First and foremost you must be able to communicate in English effectively in everyday and emergency siutations. Communication is comprised of four components; listening, reading, writing and speaking.

You must have a good command of the English language. This does not mean that you have memorized thousands of words and phrases. It does mean that you should not be afraid to state the obvious.. Give the information requested and be sure to include relevant backgrouind nformation so there is no confusion.

You must know at last 1,500 words with complete understanding to be able to communicate on a very elementary level. You must be able to use these words in many different situations, and understand the difference in the meaning conveyed as the context changes. If your meaning is unclear, how do you expect people to understand you?

How then will a Chinese student be able to master enough English to compete? Practice! Reading, speaking, listening and writing daily is the key. Read everything you can in English. Newspapers and magazines are great ways to learn vocabulary, sentence structure, idioms and terminology. Speaking in English every day is critical. If you do not use your English every day you will lose it. Practice on fellow students, colleagues, or anyone who will listen. Participate in an English Corner. Ask your foreign friends to listen to you speak, and more importantly to correct your errors. Errors in tense and pronunciation are most prevalent in Chinese speech patterns. Knowledge of the six major tenses and syllable stress are important. After all, the better your structural skills and pronunciation , the more readily you will be understood. Finally, listen to your foreign friends, foreign radio and television, and foreign music. Watch English movies (with sub-titles turned off) so you must concentrate on your listening and not your reading skills.