幾個月前,我開始聽英文有聲書,一開始只是想說想要讓自己的聽力可以再更進一步,不過一開始發現我只聽懂故事大概在說什麼,不過很多小細節會聽不懂,像是每個人物的一些特色,一部分是我懂的字不夠多,用聽的又不能查字典,一部分也有可能是我選的書是比較舊的英國小說,所以其中的用字比較困難,而且書中的主角是比利時人,所以念書的人也是用有口音的英文下去詮釋這個角色,所以我就乾脆一邊看一邊聽,這樣其實很有趣,因為同時有看著文字,所以不會有漏聽的問題,也可以隨時查不懂的字,然後配合著念書的人生動的聲音表演,讀完一本書也能同時享受到像是看完一齣戲的感覺,其實很有趣。
我想大家都會想知道這樣一邊看一邊聽會有效嗎?我目前已經聽完幾本書(ㄟ~同時看啦),我覺得幫助最大的部分是把一些以前會念錯的字都糾正過來,還有糾正自己念英文的語氣和抑揚頓挫,現在我念新聞雜誌文章給John聽時,他會說我念文章的語氣改變很多,他之前其實常常聽不懂我在念什麼,現在他都能懂我在念什麼,而且還滿享受我念新聞文章給他聽,常常在實驗室工作時問我今天又要念哪幾篇給他聽,終於有人聽懂我念的英文文章,真開心!
聽力方面有沒有因此進步我就不清楚了,因為我一直都有在看美國電視和聽一些廣播,不過我覺得如果本身比較不喜歡看美國電視或是電影的人,多聽有聲書,即使是跟著文字一起看,也會有幫助,其實也可以一個章節先聽一次,再跟著文字再聽一次,我想聽力和閱讀會進步很快,而且念書的人的速度其實都是一般說話的速度,不過又是會把每一個字都說出來,最近聽下來我覺得其實聽有聲書的方式會比看電視學英文要好,也會學到比較標準的英文。
寫了那麼多有點亂,做個總結好了,就是可以選一些自己感興趣的並且符合自己程度的有聲書,並也把文字版的小說買下來一起對照,邊聽邊看,不要給自己太大壓力,不需要每一句都要懂,只查某些真的影響理解整個段落的生字。也不須跟著複誦(這樣應該會無法享受念小說的樂趣),就是多聽,仔細注意聽念的人都會在哪裡斷句和口氣,之後在念其他短篇文章時把自己記得的念法應用出來,如果不能像我一樣有人可以幫忙聽自己念文章,可以錄音下來再自己聽並進而改正一些錯誤,這樣又有趣又能得到一些東西,也不失是一個不錯的學習法。
2011年4月19日 星期二
學英文的好工具:iTunes
之前有朋友告訴我他都用iTunes在台灣聽各種英文廣播,當初並不想嘗試,最近無聊抓了iTunes,免費的Podcasts真的超好用,上面有各式各樣的英文影片和廣播,而且很多都講得比一般人講話要慢一些,不過還算是正常速度,並且可以subscribe,subscribe之後,他會自動把最新的節目下載到你的iTunes,如果有iPhone或是iPod也是可以隨時打開上次沒看完的部分,我很推薦TED,我想很多學英文的人都知道這個網站,在iTunes上也能收看,不過如果想看演講稿,還是要上TED的網站上抓字幕了。
這是介紹iTunes上Podcasts的網頁:http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/
還有一個不錯的book review的網站,叫作Books on the nightstand (http://booksonthenightstand.com/ ),他們的book review是用廣播的方式介紹,還不錯,雖然沒有看過這麼多英文書,常常聽不懂他們在說那一個作者,不過可以聽聽他們用哪些字來評論一本書,還滿有趣的,其實常常上Amazon和Netflix看review,都可以學一些不錯的字,學英文的免費資源真的暴多,大家一起努力吧!
這是介紹iTunes上Podcasts的網頁:http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/
還有一個不錯的book review的網站,叫作Books on the nightstand (http://booksonthenightstand.com/ ),他們的book review是用廣播的方式介紹,還不錯,雖然沒有看過這麼多英文書,常常聽不懂他們在說那一個作者,不過可以聽聽他們用哪些字來評論一本書,還滿有趣的,其實常常上Amazon和Netflix看review,都可以學一些不錯的字,學英文的免費資源真的暴多,大家一起努力吧!
2010年11月25日 星期四
How to improve reading skill in English
I am not really good at reading yet. I have improved a lot since my first English novel, though.
I hope my tips for reading can help those who want to overcome the fear of reading in English.
First, find something you are interested in. I recommed novels. Of course, it's also good to read newspapers or magazines. However, I found it's more frustrating to read them. Why? In newspapers or magazines, every column is written by different people. Everyone has different ways to use words in those articles. Instead, you can learn to get used to the author's tone when you are reading a novel page by page. It's like reading Chinese books. Sometimes you will find that you like someone's books more than others. I think that one of the reasons is because you are used to or like the way that the author describes things. In addition, they often use more difficult words in newspapers. John once told me that some less educated people in America don't even read newspapers. I have to say that words in Newsweek or Times are more difficult than newspapers. If you are a beginner, then don't let them defeat you at the beginning. Then what about magazines, like fashion,science or even gossip magazines ? Actually some of them are not hard to understand but othors are. Sometimes they use a lot of slang in magazines. Knowing the slang is not a bad thing but it is unnecessary. Furthermore, if you don't know the slang they use, it will be difficult for you to understand, right? I believe that everyone has their own interests in novels. There are romatic, mystery, historical or autobiographic novels. When you read something you are really interested in, you will be able to focus on it easily.
Second, find an easy one at the beginning. Don't make yourself miserable while reading a novel. It should be relaxing. As for me, I read the ones with bigger letters and fewer pages at the beginning. My first English novel is Animal Farm by George Orwell. It is a classic story. Because the author wrote it in a fairy tale way, it's easy to understand. I had tried to read one of Dicken's novels, but it didn't turn out so well. Because I wanted to know the ending desperately, I bought the translated version to finish the story. I have to admit that it took me months to read that book. When you need months to finish a book, you won't feel good. So don't do that! Find one that you can understand to start with!
Last, don't look up new vocabularies while reading. Of course, you can look them up when you can't understand the outline of the story without knowing those words. However, most of the time, you can understand the whole story without looking them up. When I don't get the outline of a section at the first time I read it, I'll read it again. It's weird that you will understand more at the second time. It's true! You can try it. Additionally, try to guess the meaning of those new words. If you learn to guess, at the same time you are learning to overcome the fear of reading. Does that make sense to you?
I hope these suggestions can help! Happy reading!
I hope my tips for reading can help those who want to overcome the fear of reading in English.
First, find something you are interested in. I recommed novels. Of course, it's also good to read newspapers or magazines. However, I found it's more frustrating to read them. Why? In newspapers or magazines, every column is written by different people. Everyone has different ways to use words in those articles. Instead, you can learn to get used to the author's tone when you are reading a novel page by page. It's like reading Chinese books. Sometimes you will find that you like someone's books more than others. I think that one of the reasons is because you are used to or like the way that the author describes things. In addition, they often use more difficult words in newspapers. John once told me that some less educated people in America don't even read newspapers. I have to say that words in Newsweek or Times are more difficult than newspapers. If you are a beginner, then don't let them defeat you at the beginning. Then what about magazines, like fashion,science or even gossip magazines ? Actually some of them are not hard to understand but othors are. Sometimes they use a lot of slang in magazines. Knowing the slang is not a bad thing but it is unnecessary. Furthermore, if you don't know the slang they use, it will be difficult for you to understand, right? I believe that everyone has their own interests in novels. There are romatic, mystery, historical or autobiographic novels. When you read something you are really interested in, you will be able to focus on it easily.
Second, find an easy one at the beginning. Don't make yourself miserable while reading a novel. It should be relaxing. As for me, I read the ones with bigger letters and fewer pages at the beginning. My first English novel is Animal Farm by George Orwell. It is a classic story. Because the author wrote it in a fairy tale way, it's easy to understand. I had tried to read one of Dicken's novels, but it didn't turn out so well. Because I wanted to know the ending desperately, I bought the translated version to finish the story. I have to admit that it took me months to read that book. When you need months to finish a book, you won't feel good. So don't do that! Find one that you can understand to start with!
Last, don't look up new vocabularies while reading. Of course, you can look them up when you can't understand the outline of the story without knowing those words. However, most of the time, you can understand the whole story without looking them up. When I don't get the outline of a section at the first time I read it, I'll read it again. It's weird that you will understand more at the second time. It's true! You can try it. Additionally, try to guess the meaning of those new words. If you learn to guess, at the same time you are learning to overcome the fear of reading. Does that make sense to you?
I hope these suggestions can help! Happy reading!
2010年11月22日 星期一
有關English idioms
之前看到網路上一篇文章說到他買了很多有關idiom的工具書,他說熟記這些idioms對於和美國人溝通非常的重要
說實在話,我有點不知道什麼是idiom, 前幾天我聽到"The car cost me an arm and a leg" ,我問John:這算是idiom嗎?
他突然開始說教,他說在美國沒有人知道什麼是idiom,就只是一種expression的方式,而且他說不需要刻意去記那些所謂的idioms,而且有些話是區域性的,如果用在錯的時間與地點,真的會很奇怪,我想他說的沒錯,之後我要注意多聽別人怎麼說話,學習這邊的人怎麼說話應該比死記英文書來的有用
說實在話,我有點不知道什麼是idiom, 前幾天我聽到"The car cost me an arm and a leg" ,我問John:這算是idiom嗎?
他突然開始說教,他說在美國沒有人知道什麼是idiom,就只是一種expression的方式,而且他說不需要刻意去記那些所謂的idioms,而且有些話是區域性的,如果用在錯的時間與地點,真的會很奇怪,我想他說的沒錯,之後我要注意多聽別人怎麼說話,學習這邊的人怎麼說話應該比死記英文書來的有用
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