I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to reside and teach in China for the past ten years. I had the chance to teach students of all age groups and various educational backgrounds. Unfortunately, I discovered that most of my students were facing several obstacles in attaining competence or achieving fluency in the English language.

Being a writer with an inquisitive mind prompted me to study the phenomenon.  Through my interactions with my students and endless discussions with them, I discovered that the causes behind their difficulties with the process of mastering English could be summarized as follows:

•          An acute case of timidity/shyness that is the result of a long conditioning process that began at childhood and continued up to adulthood.

•          Lack of self-confidence that could be caused by a diverse variety of reasons.

•          Lack of a strong foundation in the English language, which resulted from having careless teachers, who ignored the importance of grasping the essence of the language starting from the basics and advancing toward the depth of the language.

•          Putting too much importance on others’ perceptions of them (Fear of losing face).

•          Going through the useless process of translating from English to Chinese and vice-versa, which is an exhausting experience for the human mind.

•          Lack of opportunities to practice English outside the classroom.

•          Associating committing errors with being stupid.

The fundamental question should focus on the necessary measures that must be taken to facilitate the process for the Chinese students. After a great deal of contemplation and consultation with both Chinese and foreign English teachers, I came up with some constructive recommendations.

To accomplish their goals of being fluent in English, students must:

•          Comprehend the fact that it is their privilege to make mistakes and it is the teacher’s responsibility to correct their mistakes.

•          Believe that by no means, asking questions signifies being stupid as the proverb states:  “If one asks a question, one might feel fool for 5 minutes but if one does not ask, one will be fool for life.”

•          Eat, sleep, walk and accomplish most tasks in English, which means that students should be inquisitive about everything that they may encounter in their daily lives.

•          Be active participants in classes.

•          Make speaking proper English a habitual activity.

•          Stop the futile method of memorizing the language, which they are conditioned to do through the various stages of the Chinese educational system.

•           Familiarize themselves with the concepts of phonetic, which is essential for pronouncing English words properly.

•          Focus on syllables not the alphabet letters when they attempt to write or spell a word.

•          Learn the conceptual art of writing.

•          Classes are golden opportunities for them to practice their English since they will have a teacher available to correct their mistakes. Consequently, students should seize them to be active participants during classes. 

•          Make practicing English a daily habit. They can practice with a classmate or with a roommate.

•          Clear, from their minds, the idea that they have to sit down to learn English. Any place at any time is a golden opportunity to polish it. 

•          Carry electronic or small dictionaries in their pockets wherever they go. They might need it to look for a word that they may hear or see on a banner.

•          Having pens and blank papers with them at all times to write down English words while they are waiting for buses, classes or meals in restaurants.

•          Cut out an article or make copies of pages from English books or magazines and put them in their pockets to look at while they are bored or watching television (during commercials).

•          Understand that they have no other option but to organize their studying habits to allocate some time to pursue their favorite activities to achieve balance in their lives and to minimize their resentment toward their studies.

I do believe that teachers, students and their families are very essential participants in achieving the objective of attaining competence in the English language. Consequently, they must work together for their common goal of guiding the students toward the path of success in attaining fluency in English that would permit them the opportunity to land prestigious positions in the future and subsequently lead reasonably happy lives.