英語學習:學英語開口難，那是因為你還不知道這些~

1. Overcome Your Fear

克服恐懼

Learning English is very similar to learning anything else like guitar, juggling, basketball, etc. But because we relate it to our first language, which we already speak fluently, we feel silly when we can’t speak competently.

學英語和學吉他、戲法和籃球等很相似，但是因為我們把它和自己說得非常流利的母語聯(lián)系在一起，所以總覺得說不好很笨。

However, the most fluent English speakers think of language learning like acquiring any other new skill. And just like learning anything else, the more you practice, the better you get!

然而，說英語最流利的人把語言學習看做掌握一門其他的技巧，而且和其他學習一樣，練習得越多，做得越好。

The way you practice your English is by using it. It’s not enough to go to class two or three times per week. If you want to overcome your fear of making mistakes and get fluent, then you have to start speaking as soon as possible. And I promise if you start speaking regularly, you will notice yourself growing more and more confident in your abilities and improving.

練習英語的方式就是使用英語。每周課上兩三次是不夠的，你必須盡快開始說英語。我敢肯定如果你開始定期說英文，你會對自己的語言能力越來越自信，獲得很大的提高。

Start practicing your English as much as possible.

開始盡你所能，多練習英語。

2.I’m scared people will laugh

我害怕別人嘲笑

Many learners have a fear that goes beyond just making mistakes: That someone will laugh at their errors in the language.

許多學習者有一個比犯錯更嚴重的擔憂，怕有人會嘲笑他們的語言錯誤。

If you are one of them, perhaps you developed this fear because of insecurities developed in school. It’s common that when we are young our fellow students will laugh at us either because A) We speak English well (in many cultures it’s not ‘cool’ to be smart when you are young), OR the opposite, B) Because we speak incorrectly and others laugh because we are ‘stupid’. This usually sticks with us even beyond school.

如果你是其中一員，或許是在學校時的不安助長了你這份擔憂。年輕時，同學嘲笑我們是很常見的事，要么因為我們英語說得好（在許多文化中年紀輕輕就很聰明并不是一件很酷的事），或者是說得不好，要么因為我們說得不對，其他人會笑我們愚蠢。通常，這會一直伴隨著我們，即使已經(jīng)走出校門。

However, these insecurities are irrational. We’ve learned that making mistakes is an important part of a process. They in no way reflect your intelligence.

然而，這些不安沒有道理。我們已經(jīng)了解犯錯是過程中很重要的一部分，它們絕對無法反映你的智力水平。

AND this is a good problem. Why? Because it means you have a HUGE opportunity.

而且這個問題是好的。為什么呢？因為它意味著你面臨很大的機遇。

Overcoming these insecurities will benefit you in every aspect of your life, beyond just speaking English fluently. So if this is you, then it’s time to realize that it is in your hands to change.

克服這些不安會對你生活的方方面面有所助益，不僅僅是使你流利說英語。所以如果你是這樣，那么是時候意識到改變是掌握在你手里的。

It is not important if someone laughs. Realize that it’s not about you. You are doing something AMAZING just by speaking a foreign language!

如果有人嘲笑你，那不重要，要認識到那不是針對你。你在說一門外語，這件事情本身就足夠令人驚嘆。

When people laugh at others, they are just projecting their own insecurities, for example, an inability to speak another language well themselves. They put you down by laughing at you because they are scared they will never speak another language as well as you.

當人們嘲笑別人時，他們只是在映射自己的不安，比如，他們自己也不能流利地講一門外語。他們嘲笑你，輕視你，因為他們害怕自己不能夠像你一樣流利地說一門外語。

Plus, if someone laughs at you when you speak, this probably is not the type of person you want to be speaking to anyway.

另外，如果有人在你說外語的時候嘲笑你，他很可能也不是你愿意深入交往的人。

The more you speak and make mistakes, the less it will matter to you. You’ll have more fun with the language and learn to laugh at yourself.

你說得越多，犯錯越多，它對你的影響就越少。你會獲得更多學習語言的樂趣，并且學會自嘲。

3.Cultivating a deep motivation

培養(yǎng)一個深層次的動機

Before even practicing, you first must build a strong desire to gain fluency. - know that mistakes are the map and a passion to learn is the compass pointing them towards fluency.

在開始練習前，首先你必須有一個想要流利說外語的強烈渴望。了解到錯誤是地圖，而學習的熱情是指導我們走向流利的羅盤。

Your desire to learn must become stronger than fear of potential embarrassment. Then you’ll be able to speak without problems, even when you’re making lots of mistakes.

你學習的渴望必須比遭遇尷尬的害怕更強烈。這樣即使你犯錯很多，也能毫無障礙地說外語。

And once you start speaking regularly, you’ll be unstoppable. Through your experience you will realize how insignificant mistakes really are. You’ll see that you have spent so much time scared, worrying about nothing. And with this realization you’ll feel a weight lifted off of your shoulders as you confidently move forward on your path to fluency.

而且一旦你開始定期說外語，你會停不下來。通過經(jīng)驗你會了解到錯誤是多么微不足道。你會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己花了很多時間用來擔憂一些無所謂的事。帶著這個認知，你的壓力會減少很多，你可以在通向流利說外語的路上自信前行。

4.Celebrate small wins

慶祝每一個小的進步

Small victories like this can help break anxiety and build confidence. And if you’ve never spoken English before, it doesn’t have to be something as big as what my student did. It can be something small, like asking for the time or the price of something, or giving a tourist directions or recommendations. If these aren’t possible in your city, start by speaking online.

小的勝利能夠幫助人打破焦慮，建立自信。如果你之前從沒講過英語，那么不必聊我的學生做什么之類的話題，可以聊很小的事情，比如詢問時間或者物品的價格，或者給游客指路或推薦。

5.Don’t depend on texting

不要依賴信息交流

Something else I want to warn about is text chatting . It is ok for practicing your writing and using new vocabulary. However, many learners use it as an excuse not to speak. They say, “First I need to practice more on chat,” but this is a trap. You’re just letting fear and resistance trick you into avoiding speaking face-to-face.

我想提醒的另外一件事是短信交流。想練習你的書寫，使用新詞匯，這個方法是不錯的。然而，許多學習者把它當做不開口講外語的借口。他們說，“首先我需要在交流上多加練習”，但這是個陷阱。你只是被害怕和抗拒所騙，避免面對面的對話交流。

Don’t be tricked.

不要被騙。

Fluent English speakers know that fluency comes from speaking, not from chatting, and thus, as soon as they can, they move from text chat to video chat.

說英語流利的人知道流利源于開口練習，而不是信息交流。這樣他們會盡可能快地從文本交流轉(zhuǎn)入視頻交流。

Even if you’re scared, you need to realize that text chat does not help you to overcome anxiety and build confidence in the same way speaking face-to-face does.

如果你害怕，你需要認識到文本交流不能像面對面交流一樣幫你克服焦慮，建立自信。

6.Speak English Confidently and Fluently

自信流利說英語

Learning another language is difficult. However, as we’ve seen, you can be proud of all of your hard work and speak confidently. You don’t need to be shy and quiet. You don’t need to be scared of people laughing at you.

學另一種語言是困難的。但是，正如我們了解的，你會為自己的努力和流利口語感到驕傲。你不需要害羞沉默，你不需要害怕別人嘲笑你。

Confidence is a choice we make. This doesn’t mean it’s always easy and that we never get nervous or anxious.

自信是我們做出的選擇，這不意味著會永遠容易，永遠不會緊張或焦慮。

Start taking small steps to be the fluent, confident English speaker that you want to be (Learn more in this video), and celebrate every small victory.

開始一小步一小步成為你想成為的說英語流利自信的人，并且慶祝每個小勝利。