2011.6访谈：外教眼中中国英语四六级考试

Would you please make a brief introduction about yourself?
请您简单自我介绍一下好吗?

Ok. My name is Aaron Craft. I’m from Texas of America. I’m 30 years old. I’ve been in Asia for 6years, three years in Japan and three years in China. I came to China in 2008, right after the Olympic Games. I like China.
好的。我叫Aaron Craft，来自美国德克萨斯州，今年30岁。我在亚洲生活了6年来，三年在日本，三年在中国。我2008年到中国，恰巧在奥运会之后(笑)。我很喜欢中国。

As you know, today is very important for many Chinese college students, because of the CET4& CET6. What do you know about these tests?
相信您也听说了，今天对于很多中国大学生来说十分重要。英语的四级六级考试就在今天。您对这些考试了解吗?

As far as I know, these two tests are extremely important for the students, and pass them or not would greatly influence their future. In many cases, this is the very premise of job hunting. I used to be a teacher in Japan, where I taught TOEIC and TOFEL.
据我所知四六级考试对于中国大学生来说十分重要，过还是不过对他们的未来影响深远，而且很多情况下通过这项考试是未来就业的基本前提。我以前在日本时曾经辅导过日本学生备考托福和托业考试。

Is there any similar language test back in your country? A College Spanish Test for example?
在您的国家有没有类似的语言等级考试呢?比如说西班牙语四级。

Yeah, but I think it’s quite different from Asia. They learn it as a tool.
是的，但是美国和亚洲国家相比并没有十分重视第二外语的学习，美国人学习语言仅仅是作为一种交流工具罢了。

How did you help your students prepare for tests?
您是怎么辅导学生准备考试的呢?

My advice was that they live with it, eat with it, and sleep with it. I believe that’s the best way.
我的意见是，在平时的生活中尽量去使用英语，吃饭睡觉这些基本的生活内容都与英语挂钩，我觉得这是最佳方式。

Many students find fast reading is really difficult. What would you say to these students?
很多学生反应快速阅读部分非常难，您能给学生们一些建议吗?

Well, according to my habit, I believe to seize the gist and the keywords are quite important. Given that time limitation, I advice students to skim and scan, mark the keywords, read the questions then check them out.
对我来说，我的阅读习惯告诉我抓关键词十分重要。在读这样的文章时候因为时间非常的有限，我建议考生从头到尾通读一遍，然后标出关键词，再对应下面的问题回头找相关的细节信息。

You have done the writing part, right?
您做过四六级的作文题对吗?

That’s right. I think for Chinese students it’s not an easy job to compose on this topic. I suggest they should do some practice first before the test, exercises in previous years are great choices.
对。我觉得对于中国学生来说这样的话题其实有一定难度，很考验语言组织能力。学生们可以多参考往年考过的话题，作为练笔，效果很不错。

Hypothetically, you are supposed to take part in as really important test, and you got really nervous. What would you do to relax yourself?
假设您也要参加一个非常重要的考试，并且你很紧张。你会怎样缓解考试压力呢?

I stop drinking coffee, definitely. Then I do some sports. Maybe play guitar, and take deep breaths.
首先我会停止喝咖啡(笑)，然后做一些运动，弹弹吉他，做做深呼吸。

Would please given those who are going to have CET6 some advice? Since that is more difficult than CET 4.
请您给即将参加六级考试的学生支支招，因为六级比四级还要难一些。

In terms of writing ?(yeah it’s OK)I advice students to take a 10-minutes writing practice , it helps. And I used to prepare for GRE, and vocabulary is really a big problem, even for a native speaker like me. I spent half an hour every day to type passages,. It helps to both writing and vocabulary.
我还是针对写作模块给一些建议吧。我建议学生在考前花上十分钟练练手感，对考试帮助会很大。另外，我以前考过GRE，词汇问题也是一个大问题，即使是对我来说也非常难。我每天会花半个小时在往电脑上输入文章上，既练文章又练单词。

How do arrange the limited time?
你是怎么安排有限的考试时间的呢?

That’s actually a good question. I do it from the smaller to the bigger, from short passage to long passages. It’s like doing warming up.
这个问题问得好。针对时间安排问题，我建议从小到大，先看短段落再看长段落。阅读题是需要热身的，这样其实是变相的热身，效果不错。

I got a tough question for you. If you are the test organizer, what would you do to make the tests better serve the purpose of language evaluation.
这里有个相对较难的问题。如果你是考试组织者，你会对这项考试做出什么改良调整呢?

Wow, this is a tough one. I guess I wound pay more attention to speaking and listening, instead of dong and writing.
哇，这个真难回答。要是我的话我会加大口语听力考查，淡化阅读和写作，毕竟语言交流是最重要的。

Last question, please say something to these students in Chinese.
好了最后一个问题，请您用中文说一句鼓励的话祝四六级考生考试成功。

I can say “加油”!
我会说“加油”(笑)。

Here I got a good one for you:
祝你们马到成功，顺利过关! 我这里有一句：祝你们马到成功，顺利过关。

Wow, it’s difficult, let me do it slowly:
祝你们马到成功，顺利过关!哇，有点难，让我慢慢说：祝你们马到成功，顺利过关!