歡迎來到小聯盟－shinyshine的部落格

Pre-sessional courses are the specific language taught units provided for the future master students who want to strengthen their language proficiency to cope with the heavy load of academic requirement set up for their master programs. There are three levels for pre-sessional courses in the University of Southampton, starting from June, July and August. Just like the minor leagues for the American Major League Baseball, there are A, AA and AAA three levels, providing strict and sufficient training for the baseball players who are considered not ready for the challenge of the “real combat”.

語言先修課程是提供給準碩士生增強語言能力，以應付未來碩士課程繁重學術要求的授課教學。南安普敦的先修課程有三個不同位階，分別從六月、七月和八月開始。就像是美國職棒的三個小聯盟，提供給被認為還沒到準備好面對大聯盟實戰挑戰的球員嚴格充足的訓練。

As far as our classmates who used to attend these units are concerned, these highly-recommended taught units do expose them to adequate authentic academic materials that fits into the standard level of conventional British academic requirement. The tutors in the units will cater for everything you need for academic purpose in English with great expertise and professiofal��m. The training may be tough, the pressure may be overwhelming, but is likely to be beneficial to your English proficiency, particularly in reading and academic writing. You will be instructed with almost all language skills you need in your master programs, ranging from oral presentation, academic writing, to effective learning strategies.

就我們班參加過先修課程的同學而言，這些他們認為高度推薦的課程的確使他們接觸足夠的、真實的、符合傳統英式學術要求語言教材。授課教師會用高度的專業迎合你在英文上的學術需求。訓練可能會很嚴苛、壓力可能會如排山倒海而來，但是也會有助於你的英語能力，由其是閱讀和寫作。你會被教授所有你在碩士課程所需要的能力，從口語報告、學術寫作，到有效的英語學習策略等等。

These taught units are overall worth-attending; however, there are also some potential constraints. Praticipants' listening, reading and writing will be effectively cultivated and reinforced through the training programs, but the progress you make in speaking tends to be limited because of the Chinese-surrounding setting. Chances are that two-thirds of your classmates are Chinese because Chinese need the pre-sessional units most; how can you expect great leap in speaking if you are surrounded by Chinese classmates and rely on Putonghua outside the classrooms? To make matter worse, your pressure could come from not only your academic schoolwork, but also the tutor who are supposed to assist you. Some emotional or hair-splitting tutors will pick on their students and make the process of assessing assignments a torture, turning a pleasant learning procedure into a nightmare. It is estimated that the chance you meet such teacher as class tutor is one to eleven.

整體而言，這些課程相當值得一上。然而，也有潛在限制。你的聽、讀、寫的能力會透過課程得到培養和增強，但是因為受到華人環繞的環境影響，口語能力的進步可能有限。因為先修班班同學上都是華人的機會很高，如果在教室以外的地方都用普通話溝通，你怎能期待英語口語有突飛猛進的進步？更糟的是，你有十一分之一的機會遇到很機車或是情緒化的老師，有可能讓原本愉悅的上課過程變成一場夢靨。

Additionally, pre-sessional students are not allowed to use some specific facility provided for master and PHD students, such as the microwave oven in the MA room. There is a water machine for cool and freezing water, but you have to figure out your own way to access hot water supply. Owing to the contract the school with hot-food caterer, hot water is not available on campus to hinder these caterers from making profits. The school authority seems to insist on the distinguishing treatment as if the pre-sessional students were the players struggling in the minor league, desperate for the chance to stretch their muscles in the diamond.

此外，先修課程的學生不能使用一些學校提供給碩士生和博士生的設備，像是MA room裡的微波爐。學校有提供冷水的飲水機，但熱水要自己想辦法。因為學校有和提供熱食的外燴業者簽約的關係，會阻礙他們營利機會的熱水不能被供應。學校似乎很堅持這些差別待遇，彷彿先修課程的學生就像是在小聯盟打滾、期待能上大聯盟球場一展身手的球員似的。

Anyway, look on the bright side of the pre-sessional units. Just imagine that you are Chien-Ming Wang and expected to debut in the major league in September. To ensure you can outperform your rivals, you need more skills not only to control fastballs, sliders, sinkers and changeups, but more abilities to handle the pressure when bases are loaded. Gear up and go for it, and you will shine like Chien-Ming Wang in the Major League.

無論如何，往好的地方看吧。就想像你是幾年前的王建民，期待能在九月的時候在大聯盟初登板。為了能夠表現的比對手好，你所需要的可能不只只是控制速球、滑球、伸卡球、變速球的技巧，還要有能處理滿壘危機壓力的能力。準備好就出發吧，你會像王建民一樣在"大聯盟"發光發熱！