● Picking up a new language is not really that easy, but knowing more about the science of learning languages may help you speed up the learning progress.

　　學(xué)一門語言并非易事，不過多了解學(xué)外語的科學(xué)或許會(huì)進(jìn)步更快。

　　● How we learn language

　　人們學(xué)習(xí)語言的方式

　　Learning language is something we’re born to do. As children, we learn to think, learn to communicate and intuitively pick up an understanding of grammar rules in our mother tongue, or native language. From then on, we learn all new languages in relation to the one we first knew—the one that we used to understand the world around us for the first time ever。

　　學(xué)習(xí)語言是人類與生俱來的行為。從孩提時(shí)起，我們就學(xué)習(xí)思考、學(xué)習(xí)交流，并且本能地掌握母語或本族語的語法。從那時(shí)起，我們便學(xué)習(xí)跟初識(shí)有關(guān)的任何新語言——正是憑著初識(shí)，我們才懂得周圍的世界。

　　● Learning a foreign language

　　學(xué)習(xí)一門外語

　　When it comes to learning a second language, adults are at a disadvantage. As we age, our brain’s plasticity (its ability to create new neurons and synapses) is reduced. Following brain damage that causes a loss of speech, for instance, researchers have observed that children are more likely to regain the power of speech, by creating new pathways in the brain to replace the damaged ones.

　　說到學(xué)習(xí)第二語言，成人總是處于不利地位。隨著年齡增長，人類大腦的可塑性就會(huì)衰退，而這種可塑性卻能產(chǎn)生新的神經(jīng)元與突觸。緊接著大腦損傷便會(huì)造成語言能力的喪失。比如，研究人員已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)，通過新陳代謝取代大腦受損細(xì)胞，兒童更容易重新獲得語言能力。

　　There’s still hope, though. A study of secondary language pronunciation found that some learners who started as adults scored as well as native speakers. It’s also been shown that motivation to learn can improve proficiency, so if you really want to learn a language, it’s not necessarily too late。

　　當(dāng)然希望還是有的。一項(xiàng)有關(guān)第二語言發(fā)音的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，有些成年學(xué)習(xí)者照樣可以將外語學(xué)得很地道。大師免費(fèi)算命 加微信號(hào)：yn9080 解析感情婚姻，預(yù)測前勢命運(yùn)！而且，學(xué)習(xí)語言的動(dòng)機(jī)能極大提高語言掌握的熟練度。所以，如果你真的特別想學(xué)某種語言，任何時(shí)候都不算晚。

　　● Give yourself the best chance

　　給自己最好的機(jī)會(huì)

　　If you want to put in the effort to learn a new language, try these methods that are known for improving learning and memory。

　　如果你想努力學(xué)一門新語言，那就試試下面這些方法吧，這些方法可以在學(xué)習(xí)和記憶方面幫到你。

　　1. Spaced repetition

　　間隔重復(fù)

　　Spaced repetition is a proven memory technique that helps you keep what you’ve learned strong in your mind. The way it works is you revise each word or phrase you’ve learned in spaced intervals. Initially the intervals will be smaller: you might revise a new word a few times in one practice session, and then again the next day. Once you know it well you’ll be able to leave days or weeks between revisions without forgetting it。

　　“間隔重復(fù)”是很有效的記憶技巧，有助于將學(xué)過的知識(shí)牢牢記在大腦里。具體方法就是：每隔一段時(shí)間就復(fù)習(xí)學(xué)過的每個(gè)單詞或詞組。剛開始間隔時(shí)間比較短：你可能需要在某個(gè)練習(xí)階段復(fù)習(xí)好幾次生詞，然后第二天再重復(fù)。一旦熟悉以后，你可以幾天或者幾個(gè)星期再復(fù)習(xí)一下，這樣依舊可以記得清清楚楚。