[文] How to Learn English

How to Learn English		如何學習英文
Do you want to learn English? I guess that goes without saying if you're reading this article. First of all, you need to ask yourself, “How badly do I want to?”		你想學英文嗎？既然你在讀這篇文章，我想不說也知道了。首先，你得問你自己：「我有多想學英文？」
Some students treat English as a content subject, like history, geography or literature. All you do is memorize a lot of facts and you've got it, right?		有些同學把英文視為一個學科，像歷史、地理、文學等等。你要做的就是背一大堆的事實，然後就學會了，是嗎？
Actually, becoming proficient in a foreign language is more like learning to play the piano. It takes practice - a lot of practice.		事實上，要精通一個外語好像學鋼琴，需要的就是練習 - 很多的練習。
But some of you are saying, “I just don't have any language aptitude.” Oh, come now. If you can read this, you have plenty of aptitude for learning a language.		但你們有些人會說：「我就是一點語言天份也沒有。」喔，少來了。如果你能讀這篇文章，你就有足夠的語言天份。
The more important question is whether or not you have the motivation. Many people only want to learn English to pass tests in school. That's not enough.		更重要的問題是，你有沒有學習的動機。很多人學英文只是為了通過學校的考試。那是不夠的。
Experts tell us that the most successful language learners have a strong desire to communicate with people in the target culture.		專家告訴我們，最成功的語言學習者，擁有和某個特定文化的人溝通的強烈意願。
By the way, what do you want to be able to do with your English? Have a conversation with a foreigner? Understand movies without reading the Chinese subtitles? Read an English newspaper? Study abroad?		順帶一問，你希望將來如何運用你的英文？和外國人交談？看電影時不需要中文字幕，就能看懂？讀英文報紙？出國讀書？
If you determine why you want to learn English, it will help you know where to start.		如果你確定了你學英文的目的，就能幫助你知道從何開始。
Learning English requires a number of very specific skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing. Think about which skill you need to brush up on the most.		學英文需要幾項非常特別的技巧：聽、說、讀、寫。想想哪項技巧是你最需要加強的。
But there is no magic formula. You can't just wake up one morning, say a few magic words, and instantly turn into a fluent English speaker.		但我們沒有辦法給你一個神奇公式。你不可能在某個早晨醒來，念了幾句神奇咒語，然後就突然間變成英文講得很流利的人。
You have to apply yourself. And you can't give up.		你必須全力以赴，而且不能放棄。
Listen Up!		仔細聽
If you want to improve your language skills, you'd better listen up. Listening is a useful source of language input, and it serves as a foundation for other language skills like speaking, reading and writing.		若你希望改善你的語言技巧，那麼你最好仔細聽。聽是語言學習中接受訊息的一項有利途徑，也是其他語言技巧，譬如，說、讀和寫等的基礎。
According to Jim Trelease, author of The Read Aloud Handbook, if you've never heard a word, you'll never say it. And then reading and writing it will be all the more difficult.		根據吉姆‧崔利思 - 「大聲讀出來手冊」的作者 - 如果你從未聽過一個字，你永遠不知道怎麼說它。而要讀和寫這個字就更加困難了。
So listening plays an important role in any kind of learning—particularly foreign language learning. Then all you have to do is open your ears, and your English listening skills will improve, right?		所以在任何一種學習裡，聽扮演了一個非常重要的角色，在學習外語時更是如此。因此你該做的就是打開你的耳朵，那你的英文聽力就會進步，對嗎？
Not exactly. First of all, you have to pay attention.		不見得。首先，你必須要集中注意力。
Sometimes when you're “listening,” your mind is a million miles away. The words you hear just go in one ear and out the other. But when you concentrate, your mind can process the message.		有時當你在「聽」的時候，你的心思可能飛到九霄雲外，你所聽到的字只是右耳進左耳出。但是當你專心時，你的心思可以處理這些訊息。
If you want to be a good listener - especially in a foreign language - you've got to stay focused.		若你想要成為一個好的聆聽者 - 特別是在聽外語時 - 你就必須持續地集中注意力。
OK, so are you paying attention? Good. Here's what you do:		好了，那麼你現在正集中注意力嗎？很好，接下來是你要做的事：
Listen to anything and everything you can in English. This will help you absorb the rhythm and sounds of the language. Don't try to understand every word of what you hear in English. If you do, you'll just get frustrated. Good listeners constantly make guesses to fill in the gaps. Think of your purpose in listening. Do you need specific information, like an address? Or do you just want to know the gist of a news story? Or are you listening to understand how someone is feeling? For a classroom situation, try to preview the material you will be listening to. Write down questions you think will be answered as you listen. Use audio recordings wisely. Record English programs off the radio, or purchase language-teaching CDs or MP3s. First play the CD or MP3 through without stopping, listening for the main ideas. Then go back and replay the sections you don't understand. So don't just sit there, do something! Listen!		盡可能去聽所有英文的東西，這樣會幫助你吸收語言中之韻律及聲調。 別嘗試去了解你所聽到的每一個英文字，如果你這麼做，你只會很受挫折。好的聆聽者是不斷地藉著猜測來填補其間的空白。 想想看你聽的目的是什麼。你是否需要詳細的訊息，好比地址？或是你只想知道一件新聞的要點？或著你想了解某人的感受？ 在教室裡，試著先預習你將聽到的教材。寫下一些你認為能從聽中找到答案的問題。 善用音像錄音。自收音機錄下英語節目，或是購買語言教學CDs 或MP3s。先從頭到尾把CD 或MP3播放一遍，不要中斷，聽其大意。然後再播放一次你不了解的部份。所以別光坐在那裡，做些事吧！好好的聽！
How to Improve Your Conversation Skills		如何提升你的會話技巧
If you want to improve your English conversation skills, you only have to do one thing: TALK. Of course, that's not as easy as it sounds. It takes courage to speak to people in a foreign language.		如果你希望能增進你英語會話的技巧，那麼你只須做一件事就夠了，那就是：說！當然，聽起來很容易，但做起來卻不然。用外文和人交談，是需要勇氣的。
Besides that, it requires a willingness to make verbal errors. Some people are so afraid of making a mistake that they never open their mouths. And that's the biggest blunder of all.		除此之外，你還要肯犯口語上的錯誤。有些人因為非常害怕犯錯，而不願開口，那其實是最愚蠢的錯誤。
But let's say you've got your courage up, and you're even prepared to make a few boo-boos. Now what do you say?		但假設說你已經鼓起勇氣，也準備好要犯幾個很笨的錯誤了，那麼你要說些什麼呢？
First of all, you have to open the conversation. Finding an appropriate topic is half the battle. Here are some suggestions:		首先，你要打開話閘子。找到一個適當的話題已打贏半場仗了。這裡有幾個建議：
Weather - “Boy, it sure is hot today, isn't it?” News - “Did you hear about that terrible plane crash?” Personal experiences - “How did you do on your test?” Feelings - “I'm really discouraged about my job.”		天氣 - 「天哪，今天真的是快熱斃了！」 新聞 - 「你聽到那件悲慘的飛機墜機事件嗎？」 個人經歷 - 「你考試考得怎麼樣？」 感受 - 「我對我的工作真的覺得好氣餒。」
While the above topics make good conversation, other topics make people feel uncomfortable. Many Westerners cringe at questions or comments about money or their appearance, for example.		以上的話題可以開始一段很好的對話，但有些話題就讓人不太舒服。舉例來說，許多西方人對於金錢、外貌等問題或評語，就很反感。
But with close friends, you can sometimes be a little more direct.		但對較親近的朋友，你有時可以稍微直接一些。
Like city traffic, a conversation in a foreign language doesn't always flow smoothly. Not to worry, though.		就像市區的交通，用外語對話並不總是那麼流暢。但別擔心。
When you hit a traffic jam in your conversation, you can find a way around it. Here are a few ideas:		當在對話中發生了「交通阻塞」，你可以找一個迂迴之法。 下面是幾個點子：
When you don't understand - “Excuse me, but could you say that again? I didn't catch it.” When the speaker talks too fast - “Could you speak more slowly, please?” When you don't agree - “I'm not sure I can agree.” When you want to change the subject - “By the way . . . ” or “Speaking of . . .”		當你沒聽懂時 - 「抱歉，能否請你再說一遍，我沒聽懂。」 當說話者速度太快時 - 「能否請你說慢一點？」 你不同意時 - 「我不認為我同意你…」 你想換個話題時 - 「題外話…」或「說到…」
Sad to say, but all good things must come to an end. Whether you're in a conversation (or an article, like this one), you need to find a way to exit gracefully.		很可惜的是，所有美妙的事總有個結束；不論你在一段談話中或是一篇文章裡 - 就像這一篇 - 你都需要找到一個優雅的退場方式。
Whatever you do, don't just stop suddenly and say, “Goodbye!”		不論你在做什麼，別突然地打住，然後說「再見！」
Instead, give your partner a signal like the following:		相反的，給你的談話對象一個如下的信號：
“Well, I really need to be going . . .” “It was nice talking to you.” (Note past tense.) “Well, I'm sure you've got other things to do.” “Oh, look at the time!”		「唔，我真的必須走了…」 「和你談話真好（注意英文用過去式）」 「嗯，我想你一定還有其他的事要做…」 「哇，時間過得真快！」
Unless your partner ignores your signal (which is very rude), you can begin to negotiate an end to your conversation:		除非對方忽視你的信號（這是很不禮貌的作法），那麼你就可以給你的談話轉而做個結束：
“OK, talk to you later.” “Take care.” “Have a nice (weekend).”		「好了，下次再和你聊。」 「保重。」 「祝你有個愉快的（週末）。」
Don't Read This!		別讀這篇文章
Made you look, didn't I? That's the beauty of the written word - it can draw you in and make you curious to know more. We've come a long way from ancient manuscripts to electronic documents on the Internet.		我反而讓你想要一探究竟了吧！這就是文字之美，它不但可以吸引你的注意，也讓你好奇得想要知道更多。自古老的手卷到如今網路上的電子文件，真是一條漫漫長路。
But written words have always been a powerful medium of communication and a source of learning.		但自古至今，文字一直都是有力的傳媒，也是一項學習的管道。
So how do you make the most of those written words? By reading, of course. And in a second language, that's no easy task.		所以，你如何善用文字呢？當然是靠閱讀了。然而用第二語言來閱讀，絕不是件容易的事。
To make your job a little easier, here are some reading strategies that you may find useful:		為了讓你的閱讀更容易些，以下是一些可能對你有幫助的閱讀策略：
Previewing. Look over the entire text before diving in. If it's a book, look at the table of contents. Read the introduction to get a general idea of what the author is writing about. If it's a magazine or newspaper article, look at the title or headline, the pictures and the captions to prepare you for what you'll be reading. Scanning. Sometimes you're only looking for specific information, like a phone number or an address. If so, don't waste time reading the whole text. Making inferences. You can often draw conclusions about things that are not clearly stated in the text. This is called “reading between the lines.” Looking for the main idea. Even when you don't grasp everything, you can still find the main point. Think: What is the author really trying to say? Summarizing. Try to make a brief mental summary that gives the general idea of the text.		預讀。在精讀之前先大致看過全文一遍。若是一本書的話，就先看看目錄。讀一讀序言以大略了解作者寫了些什麼。若是雜誌或報紙上的一篇專刊，則可以先看標題或是題要、圖片及其說明，以作閱讀準備。 瀏覽。有時候你只想找一個特定的資料，好比一個電話號碼或是地址。若是如此，別浪費時間去閱讀整篇文章。 推論。你往往可以對文章中並未清楚說明的某事做個推斷。這就是所謂的讀出「言外之意」。 先找出中心思想。甚至當你還未掌握每一件細節之時，你仍能發掘文中的要點。想想看：作者到底要說些什麼？ 作摘要。試著在心裡做一個能掌握文章大意的簡短的概論。
One more tip: Read at your own level. Of course, to give yourself a challenge, you might occasionally try to read something just beyond your current language level.		另一個建議：閱讀適合你程度的文章。當然，給自己一個挑戰，你也可以偶爾試著讀一些超過你現有程度的文章。
How to Develop Your Writing Skills		英文寫作技巧
Ask any professional writer, and he or she will tell you the same thing: Writing is hard work. If writing is such a chore in one's first language, how much more so in a second language!		你問任何一位專業作家，回答都是一樣：寫作是件難事。如果用母語寫作都如此不容易，那不用說用第二語言寫作更是難上加難了！
But never fear; there's hope. You can refine your writing skills in English. All it takes is - you guessed it - practice.		但是，不要害怕，還是有希望的。你可以琢磨你的英文寫作技巧，唯一需要花的工夫是，猜猜看，對了，就是練習。
And although it might surprise you, opportunities to practice writing are not very far away. For starters, here are a few ways to practice writing:		也許你會覺得驚訝，練習寫作的機會其實俯拾皆是。對於初學者，這裡有幾個練習寫作的方法：
Find a pen pal. Link up with other English learners from around the world. Use the Internet. You can use everything from e-mail to on-line chat rooms to practice your English writing—or rather, typing. Keep a journal. A journal can allow you to express your opinions, record your experiences and write for an eager audience - YOU.		找個筆友。跟全球其他學英文的人連結起來。 利用網際網路。從電子郵件到網路聊天室，你都可以用來練習英文寫作，或英文打字。 寫日記。寫日記可以讓你表達自己的想法、記錄你的經歷，並且為一個樂意閱讀的讀者 - 你自己 - 寫作。
When you write, keep in mind these simple rules:		當你寫作時，要記住這些簡單的原則：
Use words you know - Don't just pick words out of the dictionary. They might not fit the context. Write for the reader - You know what you're trying to say. But will the reader? Think about how your writing will come across. Don't leave any questions in the reader's mind. Ban bland writing - Good writing tastes good. Use variety in style and word choice to add “spice” to your writing.		用你所知道的字 - 不要從字典上去挑字，因為那些可能並不適合你的上下文。 為讀者而寫 - 你知道你想說什麼，可是，讀者懂嗎？想想看讀者會如何接受你寫的東西，不要讓讀者心存疑問。 避免寫索然無味的事 - 好的文章是很有味道的。在寫作時，變化一下風格和措辭，可以使文章生色不少。
To improve your writing, you need feedback. If you ask a friend or teacher to read your writing, however, don't ask him or her to “correct all the mistakes in your paper.” Just ask the reader to help you identify your strong and weak areas.		想要改進寫作，你需要有人給你意見。但是，如果你請朋友或老師讀你的文章，不要叫他們幫你「改正文章裡所有的錯誤」。只要請讀的人為你指出優缺點即可。
Revising your writing is your job, and that's how you improve your writing skills anyway. Writing isn't easy, but then nothing of value ever is.		改文章是你的工作，而且這也是你改進寫作技巧的方法。寫作不是件容易的事，但是，有價值的事本來就不容易做。
The more you practice, the more fun it will be. So don't forget to write!		你練習得越多，就越能享受其中的樂趣。所以不要忘了寫喔！
How to Improve Your Vocabulary		如何增進你的字彙
Have you ever experienced the frustration of not being able to find the right English word? It's no fun, is it? You've almost got it - the word is on the tip of your tongue - but you just can't get it to come out.		你是否曾因找不著合適的英文字而感到挫折呢？這一點也不好玩，對不對？你幾乎就快想到了 - 那個字幾乎就要脫口而出了 - 但你就是說不出來。
Developing a good vocabulary will help decrease your discomfort. It goes without saying that studying vocabulary is a key part of language learning.		建立豐富的字彙有助於減輕你的痛苦。不用說也知道，學習字彙是學習語言的一個主要部份。
Why? Because every language is made up of - what else? - words.		為什麼？因為每一種語言都是由 - 還會是什麼呢？ - 當然是字彙所組成。
When you meet an unfamiliar word, what do you do? Reach for the dictionary? Not so fast. Pick up a pencil or pen instead.		當你遇到一個不熟悉的單字，你會怎麼做？找字典？先別急著這麼做。倒是可以先拿起一隻鉛筆或筆。
If you're reading, underline the new words in your text, but don't look them up yet.		如果你正在閱讀，在內文中的生字下劃線，不過先不要查它的意思。
If you're watching TV or listening to a speech, write down any new words as best you can. Try to guess what each word means from its context.		如果你是在看電視或是聽演講，則盡可能地將生字拼出來。試著從前後文猜它的意思。
Instead of always depending on the dictionary, use your head first. You might not always guess right, but you'll often be “headed” in the right direction.		不要總是倚賴字典，先用你的頭腦。你不見得都猜得對，但你思想的方向通常是錯不了的。
Here's how to improve your guessing strategies:		以下是幫助你猜字的幾個策略：
Learn word forms. For example, since the Latin root dict means “to say” and the prefix pre- means “before,” what does predict mean? Add the suffix -ion, and the verb predict becomes a noun, prediction. And are you able to guess what predictable means? Or is it too unpredictable? Trust your feelings. Sometimes the context will give you a sense of whether a word is positive or negative, or offer a hint about other aspects of the word. But remember: It's not enough to improve your passive vocabulary - to know what words mean.		學習字形。舉例來說，拉丁文的字根 dict 是「說」的意思，字首 pre 則是「之前」的意思，所以，predict 是什麼意思呢？ 若再加上字尾 ion，動詞 predict 就成了名詞 prediction。那麼你能不能猜出 predictable 的意思呢？還是那實在是太 unpredictable（難以預測) 相信你的直覺。有時候，前後文會給你一種感覺，讓你知道某個字是正面或負面的意思，或是提供關於這個字的其他方面的暗示。 不過請記得：單單增進被動的字彙能力 - 知道字的意思 - 是不夠的。
You'll also want to develop a greater active vocabulary - to be able to use them. Here's how:		你還得要建立主動的字彙能力 - 能夠使用他們。這裡有幾個方法：
Study word groups. Words related to the same topic - like music, sports or weather - are much easier to learn together than in isolation. Learn words in context. Don't just memorize word lists. Carry a notepad. Make a note of any new words you come across. Words are good friends to have. And who doesn't need a few more good friends?		研究字群。把屬於相同主題 - 音樂、運動和天氣 - 的單字放在一起學，比分開來學容易得多。 從文章中學單字。不要只是死背生字表。 隨身攜帶筆記本。記下你所遇到的每個生字。單字是值得擁有的好朋友。誰不需要多幾個好朋友呢？