It takes much time to learn a language. There are many reasons to learn a language.

▲Emigration(移民)

When you move to a different country or region (地区), learning the local language will help you communicate with the local community. Even if many local people speak your language, it's important to learn their language. It will also give you a better understanding of their culture and way of thinking.

▲Work

lf your work is about languages, talking to people in their own languages will help you communicate with them. Knowing languages may also increase your opportunity(机会)of finding a new job, getting a promotion(晋升), a transfer (转移)overseas, or going on foreign business trips.

Many English-speaking business people don't bother(麻烦) to learn other languages because they believe English is widely spoken around the world. The lack(缺乏) of foreign language knowledge puts the English speakers at a disadvantage.

▲Travel

When you go on holiday, you can get more information by speaking English. If people don't understand you, you can speak slowly and raise the voice.

▲Food

Perhaps you enjoy the food and drink of a country or a region and make trips there. It is very useful to learn a foreign language.

My first experience of taking part in the English corner was very interesting. My classmate and 1 went there to1our spoken(口头的) English. At the beginning, 2 of us talked actively with other people until we net an American3. He said he taught in a school here in China. He was friendly and 4us to join his group. We joined in their discussion(讨论), 5we were too shy to say anything. He kept6us," You can say anything as you7, a story or a joke. 8 is OK! If you don't want to say anything, 9do you come here? Come on!"

The second time I went to the English corner, I became more 10. I even invited a11 to join our group. She 12me that she learnt English all 13herself. Although she was very14, she went to the English corner every week. She told me that it was 15for me to improve my spoken English in a short time, but if I never gave up, I would succeed in the end!

Dear Mr and Mrs Brown,

I'm a Chinese boy. My name is Li Hua.

……

Yours,

Li Hua

In order to tell you what I believe, I must bring up something from my personal history.

The turning point of my life was my decision to give up my business job and study music. My parents, although sharing my love for music, didn't think it was a good choice to take up music as a job. Considering my family background, this was understandable." My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years at Spring Hill College in Mobile, and though he was much loved by his students，he didn't make enough money to provide for his large family. As a result of this example in the family, my parents strongly asked me not to go to the music college although I loved my violin and spent most of my spare time practicing it.

Before my graduation from Columbia University, the family ran into some money problems and I felt it was my duty to leave college and find a job. That was why I took a business job. I always thought of it as a waste of time. I went into it for money, for being able to help the family.

Money was all 1 got out of it. It was not enough. I felt that life was passing me by.

My wish was to save enough to quit( 退出)and then go to Europe to study music. I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, I made enough to go abroad. The family got out of the trouble and

        I felt like a free man and sailed for Europe. I stayed for four years, worked harder than I had ever dreamed of working before and enjoyed every minute of it.

"Enjoyed" is too soft a word. I walked on air. I really lived. When I broke away from business, it was against the advice of all my friends and family, but if I had stayed in business, I do not believe I would have made a success of living.

The eight-week summer vacation is a good time for you to improve your English. If you do 1 at all during the vacation, you may find it difficult to learn 2  the new school year. It is very 3  if you can pay attention to the 4 aspects(方 面) of your English. Some 5  like to study at home. If you're one of them, you can do the following things.

★Develop your listening skills. You can   6 English stories or watch English- language movies.

★Practise 7 . You can find someone to speak English 8

★Do some 9 . You can find lots of exercises on the Internet. .

★Write. Try to write down   10  happened every day.

Some students like to attend(参 加) a summer   11  course. It 12 also be fun and useful. But it's important to choose the right course， 13  you may be unhappy and not learn anything.

Don't 14 all your summer vacation working on English. You also need a good   15 . This will help you be ready for the next school year.