export_ofoct.com (66)
[00:00.38] Todd: Well I have to admit, because even English teachers will tell you, and they're lying if they don't admit this, even on tests like the TOEFL, it's very hard for a teacher to get 100%.
[00:10.88] Not because of knowledge, but because of concentration.
[00:14.63] Rufei: Yes.
[00:15.38] Todd: Right?
[00:16.38] Rufei: Exactly. We have a lot of questions and some of them, they are kind of tricky.
[00:20.13] Todd: Right.
[00:20.63] Rufei: Yeah.
[00:21.38] Todd: So they mislead you a little bit.
[00:22.88] Rufei: Yeah.
[00:23.63] Todd: Oh no, that's great. So you took all these courses, what was the course you were best at and the course you were worst at?
[00:31.38] Rufei: English was my worst at.
[00:37.63] Todd: Oh no, your English is wonderful! Really?
[00:38.63] Rufei: Yeah.
[00:39.13] Todd: Oh I disagree.
[00:39.63] Rufei: It was.
[00:40.63] Todd: Oh, OK. How do you learn English in China?
[00:45.38] Rufei: Actually, my speaking skills I gathered from my traveling, I did solo traveling last year.
[00:53.88] Todd: Wow, you've learned a lot, quickly.
[00:55.63] Rufei: Thank you.
[00:56.88] Todd: That's great! That's really inspirational I think for a lot of the students that listen to this site. One year?
[01:03.88] Rufei: Yeah.
[01:04.63] Todd: Fantastic.
[01:05.63] Rufei: But the thing I have to mention about is, you have to know a lot of words.
[01:11.88] Before you start to speak English, you have to know what you know. Like you have to remember a lot of words, and then you can use it when you have to use it.
[01:29.13] Todd: Okay, right. So English was tough, not easy.
[01:33.13] Rufei: Not easy, for everything you have to learn. Learning isn't easy and funny stuff for everyone.
[01:42.63] Starting is hard and it's kind of betray the human ...
[01:49.63] Todd: Spirit?
[01:50.38] Rufei: Yes.
[01:50.88] Todd: Wow, that's crazy. So how many students would be in an English class? I hear that China has huge English classes. Like there might be 100 students in one class.
[02:01.13] Rufei: It can be, but it depends. In my high school we have the same class at the same classroom always, and in my university we have 30 students in my English.
[02:15.13] Todd: Oh okay, that's kind of normal. That's still a lot, for an English teacher that's a lot.
[02:19.13] Were your teachers usually Chinese, or an international teacher?
[02:23.38] Rufei: Chinese teacher.
[02:24.63] Todd: Chinese teacher, okay. And so there was a big stress on grammar and vocabulary, things like that?
[02:30.63] Rufei: Yes.
[02:31.38] Todd: How about listening?
[02:32.38] Rufei: We only do the audio listening test. So it's always the same pronunciation.
[02:44.88] Todd: Yeah, so you don't have a lot of variety of accents?
[02:51.13] Rufei: Yes.
[02:51.65] Todd: Yeah. Okay, well you have to introduce to China.
[02:53.88] Rufei: Yeah, cool.
[02:57.13] Todd: What was your best subject?
[02:59.38] Rufei: My best subject was mathematics.
[03:02.88] Todd: Oh great. Yeah, that's impressive.
[03:06.38] I have a degree in economics and there's a lot of math.
[03:08.88] I went to a good school but I was not strong at math and I was terrible at physics.
[03:14.13] And physics and economics are kind of related, but not really, I did not do very well in physics. So how are you at physics?
[03:20.38] Rufei: Actually I love all the math stuff, but also included physics, because you also have to use a lot of mathematics on your physics.
[03:34.38] For the physics you have to know the formula very well, then you can use it.
[03:44.63] If you don't know the formula very well, when the question is there you cannot ...
[03:52.38] Todd: Apply?
[03:53.88] Rufei: ... apply that.
[03:54.88] Todd: Yeah. Oh yeah, I agree, it's tough. I am very impressed with you because whenever I meet somebody who is good at math or physics, I have great admiration.
[04:09.63] My degree was math heavy, but math was not my strong point.
[04:12.88] Rufei: So what was your strong point?
[04:15.63] Todd: That's a good question. I was never a good student at anything.
[04:20.38] How I got to a good university is actually surprising, but I was always middle of the road.
[04:28.38] Middle of the pack, as we said. Always B- student, in everything.
[04:34.13] Rufei: I see.
[04:35.38] Todd: Yeah, I was not exceptional like you.
[04:37.13] Rufei: You don't have to be very good at starting, but you can handle your life very easily. That's also an important thing for a human.
[04:47.38] Todd: That is true, I do agree with that. But I think if I was a student in China, I would be that Mister 2000.
