Most people find learning languages very difficult.

許多人都覺得學習語言非常困難。

Yet, some people learn languages one after the other and make it look really easy.

然而，有些人會接連地學習不同語言，並使其看起來非常容易。

Do they have some kind of gift for languages?

他們對語言有某種天賦嗎？

The truth is that in most cases, it all comes down to the way they look at the process of learning a language.

事實是，在多數情況下，這一切都歸結於他們看待學習語言過程的方式。

In this post, we'll take a look at how the difficulty of learning a language is partly an illusion.

在這部影片中，我們將看看學習一種語言的難度有部分其實只是幻覺。

Face the facts: In the beginning, you'll be awful.

面對事實：你在一開始的時候會很糟糕。

When learning almost any other skill in the world, most people are totally okay with being terrible in the beginning.

在學習世界上幾乎任何其它技能時，多數人都完全可以接受一開始表現很差勁。

They accept that everything has a learning curve.

他們接受每件事情都有個學習曲線。

If you're learning how to play the guitar, you don't expect to be able to play like Jimi Hendrix anytime soon.

如果你正在學習如何彈奏吉他，你不會期望很快就能夠像吉米·亨德里克斯那樣彈奏。

When it comes to language learning, though, most people have high expectations and put a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect from the get-go.

不過在談到語言學習時，大多數人都有很高的期望，並給自己很大的壓力，必須從一開始就很完美。

They set impossible goals.

他們會設定不可能達成的目標。

Language learning has a way of turning people into perfectionists.

語言學習有一種把人變成完美主義者的方式。

This is pretty unique to the skill of speaking a new language.

這對於講一種新語言的技能來說是相當獨特的。

This desire to be perfect creates an illusion of being incredibly difficult, and it distorts the way people look at languages.

這種對完美的渴望創造了一種語言極度困難的幻覺，扭曲了人們看待語言的方式。

Remember: You are completely surrounded by masters.

記住：你完全被大師所包圍。

If you go to a ski resort, you'll see skiers and snowboarders of all levels enjoying the mountain.

如果你前往滑雪度假村，你會看到各種水準的滑雪者和滑雪板愛好者享受著在山間滑雪的樂趣。

The experts and olympic-level skiers will be quite rare.

專家和奧林匹克水準的滑雪者則是相當罕見。

If you take up acting classes, you will rarely find yourself in the presence of actors worthy of winning an Oscar.

如果你參加演技課程，你很少會發現自己身邊有著足以獲得奧斯卡獎的演員。

Beginners and intermediates make up the majority of people when you look at almost any skill in the world.

當你一覽世界上幾乎所有的技能時，初學者和中級者都佔了大多數。

It feels totally natural to be a beginner.

作為一個初學者的感覺完全自然。

But when you start learning a new language, the vast majority of people who practice this skill are experts.

但是當你開始學習一種新語言時，絕大多數在練習這個技能的人都是專家。

You are surrounded by literally millions of people who have been practicing this skill for multiple hours every day for their entire lives.

你周圍有數百萬個人，一生中每天都有好幾個小時都已經在練習這種技能。

A language is the only skill where most practitioners are highly advanced.

語言是唯一多數使用者都已經屬於高階的技能。

Learning a language is not harder than learning other things.

學習一種語言並不比學習其它東西更難。

It's simply that the level required to be an average speaker is much higher than being an average skier or an average anything else.

只是，成為一名普通的口語表達者所需要的水準要比成為一名普通的滑雪者或其他身份都要高得多。

Being surrounded by masters can make us feel inferior.

被大師們包圍可能讓我們感到自卑。

In reality, we should be proud for stepping out of our comfort zone and expanding our knowledge.

在現實中，我們應該為自己走出舒適圈並擴充知識而感到自豪。

Take full advantage of the expertise surrounding you.

充分利用你周圍的專業人士。

Instead of feeling inferior with your beginner skills, try to get the most from the expertise surrounding you.

與其對自己的初級技能感到自卑，不如嘗試從身邊專業人士身上獲得最大收益。

It's certainly not easy to do, but it's important to find a way to feel okay with not being perfect.

這當然不容易做到，但重要的是要找到一個方法，讓自己覺得不完美是沒關係的。

I've seen fluent people who are still insecure about having a slight accent.

我見過一些講話流利的人，對於擁有口音仍感到不安。

This can happen when your skill level has improved, but your confidence hasn't.

這可能發生在你的技術水平提高，但信心卻沒有提升時。

Once you find a way to get over this feeling, you'll realize that being surrounded by experts is actually a great thing.

一旦你找到克服這種感覺的方法，你就會發現身邊有專家圍繞其實是一件很棒的事情。

Millions of people are qualified to help you.

有數百萬名有資格幫助你的人。

If you're learning German, every person in Germany has the potential to help you improve and correct your mistakes.

如果你正在學習德語，那德國的每一個人都可能幫助你進步並糾正你的錯誤。

This is a luxury you can't find with many other skills.

這是你在許多其它技能中都無法找到的奢侈。

Activate the teacher in other people.

激發他人內心的教師魂。

Speaking to someone in the language you are not totally comfortable with has an interesting effect on the person you're talking to.

用一種你並不完全適應的語言與人交談，會對對方有一種有趣的影響。

You may be feeling a bit uncomfortable, but you're actually elevating the other person.

你可能會感到有點不舒服，但你實際上是在提升對方的地位。

You'll find that most people will listen more attentively, give you words of encouragement, and help you in any way they can.

你會發現，多數人都會更認真地聽、給你鼓勵的話語並以任何方式幫助你。

It can be an amazing experience when you don't feel too self-conscious.

當你不感到太不自在時，這可能是一種美妙的體驗。

When you start to see this behavior in other people, you'll start to see that perfection is not required to have really enjoyable conversations and to connect with people.

當你開始在其他人身上看到這種行為時，你會開始發現，你不需要完美才能真正愉快地與人談話和聯繫。

Conclusion.

結論。

It's easier said than done, but try to stop putting this pressure of perfection on yourself.

這說來容易做來難，但試著停止把這種需要完美的壓力加在自己身上。

Instead, try to enjoy the learning process and be proud of yourself.

相反地，試著享受學習過程並為自己感到驕傲。

Learning a language to near-native levels will take a really long time.

學習一種語言且達到接近母語的水準會需要很長的時間。

But if you redefine what it means to speak a language in your mind, it can be enjoyable right from the very first words you learn and you can truly enjoy the ride.

但是如果你在腦中重新定義能說一種語言的含義，它可以從你學到的第一句話開始就是愉快的體驗，你也可以真正享受這段旅程。

Once you realize that you don't need to ever be perfect in the language, it changes everything.

一旦你發現自己不需要總是在語言上達到完美，它就會改變一切。

This mindset of enjoying the process is what makes polyglots so successful.

這種享受過程的心態是使多語言者如此成功的原因。

Someone who speaks 10 languages does not speak all of them at the exact same level.

一個會說 10 種語言的人，並不會用完全相同的水準說所有語言。

But they do enjoy speaking all of them equally.

但他們確實同等地喜歡講這些所有語言。

If you're interested in learning a new language, we've combined everything we know from years of language acquisition and research to create an awesome language-learning method.

如果你對學習一種新語言感興趣，我們結合了我們透過多年來關於語言習得所知道的一切和研究創造了一個很棒的語言學習方法。

You can find us at OUINO.com.

你可以在 OUINO.com 找到我們。

That's O, U, I, N, O dot com.

拼法是 O、U、I、N、O 點 com。

Thank a lot!

非常感謝！