别找歪果仁“练”英文

读下面这个故事,非常简单，对你或许有所启示: 和老外聊天的正确打开姿势: 积极的真诚的平等的交流；别把每个人都当成是英文老师.

文章来自AJ Hoge的Effortless English节选。顺便说一句, 这本书我从头到尾读过，并不推荐购买: 对大多数还在寻求英文学习方法的朋友没多大用。

During my first English teaching job in Korea, I worked with a staff member name Seo. Seo worked in the sales office of the school. His job was to convince parents to enroll their children. Seo was an energetic and friendly guy. He was also determined to improve his English, which wasn’t great.

Since Seo worked at an English school which employed over twenty native speakers, his strategy was to “practice” his English with us at every opportunity. Each day Seo would look for one of the teachers. When he’d find one, he’d corner them and talk as much as he could using broken English. He was especially interested in idioms and made a great effort to use them during theses chats.

During my year in Korea, I was cornered by Seo many times. Though he was a likable person, I quickly began to dread my encounters with him. The other teachers felt the same. Whenever we saw Seo, we walked the other way. No one wanted to talk to him!

What was happening? Were we being mean? The truth is, we avoided Seo because he was trying to use us as free English tutors. Rather than communicate with us as friends, he “practiced” English on us. He asked us to correct his mistakes. He asked us to confirm that he was using idioms correctly. He asked for pronunciation advice. Chats with Seo soon felt like teaching an English class rather than communicating with a friend.

By seeing us merely as practice opportunities, Seo killed the possibility for a true friendship. We felt he was trying to use us. Conversations with him were unnatural and annoying because his focus was solely on the English language rather than on true communication.

Because of this approach, Seo never made friends with any to the teachers. Ironically, had he just talked to us as people, without focusing on English, he would have easily made a number of English-speaking friends. He would have had the opportunity for many more real conversations.

Unfortunately, Seo is not unique. Many leaners are obsessed with “practicing” their English. Because their focus is on practice, these learners search desperately for “conversation partners.” Yet, by insisting that others correct their mistakes or offer English advice, these learners usually drive away native speakers who would otherwise be happy to chat with them.

This is why you must not try to “practice” English with native speakers. Instead of practicing, simply focusing on being a true friend. Communicate, without focusing on the English language. Talk about your shared interests. Ask questions and listen to their answers. Show your appreciation and understanding. In others words, treat them just as you would a friend who speaks your own language.

One of the best ways to do this is to meet people who share a common passion. For example, if you love movies, join international fan clubs dedicated to your favorite movies or musicians. Connect with others who share a hobby with you.

When you communicate with these people, talk about your shared passion. Never ask them to correct your English. Don’t apologize for your English. Don’t ask for any English advice at all. They are not your English teachers, they are your friends. You’ll learn far more by just chatting with them than trying to make them your personal tutor.

@英语学习笔记