A great basketball player routinely scored 30 points per game in the last five seasons. But this season, he has been scoring less than 10 points per game. We say that he is in a “slump.” Slump means to fall in value, price, or number suddenly and by a large amount. Some synonyms for slump are decrease and decline. “Rise” would be an antonym for slump.
Slumps are not good in any sport and slumps are not good for those learning a foreign language. Many times I have met with students following the summer holidays. I was so excited to see them and hear of their summer stories and experiences. Our conversation begins with greetings and then I notice a little puzzled look coming over their face and they announce with sadness, “I can’t understand you.” I usually slow my speech to an extreme level and ask, “Did you hear any English during the summer?” So many say, “None at all” or “Just a little.” I would like to say it is rare but I have had this conversation far too many times. The students spend the next few months “crawling out of the slump” just to get back to the English level they had before they went on break. How sad! The time they spent getting out of the slump could have been used to move on to a higher level of English proficiency. Today I want to give you some suggestions to avoid the destructive cycle of the “Summer Slump” and put you on course for a higher level of English proficiency.
Let’s put away some myths first.
If I study English, I will ruin my summer vacation. This is simple not true. There are 1,440 minutes in every day. As a student, surely you can set aside some of those minutes for maintaining your English without making yourself miserable. Studying English does not have to be torture. Find an enjoyable way to make it a part of your summer and it will be so rewarding.
If I study English, people will think I am weird. Maybe this one is true. If you dedicate yourself to anything, some people will be jealous of your actions and maybe even say hurtful things to you. People who want to be great at something must spend time to achieve that greatness. Think about Bill Gates building computers in a garage. How many thought he was weird? Being different is not a bad thing if it moves you closer to your goal.
If I study English, I will forget my Chinese language and culture.
Maybe, but it doesn’t have to happen. Think of improving your English as a way of sharing and educating a world about your country. To do this, you will want to learn more about your country’s history, culture, language, and customs so as to be ready to answer questions and comments from native English speakers.
Now, where do you begin? It’s usually best to begin by thinking how much time are you willing to invest and what can you do in that time. Then you can make a plan. A plan is a method devised for making something or achieving an end. The plan will help you achieve your goal or target. I believe to maintain your English proficiency you need to devote study time to reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Make sure your plan includes study for each of these. How much time do you have? You must decide. Let’s say you only have 10 minutes per day on Monday -Friday. It’s not much but it’s a start and time spent every day is better than once or twice a week. Long study sessions many days apart are not as effective as more frequent shorter sessions. Decide what will work best for you. Be sure to write your plan and review it often to make sure you are on the right track. Each time you complete an assignment, mark your achievement with a big smiley face (see below). It’s importan to reward yourself.
Here is an example:
4 Week Plan for Maintaining My English Proficiency
Monday- Read aloud for 10 minutes
Tuesday- Listen for 10 minutes
Wednesday – Write for 10 minutes
Thursday – Read aloud for 10 minutes
Friday – Listen and write key words for 10 minutes
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Study Material - http://www.rong-chang.com/mini-novels/m/mini-novel001.htm
What study material will you use? In my example I used a website with mini novels. They have text and audio so you can practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening on the one site. Feel free to use a textbook, your favorite website, or tv show. The study material is up to you. It’s best to find something that you like but just find something. Be sure to find your study material before you start your daily routine. I have some websites at the end of the document that you might like to check out.
Your study time is very short so you must be focused and committed. Set your timer and concentrate for the full time. When you are finished, add your smiley face and you are done for the day.
To be honest studying English for 10 minutes a day is not going improve your proficiency very much, but it can keep you from having the summer slump. Some of you can use this same format for a longer study time. If you have thirty minutes of focused study 5 days per week, you will see improvement in skill and confidence. My challenge to you is that you make a sincere effort to maintain your English proficiency and avoid the “summer slump.”
Michael Potts
June 30, 2017
Websites
http://www.rong-chang.com/mini-novels/index.htm
http://wellingtoncountylearningcentre.ca/edge/
http://www.tv411.org/reading/understanding-what-you-read/summarizing
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anatomyvideos.html
http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=homepage
http://easyworldofenglish.com/readings/sReadings.aspx?c=2f1dbe126863ea88&l=ac752434496ba82d