VOA慢速英语2021--创造英语沉浸体验

Create an English Language Immersion¹ Experience

Have you ever seen an advertisement for a language immersion program? These programs can take place in a school or other location where a learner can practice using their second language in a natural setting². The language immersion situation forces the learner to use the new language throughout the day. They must try to communicate their ideas and understand native speakers. Speaking and hearing others use the language at meals, while shopping or taking part in other activities gives language learners valuable (and enjoyable) practice.

The use of new technologies can help you create your own immersion experiences. Below are some details on how you can plan an English immersion program for yourself and carry it out in your own home.

Follow these basic guidelines³ in making your program:

Make a plan – how long will you do the immersion? Plan your time so that you will get some practice every day during the period of time you choose.For example, you may decide that for the next week, you will speak only English after 6:00 pm, or listen to English news every morning at 7:00.

Look for chances to get both passive⁴ and active language practice. Passive language use is listening or reading, while active language use involves speaking or writing.

Measure your progress with tests and give yourself prizes or treats when you meet goals.

Step one: Know your starting level

It is best to know your ability level to create your immersion program. You can test yourself with a free online language test, like the EFSET test. After a period of time, you can take the same test again and see how much you improved. Knowing your level also lets you choose materials at the right level. The VOA English Challenge test on our website will give you a score on the Council⁵ of Europe's (CEFR) scale. That goes from A1 – C2.

Step two: Choose materials a little above your level

Immersion programs often include material that is at a little higher level than the material you normally⁶ use. On our website, for example, there are three levels: Beginner, Intermediate⁷, and Advanced. If you have been reading at the Intermediate level for some time, try choosing readings from our Advanced level, such as American Stories.

Here are some ideas on how to find materials to help you practice the four language skills in English:

Reading and vocabulary

Here are some ideas for reading and vocabulary:

Change your social media language to English. Follow English speakers and make comments in English.

Subscribe⁸ to daily news updates in English, like our newsletter or a national news service in your country or an English-speaking country you want to learn more about.

Cooking something new? Find a recipe in English to follow. Or watch a cooking video online in English.

Read children's stories in English to your own or a friend's child.

Put small signs around your house with the name of common objects in English. After you learn the words, you can act like a broadcaster who is telling about your movements through your house: "She is walking through the living room now. Now she is in the kitchen. She is picking up a cup..."

Listening

Here are some ideas for listening materials:

Listen to our daily podcast. You can read the stories after you listen on our home page.

Use TuneIn or other podcast services to subscribe to English podcasts.

Listen to English-speaking artists performing your favorite style of music - often these are available with subtitles⁹ on YouTube. Sing along if you like hearing yourself sing.

Watch English movies and television programs on a streaming service. Turn off the subtitles to make it harder. Later go back and watch again with the subtitles turned on if you need them.

Speaking

Here are some ideas for speaking:

Join conversation clubs on the internet or in person, such as Clubhouse, Meetup, or the Mixxer. Learn more in our article, Five Tips for Great Language Exchanges.

Talk with yourself in English. This may feel strange at first. However, the more you do it, the more you will begin to think in English, which is a big step toward¹⁰ becoming fluent. If you have a pet animal, speak to it in English.

Join a speech-making group or class, such as Toastmasters.

Play online games in English. Having fun while you learn makes it much easier to remember what you are learning¹¹. One game service especially for language learners is Influent.

Writing

Here are some ideas for writing:

Write your to-do list or marketing¹² list in English.

Keep a diary or daily journal¹³ in English. Writing about your own experiences will help you learn words important to your life.

Write comments in blogs and on social media in English. You can also write comments on our stories, of course!

Step three: change up your practice

On some days, put more of your effort toward reading and writing. On others, spend more time on listening and speaking. Try to avoid doing the same thing each day. And take a break now and then to rest your brain. Read our story on spacing and interleaving your learning for more on this topic.

Step four: make new friends and have fun

Through conversation clubs and the new activities that are part of your language immersion, you will probably find new friends. Speak English with them as often as you can.

Look for ways to make your immersion program fun, like inviting¹⁴ a friend or family member to join you.

Words in This Story

practice – n. the activity of doing something again and again in order to become better at it

conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people

subtitles - n. (usually plural) words that appear on the screen during a movie, video, or television show and that are translations of what the actors are saying

fluent – adj. able to speak a language easily and very well

1 immersion   

n.沉浸；专心

参考例句：

• The dirt on the bottom of the bath didn't encourage total immersion.浴缸底有污垢，不宜全身浸泡于其中。
• The wood had become swollen from prolonged immersion.因长时间浸泡，木头发胀了。

2 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

3 guidelines   

n.指导方针，准则

参考例句：

• The government has drawn up guidelines on the treatment of the mentally ill. 政府制订了对待精神病人的指导方针。
• Planners seem a little uncomfortable with the current government guidelines. 规划师似乎不太接受现行的政府指道方针。

4 passive   

adj.被动的；消极的

参考例句：

• He has a passive expression on his face.他脸上有一种漠然的表情。
• It lands the manager in a passive position.它使经理处于被动地位。

5 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

6 normally   

adv.正常地，通常地

参考例句：

• I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六买东西。
• My pulse beats normally.我脉搏正常。

7 intermediate   

adj.中间的，居间的，中级的；n.中间体，媒介物

参考例句：

• This country is now at an intermediate stage of development.这个国家目前正处于发展的中间阶段。
• Gray is intermediate between black and white.灰色介于黑色和白色之间。

8 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

9 subtitles   

n.说明字幕，印在外国影片上的对白翻译字幕，译文对白字幕；小标题，副标题( subtitle的名词复数 )；（电影的）字幕

参考例句：

• subtitles for the deaf and the hard of hearing 为耳聋和听力不佳者打出的字幕
• a Polish film with English subtitles 附有英语字幕的波兰影片

10 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

11 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

12 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

13 journal   

n.日志，日记；议事录；日记帐；杂志，定期刊物

参考例句：

• He kept a journal during his visit to Japan.他在访问日本期间坚持记日记。
• He got a job as editor of a trade journal.他找到了一份当商业杂志编辑的工作。

14 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。