Jenny is planning to go to Miami this coming spring.

M: What makes you study English so hard, Jenny?
W: You know I’m planning to go to the United States this coming summer, if I’m lucky enough to be admitted to Miami University. I’m a bit nervous about my English, Dick.
M: Your English is not bad.
W: Thank you, but I’m afraid my pronunciation isn’t accurate enough and that I might get confused.
M: Don’t worry about that. As an American, I understand you quite well. Besides, you’ve passed the Test of English as a Foreign Language.
W: Yes, I have passed the TOEFL, but I still find the words very difficult. Sometimes I know every word in an expression, but I don’t know what it implies. Honestly, I understand very little.
M: Yes, it is complicated. Sometimes the sentence structure is awkward for Chinese-speaking people.
W: You know, I’m embarrassed when people lose me in the middle of a conversation or vice versa.
M: Relax, Jenny. You shouldn’t torture yourself. Let’s take a break. Shall we take a walk to the swimming pool?
W: Swimming pool? What do you intend to go there for?
M: To get some fresh air. You need a rest and so do your eyes.
W: Oh, yes. My eyes get tired easily. Sometimes after I read too much, I can’t see things at a distance.
M: Have you checked with the doctor? You might be near-sighted.
W: You know, I would hate to have to wear glasses.
M: These days a lot of people wear contact lenses, but not me. Well, tell me more about your study.
W: Er...it’s funny. I mean I used to study English for entertainment because I didn’t have a special hobby, like playing mahjong, to kill time. Now I have a particular purpose for it.
M: So what’s the problem?
W: The tutor assigned me a bunch of homework. She wants me to memorize all the phrases and expressions.
M: She simply wants you to practice them over and over again until they are fixed in your mind.
W: Yeah. She said it is necessary to drill as much as possible and the more I apply it in real situations, the more natural it will become. Drill is boring!
M: She is right.
W: So, that’s the problem. I need so much practice and I’m getting discouraged.
M: Actually, the fastest way to reach your goal would be to have a record player or a tape recorder.
W: Why all of that?
M: Well, the records or tapes have native voices and you can study them by listening again and again and imitating the sounds as many times as you wish.
W: That’s a good idea.
M: Besides, since English is not your native tongue, you must develop the muscles of your speech organs to produce unfamiliar sounds. When you read, read aloud.
W: And the tutor also said that language is an instrument. People use it to express their ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc. and all these are determined by culture. When you understand the cultural background, you can better use the language.
M: Yes, language is intimately tied to a man’s feelings and activities. It is bound up with nationality, religion, and the feelings of self.
W: She said it, too.
M: She surely sounds like an expert.
W: She is, I guess. She holds her master’s degree in Education and now she is doing research for her dissertation for her doctorate degree.
M: How marvelous! You’re certainly lucky to have her as your tutor.
W: I’m glad to hear you say that.