6. Ignore the myths: age is just a number
You are a monolingual adult: have you missed the language boat? Ralby argues “a key language myth is that it’s harder as an adult”. Adults and children may learn in different ways but that shouldn’t deter you from committing to learning another language. “Languages are simultaneously organic and systematic. As children we learn languages organically and instinctively; as adults we can learn them systematically.”
If you’re still not convinced of your chances, Ralby suggests drawing inspiration from early philologists and founders of linguistics who “l(fā)earned dozens of languages to encyclopaedic levels as adults”.
7. Do some revision of your native language
Speaking your first language may be second nature, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you understand it well. Kerstin Hammes, editor of the Fluent Language Blog, believes you can’t make good progress in a second language until you understand your own. “I think understanding your native language and just generally how language works is so essential before you launch yourself at a bunch of foreign phrases.”
8. Don’t underestimate the importance of translation
Different approaches may be necessary at different stages of the learning process. Once you have reached a certain level of proficiency and can say quite a bit, fairly accurately, Rebecca Braun, senior lecturer in German studies at Lancaster University, says it is typical to feel a slowing down in progress. “Translation,” she says, “is such an important exercise for helping you get over a certain plateau that you will reach as a language learner ... Translation exercises don’t allow you to paraphrase and force the learner on to the next level.”.
9. Beware of fluency
Many of the panellists were cautious of the F-word. Hammes argues not only is it difficult to define what fluency is, but “as a goal it is so much bigger than it deserves to be. Language learning never stops because it’s culture learning, personal growth and endless improvement. I believe that this is where learners go wrong”.
10. Go to where the language is spoken
It may not be an option for everyone but Braun reminds us that “if you are serious about learning the language and getting direct pleasure from what you have learned, you need to go to where that language is spoken”.
Travel and living abroad can complement learning in the classroom: “The books and verb charts may be the easiest way to ensure you expose yourself to the language at home, but the people and the culture will far outclass them once you get to the country where your language is spoken.”
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6. 無視那些迷思:年齡只是數(shù)字
你是一個只會一種語言的成年人:那么你是否已經(jīng)錯過了學(xué)習(xí)一門新語言的時機了呢?羅爾比說“關(guān)于語言學(xué)習(xí)的一個重要的迷思就是,成年更難學(xué)會新語言。” 成年人和兒童可能在學(xué)習(xí)的方法上不一致,但這并不應(yīng)該成為阻礙你學(xué)習(xí)另一門語言的障礙?!罢Z言是有機和系統(tǒng)的。兒童學(xué)習(xí)語言的方法是有機和直覺的;而成年人學(xué)習(xí)語言是系統(tǒng)的?!?若你還對此觀點抱有疑惑,拉爾比建議從古代哲學(xué)家和語言學(xué)創(chuàng)始人身上尋找啟示,“這些博學(xué)者都是在成年的時候?qū)W會眾多語言的?!?/p>
7. 要多復(fù)習(xí)自己的母語
說自己的母語可能是人的第二天性,但這并不意味著你很好地理解這門語言。流利語言博客的編輯克里斯汀·哈梅斯(Kerstin Hammes)認為除非你很好地理解了自己的母語,否則無法在第二語言的學(xué)習(xí)上得到進步。“我認為理解自己的母語以及理解語言如何運作,這一點在你學(xué)習(xí)一堆外國語詞匯之前是很重要的?!?/p>
8. 別低估了翻譯的重要性
在學(xué)習(xí)語言的不同過程中,我們可能需要使用不同的學(xué)習(xí)方法。一旦你達到了一定的學(xué)習(xí)水平,口語不錯,準確度也還行的時候,蘭卡斯特大學(xué)德語研究高級講師麗貝卡·布勞恩(Rebecca Braun)說到了這個階段,翻譯練習(xí)在幫助作為語言學(xué)習(xí)者的你跨越一個難以進步的穩(wěn)定時期是非常重要的……翻譯練習(xí)不允許你進行闡釋,這會迫使學(xué)習(xí)者進入到更高一級的水平。
9. 當心流暢性
很多嘉賓對于“流暢”這個詞都持謹慎態(tài)度。哈梅斯認為這不僅僅是因為很難定義這個詞,還因為作為學(xué)習(xí)目標,這不應(yīng)該要把它置于如此高的地位。學(xué)習(xí)語言的過程從未終止,這是因為語言學(xué)習(xí)的過程也是文化學(xué)習(xí)的過程,也是個人的成長,它會一直不斷的提升。我認為這就是英語學(xué)習(xí)者弄錯的地方。
10. 去到說目標語言的地方
不是所有人都能做到這樣,但布勞恩提醒我們說,“若你認真對待你所學(xué)的這門語言,同時能夠在學(xué)習(xí)它的過程中得到快樂,那么你應(yīng)該到說這語言的地方去。” 旅行和住在外國能夠有效地對課堂學(xué)習(xí)進行補充:“在家手看書本和詞匯表可能是讓你置身于目標語言環(huán)境的最簡單的方式,但是該語言環(huán)境中的人和文化都在書本之外,除非你到說這種語言的國家去?!?/p>
(譯者 linchln 編輯 祝興媛)
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