【英语趣味课堂】怎样学习语言-How to Learn Languages?

Jana: So Peter, you also learned¹ English as a foreign language, right?

Peter: That's right, yes.

 

Jana: It's not your first language? So how did you do it?

 

Peter: That's a good question. When I think back, I think, I try to think about the things that helped me most and I think it was a funny combination² of things. I had one really interesting English teacher, she was really strict, but she was really interesting and I think she inspired me in some ways because her English was so good and I thought 'wow' that's really great. I wouldn't mindbeing able to be as good as her. The other thing that really helped me was reading like I really read so much in English. I think you mentioned, I remember you saying that too at some other point.

 

Jana: Yeah, I think so too. I read a lot, not because I wanted to learn but because I like reading and so I read in English and later on I realized I must have learned a lot of vocabulary and things that I didn't even realize I learned.

 

Peter: I think yes.

 

Jana: Just through reading.

 

Peter: Yeah, the same thing happened to me. My home had so many books in it, I was lucky I guess in that way and at least half of them were in English and when I discovered that there were books in the house that I couldn't get into and I was really into stories and reading, I felt so angry that I couldn't get into them so I said OK I'll start try and read them and I guess it started off there because then I started reading so much and it was really good for me in the end, I think.

 

Jana: So that was your motivation, you wanted to read those mysterious books?

 

Peter: Yes and it was really good for me that way I guess.

 

Jana: That's interesting. You see people ask me how did I learn English. I didn't really have a plan, I just enjoyed English that's why I studied in my free time but I didn't think of it as something I have to do, I just did it for fun.

 

Peter: I think so too for me. Also in high school I remember my classmates complaining about all the homework in English and they couldn't do it and they used to come to me for help and then I thought but hang on it's not, it doesn't feel like work to me, it just feels like something kind of fun.

 

Jana: That's right.

 

Peter: But I can't tell you where that fun started. I guess it has something to do with being curious about things that are written or said. Do you think so?

 

Jana: Yeah, I also sort of remember when I first became interested in English but later on when I met some people from different countries, I became more interested in communicating with them and, like you said, my teacher also inspired me. I enjoyed just chatting to her in English.

 

Peter: Really?

 

Jana: Yeah, it was basically³ fun. It was not studying hard for me.

 

Peter: Yeah, I suppose it's the same for me I think. I think when I got to university and I could read and write and my listening was really good in English but I couldn't speak so well at all and then I happened to make some English friends and they couldn't speak a word of Afrikaans or any other language so I was kind of forced to communicate with them in English and that, I think that really helped me too because I was forced in a way to be able to speak my mind and in the way that they could only understand so you know.

 

Jana: Right, that really makes it meaningful⁴ doesn't it? You really need to, you want to express yourself so you have to try hard.

 

Peter: Yeah, and I remember this frustration⁵. They would have these arguments about things that I was interested in and I wanted to join but I couldn't and so I just decided⁶ well I have to just do this. I want to talk so I'd better do it in English.

 

Jana: That's right. Yeah, I think I improved a lot by talking to people from different countries, not necessarily⁷ native speakers but having friends from different countries and I wanted to communicate with them so, yeah, you just do it and you learn as you go.

 

Peter: Yeah, I think so too.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

in some ways

 

I think she inspired me in some ways because her English was so good.

 

You can use the open phrase⁸ 'in some ways' when you don't want to give a full description of your reasons, but you want the listener⁹ to know that it was part of your motivation. Notice the following:

 

It's good, in some ways, for children to spend a lot of time with their friends. 

In some ways I didn't like her, and in other ways she was the best teacher I ever had.

wouldn't mind

 

I wouldn't mind being able to be as good as her.

 

If there is something you 'wouldn't mind' to do or be, it is something you are okay with or you would like to have happen. Notice the following:

 

She says she wouldn't mind being a bit shorter.

I wouldn't mind seeing a movie tonight.

get into

 

I felt so angry that I couldn't get into the story.

 

You 'get into' a story when you are interested in it and focused¹⁰ on what is happening. Notice the following:

 

I don't know how people can get into celebrity¹¹ gossip¹² so much.

Everyone says that this book is amazing, but I just can't get into it.

not a word of

 

My friends couldn't speak a word of Afrikaans.

 

When you don't speak 'a word of' a language, it means¹³ that you do not know it at all. Notice the following:

 

They didn't speak a word of each other's languages when they first met.

I didn't know a word of Vietnamese when I arrived.

speak my mind

 

I was able to speak my mind in a way they could understand.

 

When you directly¹⁴ state your opinion, you are 'speaking your mind.' Notice the following:

 

He comes from a place where people are not encouraged to speak their minds.

Some people get offended¹⁵ that she speaks her mind so much.

 

1 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

2 combination   

n.组合，合并，联合；

参考例句：

• He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
• The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。

3 basically   

adv.基本上，从根本上说

参考例句：

• His heart is basically sound.他的心脏基本上健康。
• Basically I agree with your plan.我基本上同意你的计划。

4 meaningful   

adj.意味深长的；富有意义的

参考例句：

• They exchanged meaningful looks.他们彼此意味深长地交换了一下眼色。
• The article has a meaningful ending.这篇文章的结尾意味深长。

5 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 necessarily   

adv.必要地，必需地；必定地，必然地

参考例句：

• More work does not necessarily call for more men.增加工作量不一定就要增添人员。
• A voter must necessarily be no younger than eighteen.选民必须在18岁以上。

8 phrase   

n.短语，词组；成语，习语

参考例句：

• The phrase was caught on and immediately became popular.这个短语被采用后很快就流行了。
• That's exactly the phrase I was looking for.这就是我一直找的那个短语。

9 listener   

n.听众；收听者

参考例句：

• I'm a regular listener to her show.我经常收听她的节目。
• She became an attentive listener.她变成了一个专心致志的聆听者。

10 focused   

adj.聚焦的v.（使）集中， （使）聚集( focus的过去式和过去分词 )；调整（镜头，眼睛）焦点[焦距]以便看清；（光、声等的）焦点；集中（光束于）

参考例句：

• Research has focused on improving the car's aerodynamics. 研究的重点是改善轿车的流线型。
• The discussion focused on three main problems. 讨论集中在三个主要问题上。

11 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

12 gossip   

n.流言蜚语，爱说长道短的人；vi.传播流言

参考例句：

• She broadcast the gossip all over the town.她将这个流言传遍全镇。
• They spread a lot of tacky gossip about his love life.关于他的爱情生活，他们散播了许多不堪的闲言闲语。

13 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

14 directly   

adv.直接地，径直地；马上，立即

参考例句：

• I will telephone you directly I hear the news.我一听到消息，马上打电话给你。
• She answered me very directly and openly.她非常坦率地、开门见山地答复了我。

15 offended   

v.触怒( offend的过去式和过去分词 )；得罪；冒犯；使反感令人不适

参考例句：

• They'll be offended if you don't go to their wedding. 你若不参加他们的婚礼，他们会生气的。
• She was offended by the vulgarity of their jokes. 他们那些粗俗的笑话使她大为不快。