Seven Common Misconceptions About Language Learning学习外语的7种错误观念

世界上的语言超过6 000种，在经济全球化的今天，学好外语对我们来说很重要。要学好外语，首先，我们要破除7种错误观念。

1. Language learning is difficult

外语很难学

It is only difficult to learn a language if you dont want to. Learning a language takes time， but is not difficult. You mostly need to listen and read. Just keep doing it， and soon you feel the satisfaction of understanding another language. Before you know it， you start speaking.

如果你不想学，那么外语的确很难学。学语言要花时间，但并不难。你要做的主要就是听和读。只要不断地听和读，很快你就会对你所学的外语感到得心应手，并在不知不觉中你就会说了。

2. You have to have a gift for learning languages

学外语必须要有天赋

No， you dont. Anyone who wants to， can learn. In Sweden and the Netherlands most people speak more than one language. They cant just all be gifted at languages. Foreign athletes in North America usually learn to speak English faster than people in more formal learning environments. In language learning it is attitude， not aptitude， that determines success.

不对。不管是谁，只要想学，就能学会。在瑞典和荷兰，很多人不止会讲一种语言。他们不可能都有语言天赋。北美的外国运动员学会说英语的速度往往快于那些在正规的教学环境中学习英语的人。学习外语，重要的是态度，而不是天赋。

3. You have to live where the language is spoken

必须住在母语国家才能学会外语

Some immigrants to North America never learn to speak more than halting English. Yet some living in other countries can speak flawless English. With the Internet， language content is available to anyone with a computer or a phone. Where you live is not an obstacle to language learning.

一些来到北美的移民最终也只会说磕磕巴巴的英语。但在其他国家生活的一些人却能把英语说得很流利。现在有了互联网，只要有台电脑或一部手机，任何人都可以接触到语言材料。所以，住在哪里已经不再是学习外语的障碍。

4. Only children can learn another language well

只有孩子才能学好外语

A research has demonstrated that our brains remain plastic well into old age. Adults who lose their eyesight have to learn a new language， braille， for example. Adults have a wide vocabulary in their own language and are better language learners than children. Adults only need the childs willingness to experiment and desire to communicate， without the fear of ridicule.

有研究表明，人類大脑的可塑性能一直保持到老年。成年人在失明后能学会盲文就是一个例子。成年人掌握了大量的母语词汇，学外语比孩子更有优势。成年人需要做的只是像孩子那样乐于尝试，渴望交流，并且不怕被嘲笑。

5. To learn a language you need formal classroom instruction

只有通过正规的课堂教学才能学会外语

A classroom is an inefficient place to learn a language. The more students in the class， the more inefficient it is. Languages cannot be taught; they can only be learned. Theoretical grammatical explanations are hard to understand， hard to remember， and even harder to use. Drills are annoying to most people. A majority of school kids graduate unable to communicate in languages that they have studied for 10 or more years.

对语言学习来说，课堂教学是一种低效的方式，而且班里的人数越多，就越低效。语言不是教会的，而是学会的。理论性的语法讲解让人难以理解，难以记住，更难以运用，而练习对大部分人来说是枯燥无味的。结果是，很多学生在学习了10年甚至更长时间的外语后，还是不能用它进行交流。

6. You need to speak in order to learn

必须通过说才能学会外语

Speaking the language is usually the goal of language learning， but speaking can wait. Once you have acquired the language， you will find the opportunity to speak. When you are learning the language it is more important to listen. Trying to just pick up a few “handy” phrases to say is likely to just get you into trouble. If you meet a native speaker， you will inevitably spend most of your time listening unless you already know the language. In brief， you do not need to speak in order to learn， you need to learn in order to speak.

能說外语一般是外语学习的目标，但“说外语”可以先等一等。一旦你学会了一门外语，自然会有说的机会。学外语时，更重要的是听。只是记住几个常用的句子就去说，往往会让你陷入麻烦。如果你遇到一个外国人，你将主要是听对方说，这是难免的事，除非你已经学会了对方的语言。总之，不必为了学而去刻意说外语，而应该为了会说去学外语。

7. I would love to learn but I dont have the time

很想学外语，但没时间

How about the time you spend waiting in line， commuting， doing things around the house， going for a walk？ Why not use that time to listen to a language on your phone？ Once you get started， even 10 or 15 minutes a day will soon grow to 30 minutes a day， or one hour. If you believe you will achieve significant results， and if you enjoy doing it， you will find the time.

在排队、坐车、做家务或者散步的时候，你有时间吗？为什么不在这些时候用你的手机听听外语呢？开始的时候，即便你每天只能听10或15分钟也没关系，不久后你自然就能延长到30分钟甚至一个小时。只要有信心，你就能获得巨大的进步；只要你喜欢这样做，你自然就能够找到学习的时间。

Word Bank

content /'k?ntent/ n. 内容；目录

obstacle /'?bst?kl/ n. 障碍；阻碍

It was another obstacle he had to go over.

inefficient /'?n?'f??nt/ adj. 效率低的

drill /dr?l/ n. 训练；练习