Immigrants are always being told by politicians to learn the language. But some people want to know how long it takes to speak good English.
There are plenty of people in the UK for whom even basic English is a problem. According to a census (人口普查), 726,000 people in England and Wales said they could not speak English well, and another 138,000 said they did not speak it at all. Ling, 40, who arrived five years ago from China, found it difficult to learn English."When I came here, I was pregnant and so I was at home for the next three years. It took me longer to learn as I was very busy with the children."Eventually she was able to begin taking classes and now speaks good conversational English. But even with classes, it can be a long process to pick up the language.
Age is the most important factor in language acquisition, says Mila Vulchanova, professor of linguistics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology."There is a sensitive period in language learning, which is biologically determined. So the younger the immigrant, the better. Since this decline is only gradual, teenagers are at an advantage over adults,"she says.
There are a number of systems for grading English. The government expects immigrants to reach"ESOL Entry 3"or"B1 level", also called"Intermediate 1"in Scotland, before they can be granted citizenship. It’s equivalent to being able to hold a confident conversation and, although the government does not have a target figure, it might take 360 hours of study to achieve. George Osborne said in June following the spending review that welfare claimants who don’t speak English will have their benefits cut if they fail to attend language courses.
Huan Japes, deputy chief executive of English UK, a trade body for language colleges, says a rule of thumb is 360 hours, 120 hours for each of three stages, to get to the standard the government expects benefit claimants to reach. But many of the people who attend courses are visiting students rather than people settling in the UK. Immigrants tend to have very varied levels of education.
"Using 120 hours (for each stage of English fluency) is a rather traditional approach to course book learning,"says Dr Elaine Boyd, head of English language at Trinity College London."If someone is really highly motivated, they can learn really quickly. It’s common for children under the age of 11 to be very immersed and be fluent in about six months."
50．The example of Ling is given to show that .
A.it’s difficult to learn English well
B.it’s important to speak fluent English
C.many immigrants attend English classes
D.many immigrants can’t speak English in England
51．What does Mila Vulchanova mainly stress?
A.The function of the sensitive period.
B.The necessity of working hard at English.
C.The advantages children have in learning English.
D.The importance of starting learning English early.
52．What Dr Elaine Boyd says suggests that .
A.highly-motivated adults can speak good English in half a year
B.120 hours for English fluency is a standard that is a little low
C.traditional ways of learning are more beneficial to adults
D.English fluency is not so hard for immigrants to achieve
53．The author develops the passage mainly by .
A.offering experts’ views
B.providing survey data
C.listing the facts of learning English
D.giving examples of English learners
54．What can be the best title for the passage?
A.Why English is so important for immigrants?
B.What can immigrants do to speak good English?
C.When is the best time for people to study English?
D.How many hours does it take to be fluent in English?