As we all know, it's beneficial to learn another foreign language. It opens doors, makes you more employable and helps you make new friends. And it's fun, too. However, to improve our linguistic skills, many of us have to endure(忍耐) hours of school lessons or evening classes, with our heads buried in textbooks. It's no wonder then that technology appears to be providing a better and more accessible way of learning.

There is certainly a huge demand for language learning, and having a smartphone means you can have a virtual teacher with you wherever you go. Many app developers are keen to cash in on the demand, and there are numerous learning apps available—including the free BBC Learning English app! One of many popular apps, Duolingo, offers 91 courses in 30 languages and has more than 300 million users.

Some educational apps offer languages not popular enough to be taught at evening classes,or at most universities. And others offer “invented” language courses in Esperanto, Elvish and Star Trek's Klingon—lessons you might not find in a traditional classroom. Whatever you want to learn, apps allow you to go at your own pace.But they're not perfect—you might not get your head round the grammar and will lack the peer support you could get in a classroom environment.

So, does technology spell the end of traditional classrooms and teachers? Guy Baron, head of modern languages at Aberystwyth University,thinks not. He told the BBC that apps should be used alongside classroom methods, not to exclude(排斥) traditional teaching. And he added, “The apps are very conversational (非正式的)...They're not designed for degrees, but they could be additional resources.”

Certainly, technology is going to help in and outside the classroom. But attending a real lesson and facing a real teacher, probably force you to be more committed.

Motivation can be a problem when you are using an app. But if you have a genuine and practical reason to learn another language, you will no doubt stick with it.

Activity A Reading for understanding

Ⅰ. Text-centered chunks

open doors 打开（各种机会的）大门

cash in 从……中捞到钱财

get one's head round (sth) 理解/弄懂（复杂的事情）

peer support 同学之间的互相支持

spell the end of sth 预示某事结束

stick with 坚持下去

Ⅱ. Text-centered sentences

一、with的用法

1. However, to improve our linguistic skills,many of us have to endure hours of school lessons or evening classes, with our heads buried in textbooks. 然而，为了提高我们的语言技能，我们中的许多人不得不忍受数小时的学校或夜校课程，埋头于课本。

【点石成金】with our heads buried in textbooks意思是“埋头于课本”，是“with+宾语+宾语补足语”结构，在句中作状语，表示伴随、原因、时间、条件、方式等；其中的宾语补足语可以是名词、形容词、副词、现在分词、过去分词、不定式、介词短语等。

【运用迁移】他闭着眼睛坐在那儿。

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2. There is certainly a huge demand for language learning, and having a smartphone means you can have a virtual teacher with you wherever you go. 语言学习的需求无疑是巨大的，有一部智能手机意味着，无论你去哪里，你身边都可以有一位虚拟老师。

【点石成金】with you意思是“和你在一起”，是“with sb”结构，意为“和某人在一起”，表示伴随。

【运用迁移】你能和我一起去图书馆吗？

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二、主语从句

It's no wonder then that technology appears to be providing a better and more accessible way of learning. 科技似乎提供了一种更好、更容易获得的学习方式，这并不奇怪。

【点石成金】“It is/was no wonder that...”是主语从句，It作形式主语，真正的主语是后面的that从句。 另外从句中的appears to be作主语从句的谓语，意为“好像是；仿佛”。

【运用迁移】她如此心烦意乱，这并不奇怪。

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Activity B Reading for writing

假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Edward正在学习汉语，希望你推荐一款适合他学习汉语的手机应用程序(app)，并给他一些学习建议。 请你根据以下内容，给他写一封电子邮件。 内容包括：

1. 推荐app；

2. 利用app有效学习的建议。

注意：

1. 词数为80左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3. 至少使用一个含with的短语或强调句；

4. 注意段落内的逻辑关系。

Dear Edward,

Best wishes!

Yours,Li Hua

写作导引

本次写作任务是建议信写作，要求学生向Edward推荐一款学习汉语的手机应用程序(app)，并就他如何有效利用这款app学习汉语提出建议。