多年來(lái)，我與許多申請(qǐng)去國(guó)外大學(xué)讀本科的中國(guó)高材生（17－19歲）交談過(guò)。其中有一群特別的孩子總是讓我感到吃驚，他們?cè)?－12歲時(shí)被帶到國(guó)外住了一兩年，但回國(guó)后好幾年過(guò)去了，他們說(shuō)的仍然是相當(dāng)于10歲美國(guó)孩子或英國(guó)孩子所說(shuō)的英語(yǔ)———不錯(cuò)，他們說(shuō)得很流利，但不得體。換句話(huà)說(shuō)，在打好了扎實(shí)的英語(yǔ)基礎(chǔ)回到中國(guó)后，對(duì)于如何加強(qiáng)這一基礎(chǔ)，他們沒(méi)有做什 么，或干脆什么也沒(méi)做。這是些幾乎不讀英文讀物的孩子。
　　還有一群同樣令人詫異的孩子：這些孩子去過(guò)國(guó)外，學(xué)會(huì)一口地道、流利的英語(yǔ)，回來(lái)后重又上了國(guó)內(nèi)的學(xué)校，而國(guó)內(nèi)的英語(yǔ)教育很快就使他們的英語(yǔ)能力降低了———或者是，他們能說(shuō)地道的英語(yǔ)反而吃虧。對(duì)于中國(guó)教育機(jī)構(gòu)設(shè)置的考試，他們的成績(jī)很糟，這是很典型的現(xiàn)象，而我的觀點(diǎn)是，與其說(shuō)這些考試是為了使教與學(xué)更為有效，倒不如說(shuō)是為了迎合教育行政機(jī)構(gòu)的意圖。在中國(guó)的官方考試中，出過(guò)國(guó)能說(shuō)一口漂亮英語(yǔ)的孩子往往只能得低分，可幾乎不能實(shí)際運(yùn)用英語(yǔ)的同學(xué)卻是考試中回答選擇題的行家，而那些選擇題測(cè)的是晦澀的語(yǔ)法點(diǎn)和冷僻的詞匯。這往往形成了前面提到的英語(yǔ)水平下降的環(huán)境，當(dāng)從國(guó)外回來(lái)的孩子把注意力集中在學(xué)校所教的脫離實(shí)際的英語(yǔ)上的時(shí)候，他地道的英語(yǔ)口語(yǔ)就遭到了損害。
    Over the years I have spoken with many bright young Chinese (17-19 years old) applying to foreign universities for their undergraduate education. I am always stunned by one particular group: kids who, between the ages of 6 and 12, were taken overseas for one or two years and who now, years later, still speak the English of an American or British 10-year-old -- fluently, to be sure, but inappropriately. In other words, after acquiring a solid base in English and returning to China, they have done little or nothing to build on that base. These are kids who seldom read.
　　There is another, equally amazing group: kids who go abroad, learn to speak a very natural and fluent English and then are reinstalled in Chinese schools, where local English instruction rapidly degrades their English -- or who are penalized for their natural English. Typically they do poorly on the exams set by Chinese educational institutions; in my opinion these tests are far more oriented to bureaucratic goals than to promoting effective teaching or learning. Youngsters who speak excellent English learnt abroad tend to receive low marks on Chinese state exams, while classmates with little ability to use the language can become experts in taking multiple-choice exams testing obscure grammar points and little-used vocabulary. This often sets the stage for the degradation I mentioned earlier, as the Chinese child back from abroad focuses on the unreal English taught in school -- to the detriment of his authentic spoken English.