怎样成功的学好一门语言（学好一门新语言的秘诀）

I love learning foreign languages.，今天小编就来聊一聊关于怎样成功的学好一门语言?接下来我们就一起去研究一下吧!

怎样成功的学好一门语言

I love learning foreign languages.

我热爱学习外语。

In fact, I love it so much that I like to learn a new language every two years, currently working on my eighth one.

事实上，我超级爱它，我愿意每两年学习一门新外语，我现在正在学习第8门语言。

When people find that out about me, they always ask me, "How do you do that? What's your secret?"

And to be honest, for many years, my answer would be, "I don't know. I simply love learning languages."But people were never happy with that answer.

当人们发现我的这些爱好时，他们总会问我，“你是怎么做到的？你的秘密是什么？”

老实说，多年来，我的答案就是，“我不知道。我只是喜欢学习语言。“但人们对这个答案从来都不满意。

They wanted to know why they are spending years trying to learn even one language, never achieving fluency, and here I come, learning one language after another.

他们想知道为什么他们多年来都在努力学习一门语言，但是从来没有达到流利的水平，而我，学习了一种又一种语言。

They wanted to know the secret of polyglots, people who speak a lot of languages.

他们想知道能说多种语言这类人的奥秘。

And that made me wonder, too, how do actually other polyglots do it?

这也引起了我的好奇，其他掌握多语种语言的人是如何做到这一点的呢？

What do we have in common?

我们有什么共同点吗？

And what is it that enables us to learn languages so much faster than other people?

是什么让我们学习语言的速度比其他人快得多？

I decided to meet other people like me and find that out.

我决定结识其他像我一样的人，并发现其中的奥秘。

The best place to meet a lot of polyglots is an event where hundreds of language lovers meet in one place to practice their languages.

有幸见到通晓多种语言的人的最佳方法就是通过一次活动，让数以百计的语言爱好者聚集在一个地方，与他们交流。

There are several such polyglot events organized all around the world, and so I decided to go there and ask polyglots about the methods that they use.

在世界各地有几个像这样的多语种活动，所以我决定去那里问问通晓多种语言的人所用的学习方法。

And so I met Benny from Ireland, who told me that his method is to start speaking from day one.

我遇见了来自爱尔兰的Benny，他告诉我他的方法是从第一天就要把语言说出来。

He learns a few phrases from a travel phrasebook and goes to meet native speakers and starts having conversations with them right away.

他从一本旅行用语书中学到了一些短语，然后去见母语人士，并立即开始与他们交谈。

He doesn't mind making even 200 mistakes a day, because that's how he learns, based on the feedback.

他不介意一天犯200次错误，因为这就是他学习的方式，通过别人的反馈。

And the best thing is, he doesn't even need to travel a lot today, because you can easily have conversations with native speakers from the comfort of your living room, using websites.

最棒的事情就是，他如今都不需要经常出门旅行，因为他可以在舒适的客厅里，通过网络轻松地与以英语为母语的人进行交谈。

I also met Lucas from Brazil who had a really interesting method to learn Russian.

我还遇到了来自巴西的Lucas，他有一个非常有趣的学俄语的方法。

He simply added a hundred random Russian speakers on Skype as friends, and then he opened a chat window with one of them and wrote "Hi" in Russian.

他只是随便在Skype上加了一百个会说俄语的朋友，然后他打开了其中一个聊天窗口，用俄语写下了“嗨”。

And the person replied,"Hi, how are you?"

Lucas copied this and put it into a text window with another person, and the person replied,"I'm fine, thank you, and how are you?"

Lucas copied this back to the first person, and in this way, he had two strangers have a conversation with each other without knowing about it.

那个人回答说：“嗨，你好吗？”

Lucas复制了这句话并把它放到另一个人的对话窗口中，那个人回答说：“我很好，谢谢，你好吗？”

卢卡斯把这句话复制回第一个人那里，这样，他让两个陌生人在不知情的情况下互相交谈。

(Laughter) And soon he would start typing himself, because he had so many of these conversations that he figured out how the Russian conversation usually starts.

(笑声)很快他就开始自己打字，因为他见到太多这样的对话，以至于他弄清楚了俄语对话通常是如何开始的。

What an ingenious method, right?

多么巧妙的方法，不是吗？

And then I met polyglots who always start by imitating sounds of the language, and others who always learn the 500 most frequent words of the language, and yet others who always start by reading about the grammar.

然后我遇到了精通多语种的人，他们基本都是从模仿语言的声音开始，还有一些人总是学习语言中最常见的500个单词，还有一些人总是从学习语法开始。

If I asked a hundred different polyglots, I heard a hundred different approaches to learning languages.

如果我问一百个精通多语种的人，我就会听到一百种不同的学习语言的方法。

Everybody seems to have a unique way they learn a language, and yet we all come to the same result of speaking several languages fluently.

似乎每个人都有一种独特的学习语言的方式，然而，我们都达到了相同的目的，说几种流利的语言。

And as I was listening to these polyglots telling me about their methods, it suddenly dawned on me: the one thing we all have in common is that we simply found ways to enjoy the language-learning process.

当我听到这些精通多语种的人告诉我他们的学习方法时，我突然明白了：我们所有人都有一个共同点，那就是我们只需享受学习语言的过程。

All of these polyglots were talking about language learning as if it was great fun.

所有这些精通多语种的人都在谈论语言学习，好像这很有趣。

You should have seen their faces when they were showing me their colorful grammar charts and their carefully handmade flash cards, and their statistics about learning vocabulary using apps, or even how they love to cook based on recipes in a foreign language.

当他们向我展示他们五颜六色的语法图表和手工制作的卡片，以及他们使用APP学习统计词汇数据时，你应该看看他们的脸，更有甚，他们到底是有多喜欢来用一本外语食谱来做烹饪。

All of them use different methods, but they always make sure it's something that they personally enjoy.

他们都使用不同的方法，但他们总是能认定这是他们个人喜欢的方式。

I realized that this is actually how I learn languages myself.

我意识到这实际上就是我学习语言的方式。

When I was learning Spanish, I was bored with the text in the textbook.

当我在学西班牙语的时候，我对课本上的课文感到厌烦。

I mean, who wants to read about Jose asking about the directions to the train station.

我是说，谁会为了问火车站的方向而去读“何塞”。

Right?

对吧？

I wanted to read "Harry Potter" instead, because that was my favorite book as a child, and I have read it many times.

我更想读“哈利·波特”，因为那是我小时候最喜欢的书，我已经读过很多次了。

So I got the Spanish translation of "Harry Potter" and started reading, and sure enough, I didn't understand almost anything at the beginning, but I kept on reading because I loved the book, and by the end of the book, I was able to follow it almost without any problems. And the same thing happened when I was learning German.

所以我拿到了“哈利·波特”的西班牙语译本，并开始阅读，果然，一开始我几乎什么都不懂，但我一直读下去，因为我喜欢这本书，读到这本书的结尾，我几乎能做到不带任何问题的读下去。当我在学德语的时候也发生了同样的事情。

I decided to watch "Friends,"my favorite sitcom, in German, and again, at the beginning it was all just gibberish.

我决定再看一遍我最喜欢情景喜剧“老友记”德文版，从一切都是莫名其妙的话开始。

I didn't know where one word finished and another one started, but I kept on watching every day because it's "Friends."I can watch it in any language.

我都不知道哪个是单词的开头和结尾，但是我每天都在看，因为这是“老友记”，我可以用任何语言来阅读它。

I love it so much.

我超爱它的。

And after the second or third season, seriously, the dialogue started to make sense.

在第二季或第三季之后，严肃地说，对话开始变得有意义了。

I only realized this after meeting other polyglots.

我是在见过其他精通多国语言的人之后才意识到这一点的。

We are no geniuses and we have no shortcut to learning languages.

我们不是天才，我们没有学习语言的捷径。

We simply found ways how to enjoy the process, how to turn language learning from a boring school subject into a pleasant activity which you don't mind doing every day.

我们只是找到了享受这一过程的方法，如何把语言学习从一个枯燥的学校科目变成一个愉快的活动，你并不介意每天都这么做。

If you don't like writing words down on paper, you can always type them in an app.

如果你不喜欢把单词写在纸上，你也可以在APP里输入进去。

If you don't like listening to boring textbook material, find interesting content on YouTube or in podcasts for any language.

如果你不喜欢听枯燥的教科书材料，你还可以在YouTube或任何语言的播客中找到有趣的内容。

If you're a more introverted person and you can't imagine speaking to native speakers right away, you can apply the method of self-talk.

如果你是一个比较内向的人，而且你不敢想象立刻与母语人士交谈，你可以采用自言自语的方法。

You can talk to yourself in the comfort of your room, describing your plans for the weekend, how your day has been, or even take a random picture from your phone and describe the picture to your imaginary friend.

你可以在舒适的房间里自言自语，描述你周末的计划，你这一天过得怎么样，或者从你的手机上随便拍一张照片，然后向你想象中的朋友来描述这张照片。

This is how polyglots learn languages, and the best news is, it's available to anyone who is willing to take the learning into their own hands.

精通多国语言的人就是这样学习语言的，好消息是，它适用于任何愿意把学习掌握在自己手中的人。

So meeting other polyglots helped me realize that it is really crucial to find enjoyment in the process of learning languages, but also that joy in itself is not enough.

因此，与其他精通多国语言的人士接触让我认识到，在学习语言的过程中找到乐趣是非常重要的，但快乐本身是不够的。

If you want to achieve fluency in a foreign language, you'll also need to apply three more principles.

如果你想流利地说一门外语，您还需要再用到三个准则。

First of all, you'll need effective methods.

首先，你需要有效的方法。

If you try to memorize a list of words for a test tomorrow, the words will be stored in your short-term memory and you'll forget them after a few days.

如果你想记住明天考试的单词，这些单词会储存在你的短期记忆中，几天后你就会忘记它们。

If you, however, want to keep words long term, you need to revise them in the course of a few days repeatedly using the so-called space repetition.

不过，如果你想长话短说的话，你需要在几天内反复复习它们，使用所谓的空间重复。

You can use apps which are based on this system such as Anki or Memrise, or you can write lists of word in a notebook using the Goldlist method, which is also very popular with many polyglots.

您可以使用基于此系统的APP，如Anki或Memrose，或者你可以用黄金列表的方法在笔记本上写下单词列表，这种方法在许多精通多语种的人群中也很流行。

If you're not sure which methods are effective and what is available out there, just check out polyglots' YouTube channels and websites and get inspiration from them.

如果你不确定哪些方法是有效的，什么是可以用的，只要看看精通多国语言人士的YouTube频道和网站，并从中获得灵感。

If it works for them, it will most probably work for you too.

如果它对他们有用，它也很可能会对你有用。

The third principle to follow is to create a system in your learning.

第三个要遵循的原则是在你的学习中建立一个系统。

We're all very busy and no one really has time to learn a language today.

我们都很忙，如今没有人能够真正有时间去学习一门语言。

But we can create that time if we just plan a bit ahead.

但如果我们能提前一点做计划，我们就能挤出这个时间。

Can you wake up 15 minutes earlier than you normally do?

你能比平时早15分钟起床吗？

That would be the perfect time to revise some vocabulary.

那将是温习某个词汇的最佳时机。

Can you listen to a podcast on your way to work while driving?

你能在开车去上班的路上听播客吗？

Well, that would be great to get some listening experience.

嗯，如果能有点听力的磨炼那就太好了。

There are so many things we can do without even planning that extra time, such as listening to podcasts on our way to work or doing our household chores.

有很多事情，我们甚至都不需要额外计划时间就可以做到，比如在上班路上或在做家务时听播客。

The important thing is to create a plan in the learning.

重要的是制定学习计划。

"I will practice speaking every Tuesday and Thursday with a friend for 20 minutes.

I will listen to a YouTube video while having breakfast."If you create a system in your learning, you don't need to find that extra time, because it will become a part of your everyday life.

“我会在每个星期二和星期四与一位朋友练习20分钟的谈话。

我会一边吃早餐一边听YouTube视频。”如果你在学习中建立了一个系统，你都不需要花额外的时间，因为它将成为你日常生活中的一部分。

And finally, if you want to learn a language fluently, you need also a bit of patience.

最后，如果你想流利地学成一门语言，你还需要一点耐心。

It's not possible to learn a language within two months, but it's definitely possible to make a visible improvement in two months, if you learn in small chunks every day in a way that you enjoy.

你不可能在两个月内学会一门语言，但是，如果你每天都能以一种你喜欢的方式学习，那么在两个月内取得明显的进步是完全有可能的。

And there is nothing that motivates us more than our own success.

没有什么比自我的成功更能激励我们的了。

I vividly remember the moment when I understood the first joke in German when watching "Friends."

I was so happy and motivated that I just kept on watching that day two more episodes, and as I kept watching, I had more and more of those moments of understanding, these little victories, and step by step, I got to a level where I could use the language freely and fluently to express anything.

我清楚地记得在看“老友记”的时候，我听懂的第一个德语笑话。

我是如此的高兴和有动力，以至于那天我又多看了两集，随着我不断地看，我理解的越来越多，这些小小的胜利，一步一步地，让我达到了一个水平，我可以自由和流利地使用语言来表达任何东西。

This is a wonderful feeling.

这是一种美妙的感觉。

I can't get enough of that feeling, and that's why I learn a language every two years.

我怎么都享受不够那种感觉，这就是我每两年都要学一门语言的原因。

So this is the whole polyglot secret.

这就是精通多国语言人士的全部奥秘。

Find effective methods which you can use systematically over the period of some time in a way which you enjoy, and this is how polyglots learn languages within months, not years.

找到有效的方法，你可以在一段时间内系统地使用它，以一种你喜欢的方式，这就是精通多国语言人士如何在几个月内，而不是几年就学会一门语言的方法。

Now, some of you may be thinking, "That's all very nice to enjoy language learning, but isn't the real secret that you polyglots are just super talented and most of us aren't?"Well, there's one thing I haven't told you about Benny and Lucas.

现在，你们中的一些人可能在想，“很高兴能享受到语言学习的乐趣，但真正的秘密不是说你们这些通晓多国语言的人很有天赋，而我们大多数人都不是吗？”嗯，关于Benny和Lucas，有一件事我还没有告诉大家。

Benny had 11 years of Irish Gaelic and five years of German at school.

Benny在学校里学了11年爱尔兰盖尔语和5年德语。

He couldn't speak them at all when graduating.

毕业时他都不能与他们交谈。

Up to the age of 21, he thought he didn't have the language gene and he could not speak another language.

直到21岁时，他认为自己没有语言基因，根本不会说外语。

Then he started to look for his way of learning languages, which was speaking to native speakers and getting feedback from them, and today Benny can easily have a conversation in 10 languages.

然后他开始寻找学习语言的方法，那就是与母语人士对话并从中得到反馈，如今Benny可以很轻松地用10种语言进行对话了。

Lucas tried to learn English at school for 10 years.

Lucas在学校里学了10年英语。

He was one of the worst students in class.

他是班上最差的学生之一。

His friends even made fun of him and gave him a Russian textbook as a joke because they thought he would never learn that language, or any language.

他的朋友们甚至取笑他，给他一本俄语教科书取笑他，因为他们认为他永远学不会那门语言，或者任何其它语言。

And then Lucas started to experiment with methods, looking for his own way to learn, for example, by having Skype chat conversations with strangers.

然后Lucas开始尝试各种方法，寻找他自己的学习方法，例如，通过Skype与陌生人聊天。

And after just 10 years, Lucas is able to speak 11 languages fluently.

仅仅10年之后，Lucas就能流利地说11种语言了。

Does that sound like a miracle?

这听起来像是奇迹吗？

Well, I see such miracles every single day.

好吧，我每天都能看到这样的奇迹。

As a language mentor, I help people learn languages by themselves, and I see this every day.

作为一名语言导师，我帮助人们自学语言，我每天都能看到这些。

People struggle with language learning for five,10, even 20 years, and then they suddenly take their learning into their own hands, start using materials which they enjoy, more effective methods, or they start tracking their learning so that they can appreciate their own progress, and that's when suddenly they magically find the language talent that they were missing all their lives.

人们在语言学习上挣扎了五年，十年，甚至二十年，然后他们突然把语言学习掌握在自己的手中，开始使用他们喜欢的材料，更有效的方法，或者他们开始追踪自己的学习过程，这样他们就可以欣赏自己的进步，就在那时，他们突然奇迹般地发现了他们生命中所缺少的语言天赋。

So if you've also tried to learn a language and you gave up, thinking it's too difficult or you don't have the language talent, give it another try.

所以如果你也尝试过学一门语言，但又放弃了，你觉得这太难了或者你没有语言天赋，那就再试一次。

Maybe you're also just one enjoyable method away from learning that language fluently.

也许你也只是需要一种令人愉快的方法，距离流利地学会那门语言只有一步之遥。

Maybe you're just one method away from becoming a polyglot.

也许你离成为一个精通多语种人士只有一步之遥了。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）

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