[originaltext] (22) Imagine your objective is to learn how to speak English

(22) Imagine your objective is to learn how to speak English fluently. What should you do if you don’t know how to begin your sentence, even after thinking for a while; if you stop in the middle of a sentence, and can’t continue because you don’t know a word; if you produce awkward-sounding sentences because you don’t know how to say something in a natural way; if you often make mistakes and are not aware of them?
    (23) You need more input, not more speaking practice. More speaking will not improve your vocabulary and grammar; actually, it can make things worse. (24) Such problems show that adults continue thinking in their native language; it is extremely stressful to think in one language and speak in another. That is why adults, especially beginners, don’t want to talk in the class.
    There is no evidence that speaking with native speakers alone will help you in acquiring fluency in English. The transition from the traditional method of English learning, Passive Learning, to more efficient Active Training of English Skills requires revising what we assume is involved in speaking fluent English. Both learners and teachers need to change their beliefs and recognize misconceptions, some of which are so powerful that they actually prevent learners from speaking fluent English.
    (25) Ability to speak is a skill and not information! Any skill should be trained. It is a misconception that to train conversational skills you need to speak with native speakers! In speaking you reinforce what you already know.
    The comprehensible input brings new word blocks to the learner which he first imitates and then after multiple repetitions will be able to produce automatically. Conversations with native speakers do not have these input characteristics.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
22. What is this passage mainly about?
23. What is necessary for us to learn English well according to the speaker?
24. Why don’t adult beginners want to talk in class?
25. What does the speaker say about the ability to speak?