TED - Hacking English Learning 语言学习之道

Benny Leiws是一位多语言学习者，现在已经掌握了7门语言。在21岁之前，他只能说自己的母语英语。通过不断地学习时间。终于很快掌握了多种语言，并感受到了学语言的乐趣。在TEDx中他分享了自己语言学习的技巧并且解释了语言学不好时大家的借口。

首先演讲者向观众分享了自己21岁时只会英语，并且为自己找了借口开脱。这也引出来后来要具体说明的阻碍语言学习的五个借口和怎么一一将这些借口粉碎。

When I was 21 years old, I could only speak English, which is typical for those of us from English-speaking countries, and I had many reasons why this is going to be the case for me for the rest of my life. And I was very confident of this, because I had no natural talent, I had a very bad memory, I couldn't travel to the country yet, I was too old, I felt too old and I was sure that I was going to frustrate the native speakers and embarrass myself.

毕业以后，Benny去了西班牙生活。他觉得自己语言学习的问题解决啦。Living in the country， that is it. 但是事与愿违，Six months later of living in Spain, I couldn't speak any Spanish.  (一般我们会说After living in Spain for six months)。 他发现生活在那个语言环境下也没有帮助自己学好语言，于是改变了自己的方法和态度。遇到精通多种语言的那群人（polyglot）后，他的人生从此开挂。

polyglot 英[ˈpɒliglɒt]美[ˈpɑ:liglɑ:t]

adj.（人） 通晓、使用多种语言的，（书等）用多种语言写的;

n.通晓多种语言的人; A polyglot is someone who can speak many languages.

[例句]My tutor's something of a polyglot & she speaks seven languages.

我的家庭教师是个通晓多种语言的人&她讲七种语言。

[其他]复数：polyglots

通过和多语言者接触，他发现他的学习动机是错的。很多人学语言是为了应付考试，找工作，升职加薪，或者向他一样觉着这样很酷。但是多语言者是对这们语言着迷，对其文学，电影和文化着迷。

what I discovered after those 6 months is one of the biggest problems we have in language learning but we don't know it, that's motivation.A lot of us start with the wrong motivation to learn a language. We are learning the language just to pass an exam, to improve our career prospects, or in my case, for superficial reasons to impress people. And the reason Polyglots are learning the language is because they're passionate about that language. They're passionate about the literature, and the movies and being able to read in a language and of course to use it with people.

修正了学习的动机，大部分会有各种各样的借口给自己设限，Benny说明了阻碍语言学习的五个借口和怎么一一将这些借口粉碎。There's five major reasons they'd never get into language learning. So, let me go through some of these here.

1. 没有语言天赋  No language gene or talent.

这只是一个自证预言 (self-fulfilling prophecy). 你学不好语言，认为自己没有天赋，所以不努力学，结果语言一直学不好。形成了恶性循环 (vicious circle). 确认有些人在语言学习上有一些优势，但只是代表他们比普通人少花一些精力就能达到相同的效果，只要你更努力，你就能追赶上他们，甚至超越他们。when I work harder, I can catch up with the naturally talented and even overtake them.

2. 学语言时年纪太大 Too old to learn a second language.

演讲者也是从20几岁开始学习语言，现在通过正确的方法成为多语言者。实验表明，在正确的环境下成年人比小孩学得更好。成年人忙着学语法，做练习。而小朋友们都是在玩中学会语言的。Adults tend to be studying dusty old grammar books and doing boring exercises, while children are playing in the language, having fun in it. 所以不是学语言，而是沉浸在这种语言里 (not making it by studying the language,but living the language)。

3. 没有语言环境 

这在以前是一个很有力的借口，但是在互联网发达的今天，我们的世界通过互联网的连接已经越来越小了。通过Skype、WhatsApp等和别人交换语言。就算在现实生活中，也能看到说其他语言的人，和他们交谈。有很多方法可以给自己创造语言环境，所以这不是一个理由。

4. 记忆力不好 bad memory for learning all the vocabulary

记性不好，记不住单词和短语怎么办？有两个小技巧，1是运用艾宾浩斯曲线记忆法。不断的重复间隔记忆( Spaced repetition)。第2个是运用图像的联想记忆法。

5. 害怕犯错，尴尬 

完美主义在语言学习中是大忌。因为语言是交流的一种方式，是认识新的朋友和文化的途径。等到你熟练掌握了这种语言再去交流已经迟了。犯错误是很正常的。一般人听到外国人讲自己的母语都会很热心，彼此的距离更拉近了。The problem a lot of us face is that we feel that we're better studying and preparing for speaking a language some day. I say, rather than see if the world will end, a whole new world will begin if you try to learn a new language.

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