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VOA慢速英语2015 贝蒂阿扎尔,“摇滚明星”的英语语法

时间:2015-08-30 12:04:57

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(单词翻译)

Betty Azar, 'Rock Star' of English Grammar 贝蒂阿扎尔,“摇滚明星”的英语语法

It all started with a question from a student. The year was 1965. Betty Azar was teaching her first English as a Second Language class at the University of Iowa.

A student from the Middle East asked Ms. Azar, “Why can’t I put a in front of water?’ As in ‘I drank a water.’”

Ms. Azar did not know the answer.

“I had never thought about it. I thought it was an absolutely wonderful question and from there on out, I wanted to know the answers to the questions that second language learners had about English. I went home and I looked in reference1 books. I found the answer. And the next day I went to class and I gave him an answer about count and non-count nouns, which I had never heard of. That’s how I started my grammar-teaching career.”

Fifty years and 10 million book sales later, Betty Azar has become a legend in the world of TESOL, or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Some call her “the Mick Jagger of grammar,” comparing her to the lead singer of the British rock band The Rolling Stones. Generations of English teachers and learners have come to love her classic book, Understanding and Using English Grammar. The blue grammar guide can be found in language schools throughout the world. No American has sold more grammar books than Ms. Azar.

Ms. Azar never expected to become a star in the TESOL field. She studied European languages in college. She started her career teaching writing courses for first-year American college students. One morning, her boss asked her to teach an English class for foreign students. She knew nothing about TESOL, but she did not want to disappoint her supervisor2. She taught her first course later that same day.

“I have no background in linguistics3 or no degrees in teaching English as a Second Language. This all happened on the job. I learned as I went. I learned from the students and went on from there.”

TESOL was just beginning as an academic field in the 1960s. It was not yet a college major and there were few study materials available.

“The books available for teaching English were few and far between, maybe two bookshelves’ worth… Just like so many other ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers, I made up my own lessons. I started writing for my own classes and it turned into a book.”

In 1978, a representative from a publishing company stopped by her office.  He asked if she wrote material for her own classes.

“And I said, ‘Yes.’

And he said, ‘Well, would you like to write a book?’

And I said, ‘Who? Me? I’m just a teacher.’

And he said, ‘That’s who writes books.’”

Ms. Azar agreed to write a book. She had to throw out everything she had written for her classes because it might have come from other books. She made a series of note cards with examples and explanations of grammar structures that interested her. Over several years, Ms. Azar turned her notes into a book.

The book, called Understanding and Using English Grammar, was first published in 1981.

“I was hoping that I would make enough money from the book that I could get a new sofa and a new carpet for my living room. So I was absolutely astounded4 when the number of teachers out there who found that what I had been doing in class was helpful for them too.”

English teachers loved the grammar textbook. However, many in the academic world thought that teaching grammar was old-fashioned. There is still much debate among educators about whether it is important to teach grammar. Today, most native speakers learn very little about English grammar in school.

“. . .There’s the whole notion5 of not teaching grammar that started back in the 60s in the U.K. and the U.S. has, I think, been deleterious, not good, not only for non-native speakers learning the language, because they do learn faster and better with a grammar component6, but I think it has also harmed native speakers…The research will show that an understanding of your own language, its own grammar allows you to…use the language more effectively.”

Azar’s book was a major success. She was able to buy more than a new sofa and carpet for her living room. In the following years, she wrote two more grammar books for lower-level English learners. The blue book, Understanding and Using English Grammar is now in its fourth edition. Written with co-author Stacey Hagen, the fourth edition includes listening and more interactive7 classroom exercises.

Even with her success as an author, Ms. Azar still considers herself a teacher and practitioner8, not a researcher or academic. But she wants to build a bridge to connect the practical and the academic sides of the TESOL field.

“To bring the two sides together can only be a good thing for our students as we move the teaching of language forward. We don’t have all the answers yet, by any stretch of the imagination, about how language is applied9 and second language in particular. We’ve got a lot to learn yet.”

Betty Azar is mostly retired10 now, but she still speaks at conferences and sponsors research and professional development. She lives with her husband in the state of Washington.

Ms. Azar and Ms. Hagen are currently11 working on the fifth edition of Understanding and Using English Grammar.

Ms. Azar has some simple advice for English learners.

“Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Mistakes are a natural part of learning a second language… Don’t let the fear of making mistakes interfere12 with practicing your English and communicating what you’re trying to communicate.”

Word in This Story

legend – n. a famous or important person who is known for doing something extremely well

TESOL – n. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, the teaching of English as a second language

sofa – n. a long and comfortable piece of furniture on which a person can sit or lie down

carpet – n. a heavy fabric13 cover for a floor

old-fashioned – adj. no longer used or accepted : replaced by something more recent

deleterious – adj. damaging or harmful

component – n. one of the parts of something (such as a system or mixture) : an important piece of something

practitioner – n. a person actively14 engaged in an art, discipline, or profession

academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education  

academic – n. a person who is a teacher in a college or university


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 reference IACzU     
n.提到,说到,暗示,查看,查阅
参考例句:
  • We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。
  • I like to have my reference books within my reach.我喜欢把参考书放到伸手可取的地方。
2 supervisor RrZwv     
n.监督人,管理人,检查员,督学,主管,导师
参考例句:
  • Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说,我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
  • He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。
3 linguistics f0Gxm     
n.语言学
参考例句:
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • Linguistics is a scientific study of the property of language.语言学是指对语言的性质所作的系统研究。
4 astounded 7541fb163e816944b5753491cad6f61a     
v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词);愕然;愕;惊讶
参考例句:
  • His arrogance astounded her. 他的傲慢使她震惊。
  • How can you say that? I'm absolutely astounded. 你怎么能说出那种话?我感到大为震惊。
5 notion O5Zz9     
n.概念,意念,看法
参考例句:
  • One common Chinese notion is that the elders ought to be respected.中国人共有的一种观念是长者应受到尊敬。
  • He had a sudden notion to visit all his relatives.他心血来潮,突然想去拜访他所有的亲戚。
6 component epSzv     
n.组成部分,成分,元件;adj.组成的,合成的
参考例句:
  • Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
  • Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。
7 interactive KqZzFY     
adj.相互作用的,互相影响的,(电脑)交互的
参考例句:
  • The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
  • This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。
8 practitioner 11Rzh     
n.实践者,从事者;(医生或律师等)开业者
参考例句:
  • He is an unqualified practitioner of law.他是个无资格的律师。
  • She was a medical practitioner before she entered politics.从政前她是个开业医生。
9 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用
参考例句:
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
10 retired Njhzyv     
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 currently SvMzI2     
adv.通常地,普遍地,当前
参考例句:
  • Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
  • Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。
12 interfere b5lx0     
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰
参考例句:
  • If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话,可能弊多利少。
  • When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件,棘手的事情就来了。
13 fabric 3hezG     
n.织物,织品,布;构造,结构,组织
参考例句:
  • The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
  • I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。
14 actively lzezni     
adv.积极地,勤奋地
参考例句:
  • During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
  • We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

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