致无锡外国语学校老师和学生的一封信
Respected school leaders and my dear students:
I have truly had an amazing time here at Wuxi Foreign Language School. I’ve been teaching the class on American language and culture for 2 months, and I am very pleased with the results so far.
The class curriculum challenges students to break outside of their “comfort zones” and encourages them to practice using the English language in a way they never have before. The class prepares students for an easy transition to the American education style, and for success in American high school. We have been reading works of American literature, studying American culture, speaking about current events, discussing philosophy, studying vocabulary, and writing weekly essays to perfect their writing ability. Much of the class is discussion based, and forces the students to constantly challenge themselves as they reach for new ways to express their opinions and ideas.
Class participation is a very important skill to have in American high school, and the ten students in my class have been becoming more and more confident in their language ability and in their skill in voicing opinions. These skills will aid them greatly when they are studying in America. The students in my class were quiet and shy at first, but have quickly become confident and vocal. In my opinion, they are already on their way to becoming successful American high school students. As much as this class is about language, it is also about attaining the confidence to use that language, and the necessary knowledge of a foreign education system. The students in my class were always very strong with English grammar, but I believe that they now have the confidence, speaking ability, and listening comprehension necessary for American high school, and I am extremely proud to see how much they have progressed in just two months.
The students, staff, and parents here at WXFLS have been incredibly welcoming and helpful. I have been able to learn much about Chinese culture and the city of Wuxi, and I look forward to being able to share the city of Boston with the students in my class.
Thank you for opening your school up to me, and for the hospitality of the teachers and staff here at Wuxi Foreign Language School.
Sincerely,
Nick Walkowicz
Campus Bridge Program Director / Teacher of American Language & Culture
尊敬的校领导和亲爱的同学们：
我在无锡外国语学校度过了一段非常美好的时光。在这两个月里，我在教美国语言与文化，到目前为止我对教学成果很满意。
我的课堂打破了学生一直比较被动、安逸的状态。它能够鼓励学生用自己前所未有的方法去操练运用英语。这样的课堂为学生适应美国式教学风格起到了很好的过渡作用，也为他们未来的成功做好了准备。一直以来，我们阅读了大量美国文学作品，学习了美国文化，探讨时事，讨论哲学，学习词汇，并且每周都要写一篇小短文来加强写作能力。大部分课堂时间以讨论为主，这也迫使学生不断挑战自我开始用新的方法来表达自己的想法和观点。
在美国高中，参与课堂讨论是一种非常重要的技巧。班里的11个学生已经在语言能力上表现得越来越有自信。在表达自己想法时，能熟练地运用各种语言表达技巧。这些技巧的掌握将十分有利于他们在美国的学习。我们班的学生在我第一次给他们上课时，他们表现的很安静，很害羞，现在已经变得很自信，表达能力很强。我认为，他们正在变得更加接近美国高中生的标准。这个课堂不仅注重语言训练，关注培养学生使用英语表达的自信心，另外还要学习有关国外教育体制的必备的知识。我们班学生一直很擅长英语语法，但是现在他们在口语和听力方面也变得很有信心。这些对于他们未来在美国高中的学习都很重要。看到他们在仅仅两个月内取得的巨大进步我深感自豪。
我校的学生、教职工和家长也都非常热情，给我很多帮助。我也学到了更多的中国文化，开始更加了解无锡。我期待着也能和我们的学生一起感受、了解波士顿。
非常感谢我校的邀请，感谢我校各位教职员工对我的热情招待！
美国校园桥项目主管兼美国语言与文化老师 Nick Walkowicz
2012年4月28日