(Correspondent: Zhang Mi)To further implement the student-centered educational philosophy, enhance academic support for students, and help students in the Class of 2024 majoring in English and in the “English Plus” dual-major program prepare for the Test for English Majors-Band 4 (TEM-4) in a more systematic and efficient manner, the School of Foreign Languages (SFL) held a workshop on TEM-4 reading comprehension on the morning of April 16 in Room 313 of the Liberal Arts Building. The workshop was delivered by Ms. Chen Heng and attracted more than 100 students from relevant programs.
The workshop closely followed the TEM-4 examination syllabus and test-design patterns, providing a systematic overview of the overall structure of the test while offering an in-depth analysis of the key reading comprehension section. Drawing on previous TEM-4 examination papers and incorporating insights from cognitive linguistics, Ms. Chen helped students develop a systematic and structured knowledge framework for reading comprehension and test-taking.
During the session on core test-taking skills, Ms. Chen introduced an integrated approach combining “method guidance, practice with authentic test questions, and question-type classification.” For multiple-choice questions, she explained in detail a three-step approach: “read the passage carefully, analyze the question stem, and locate the relevant information in the text.” She then guided students through the analysis of representative questions from previous examinations, helping them strengthen their application of the strategy in practice. For short-answer questions, Ms. Chen highlighted three practical techniques. First, students should accurately locate relevant information in the original text and identify key words and sentences. Second, they should use standardized language to ensure complete sentence structures and accurate content. Third, they should strictly control the word count and, when necessary, use synonyms and paraphrasing flexibly to express ideas concisely within the prescribed limit.In addition, Ms. Chen categorized and analyzed strategies for different types of reading questions, including detail, main idea, and inference questions. She stressed that students should be alert to traps involving synonymous paraphrasing in detail questions, while main-idea questions should focus on the opening and concluding paragraphs as well as topic sentences. By incorporating a large number of authentic examination questions throughout the workshop, she guided students to develop their abilities in logical reasoning and textual analysis through practical application.
It is reported that, with the aim of comprehensively enhancing students’ TEM-4 examination proficiency, the School of Foreign Languages has established a dedicated tutoring team and carefully designed a three-pronged preparation support system integrating “thematic workshops, daily practice, and mock assessments.” Through targeted guidance, regular training, and periodic mock examinations, the School continues to consolidate students’ language foundations, strengthen test-taking strategies, and foster a positive learning environment characterized by mutual encouragement and healthy competition.
The workshop represents not only a concrete step taken by the School of Foreign Languages to deepen undergraduate teaching reform and implement the requirements of “Three-All Education” (education covering all people, the entire process, and all aspects), but also an important initiative for advancing the development of the “New Liberal Arts” and improving the quality of interdisciplinary foreign language talent cultivation. Moving forward, the School of Foreign Languages will continue to focus on students’ academic development needs, optimize the allocation of teaching resources, and provide solid support for cultivating foreign language professionals for the new era with strong language proficiency, a solid foundation in the humanities, and the ability to communicate effectively on the international stage.
Photo credit: Zhang Yunfeng
Reviewed by Yang Jianbing
Translated by Guo Ziyan
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