Upgrade Your English (升级你的英语)

其实在做版主时，我一直就想举办这么一个讲座，但是总被一些琐事耽搁；现在终于可以静下心来为大家服务了，也算作是今年对[英语沙龙]的贡献之一吧，希望大家可以喜欢。

这篇文章是本人由英国BBC的官方网站上撷取下来的英语学习资料，全英文内容，一共有八个部分，我每天翻译一章，因此本讲座将进行八天，一定会对大家的英语学习有帮助。

另外，由于本人的翻译水平有限，有词不达意之处，还请大家见谅，谢谢！
*∩_∩*

Introduction
Using extracts from BBC World Service Learning English radio programmes, this booklet will help you to...
①get out of a learning rut.
②widen your vocabulary.
③give yourself time to think in conversations.
④change the tone of what you say.
⑤keep the conversation going.
⑥change your pronunciation.
⑦improve your spelling.
⑧upgrade your e-mails.

介绍
使用BBC世界学习英语服务的精选内容，本手册将帮助您......
①走出学习的常轨
②扩充你的词汇量
③在对话中给自己一些时间思考
④变化讲话时的语音语调
⑤保持谈话的进行
⑥改变你的发音
⑦提高你的拼写
⑧升级你的电子邮件


①Getting out of a learning rut
For many learners of English, expressing simple ideas can be quite easy. However, when you have mastered the basics of English, it can be a bigger challenge to express exactly what you want to say- in the way you want to say it. For this reason, many learners at intermediate level can find themselves in a learning rut- able to express their ideas but unable to make progress to a more sophisticated level of language use.

①走出学习的常轨
对于很多英语学习者来说，表达简单的想法是很简单的。然而当你掌握了英语的基础后，使用你想使用的方法来准确说出想表达的意思，却是一个更大的挑战。正因为如此，很多中级英语学习者发现他们自己走进了学习的常轨-能够表达自己的主意，却无法进步至更高的语言使用级别。

In this extract from English Makeover, language teaching expert Karen Adams gives you advice on how to get out if a learning rut.
在以下这篇精选中，语言教学专家Karen Adams为你提供如何走出学习常轨的建议。

When reading the extract, imagine you have to describe it to an English-speaking friend. How many different adjectives could you use to describe the programme?
阅读下面的选文时，想象一下自己必须要向讲英语的朋友描述这种观点，你可以使用多少形容词呢？

I think a major problem which learners have when they get to an intermediate level is to do with motivation. By this level, most people can express their ideas fairly adequately. The grammar and vocabulary may be quite simple but they can get the ideas across. It is at this point that learners really have to find a need to learn more- to vary how they speak and the ideas they express. This can be quite hard if you have a small circle of friends and you all share the same interests- because you will probably talk about the same things all the time. And if you talk with the same people all the time, you are unlikely to need a very wide range of vocabulary and expression. My advice to students is usually to find a new hobby or interest. For example, if there is a cultural center in your town which shows films, why not go along to meet new people and talk about films? If that's not possible, why not suggest that your language school or learning circle start a drama club? By putting yourself in a position where you need to use English in a different way to normal, you give yourself the need to them.
1. Why can it be difficult to motivate yourself to learn when you are at an intermediate level?
2. What is Karen's main suggestion for getting out of a learning rut?


5 top tips for getting your English out of a rut
5个脱离学习常轨的顶级技巧

1.Find something new to talk about. One useful way of doing this is to start a reading group with friends. Each month, arrange to read a different book (preferably in English) then have a meeting to discuss it- in English. Make sure you choose a variety of different books so that you have to learn some new vocabulary each time.
找些新东西来谈论。做此事的一个有用的方法是与朋友们开办阅读小组。每个月安排一本不同的书籍（最好是英文）来读，之后开会讨论它-使用英语。确保你们选择一些各种各样的不同的书，以便每一次都可以学到一些新的词汇。

2.Meet new people. If you only speak English with friends, you will probably use the same, informal language all the time. By joining a new club or going to events where you know English will be spoken, you will need to use a different register of English. If this isn't possible, forming a drama club can help you to create opportunities for using English in different ways.
结识新人。如果你只与朋友说英语，你很可能会一直使用相同的，不正统的语言。参加一个新的俱乐部或者可以讲英语的活动，你将需要使用不同类型的英语；若这也无法实现，组织一个戏剧俱乐部可以给你使用不同英语的机会。

3.Activate what you know already. Even in our first language, we all know or understand more words that we actively use. Try to test your knowledge by 'brainstorming'. Think of a topic and give yourself 5 minutes to write down all the words you know related to that topic. You may be surprised by how many you can remember.
多多使用你已经知道的。在我们的母语中，我们都知晓或者明白比常用词更多的词汇。尝试在智力测试中考考自己的知识。思考一个话题，给自己5分钟写下所有你所知道的有关单词，你也许会为自己所记得的那些而吃惊。

4.Vary the programmes you listen to. For example, if you only listen to sports programmes, you will limit the vocabulary you learn to sport-related words. The wider the variety you listen to, the wider your vocabulary will become.
改变你所收听的节目。例如，如果你仅收听体育节目，你的词汇量将被限制在与体育有关的单词中。收听越多种类的节目，你的词汇量就越广。

5.Set yourself some new learning goals. You can now express you ideas- but what would you like to be able to do next? By setting yourself clear goals to achieve over the next month, you will be able to revitalize your approach to learning English.
为自己定一些学习的目标。你现在可以表达你的思想-但是下一步要做什么呢？在下个月为自己定制清晰明了的目标，你将能够重新找到英语学习的途径。
关键字:学习方法
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