I think you already know that if you want to improve your English speaking skills, you have to practice, right? You have to speak. Studying grammar will never improve your speaking. Listening to English alone will never improve your speaking. You have to actually speak. But what if you don't have someone to talk to in English? How can you practice, then?
我想你們早就知道，如果想增進英文口說技巧，你勢必得練習，對吧？你必須要開口說。讀文法永遠不會提升你的口說能力。光聽英文不可能讓你的口說進步。你必須要真的開口講。但要是你沒有能說英文的對象呢？那你要怎麼練習？
Well, there's a technique that allows you to learn to speak English by yourself. No speaking partner is required. This technique can help improve many aspects of your spoken English— your sentence structure, your grammar, your vocabulary, and most importantly, your ability to express your thoughts and ideas effectively. So, what is this technique? Well, here's what it is: Learning to Speak English through Imitation.
這個嘛，有一個能讓你自己學說英文的技巧。不需要對話的搭擋。這個技巧能幫助提升你口說英文的眾多面向－－句子結構、文法、單字，還有最重要地，有效表達自己想法和意見的能力。那麼，這個技巧是什麼？就是這個：透過模仿學習說英文。
When I say imitation, I'm not talking about repeating after native speakers using the exact same words to improve your pronunciation. I'm talking about something a little more advanced than that. Here's how it works: You listen to a conversation, a story, or some kind of speech and then try to deliver that speech in your own words. Let's see this technique in action.
當我說模仿，我不是說用一模一樣的字去覆誦母語人士說的話來改善發音。我在講的是比那再更進階一點的方法。作法如下：你聆聽一段對話、一則故事，或某類演講，接下來試著用自己的文字表達那段話。讓我們來看看實際運用這個技巧的情形。
"When I was a child..."
「當我還是小孩時...」
When he was a child...
當他是個孩子時...
"...my parents liked to pretend, like many other parents..."
「...我爸媽喜歡假裝，就像其他許多家長一樣...」
...his parents liked to pretend, like many other parents...
...他爸媽喜歡假裝，就像其他許多家長一樣...
"...that Santa Claus would bring us presents at Christmas."
「...聖誕老人會在聖誕節帶給我們禮物。」
His parents liked to pretend that Santa Claus would bring them presents at Christmas.
他的爸媽喜歡裝作聖誕老人會在聖誕節時帶禮物送他們。
"So when my siblings and I would wake up on Christmas morning..."
「所以當我和我的兄弟姊妹在聖誕節一早醒來...」
So when he and his siblings would wake up on Christmas morning...
所以當他和他的兄弟姊妹在聖誕節早上醒來...
"...there'd be a bunch of presents, from supposedly Santa Claus, sitting in front of the fireplace."
「...壁爐前會擺了一堆應該是聖誕老人送的禮物。」
...there'd be a bunch of presents, from supposedly Santa Claus, sitting in front of the fireplace.
...壁爐前會擺了一堆應該是聖誕老人送的禮物。
So, that's how it works. But that's just one way to do it; there are other ways, too. For example, instead of imitating very small portions of speech, like phrases and short sentences, you can imitate larger portions of speech. So, in this case, you wait until the speaker completes a thought or an idea; then pause and try to express that idea yourself.
這個技巧就是那樣用。不過那只是其中一種作法；另外還有其它方法。舉例來說，不要只模仿一段話的一小部分，像是片語或簡短句子那些，你可以模仿一段話中的更多內容。在這種情況下，你等到講者敘述完一個想法或意見；接著按暫停並試著自己傳達出那個意見。
Another approach is to simply listen to the whole speech and then try to deliver that entire speech yourself. So, there are several ways to go about it, but what I recommend is to combine them all together. And I call this approach "Easy-to-Hard Imitation."
另一個辦法是就聽完整段談話，然後試著自己講出完整的那段話。有許多種進行方式，不過我建議的作法是結合那所有技巧。我把這種方法稱為「由易至難模仿法」。
Easy-to-Hard Imitation is based on the concept of progressive training. The idea is that you start with something easy and then increase the difficulty of the activity, forcing yourself to get better. A number of studies have found this kind of training to be very effective.
由易至難模仿法是建立在漸進式訓練的概念上。這個概念是你從簡單的東西下手，接著提高活動難度，迫使自己進步。有許多研究都發現這種練習十分有效。
Here's how you can apply this concept: Start by imitating small portions of speech first, like phrases and short sentences; then move on to imitating larger portions of speech, like long sentences or even groups of sentences. And finally, try to deliver the entire speech on your own. This technique offers many benefits: You get to listen and imitate correct English, which helps you learn to form sentences properly. You get to learn idioms, expressions, and other speaking patterns that are used in day-to-day conversations.
你可以這樣運用這個觀念：一開始先模仿一段話中的小部分，像是片語和短句；接著換模仿對話中較大的部分，例如長句或甚至是句組。最後，嘗試自己說出整段話。這種技巧能帶來許多好處：你可以聆聽並模仿正確的英文，那有助讓你學會造對的句子。你可以學到日常對話中會用到的慣用語、常見說法和其它說話模式。
You get to learn grammar. When you imitate other people, you're learning grammar through a process called "implicit learning." This is the process where the learning happens without your awareness. This is how babies and children learn the grammar rules of their first language. When you imitate, you don't think about grammar. You're not trying to understand why the present perfect tense is used in this situation or in that situation. Instead, you're focused on communication, on understanding and expressing ideas. You're still learning grammar, but you're not aware that it's happening. This is one of the proper ways to learn grammar.
你可以學文法。在你模仿其他人的時候，你透過一種叫作「內隱學習」的過程認識文法。這是種學習在不知不覺的情況下發生的過程。嬰兒和孩童就是這樣學會他們母語的文法規則。模仿的時候，你不會去想到文法。你不是在試著弄懂為什麼這樣或那樣的情況下要用現在完成式。你反而專注在溝通、理解和表達想法上。你還是在學文法，不過你不會注意到你正在學文法。這是學文法的正確方式之一。
Okay, that concludes this video. To help you get started, I've put together a step-by-step tutorial on this technique. If you're interested, click here to go to that tutorial.
好，那結束了這部影片。為了要幫助你們展開第一步，我整理出關於這個技巧的逐步教學。如果你有興趣，點這邊進到那個教學。
- 「從事、開始做」- Go About
So, there are several ways to go about it, but what I recommend is to combine them all together.
有許多種進行方式，不過我建議的作法是結合那所有技巧。 - 「繼續前進」- Move On
Start by imitating small portions of speech first, like phrases and short sentences; then move on to imitating larger portions of speech, like long sentences or even groups of sentences.
一開始先模仿一段話中的小部分，像是片語和短句；接著換模仿對話中較大的部分，例如長句或甚至是句組。 - 「獨立、靠自己」- On One's Own
And finally, try to deliver the entire speech on your own.
最後，嘗試自己說出整段話。 - 「整理、匯集」- Put Together
To help you get started, I've put together a step-by-step tutorial on this technique.
為了要幫助你們展開第一步，我整理出關於這個技巧的逐步教學。
