How to Understand Native English Speakers - Improve English Listening

Hi, I’m Gina.

嗨，我是Gina。

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

歡迎來到 Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn how to understand native speakers in English.

在本課程裡，您可以學習如何理解 英文是母語的人說的。

Many English learners find it difficult to understand native speakers, even after years

許多英文學習者發現即使在學習多年後， 也很難能理解

of study.

母語人士說的。

This can be frustrating and demotivating!

這可能令人沮喪和失去動力！

However, there are some simple things you can do to improve your English listening and

但是，有一些簡單的事情 可以提高您的英文聽力和

make it easier to understand native English speakers.

把理解英文是母語的人所說的 變得更容易。

In this lesson, you’ll see five simple tips you can use to understand native English speakers

在本課程裡，您會看到五個簡單的提示， 可以幫您更容易地理解母語

more easily.

人士所說的。

Look at this sentence:

看看這句話：

I am from France.

我來自法國。

Imagine you’re talking to someone.

想像一下，您正在和某人說話。

How would you say it?

您會怎麼說呢？

Would you say this sentence with the contraction?

您會簡縮說這句話嗎？

I’m from France.

I’m from France。

Or would you say the full form?

或者您會說完整的形式？

I am from France.

I am from France。

Now, think about these sentences:

現在，想想這些句子：

He has already told me.

他已經告訴我了。

I would like to see that film.

我想看看那部電影。

They will not be here until tomorrow.

直到明天他們才會在這裡。

All of these sentences can be contracted.

所有這些句子都可以簡縮。

Can you see how?

您能看看怎樣做嗎？

He’s already told me.

他已經告訴我了。

I’d like to see that film.

我想看那部電影。

They won’t be here until tomorrow.

直到明天他們才會在這裡。

Would you pronounce the contractions, or not?

您會簡縮的發音嗎？

Think about it, and be honest—it’s not a test!

想一想，說實話 - 這不是 一個測試！

Here’s the problem:

這是問題所在：

Many English learners don’t use enough contractions when they speak.

許多英文學習者在他們說話的時候， 沒有使用足夠的簡縮形式。

They use the full form, for example he has instead of he’s.

他們使用完整的形式，例如he has 取代了he’s。

If you don’t use contractions when you speak, it will be difficult to understand them when

如果您說話時不使用簡縮， 在您聽的時候就很難

you’re listening.

理解它們。

Why is this a problem?

為什麼這是個問題？

Native speakers almost always use contractions when they’re speaking.

當母語人士說話時， 幾乎總是使用簡縮形式。

If you find it difficult to understand contractions, you’ll always have problems when you’re

如果您發現很難理解簡縮，當您試圖 了解母語人士所說的時候，

trying to understand native speakers.

您總是會遇到問題。

So what’s the solution?

那麼解決辦法是什麼？

Very simple: use contractions more in your speech.

非常簡單：您說話時用更多的簡縮。

To do this, choose a simple topic—for example, your family—and record yourself speaking

為此，請選擇一個簡單的主題 - 例如， 您的家庭 - 並記錄一分鐘

for one minute.

自己說的。

Listen to the recording and try to find any places where you could have used contractions,

聽錄音並嘗試找到任何 您可以用簡縮但

but didn’t.

又沒有用的地方。

Then, repeat the exercise, and try to use more contractions.

然後，重複練習，並嘗試使用 更多的簡縮。

Then, try again with a different topic.

然後，再試一次不同的主題。

If you use contractions yourself, it’ll become easier to understand them.

如果您自己用簡縮，理解英文是母語的 人士所說的就會變得更容易。

Here’s a simple question in English which is often difficult for English learners to

這是一個英文學習者 通常很難理解的

understand:

簡單的英文問題：

What are you doing Why do so many people find it difficult to

What are you doing Why do so many people find it difficult to

hear this question correctly?

hear this question correctly?

Let’s look.

我們看看吧。

First of all, the letter ‘t’ in the word what is usually not pronounced.

首先，字彙中的字母't' 通常不發音。

It changes to a /d/ sound, or it’s reduced to a glottal ‘stop’ ‘t’.

它變為一個 / d /音，或者它降低 成一個聲門'塞音''t'。

Secondly, the word are is not pronounced /ɑː/.

其次，/ɑː/不發音。

It doesn’t rhyme with ‘car’ or ‘far’.

它不和"car"或"far"押韻。

It changes to a very short sound: /ə/.

它變成了一個非常短的音：/ə/。

Next, the word you is not pronounced /jʊː/.

接下來，您不用發/jʊː/音。

It doesn’t rhyme with ‘too’ or ‘do’.

它不和'too'或'do'押韻。

It also becomes a very short sound: /jə/.

它也變成了一個非常短的音：/jə/。

Finally, the words are not pronounced with spaces in between.

最後，兩者之間有空格的字彙不發音。

The whole question is pronounced like one long word.

整個問題的發音像是一個 長的字彙。

So, the question which is written:

那麼，寫的問題是：

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

Sounds like:

聽起來好像：

Whaddayadoing?

Whaddayadoing？

Of course, if you think are should be pronounced /ɑː/, and you should be pronounced /jʊː/,

當然，如果您認為/ɑː/應該發音， 您應該發/jʊː/音，

and so on, you’ll expect to hear:

等等，您會聽到：

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

And of course, you probably won’t understand the natural pronunciation:

當然，您可能不會理解 自然發音：

Whaddayadoing?

Whaddayadoing？

What can you do about this?

關於這個，您能做什麼？

Here are two suggestions:

這有兩個建議：

One: learn about weak forms.

一：學習弱音形式。

Weak forms are words which have a different pronunciation in a sentence.

弱音形式是字彙在一個句子裡 有一個不同的發音。

Learning about weak forms can show you that there is some logic to English pronunciation,

學習弱音形式可以告訴您 英文發音是有一些邏輯的，

even though you might not think so!

即使您可能不這麼想！

Two: pay attention to how people speak.

二：注意人們如何說話。

Don’t think about what you read in your English textbook.

不要考慮您在您的英文 課本裡讀到的內容。

Listen to how people pronounce words and sentences in real life.

聽聽在真實生活中 人們如何讀字彙和句子。

You’ll realize that there’s a big difference between textbook English and natural English.

您會意識到課本中的英文和自然英文 之間有很大的不同。

Another good exercise here is dictation: choose something to listen to, like a podcast or

這裡另一個好的練習是聽寫：選擇 要聽的不太難的內容，如podcast或

a YouTube video, which is not too difficult.

YouTube影片。

Listen to one minute, and try to write down everything you hear.

聽一分鐘，試著寫下 您聽到的所有東西。

Pause as often as you need to.

根據需要隨時暫停。

This way, you can train yourself to follow native English speech.

這樣，您可以訓練自己跟隨 母語人士的講話。

Look at a question with a word missing.

看一個缺少字彙的問題。

What’s the missing word?

什麼是遺漏的字彙？

________ you ready?

________you ready？

If you’re an average English student, you said that the missing word is are.

如果您是普通英文程度的學生， 您會說遺失的字彙“are”。

That’s the correct answer, but it’s also not the best answer.

這是正確的答案，但它也 不是最好的答案。

What?

什麼？

How can the correct answer not be the best answer?

正確答案怎麼不會是最好的回答？

What are we talking about?

我們在說什麼啊？

Actually, the best answer is that there are no words missing.

實際上，最好的答案是 沒有字彙遺失。

You can just say,

您可以說，

You ready?

You ready?

In spoken English, you don’t need to say are.

英文口說，您不需要說 “are”。

In fact, you can make the question even shorter and just say,

事實上，您可以讓問題更短， 然後說，

Ready?

Ready?

Native speakers very often leave out words like this.

母語人士經常會像這樣漏掉字彙。

Again, if you’re expecting to hear a full question, these shorter questions can be confusing.

再說一遍，如果您期待聽到一個完整的 問題，這些較短的問題可能令人困惑。

So when can you leave words out like this?

所以當您可以這樣漏字彙口說？

In yes/no questions which have the word you, it’s often possible to make the question

您就不認為沒有字彙是個問題， 通常可以讓問題

shorter.

更短。

For example:

例如：

Have you finished?

Have you finished?

Are you going?

Are you going?

Do you want to come?

Do you want to come?

All of these questions can be shortened:

所有這些問題都可以簡縮：

You finished? or Finished?

You finished? or Finished?

You going? or Going?

You going? or Going?

You want to come? or Want to come?

You want to come? or Want to come?

So, what should you do?

那您該要怎麼辦？

Try to use these shortened questions when you speak.

當您說話時，嘗試用這些簡縮的問題。

Like all of this advice, you need to use it yourself.

像所有這些建議一樣，您要自己用它。

If you use it when you speak, it’ll be easier for you to understand others who speak in

如果您說話時用它，理解其他 用這種方式說話的人

this way.

會更容易。

Remember that native speakers very often shorten questions like this.

請記住，母語人士大多時候會簡縮 類似這樣的問題。

Here’s a question:

這是一個問題：

Do you need to understand every word to understand what someone is saying?

您要理解每一個字彙才能理解 某人在說什麼嗎？

What do you think?

您怎麼看？

Very often, English learners focus on the parts they don’t understand.

大多時候，英文學習者專注於 他們不理解的部分。

That’s natural, but it’s not always helpful.

這很自然，但並非總是有用。

To answer our question: no, you do not need to hear and understand every word to understand

回答我們的問題：不，您不用 聽並理解每一個字彙來理解

someone’s message.

某人的訊息。

Imagine that you are in the kitchen with your friend, who is cooking something.

想像一下，您和您的朋友一起在廚房裡， 您的朋友正在做飯。

Your friend asks you a question, and you hear:

您的朋友問您一個問題，您聽到了：

Can you (mumble mumble)?

您能（嘟嚨）嗎？

Okay, so you didn’t hear or understand the full question.

好的，所以您沒有聽到或理解 完整的問題。

But that’s often not a problem.

但這通常不是問題。

First of all, you heard the words can you.

首先，您聽到了這些話。

So you know that your friend wants you to do something.

所以您知道您的朋友想要您 做一點事。

Secondly, you’re in the kitchen, cooking.

其次，你們在廚房做飯。

Whatever your friend wants, it’s almost certainly connected to that.

無論您的朋友想要什麼，它幾乎都是 肯定與此有關。

Probably, your friend needs you to help with something, or give them something.

可能，您的朋友需要您幫忙 什麼，或要一些東西。

By using the context, you can often understand someone without hearing every word.

經由上下文，您通常可以理解 有些人沒有聽到的每一個字。

But, but, but, you say, that’s not really understanding native speakers!

但是，但是，但是，您說，那不是真的 了解母語人士！

I want to understand native speakers, not guess what they mean.

我想理解母語人士說的，而不是 猜他們的意思。

Actually, native speakers do this too.

實際上，母語人士也這樣做。

You probably do it in your own language, so there’s no reason not to do it in English.

您可能用自己的語言來做，所以 沒有理由不用英文做。

Don’t think: “I don’t know the word, so I can’t understand the sentence.”

不要想：“我不知道這個詞， 所以我無法理解這句話。“

It’s not true.

這不是真的。

And, if none of this works, use another simple trick: ask!

並且，如果這些都不起作用，請使用另一個簡單的 訣竅：問！

Ask the person, “What did you say?” or, “Can you say that again?”

問這個人，“您說什麼？”或者， “您能再說一遍嗎？”

Again, native speakers do this all the time.

同樣，母語人士一直這樣做。

There’s no reason you shouldn’t do it, too.

沒有理由您也不這樣做。

Often, English learners are afraid to ask someone to repeat something, or to admit they

通常，英文學習者不敢請 某人重複某事，或承認他們

don’t understand.

不明白。

But, if you do this, you have no chance to understand, and no chance to communicate.

但是，如果您這樣做，您就沒有機會 理解，沒有機會溝通。

Remember: no one understands everything everyone says, and it’s completely natural to ask

記住：沒有人能理解每個人說的一切， 請某人再說一遍是

someone to say something again.

是完全自然的。

Let’s look at one more important tip.

讓我們看一個更重要的提示。

Here’s a question: what does ‘native English’ sound like?

這是一個問題：“母語為英文” 聽起來像什麼？

Here’s another question: do you prefer the sound of British English, or American English?

這是另一個問題：你喜歡這個嗎？ 英式英語腔調或美式英語腔調？

Actually, those are both terrible questions, which make no sense.

實際上，這些都是可怕的問題， 沒有意義。

Do you know why?

您知道為什麼嗎？

The reason these are bad questions is: there’s no such thing as ‘British English’.

這些是糟糕問題的原因是： 沒有“英式英語”這樣的東西。

If you think about ‘British English’, you probably imagine someone speaking like

如果您考慮'英式英語'， 您可能想像有人

this.

說話像這樣。

But most British people don’t sound anything like that.

但大多數英國人聽上去不像那樣。

It’s the same for American English: people from different places and different backgrounds

美式英語也是如此： 人們來自不同的地方，有不同的背景，

will speak in different ways.

用不同的方式說話。

Then, of course, there are many other countries where English is officially the first language:

當然，還有很多其他國家 的官方第一語言是英文：

Ireland, Zambia, Australia, Kenya, Canada, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Belize, South

愛爾蘭，尚比亞、澳洲、肯亞、加拿大、 巴布亞紐幾內亞、紐西蘭、貝里斯、

Africa, Singapore, and many more.

南非、新加坡等等。

The world of English is much bigger than just the UK and the US, and you’ll be a better

英語世界比英國和美國大得多， 如果您意識到這點，

English speaker (and listener) if you realise this.

您會在英文口說和聽力上更好。

Unfortunately, many English learners react negatively when they hear a native speaker

不幸的是，當許多英文學習者聽到 母語人士用他們不常用

speaking in a way that they’re not used to.

的方式說話時，反應消極。

They say things like,

他們說一些像這樣的：

“I don’t like that person’s pronunciation.”

“我不喜歡那個人的發音。”

“That person doesn’t speak good English.

“那個人英文說得不好。

I prefer British English.”

我更喜歡英式英語。“

(or: “I prefer American English.”)

（或者：“我更喜歡美式英語。”）

“That person’s English sounds wrong.

“那個人的英文聽起來不對。

I can’t understand.”

我無法理解。“

But, here’s the thing: in a real-life situation, like a job interview, a meeting, or a party,

但是，事情就是這樣：在現實生活裡， 像是一個求職面試、一次會議或一次聚會，

you’ll meet native speakers from different places, with different accents.

您會遇到來自不同地方的 有不同口音的母語人士。

It’s your responsibility to understand them and communicate with them; they aren’t going

理解他們並與他們溝通是您的責任， 他們不會去

to change how they talk for you.

改變他們和您說話的方式。

So, what can you do about this?

那麼，您能做些什麼呢？

Don’t just listen to one kind of English.

不要只聽一種英文。

If you love the sound of ‘classical’ British English, then fine, but listen to other voices,

如果您喜歡“典型的”英國腔英文， 那麼，很好，但是也請聽

too.

其他地方的聲音。

You can train yourself to understand almost anything, but you need time and practice.

您可以訓練自己去理解任何事情， 但你需要時間和練習。

Listen to a range of voices and accents regularly, and you’ll be able to understand more of

規律地聽各種聲音和腔調， 您會理解更多

what native speakers say to you.

母語人士對您說的話。

Before we finish, we have a question for you: in which situations do you find it most difficult

在我們結束本課程之前，我們有一個 問題要問您：在哪種情況下，

to understand native English speakers?

您覺得理解母語人士說的最困難？

Please let us know in the comments.

請在留言板裡告訴我們。

You can find more of our free English lessons on our website: Oxford Online English dot

您可以在我們的網站上找到 更多免費的英文課程：

com.

Oxford Online English dot com。

Thanks for watching!

感謝觀看！

See you next time!

再見！