如何用最科學(xué)的辦法學(xué)習(xí)一門外語

Picking up a new language is not really that easy, but knowing more about the science of learning languages may help you speed up the learning progress. Belle Beth Cooper has shared her views on Crew Blog:

學(xué)一門語言并非易事，不過多了解學(xué)外語的科學(xué)或許會進步更快。Belle Beth Cooper在Crew博客上分享了她的觀點。

How we learn language

人們學(xué)習(xí)語言的方式

Learning language is something we’re born to do. As children, we learn to think, learn to communicate and intuitively pick up an understanding of grammar rules in our mother tongue, or native language. From then on, we learn all new languages in relation to the one we first knew—the one that we used to understand the world around us for the first time ever。

學(xué)習(xí)語言是人類與生俱來的行為。從孩提時起，我們就學(xué)習(xí)思考、學(xué)習(xí)交流，并且本能地掌握母語或本族語的語法。從那時起，我們便學(xué)習(xí)跟初識有關(guān)的任何新語言——正是憑著初識，我們才懂得周圍的世界。

Learning a foreign language

學(xué)習(xí)一門外語

When it comes to learning a second language, adults are at a disadvantage. As we age, our brain’s plasticity (its ability to create new neurons and synapses) is reduced. Following brain damage that causes a loss of speech, for instance, researchers have observed that children are more likely to regain the power of speech, by creating new pathways in the brain to replace the damaged ones。

說到學(xué)習(xí)第二語言，成人總是處于不利地位。隨著年齡增長，人類大腦的可塑性就會衰退，而這種可塑性卻能產(chǎn)生新的神經(jīng)元與突觸。緊接著大腦損傷便會造成語言能力的喪失。比如，研究人員已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)，通過新陳代謝取代大腦受損細胞，兒童更容易重新獲得語言能力。

There’s still hope, though. A study of secondary language pronunciation found that some learners who started as adults scored as well as native speakers. It’s also been shown that motivation to learn can improve proficiency, so if you really want to learn a language, it’s not necessarily too late。

當(dāng)然希望還是有的。一項有關(guān)第二語言發(fā)音的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，有些成年學(xué)習(xí)者照樣可以將外語學(xué)得很地道。而且，學(xué)習(xí)語言的動機能極大提高語言掌握的熟練度。所以，如果你真的特別想學(xué)某種語言，任何時候都不算晚。

Give yourself the best chance

給自己最好的機會

If you want to put in the effort to learn a new language, try these methods that are known for improving learning and memory。

如果你想努力學(xué)一門新語言，那就試試下面這些方法吧，這些方法可以在學(xué)習(xí)和記憶方面幫到你。

1. Spaced repetition

1. 間隔重復(fù)。

Spaced repetition is a proven memory technique that helps you keep what you’ve learned strong in your mind. The way it works is you revise each word or phrase you’ve learned in spaced intervals. Initially the intervals will be smaller: you might revise a new word a few times in one practice session, and then again the next day. Once you know it well you’ll be able to leave days or weeks between revisions without forgetting it。

“間隔重復(fù)”是很有效的記憶技巧，有助于將學(xué)過的知識牢牢記在大腦里。具體方法就是：每隔一段時間就復(fù)習(xí)學(xué)過的每個單詞或詞組。剛開始間隔時間比較短：你可能需要在某個練習(xí)階段復(fù)習(xí)好幾次生詞，然后第二天再重復(fù)。一旦熟悉以后，你可以幾天或者幾個星期再復(fù)習(xí)一下，這樣依舊可以記得清清楚楚。

2. Learn before you sleep

2. 睡前學(xué)習(xí)。

One of the many benefits we get from sleep is that it helps to clear out the brain’s “inbox” – the temporary storage of new information and memories from our time awake. We need sleep (even just a nap) to move anything we’ve recently learned into our brain’s long term storage. Once it’s safely stored, spaced repetition will help to strengthen the connection so we can recall the information faster and more accurately。

睡眠的一個好處就是它能清除大腦的“收件箱”——也就是我們在清醒時臨時儲存的新信息和記憶。我們需要睡眠(哪怕只是打盹)將最新學(xué)習(xí)的東西轉(zhuǎn)換到大腦的長期儲存中。一旦儲存固定，“間隔重復(fù)”將強化之間的聯(lián)系，這樣我們便能更快更準(zhǔn)確地記住信息了。

3. Study content, not the language

3. 學(xué)習(xí)語言內(nèi)容，而非語言本身。

Although most language learning classes and progams focus on purely learning the language, a study of high school students studying French found that when they studied another subject taught in French instead of a class purely to teach French, the students tested better for listening and were more motivated to learn. Students in the standard French class scored better on reading and writing tests, so both methods clearly have merit。

盡管多數(shù)語言教學(xué)課程重點強調(diào)單純學(xué)習(xí)語言本身，但一項有關(guān)高中生學(xué)法語的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，如果學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)某個用法語教學(xué)的課程，而非單純的法語課，那么學(xué)生的法語聽力成績更出色，而且學(xué)生也更有動力去學(xué)。不過，標(biāo)準(zhǔn)法語班的學(xué)生在閱讀和寫作上的成績更高。顯然，兩種方法各具優(yōu)勢吧。

Once you’ve mastered the basics of a new language, try including some content on a topic you’re interested in to improve your understanding. You could have conversations with friends learning the same language, read articles online or listen to a podcast to test your comprehension。

當(dāng)你掌握某個語言的基本知識后，請嘗試了解自己關(guān)心的話題內(nèi)容，這樣可以提高理解能力。你可以跟學(xué)這門語言的同伴交談，閱讀網(wǎng)絡(luò)文章，或者通過聽播客來測試自己的理解力。

4. Practice a little everyday

4. 每天都練習(xí)一點點。

If you’re busy, you might be tempted to put off your studying and cram in a big chunk of learning once every week or two. However, studying a little every day is actually more effective. Because your brain’s “inbox” has limited space and only sleep can clear it out, you’ll hit the limit of how much you can take in pretty quickly if you study for hours at a time。

如果你很忙，可能會拖延學(xué)習(xí)，然后每個一兩個星期再集中填鴨式地學(xué)一會兒。但實際上，每天堅持學(xué)一點的方法更有效率。因為你大腦“收件箱”的空間是有限的，只能在睡覺時清空，所以如果你選擇一次性快速學(xué)一堆知識的話，最終能夠掌握的也很有限。

5. Mix new and old

5. 溫故知新。

The brain craves novelty but attempting to learn lots of new words or phrases at once can be overwhelming. Novel concepts work best when they’re mixed in with familiar information。

大腦渴望新鮮知識，但如果一次性學(xué)習(xí)太多生詞短語的話，則會欲速不達。只有結(jié)合已經(jīng)熟悉的知識，才能更好地掌握新知識。

When you add new words to your vocabulary, try spacing them in-between words you’re already familiar with so they’ll stand out—your brain will latch onto them more easily。

當(dāng)你學(xué)習(xí)新詞匯時，請把它與已經(jīng)掌握的、意義接近的詞匯區(qū)分開來——這樣大腦才能更容易地記住生詞。