English short

To make the information stick, serious work was needed to be done outside the classroom. Study groups organized by students were instrumental in providing John the motivation and drive required to do

well in the course. In the groups, students shared the notes they took in class and reviewed the information they thought would appear on the exams. Not all this time was serious though, as there were multiple breaks where chit-chat was encouraged as a means to vent built-up stress and frustration.

Finals for the first year were approaching, and anxiety filled the classroom during the last few lectures. On the test would be essay questions only; there would be no multiple choice. Cramming wasn't going to get you anywhere on this test. You had to know the information in order to get a good grade. John and all his classmates paid hefty tuition fees, but not all would pass the test. It would be those who attended the lectures, participated in the study groups, and read extensively that would pass with high marks.

It was very much like learning a foreign language. Those who do the best are those who immerse themselves in the foreign language. They read as much as possible in the target language, and when they can no longer read, they spend all their free time listening to the target language. Immersion takes precedence over their old hobbies and lifestyles. That's how they achieve high levels of fluency.

The question is not whether or not John passed the final exam. The true question is whether or not you will do what it takes in order to achieve fluency.

Happy studying! And thank you for reading!