【英语趣味课堂】语言学习者-Language Learners

Jana: So we're talking about learning¹ English. Has that worked for you in any other languages too?

Peter: Actually I thought about that question before and I started studying Japanese a few years ago. I shouldn't say studying because I haven't studied so much but for some reason my Japanese learning is very different to my English learning.

 

Jana: How is it different?

 

Peter: I've learned², the little bit of Japanese that I've learned, I've learned through listening mostly and having to speak or, you know, helping³ myself in daily situations. I haven't been able to master enough kanji and Japanese symbols to be able to read it well or to write it well at all. So I couldn't, like before I studied English, a lot of English came to me because I read so much but now I can't read in Japanese so I'm having to rely⁴ on listening mostly and how about you?

 

Jana: Yeah, I learned Spanish in a similar way I learned English and that is I did study but I didn't think of it as studying. It was fun for me but I did a lot of homework and learning vocabulary and then once I reached a certain level then I went to Spain to practice but with Japanese I haven't reached that level yet and somehow I seem to have forgotten how to learn a language. It doesn't work any more so, yeah, I have been trying to learn Japanese for a few years but I think my brain has just become lazy.

 

Peter: It's interesting. Maybe our brains tackle⁵ every language in a different way, I don't know, because I'm also finding⁶ out it's becoming more difficult but maybe we're only getting older and that's maybe one of the reasons.

 

Jana: Maybe so.

 

Peter: Do you think age matters as you've, for language learning?

 

Jana: I would like to say no but I think there are different factors⁷. So, surely⁸, when you're young you learn faster and I think especially because there's nothing else that's occupying your mind. You're just studying. Maybe you go to high school or even university so it's easy to take on another subject. So say I want to learn French or whatever, so it's just more similar kind of thing learning but once you start working and your brain is not used to that kind of input⁹ any more, I think then it becomes more difficult.

 

Peter: So age might have something to do with it? But I think though I had this old friend who started, he retired¹⁰ and then he started studying French and he studied French I believe when he was in his twenties but then he started working and gave up and then he started again and he could afford to go to France for three months and just learn and live there and he came back and at the age of sixty five and he was so much better in his French and he'd made some French friends, so I think it has a lot to do maybe with your motivation too maybe, your interest.

 

Jana: That's right. I was just going to say maybe more so than age.

 

Peter: Yeah.

 

Jana: Maybe when you're young you might be more eager to learn but if you have that same kind of motivation when you're older then why not?

 

Peter: Because a lot of people take up studying a language later in life when they have more time or maybe more money to spend on it.

 

Jana: That's right. OK, let's try a bit harder.

 

Peter: I think so too. Let's try harder.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

master

 

I haven't been able to master enough kanji.

 

When you 'master' something, it means¹¹ you become really good at it. Notice the following:

 

The teacher wants to make sure that everyone has mastered the material.

You have to master the main notes before you can move on to more complicated¹² songs.

come to

 

A lot of English came to me because I read so much.

 

Used like this, 'come to me' means that you think of something, understand it or can learn it very quickly. Notice the following:

 

Languages really come to him easily, because he has a good ear for sounds.

The answers to these problems just kind of come to me. I don't have to work that hard at it.

tackle

 

Maybe our brains tackle every language in a different way.

 

You 'tackle' something difficult that you are trying to accomplish¹³. Notice the following:

 

I think I'm going to tackle my research paper before I start my math homework.

She really needs to tackle the problem of her disorganization.

occupy the mind

 

There's nothing else that's occupying your mind.

 

When something is 'occupying your mind,' you are thinking or worrying about it. Notice the following:

 

When you are nervous about something, it is going to have something to do that occupies the mind.

I hate waiting, especially if I don't have something that occupies my mind.

more so than

 

Motivation is important, maybe more so than age.

 

'More so than' is another way of saying 'more than.' The example is saying that motivation is more important than age. Notice the following:

 

My problem is with the humidity¹⁴, even more so than the heat.

I love spicy¹⁵ food, maybe more so than sweets.

 

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 rely   

vi.依赖，依靠；信赖，信任

参考例句：

• I rely upon you to finish the work on time.我相信你会准时完成这项工作的。
• You should rely on your own efforts.你应该靠自己的努力。

5 tackle   

n.工具，复滑车，扭倒；v.处理，抓住

参考例句：

• Don't forget to bring your sports tackle with you tomorrow.别忘了明天带上你的体育用具。
• We have gained sufficient experience to tackle this problem.我们已经有了足够的经验来处理这个问题。

6 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

7 factors   

因素( factor的名词复数 )； 因子； （增或减的）数量； 系数

参考例句：

• Several factors have been adduced to explain the fall in the birth rate. 有几个因素已被援引来说明出生率降低的原因。
• a confluence of social factors 多种社会因素的汇集

8 surely   

adv.确实地，无疑地；必定地，一定地

参考例句：

• It'should surely be possible for them to reach an agreement.想必他们可以达成协议。
• Surely we'll profit from your work.我们肯定会从你的工作中得到益处。

9 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

12 complicated   

adj.错综复杂的，麻烦的，结构复杂的

参考例句：

• The poem is so complicated that I cannot make out its meaning.这首诗太复杂，我理解不了它的意思。
• This is the most complicated case I have ever handled.这是我所处理过的最为复杂的案子。

13 accomplish   

v.完成，实现，达到

参考例句：

• He can accomplish more in a day than any other boy in his class.他一天所完成的工作比他班上其他的孩子都多。
• They'll certainly accomplish something.他们会搞出名堂来的。

14 humidity   

n.湿度，潮湿，湿气

参考例句：

• The house is not comfortable tonight ,because of the high humidity.由于湿度高，今晚屋子里不舒服。
• It's difficult to work because of the humidity.由于空气潮湿，工作很困难。

15 spicy   

adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的

参考例句：

• The soup tasted mildly spicy.汤尝起来略有点辣。
• Very spicy food doesn't suit her stomach.太辣的东西她吃了胃不舒服。