Overcoming Your Fear of Speaking a Foreign Language 克服说外语的恐惧

by Brian Powers 景一

编者注：很多学生都害怕把外语大声说出来，为什么？是害怕犯错吗？或者是害怕尴尬的沉默？不管是什么原因，大多数外语学习者都有这样的尴尬和恐惧。那么我们能做些什么来减少这种情况呢？

◆Use voice recordings

Nobody likes to hear themselves on a recording. Unfortunately if you want to improve your pronunciation， you need to know where youre at currently. There are many tools that allow you to record your own sentences or vocabulary and either share them with a learning partner， or simply use them yourself as a reference1 point to test your ever improving pronunciation.

Once recorded， play back your past performances and speak out loud to yourself—in front of a mirror if possible， to perfect the pronunciation. It can sometimes give you the illusion that youre speaking with another person.

◆使用錄音

没有人喜欢听自己声音的录音。不幸的是，如果你想改善你的发音，你就需要知道你现在的情况。有很多工具可以帮你录下自己读的句子或词汇，你要么与学习伙伴分享录音，要么干脆自己将它们作为参照物，来测试你不断改进的发音。

如果录音了，你可以回放你的录音，并且对着自己大声说——如果可能的话，可以站在在镜子前这么做，来改善自己的发音。这有时会给你一种你在和别人说话的错觉。

◆It wont be as bad as you think it will be

People claim2 all the time that part of the reason theyre afraid to speak a foreign language out loud， either in public or via a language exchange is because theyre nervous that the other person（s） will make fun of them or judge them harshly3 for their inadequacies4.

Youre going to embarrass yourself. It will happen， and when it does it wont be as bad as you think it will be. When it happens it will probably be funnier than you expected. Youll have a laugh， and move on with life.

How many times have you embarrassed yourself in public using your native language？ How many times did you say something to someone you just met that may have been taken the wrong way？

We all do these all the time in our native languages. Stop worrying so much about what other people might think of you. Youre just learning a foreign language. All you have to do is convince5 yourself that it doesnt matter.

◆没你想的那么糟糕

人们总是声称，他们害怕在公共场合或语言交流的过程中大声说外语的部分原因是，担心其他人会取笑他们，或严厉地评判他们的不足之处。

你会让自己尴尬。这种事儿会发生的，而当它发生的时候，事情没你想象的那么糟糕。事情可能会比你想的更有趣。你们都会开怀大笑，然后继续生活。

你有多少次在公共场合用母语说了些让自己尴尬的话？你有多少次对你刚认识的人说了一些可能被误会的话？

我们总是用母语在做这些事情。别担心别人会怎么看你。你只不过在学一种外语。你要做的就是让自己相信这不重要。

◆Youll just have to start

I wish there was something more comforting， more helpful， to say than “just do it”.

Its not that easy. All the preparation in the world isnt always enough to get everyone fully prepared for their first real conversations in a new language， and theres nothing really for it except to just do it first.

Starting to speak to another person is the hardest part. Once youve begun， you will begin to realize that youre dealing with another human being who typically wants to see you succeed.

◆你只能开始

真希望有什么比“就这么做”更让人欣慰、更有帮助的话可以说。

这并不是那么容易。世界上所有的准备工作并不总是足以让每个人做好充分准备去第一次用一种新的语言进行真正的对话，而除了先就这样做，别无他法。

开始和别人说话是最困难的部分。一旦你开始了，你就会开始意识到你在和另一个人打交道，他通常希望看到你成功。

◆Conclusion

Once youve started speaking confidently with real people， everything becomes down hill from there. Everything from complex grammar to huge words and difficult cultural concepts will come together with far more ease if you have the self-confidence to just reach out and communicate.

So seriously， go give it a shot！

◆結论

一旦你开始自信地和真人交谈，从那开始一切都会变得更加简单。只要你有自信去与人接触和交流，无论是复杂的语法，庞大的词汇量，还是难理解的文化概念，一切都会变得更加容易。

所以说真的，去试试吧！

（英语原文选自：www.latg.org）

1. reference [■] n. 参考，参照

2. claim [■] v. 宣称

3. harshly [■] adv. 严厉地;刺耳地

4. inadequacy [■] n. 不足;缺点

5. convince [■] vt. 说服;使确信