I'm not suggesting that I'm the best language learner, far from it.

我並不是說我是最好的語言學習者，遠非如此。

Some of the people who kindly commented on my last video, people like Luca Lamporiello, LanguageSim, and there are many more are much better at language learning than I am.

在我上一個視頻上發表過善意評論的一些人，如 Luca Lamporiello、LanguageSim 等等，在語言學習方面比我強得多。

But still, I have achieved some degree of success.

不過，我還是取得了一定程度的成功。

To me, there are sort of six key elements.

對我來說，有六個關鍵要素。

So let me go into each one of these elements in a little more detail.

讓我來逐一詳細介紹一下這些要素。

The first one is don't focus on this illusion of trying to nail down details in the language, focus rather on patterns, allowing your brain to get used to the patterns is how you're going to learn the language.

首先，不要把注意力集中在試圖抓住語言細節的幻覺上，而是要把注意力集中在模式上，讓你的大腦習慣於模式，這才是你學習語言的方法。

I discovered early on that the attempt to master declension tables in German or conjugation tables in French, that that was an illusion, an illusion of learning that we are better off resisting.

我很早就發現，試圖掌握德語中的變位表或法語中的變位表，那是一種幻覺，一種我們最好抵制的學習幻覺。

When I left the classroom environment of French that I had at school and immersed myself in things of interest to me, my accuracy gradually improved.

當我離開學校的法語課堂環境，沉浸在自己感興趣的事物中時，我的準確率逐漸提高了。

Very interesting studies, and I'm going to leave links here in the description box, show that with children, their ability to learn languages is not based necessarily on intelligence or any specific linguistics ability.

非常有趣的研究（我將在描述框中留下鏈接）表明，兒童學習語言的能力並不一定取決於智力或任何特定的語言能力。

It's based on their ability to recognize patterns.

這是基於他們識別模式的能力。

This was the major factor determining who was going to be a good language learner.

這是決定誰能成為優秀語言學習者的主要因素。

Now, the question then arises, how do people become good at recognizing patterns?

那麼問題來了，人們如何才能成為善於識別模式的人呢？

To some extent, I think it's a matter of curiosity.

在某種程度上，我認為這是一個好奇心的問題。

It's a matter of exposure.

這是一個曝光率的問題。

And in fact, again, they found that those children who were exposed to a greater variety of situations, contexts, they tended to develop a better ability to recognize patterns.

事實上，他們再次發現，那些接觸過更多不同情境和背景的孩子，往往能發展出更強的識別模式的能力。

So it's not sort of honing in on the details of the language, the verb endings or the noun endings, but rather it's this ability of the brain to start to see patterns, and I have found this myself, I find it very difficult to learn declension endings in Russian or Slavic languages, but sort of new patterns, even if they're very strange, like the patterns of Japanese or Chinese or, or Korean are easier for me to integrate and to eventually to understand naturally and to be able to use then specifics of endings of words or nouns or verbs.

我自己也發現了這一點，我發現學習俄語或斯拉夫語的變位詞尾非常困難，但新的模式，即使是非常奇怪的模式，比如日語、中文或韓語的模式，對我來說更容易融入，最終能夠自然地理解，並能夠使用單詞、名詞或動詞的具體詞尾。

And this basically conforms to what I've mentioned before.

這與我之前提到的基本一致。

Manfred Spitzer pointed out our brains are designed to identify patterns.

曼弗雷德-斯皮策指出，我們的大腦就是用來識別模式的。

They are not designed to learn details, specific items.

它們不是用來學習細節和具體項目的。

So I think that's a key element.

是以，我認為這是一個關鍵因素。

Work on patterns, avoid the fallacy or the illusion of learning specific details.

研究規律，避免學習具體細節的謬誤或錯覺。

You're going to find it very, very difficult to do.

你會發現這很難做到。

Incidentally, this is one of the reasons why I'm not a fan of Noam Chomsky's theory of universal grammar.

順便提一下，這也是我不喜歡諾姆-喬姆斯基的通用文法理論的原因之一。

He claims that there is a, what he calls a paucity, a lack of sufficient input for children to develop a sense of the language.

他認為，兒童在培養語感方面存在著他所說的 "匱乏"，即缺乏足夠的輸入。

But this tends to suggest that rather than some inherent grammar that we have within ourselves, it's more this ability, which varies from child to child, to recognize patterns, and that's where my emphasis has always been in language learning.

但這傾向於表明，與其說我們自身有一些固有的文法，不如說我們有一種因人而異的識別模式的能力，這也是我在語言學習中一直強調的重點。

Now, the next aspect of my language learning approach is a commitment to intensity, intensity of input, massive listening and reading.

現在，我的語言學習方法的下一個方面是致力於強度、輸入強度、大量的聽力和閱讀。

If I can give myself enough input, enough exposure, enough different contexts, I'm going to start picking up on the patterns of the language, but it requires intensity.

如果我能給自己足夠多的輸入、足夠多的接觸、足夠多的不同語境，我就會開始掌握語言的模式，但這需要強度。

I have often said, I've said before that when I was a Mandarin language student in, uh, Hong Kong, you know, I did the course and half the time I learned it better than the other diplomatic language students in Hong Kong who took two years because I was constantly listening and reading.

我經常說，我以前說過，當我在香港學習國語的時候，你知道，我上的是國語課程，有一半的時間我比其他在香港學習兩年的外交語言學生學得更好，因為我一直在聽和讀。

I think there is a certain white heat of intensity that you have to try to achieve.

我認為，你必須努力達到某種白熱化的強度。

And I see that the different languages that I've been learning on my own, where I've been able to spend more time every day listening and reading to comprehensible input, as was the case with Russian, for example, or even for a short period of time, Romanian and Greek or Czech, I did better.

我發現，在我自學的不同語言中，我能夠每天花更多的時間去聽和讀可理解的輸入，比如俄語，甚至是短時間的羅馬尼亞語、希臘語或捷克語，我都學得比較好。

Whereas with Arabic and Persian, where I have kind of, it's been a bit diffuse, little bit of Arabic, little bit of Persian, little bit of Egyptian and a little bit of standard.

而在阿拉伯語和波斯語方面，我的學習有點分散，一點點阿拉伯語、一點點波斯語、一點點埃及語和一點點標準語。

Without that intensity, I haven't learned as well.

沒有這種強度，我就學得不好。

So intensity of input and focus on input is very important if we are to establish these patterns in our brains.

是以，如果我們要在大腦中建立這些模式，輸入的強度和對輸入的關注是非常重要的。

So one of the reasons, for example, that I think Duolingo is not so effective is not because there's no chance to speak, as some people suggest.

是以，舉例來說，我認為 Duolingo 不那麼有效的原因之一，並不像有些人說的那樣，是因為沒有說話的機會。

It's because there is not a lot of meaningful content.

這是因為沒有太多有意義的內容。

There is not that intensity of input, which I think is a precondition for learning.

我認為學習的先決條件是輸入的強度不夠。

At least that has been my approach.

至少我是這麼做的。

The third element of my language learning success is a strong sense of belief in my ability to learn.

我語言學習成功的第三個要素是對自己學習能力的堅定信念。

It's not something that I've started with.

這不是我的初衷。

The first language is the toughest.

第一語言是最難的。

I didn't know whether I could achieve real fluency in French, but I did.

我不知道自己能否真正流利地使用法語，但我做到了。

And once I had that, I was confident that I could learn Mandarin Chinese or Japanese or any other language that I had to learn if I put in enough time.

一旦掌握了這一點，我就有信心，只要投入足夠的時間，我就能學會國語、日語或其他任何我必須學習的語言。

So until you have done it, it's difficult to have that sense of confidence.

是以，在你做到之前，很難有這種自信感。

It's a bit like this sort of prior knowledge thing.

這有點像先驗知識。

You know, if you're going somewhere for the first time or you're driving somewhere, we had the experience, we drove, my wife and I, across the mountains from Palm Springs to Temecula and of course going there.

你知道，如果你第一次去某個地方，或者你開車去某個地方，我們就有過這樣的經歷，我和妻子開車，從棕櫚泉穿過群山，來到特梅庫拉，當然是去那裡。

It's a windy road, you know, and it seems like a long way.

你知道，這條路風很大，看起來很遠。

But coming back, because you've been on that road before, it seems like a much faster hour and a half.

但回來的時候，因為你以前走過這條路，一個半小時的路程就顯得快多了。

So once you've done something, you have a greater degree of confidence that you can do it, that you're going to get there.

是以，一旦你做了某件事情，你就會有更大的信心，相信自己能做到，相信自己能達到目標。

And I think that's an important attitude to have because there are times when you don't feel you're making any progress.

我認為這種態度很重要，因為有時你會覺得自己沒有取得任何進展。

There are times when you're frustrated, you forget things.

有些時候，當你遇到挫折時，你會忘記一些事情。

But if you have that confidence that you will achieve success, that you will get there, that will get you there.

但是，如果你有信心，相信自己會取得成功，相信自己會到達成功的彼岸，那你就會到達成功的彼岸。

And again, you'll see when you go to some of the links that I leave in the description box, a lack of confidence is going to actually hamper your ability to learn.

同樣，當你去看我在描述框中留下的一些鏈接時，你就會發現，缺乏自信實際上會阻礙你的學習能力。

To some extent, you have to give yourself credit for what you have achieved.

在某種程度上，你必須為自己取得的成就感到自豪。

You have to believe that you're going to get there.

你必須相信你會成功。

And even when you don't feel you're doing as well as you would like, you have to continue to feel confident.

即使你覺得自己做得不如意，也要繼續保持自信。

Easier said than done, perhaps.

也許說起來容易，做起來難。

But I have always had that confidence that I can learn.

但我一直堅信，我可以學好。

And I'm not particularly upset when I'm not learning quickly.

如果學得不快，我也不會特別沮喪。

I don't set myself a speed goal that I have to achieve it by whenever.

我不會給自己設定一個什麼時候都必須達到的速度目標。

As long as I'm doing it, I'm confident that I'm learning and I will learn it as quickly as I can.

只要我在做，我就有信心學會，而且會盡快學會。

Fourth, an element in my language learning, which I think is important, is flexibility.

第四，我認為語言學習中的一個重要因素是靈活性。

When children are very young during what's known as the critical period, the brains are very flexible, the children, you know, we are creating new neural connections, there's a very high degree of plasticity in our brains.

當孩子們很小的時候，也就是所謂的關鍵期，大腦非常靈活，孩子們，你知道，我們正在創造新的神經連接，我們的大腦有非常高的可塑性。

And apparently that plasticity declines.

顯然，這種可塑性會下降。

And apparently there's a bit of a struggle between the plasticity neurons and the stability neurons.

顯然，在可塑性神經元和穩定性神經元之間存在著某種鬥爭。

And so the stability neurons start to take over.

於是，穩定神經元開始接管。

And so we're reluctant to accept new things.

是以，我們不願意接受新事物。

We feel challenged by change.

我們感受到變革帶來的挑戰。

And I think it's very important not to be that way.

我認為重要的是不要那樣。

So again, easier said than done.

所以，還是那句話，說起來容易，做起來難。

But I am open to change.

但我願意改變。

I'm open to get things wrong.

我願意出錯。

I'm open to try to imitate new sounds, new patterns, new ways of saying things, and I think this flexibility is important.

我願意嘗試模仿新的聲音、新的模式和新的表達方式，我認為這種靈活性非常重要。

I've quoted before, I've made reference to a fellow language student back in the late sixties, Canadian diplomat, who, when he heard that in Chinese, the way they say, are you going is ni qi bu qi, you go, not go.

我以前引用過，我提到過六十年代末的一位語言系同學，他是加拿大外交官，當他聽說在中文裡，他們說 "你要走嗎 "的方式是 "你走不走"（ni qi bu qi）時，他說 "你走不走"。

He said, that's stupid.

他說，這太愚蠢了。

If you consider that any of the patterns or the sounds of the new language are strange or even worse stupid, that you can't make them part of you, then that's a problem.

如果你認為新語言中的任何模式或聲音都很奇怪，甚至更愚蠢，你無法將它們變成你的一部分，那麼這就是一個問題。

You have to be open to it.

你必須對此持開放態度。

You have to throw yourself into the language, pretend you are one of them.

你必須投入到語言中，假裝自己是他們中的一員。

That kind of openness and flexibility is, I think, common to all successful language learners, even when it comes to pronunciation.

我認為，這種開放性和靈活性是所有成功的語言學習者的共同特點，即使在發音方面也是如此。

I've mentioned before that my father would continue to pronounce Nova Scotia as Nova Scotia.

我之前提到過，我父親一直把新斯科舍念成 Nova Scotia。

He's originally from Czechoslovakia.

他來自捷克斯洛伐克。

I think we have to be willing to notice things that are different in the language.

我認為我們必須願意注意到語言中的不同之處。

We have to try to associate words with sounds, notice how those words are pronounced and not insist on staying within the bounds of how these words are pronounced based on our own alphabet.

我們必須嘗試將單詞與聲音聯繫起來，注意這些單詞的發音方式，而不是堅持根據我們自己的字母表來確定這些單詞的發音方式。

So flexibility, willingness to change are key elements of language learning success.

是以，靈活、樂於改變是語言學習成功的關鍵因素。

And the fifth element is don't be too anxious to speak.

第五個要素是不要急於發言。

Don't be too worried about your output performance.

不要太擔心您的輸出性能。

There's far more to language learning than speaking or using the language.

語言學習遠不止是說或使用語言。

You know, there's far too much emphasis on speaking, especially at an early stage.

要知道，現在太強調口語了，尤其是在早期階段。

Suggestions, uh, suggesting that if you don't speak, you don't know the language, that the only goal of learning a language is to be able to communicate with people.

建議，呃，暗示如果你不說話，你就不懂語言，學習語言的唯一目的就是能夠與人交流。

That has not been my case.

我的情況並非如此。

I have learned to varying degrees, 20 languages.

我在不同程度上學會了 20 種語言。

I can't possibly find people wherever I am here in Palm Springs or in Vancouver with whom I can communicate in all the languages that I can speak.

無論在棕櫚泉還是在溫哥華，我都不可能找到能用所有語言與我交流的人。

You don't have to speak in order to learn.

你不必為了學習而發言。

You don't have to be an extrovert in order to be a successful language learner.

要成為一名成功的語言學習者，你不一定非得是個外向的人。

If you have a strong interest in the language and how it works in content in the language, culture surrounding the language, you develop these patterns about how the language functions, you will eventually speak.

如果你對這種語言以及它如何在語言內容和語言文化中發揮作用有濃厚的興趣，你就會對這種語言如何發揮作用形成這些模式，最終你就會開口說話。

When you have the opportunity and when it becomes important to you to speak.

當你有機會時，當你覺得發言很重要時。

So there need not be any hurry in terms of speaking or showing off what you can do.

是以，不必急於發言或炫耀自己的能力。

I'm not interested in proving that after two weeks I can say a few things in language X.

我對證明兩週後我能用 X 語言說幾句話不感興趣。

It's not difficult to do that.

要做到這一點並不難。

But really, that doesn't mean you can have, as I've said before, a conversation.

但實際上，這並不意味著你們可以像我之前說過的那樣進行對話。

I'm going to be undertaking Hindi in another few weeks or a month or so.

再過幾周或一個月左右，我就要去印度學習了。

And my goal is to find out what's there in that language, in that culture.

我的目標是找出這種語言和文化中的東西。

And of course, I will hopefully have enough skills so that if I run across, in the case of Vancouver, more than likely a Punjabi checkout clerk in a supermarket, I'll be able to say some things in Hindi or Punjabi.

當然，我也希望能掌握足夠的技能，這樣，如果我在溫哥華，更有可能在超市遇到旁遮普收銀員，我就能用印地語或旁遮普語說一些話。

That's fun, but it's not the main goal.

這很有趣，但不是主要目標。

The main goal is to learn and discover that culture.

主要目標是學習和發現這種文化。

Everywhere you constantly have this, you've got to speak, you've got to communicate.

在任何地方，你都會不斷遇到這種情況，你必須說話，必須交流。

Listening and reading is a form of communication and depends on the English for work, you have to be able to speak it well.

聽力和閱讀是一種交流形式，取決於工作中的英語，你必須能夠說得很好。

And that's a whole other discussion.

這又是另一個話題了。

But if you are learning more than one language, you can't possibly be in a situation where you can speak them all equally well, nor always have an opportunity to use them.

但是，如果你正在學習一種以上的語言，你不可能在任何情況下都能說得一樣好，也不可能總是有機會使用它們。

So I think that as sort of a condition of language learning that you must be able to speak and speak accurately and speak well to my mind is misplaced.

是以，我認為，作為語言學習的一個條件，你必須能說、說得準確、說得好，這在我看來是不恰當的。

And that's what has enabled me to enjoy my language learning journey and, you know, acquire passive vocabulary in these languages without necessarily being able to speak them all that well, although I have made videos in a number of languages where you can judge my skill level and I don't mind showing those languages, you know, where I don't really speak them that well.

這讓我能夠享受我的語言學習之旅，你知道，在不一定說得那麼好的情況下，我也能掌握這些語言的被動詞彙，儘管我已經用一些語言製作了視頻，你可以判斷我的技能水準，我也不介意展示那些我說得不是那麼好的語言。

So the final element, and this kind of ties into the other five elements, ties into this idea of having confidence and not being easily discouraged, getting this sense of the patterns through lots of exposure, intensive, you know, commitment to input, curiosity.

是以，最後一個要素，也是與其他五個要素相聯繫的要素，就是要有信心，不輕易氣餒，通過大量的接觸、深入的學習、投入和好奇心，獲得這種模式感。

We have to be curious, curiosity about the language, the culture.

我們必須對語言和文化充滿好奇。

And I think this curiosity about the language and the culture and the people as human beings living on this planet, we want to, at least I do, I want to learn about other places and how different people think and maybe make those people seem less foreign to me and all of these things that relate to curiosity are much more important than performing in the language and making sure I get it all right.

我認為，作為生活在這個星球上的人類，我們對語言、文化和人都充滿好奇，我們想，至少我想，我想了解其他地方，瞭解不同的人是如何思考的，也許能讓這些人對我來說不那麼陌生。

So I think curiosity then would be the sixth and final element and maybe the sort of underlying most important attitude to have in order to be successful in language learning.

是以，我認為好奇心是第六個也是最後一個要素，也許是成功學習語言的最重要的基本態度。

In any case, those have been my guiding principles in language learning.

無論如何，這些都是我學習語言的指導原則。

I am sure there are many others out there that you can find on the internet with different approaches.

我相信，您還可以在互聯網上找到許多其他不同的方法。

And I'll leave you with a couple of videos that I've done on some of these themes in the past.

接下來，我給大家帶來幾段我過去就這些主題製作的視頻。

Thank you for listening.

感謝您的收聽。

Bye.

再見。