞士苏黎士她专注于双语、第二语言认知习得以及海外学习等领域。作为语言学家，她深刻理解英语作为一门世界语言的重要性。
2012年11月，国际教育机构英孚教育发表了本年度的《英孚英语熟练度指标报告》（EF English Proficiency Index, 简称 EF EPI），这是英孚教育自2011年发布首个EPI报告后的第二版。该报告历时三年，对全球170万18岁以上成人英语学习者的英语测试成绩进行了评估。
2012年的英孚英语熟练度报告显示，在全球54个非英语母语国家和地区中，瑞典以68.91分高居第一，丹麦及荷兰紧跟其后。中国大陆地区排名全球36位，属于低熟练度水平。从全球范围来看，欧洲国家依然总体英语水平最高，11个英语熟练度指标最高的国家全部为欧洲国家。而专注于模范式教育的亚洲，却并没有培养出令人满意的英语熟练度。在亚洲12个国家和地区中，新加坡和马来西亚的英语熟练度最高。
进行全球英语熟练度研究的Caroline Engstler 博士在发布会上表示，这项报告的指导意义在于全球经济环境对英语熟练度提出了更高的要求，英语作为世界语言的重要性在职场上尤为突显。在中国，无论是公立教育系统或私人培训机构都对英语教育给予了足够重视，中国英语学习者的人数远远超出了世界上其他国家，但英孚英语熟练度报告显示，中国想要取得理想的英语熟练度，还有很长的路要走。
发布会结束后，沪江网的记者在现场采访了Engstler 博士，与她交流了关于2012年英孚英语熟练度报告的更多细节内容。中国英语教育将何去何从？职场人应该如何学提高英语能力？英语学习者又该如何利用网络学习资源？我们来听听Engstler 博士对这些问题的回答：
1. Which are the calculation standards of EF EPI? 英孚英语熟练度指标是如何进行测试的？
Dr. Engstler: EF EPI was originally based on the result of four different English tests, all of them including four sections: reading, listening, vocabulary and grammar. These four tests were used in the first EPI, but we dropped the fourth one because it’s not so cohesive with the others. The listening section in the fourth test was not obligatory; so many test takers did not do the listening section, which would change the result in some way. 英孚英语熟练度报告起初是基于四项免费的英语测试，内容包括阅读、听力、词汇和语法四个部分。我们在第一版的报告中用到了这四项测试，但在今年的报告有一个测试没有包含在内。因为该项测试有一个听力选测部分，所以很多受试者可能不会完成这一部分，这会对研究结果产生一些影响。
2. What make 2012 EF EPI different from the result of last year?我们注意到今年的报告较去年存在一些排名差异，造成这些差异的主要原因是什么？
Dr. Engstler: Since the test without listening was dropped, the result for some countries changed. It was the case that some countries which are really good at listening improved slightly, on the other hand, countries that are not good at listening dropped a little bit. But that’s not the case for China. China improved slightly in the ranking. And since we added another ten countries from the last time into this year’s research, the ranking changed more because of that. 由于今年我们去掉了第四个测试（该测试对听力要求较低），所以今年的研究结果必然会发生一些变化。有一些听力技能比较强的国家排名有上升趋势，而听力技能弱一些的国家则排名稍微下降。不过中国的情况并非如此，中国今年的排名其实有所上升。另外，今年我们扩大了测试国家的范围，在今年的排名中增加了10个国家，所以排名结果其实更多是受到这个因素的影响。
3. What do you consider as the most outstanding characteristics of English education in China? 您认为中国英语教育最突出的特点是什么？
Dr. Engstler: With China, we still have the big focus on teaching English, not so much for communicative goals but for testing. So if someone gets a high score in official English tests, such as TOEFL or CET, it does not necessarily reflect their actual communicative skills. We noticed that a lot with Chinese students going to study in English-spoken counties, they got really high testing scores, but it was difficult for them to talk to people. So I believe they should be more focused on actual communicative skills, because that is very useful for day-to-day life. 我们认为中国英语教育的重点还在于应试而非沟通技能上。中国的学生可能在正式的英语考试，如托福和大学四级等考试中能拿到很高的分数，但这并不能反映他们真正的沟通能力。我们还注意到，很多的中国学生去英语国家留学时，他们一般也都会拿到很高的考试分数，却可能不太会与人沟通。我认为他们应该更多地把学习重点放在日常生活必备的沟通技能上。
4. Do you have any suggestion for public education system and private training sectors in China?根据英孚英语熟练度报告的结果，您对中国的公立学校系统和私人培训机构的英语教育有什么建议吗？
Dr. Engstler: I think one very important thing is to start early. So if children have good English courses, we will see some original differences. Public education system should make early English courses available everywhere in China, not only in some major cities or developed regions. We need to make sure the quality is high that teachers have really high proficiency and they are able to teach English appropriately, and of course the courses should focus on communicative skills. That’s probably the most important thing. I would probably suggest the same thing for private training sectors. Focusing on communicative skills is probably much easier in private sectors.我认为很重要的一点是要让孩子们早接触英语，如果他们从小就能接受很好的英语教育，那么中国学生的英语水平会有很大的不同。公立教育系统应该确保在全国各地都能开展早期的英语课程，不仅仅在大城市或发达地区。在师资方面，学校需要保证教学质量，确保这些启蒙级的老师都有较高的英语熟练度，只有这样他们才能进行高质量的教学。最重要的一点，英语课程要加大对沟通技能的重视。私人培训机构也是如此，对于私人培训机构来说，重视沟通技能方面的教学操作起来可能要更容易。
5. Since English has become a basic skill for working people, which level of proficiency should they achieve?现在英语已经成为职场人的一项基本技能，您认为他们的英语水平需要达到什么样的程度呢？
Dr. Engstler: The globalization environment has made it important for the entire workforce to study and speak English. It’s definitely not necessary to be perfect, but I think everybody needs a basic or communicative skill. You need to understand what the other person is saying to you, and you need to reply appropriately. And in some international business the requirement might includes some cultural knowledge, so you can avoid some misunderstandings. 全球化环境使得英语成为职场人非常重要的一项能力要求。职场人士的英语可以不用非常完美，但他们需要具备基本的沟通技能。在以英语为工作语言的工作环境中，听懂对方的意思并能适当应答，这是最基础的工作要求。另外如果在一些大型的跨国公司工作，可能还需要了解一些英语文化知识，这样在沟通交流中才能避免误会。
6. Many people complain that they have no time for learning English, what would you suggest them? 很多人都因为忙于工作而没有时间学英语，你会建议他们如何学英语呢？
Dr. Engstler: For some people who are busy with work, there are a lot opportunities for online training, so you don’t have to go to courses at certain time. If you are motivated, there are many ways how you can corporate English into your daily life. If you commute to work on a train or bus, you can listen to English texts or take English reading materials with you, so you are feeling like you are not wasting time. But I think there’s something very important for every person: make it something that you are actually interested in and have fun to improve English.我认为在线培训学习对他们来说会是比较好的机会，因为你不用在固定的时间去上课，时间安排上比较灵活。其实如果你真的想学好英语，你可以想到很多方法，将英语融入到你的日常生活去。在上班的路上，你可以练习英语听力或读英语文章，这样你就不会浪费掉上下班的通勤时间。不过我觉得有一点非常重要：那就是你得对学英语真的非常感兴趣，从提高英语的过程中能感受到乐趣，这样才能真正学好英语。
7. You just mentioned the online training, which is the exact thing what out website Hujiang.com is promoting. Do you have any English learning methods recommended for these online learners?您刚刚提到了在线学习，我们沪江网正是为广大英语学习者提供在线学习平台的这么一个网站。对于这些在线学习者，您有没有什么比较好的英语学习方法推荐？
Dr. Engstler: Since I think in China communicative skills is the most difficult part, I would suggest listening, listening, listening… Find some texts online, it could be pod cast in English, audile books, or some specific materials for learning English. Maybe it’s not so important for you to understand everything you are hearing, but you should just get used to the sound in your ear, then you will get used to what English sounds are like. If you can get English materials that also come with transcripts, that would be much greater. You can listen first, then after you get used to the sound, you can read along, which will help you understand the material. 我在前面也提到，对于中国的英语教育来说，沟通技能可能是比较困难的部分，所以我的建议就是：一定要多听。网络上可以找到很多的听力素材，英语播客、有声书或是专门的英语学习材料。有时候你可能听不懂讲的是什么，没有关系，你首先要做的是熟悉耳朵里听到的声音，只有这样你才会熟悉英语语感。还可以找一些带文本的英语听力素材，先听，等习惯英语声音后再跟读，这样可以帮你更好地理解材料内容。
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