学英语，实用比优美更重要

Practical English Matters More Than Literary Beauty

学生学习英语时，经常会接触到一些经典教材，其中包含大量优美的文章、故事，以及来自世界文学名著和名人的作品。这些内容确实能够提高学生的人文素养和文学修养，我并不否认它们的价值。

When learning English, students often read classic textbooks filled with beautiful essays, inspiring stories, and works by famous writers. These materials can certainly enrich their cultural understanding and appreciation of literature, and I fully recognize their value.

但我们也应该思考一个问题：这些内容，对每一个学生来说都是最重要、最实用的吗？

However, we should ask an important question: Are these materials the most useful and necessary for every student?

对于绝大多数普通学生而言，未来并不会从事文学研究，他们首先要面对的是生活、工作和谋生。他们真正需要的是能够听懂新闻、看懂电视剧、电影和动画片，能够听懂天气预报，能够阅读各种生活信息，能够在旅行、学习、工作中自由地使用英语进行交流。

For most students, life after school will not involve literary research. Instead, they will need English for daily life, work, travel, and communication. They need to understand the news, enjoy TV shows, movies, and cartoons, follow weather forecasts, read everyday information, and communicate confidently in English.

相比于熟悉文学名著中的人物和优美的修辞，他们更需要知道世界各国的名称、重要城市、国际组织、各国领导人的名字、世界知名企业和品牌、科技产品、体育赛事，以及生活中每天都会接触到的大量高频词汇。这些内容，才是真正能够提高他们英语实际应用能力的知识。

Compared with memorizing literary characters or appreciating elegant writing styles, students are more likely to benefit from learning the names of countries, major cities, international organizations, world leaders, famous companies, well-known brands, technology products, sports events, and other high-frequency vocabulary used in everyday life. These are the words that truly improve practical communication.

我并不是反对文学。文学能够丰富人的精神世界，也值得有兴趣的人深入学习。但是，对于大多数学生来说，如果把大量时间花在文学欣赏上，而忽略了真正能够解决生活和工作问题的英语内容，就有些本末倒置了。

This does not mean literature is unimportant. Literature enriches our minds and broadens our horizons. Those who love it should absolutely study it in depth. But for most learners, spending too much time on literary appreciation while neglecting practical English may not be the best use of valuable learning time.

英语首先是一门工具，是人与世界交流的桥梁。当一个人能够轻松地听懂新闻、理解影视作品、阅读网络信息、与外国人自然交流之后，再根据自己的兴趣去阅读文学经典，学习的效率和收获反而会更高。

English is, first and foremost, a tool for communication. Once learners can comfortably understand the news, enjoy films, browse online information, and communicate naturally with people from around the world, they can explore literature with greater confidence and enjoyment.

教育应该尊重大多数人的实际需求。不是每个人都要成为文学家，但几乎每个人都需要用英语去了解世界、适应世界、融入世界。这才应该是英语教育最重要的目标。

Education should respect the real needs of most learners. Not everyone needs to become a writer or a literary scholar, but almost everyone needs English to understand the world, adapt to it, and connect with it. In my view, that should be the primary goal of English education.