Key Learning 关键性学习

Indeed we don’t always enjoy what we need to learn now although it has long term implication. Some students may be compelled to learn a certain subject but they still do poorly. However, learning the subject may be critical to the prospect of these students. These students do need help. Perhaps, one of the ways to help them is by what I like to refer to as the key learning. What is key learning?

First, by key learning, it implies that the subject or area of learning is critical to the prospect of these students. Instead of compelling them to learn, it is better to tell them that they should not maintain their status quo. If they do they will soon be eliminated. I know of a young mother who is now quite successful in terms of her field of knowledge. During her school days, she was so much influenced by friends who did not like studying. She was able to complete her nine years of free education but she obtained very poor results. When she was in her last two years of secondary school, she realised that she was in a terrible situation. She must work hard to alter her future. With such an awareness, she worked very hard and consistently got up at four o’clock in the morning to study to make up the lost time. she did well and later was admitted to university to complete her tertiary education.

A person may not prepare to change by just hearing about the impressive future. Yet, the person has a higher tendency to change by being made aware of the desperate current situation. Just like the above student, she was eager to change because she was aware of her desperate situation. And if she remained lazy, she would be eliminated.

Second, key learning is usually related to what you don’t enjoy but it is what must be learnt now. Perhaps, we don’t like that subject of learning because it is tough. However, that subject could be the key for breakthrough before we can acquire the knowledge concerned. I remember when I was in my primary school, I hated learning English. My mother-tongue is Chinese and the English grammar was just too difficult for me. Beside that, combining the English alphabets to form words are hard for me to memorise. But, when I entered an English medium school after I had completed my Chinese primary education, I knew learning English was the key for my future. Thus, I determined to learn English starting from memorising English vocabularies and studying the grammatical rules. These two aspects were then the key for me to be able to learn English. Though it was difficult, over time I managed to cross over the tough time. And now English is one of the languages I use frequently.

Therefore, learning is not always easy and enjoyable. Perhaps, applying the key learning is still an effective way of learning today.

事实上，我们不会常常喜欢现在的学习，即使它具有长期的价值。有些学生可能是被迫学习某项科目，但他们仍然不能把该科目学好。如果学习该科目对于这些学生的前途是至关重要，这些学生确实需要獲得帮助。也许，帮助他们的方法之一就是我在此要谈的关键性学习。什么是关键性学习呢？

首先，所谓关键性学习，即是意味着学习的题目或领域对于这些学生的前景至关重要。不要强迫他们学习，但是要提醒他们不要满足于只是维持现状。如果他保持现状，他们有一天会被淘汰。我認识一位年轻的母亲，她根据现在所掌握的專长已算是颇为成功。回顾她还是学生的时候，她曾深受那些不喜欢学习的朋友影响。她雖然完成了九年的免费教育，成绩却是很不理想。她进入了中学的最后两年，便意识到自己已经处于一种很糟糕的情况，她必须下定决心改变自己的未来。有了这样的意识，她变得非常努力地学习，固定地凌晨四点便起床温习功课以弥补以前失去的时间。她做得很好，后来被录取到大学完成了她的高等教育。

一个人不一定会因为有人向他讲解美好的遠景而改变自己。反而，当他了解自己是處在相当绝望的现状，他才会更倾向要改变。正如上述的学生，她渴望改变，因为她意识到自己很糟糕的情况，如果她继续懒惰，她会很快被淘汰。

其次，关键性学习通常会与你不喜欢的科目有关，即意味这可能是你现在必须学习的功课。或许，我们不喜欢某项科目是因为它很难。但是，我们所看到的困难有可能恰是我们必须突破的关键，而有了突破，才能獲得有关科目的知识。记得当我在小学的时候，我很讨厌学习英语。我的母语是中文，英文的文法对我来说的确太难了。此外，要掌握结合英文字母而记住单词対我也不容易。然而，在我完成了华文小学后进入英文中学时，我意识到学习英语是我未来的关键。因此，我决定从记忆英文单词和学习文法作为开始，而掌握这两方面也即是我学习英语的关键。虽然当时很困难，但随着时间的过去，我终于渡过了艰难的时期。现在英语已经是我常使用的其中一种语言了。

所以，学习不一定是轻松愉快的。然而，应用关键性学习或许仍然是今天一种有效的学习方式。