这个荷兰美女汉学家的英语接近母语，她是怎样做到的？| 视频
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这篇是“英语高分高能牛人访谈”的第四期。
分享嘉宾：Manya 棵小曼，荷兰汉学家，独立英文网站“微博上有什么”（What's on Weibo）创始人和主编。荷兰阿姆斯特丹大学文学研究学士，莱顿大学中国研究学士、日本研究学士和亚洲研究硕士，并于北京大学进修汉语。她的网站专门刊登中国各大社交媒体平台上的热点新闻。 关于中国，她这样说道：
My experiences in China have resulted in an ongoing strong connection with this country, its language, people and culture. My academic interests are in social media in China, modern society, and Sino-Japanese relations. I am also interested in women’s & gender issues, and popular culture.
认识棵小曼非常巧。我一开始是在英文杂志《财新国际》上看到了对她的报道，然后顺藤摸瓜读了她在“微博上有什么”网站上写的文章和评论，非常喜欢她的洞察力和英文。没过多久，她正好来北京做一个线下分享，就这样认识了。我和她介绍了“英语高分高能牛人访谈”，并邀请她作为嘉宾，她欣然接受，于是就有了这一期。这也是第一期由母语非中文的嘉宾做的分享。Enjoy!
Justin: Could you please briefly introduce your study/work/research/interests? Do you use English often and much in life and at work? Under what circumstances and in what way do you use English?
Manya: I am a Dutch sinologist (MPhil) and the editor-in-chief of What’s on Weibo - an independent English-language news site providing social, cultural and historical insights into the trending topics of China. Although my native language is Dutch, I use English every single day in my research, writing, and communication – not just for my work, but also in my social relations. My friends come from all over the world and with many of them, I speak English.
Justin: How long have you been learning English? How did you start?
Manya: Many shows on Dutch television are broadcasted in English with subtitles, so children in the Netherlands will often hear English at a very early age. For me personally, the movie Lady and the Tramp by Disney played an important role in learning English at the age of six or seven; actually, Disney, in general, has played a crucial role in my understanding of English language. I still find Disney movies and songs excellent training tools. The songs are catchy and easy to understand. It’s how I trained English when I was young, but it’s also how I starte 42 33094 42 14177 0 0 6909 0 0:00:04 0:00:02 0:00:02 6908d learning Japanese and Chinese later on in life. I love to sing "Let it Go" (Frozen) in Chinese, "A Whole New World" (Aladin) in Japanese, and "Beauty and the Beast" in English. I have seen movies such as The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Lion King, Mulan, and many others again and again and again. The dialogues are so well-written and funny.
Justin: What is your greatest motivation for learning English? Why did you want to learn it so well?
Manya: In the Netherlands, it is common to start learning English at an early age and it is more a matter of practicality than choice. Besides English, I also studied German and French in school from the age of 12. A major part of my studies at university was completely in English, and I was required to write my essays in English. I now feel more free to write in English than I do in Dutch. English really is a beautiful language with such rich vocabulary. I also love to read in English. Ernest Hemingway is one of my favorite writers. He writes in a very pure way and is just a great author to read for anyone with a love for the English language.
Justin: Could you please tell us specifically how you made great progress in at least one of the following: listening, speaking, reading, and writing?
Manya: Listening: all through movies and TV shows, anything from talk shows to Disney movies. Speaking: by making friends in foreign countries and chatting with them as often as possible. Reading: starting with easy children’s books and then going on to more difficult material and literature. Writing: practice, practice, practice!
One very important way I really learned English was by watching musicals (e.g. The Phantom of the Opera), reading all lyrics, analyzing their meaning, and then memorizing them. There are some musicals I knew by heart from start to finish when I was young, and I still believe it has been an important way for me to learn various aspects of the English language.
Justin: As a sinologist, what does English mean to you? How has English helped your research?
Manya: English is pivotal for any sinologist because essential works on China are written in English. But sometimes I feel that the China-focused academic world is too focused on the English language. Besides the obvious importance of Chinese, it means that important works in Spanish, German, French, or any other languages are often ignored.
Justin: What is your reading habit like? How does it affect your speaking, writing, and/or translation?
Manya: Reading books in English is pivotal for anyone writing in English, which is probably true for all languages; the more you read the better you get. I try to read many different types of material, from newspapers to modern literature. If you want to become more versatile in your language skills, you’ll also have to train yourself that way.
Justin: If you are to recommend a book on English learning (reference book included), which one will you recommend and why?
Manya: One of the most important things in learning a foreign language is to have fun while learning it. I would always recommend people to use material they are truly interested in as a tool to learn a new language – it does not really matter what it is. Don’t get frustrated by taking something that is too difficult, but also, don’t be bored by reading something too easy; take something that is just challenging enough. I don’t really have any suggestions on official English learning books, but I find classic children books perfect ways to practice and improve English. Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery) and The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) are some good examples.
Justin: Has your mother tongue positively or negatively influenced your English learning? If yes, how? Have you ever been bewildered by different languages? If yes, how did you handle it?
Manya: Dutch and English have similarities, which makes it much easier for a Dutch person to learn English than it is for a Chinese person. But it can also be very tricky to translate things directly from Dutch to English because it can come out completely wrong and create misunderstandings; the literal Dutch translation of a word into English may mean something completely different.
Learning Chinese was a whole new ballgame and at the beginning, I really did not know where to start. Chinese was like a mystery language to me. Luckily for me, I had some great teachers at university. And just like it did with English, Disney helped me in mastering some basic sentences from the start. You have to start by understanding one sentence, and before you know it, you’ll start understanding more and more.
Justin: With regard to English language learning, is there anything else that you feel particularly strongly about and want to share? If yes, we’d like to hear.
Manya: I really feel the importance of music as a tool to learn English cannot be stressed enough. You can listen to the same song hundreds of times, and this means the phrases and vocabulary will be easy to remember. I already mentioned Disney songs, but classic pop songs or musicals are also great ways to gather new vocabulary and learn new sentences.
Justin's comments:
In the introductory post of the interview column, I explained reasons for welcoming interviewees whose first language is not Chinese. For Manya, it seems that although English and Dutch are similar in many ways, mastering English is far from effortless. It takes hard work, repetition, memorization, and above all, a love for the language. What stands out in her story is that musicals, songs, and movies are the most effective tools in English learning. Yet this is hardly surprising because they drum up an intense interest and keep you fascinated. Try it and see for yourself!
谢谢棵小曼的分享！
欢迎关注“微博上有什么”（What's on Weibo）：https://www.whatsonweibo.com
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作者：Manya 棵小曼
编辑、点评：孟庆伟 Justin
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题图：Manya 棵小曼。
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