英语写作精讲精练：参考译文

　　参考译文：

　　People’s views on the size of a class vary. While some people hold that a small class is better for learning, there are others who argue that a big one is better. On a personal note, I am convinced that each size of classes has its merits and demerits and what really counts is the teacher. That is to say, if the teacher is good, then class sizes would be no big deal.

　　In the first place, both small and big classes have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a small class for example. With a small number of students in one class, the classroom atmosphere would be relatively quiet and, therefore, it would be possible for students to concentrate on their learning. This can be easily understood, for, after all, the noise made by 10 or 20 people is much lower than that made by 100 or even 200 people! Also, with fewer students, the teacher would find it much easier to manipulate the class, that is, to have the whole class under complete control. If there are too many students, the teacher would be at a loss as to what to do in that controlling the situation itself would be challenging enough. Besides, in a small class, the students could have more interactive activities with the teacher and the teacher can give each student whatever instructions or help that he or she needs. However, this is not to say that a small class is all good and a big one is all bad. In fact, as researches show, a small class is more likely to give rise to tiredness and boredom, which hinders learning. In this respect, a big class prevails as it places higher pressure on the teacher, thus compelling him or her to be more energetic and more humorous so as to create a more lively learning atmosphere and, therefore, having the students’ attention. Who will benefit from all these? The students! Of course! Moreover, in a big class, the students could get to know more people, thereby making more friends as they have more choices. And making friends itself is meaningful in that it makes the class a more attractive place and in the long run, this makes for students’ learning.

　　In the second place, we must acknowledge the very fact that no matter how small or big a class is, it is simply not that important as the teacher. Even in a class where there is only one student, if the teacher proves to be inefficient, not knowing how to teach at all, it would be impossible for the students to listen attentively, so there would be no way for them to really learn anything. Quite the opposite, if the teacher is good, then no matter how many students there are in one class, say, 1,000 of them, the teacher would still be able to teach enthusiastically and the students listen enjoyably, and the learning effect would be beyond any doubt. I had the experience of sitting in a 500-student classroom. The teacher was warmly received by the students and so we all learned happily. Moreover, just for the sake of securing a seat close to the teacher, many students would go to the classroom 1 hour earlier. This well confirmed the point that the teacher is what really counts.

　　From the above discussion, we can safely come to the conclusion that the size of a class does not have much influence on the students’ learning effect. What is really more crucial in this issue is the quality of the teacher.