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There's a word that I'm going to be using a lot in this lesson and it is ''variety''.
在这节课中，有一个词我会反复提到，那就是多样性。
I want you to use a wide range of resources and listen to a wide range of accents as well.
我希望你们能广泛接触各种材料并去听，各种各样的英语口音。
Why?
为什么呢？
Well, I know a lot of you come to me and say:
有很多人找到我说：
'Lucy, I want to learn British English and to do that I'm only going to listen to British speakers'
Lucy，我想学英式英语，所以呢，我就只听英国人说话了，
But in my opinion: that's not the right thing to do !
但是我认为这样并不好！
You are going to meet people from all over the world with all different accents and you're going to need to understand them.
你会遇见全世界来的，有着各种各样口音的人，你也必须能听懂他们说话。
You don't want to just be able to understand British people!
你也并不会希望，自己只能听懂英国人说话！
So if you're not doing it already
所以，如果你还没开始
I want you to listen to as many accents as possible.
我建议你们去尽可能多地听各种口音，
and when you're doing that I want you to think about the different sounds that each accent makes.
当你在听的时候，你们要想想，各种口音的特点。
I made a video with the lovely Anna from English like a native
我之前和《English like a Native》的Anna
about the differences between our accents
做过一个关于我们口音之间的，不同点的视频
and lots of students found that really really helpful
很多学生发现这很有用
because there's not one definitive way of speaking English.
因为并没有一种确定的，说英语的方式。
There are lots of variations: regional variations, variations by country.
英语口音有很多种类 地区的变种，不同国家的变种。
I mean English spoken in New Zealand is very different to English spoken in America for example.
比如新西兰和美国，口音就非常不同。
So you need to be able to recognize more or less everything and diversify your English.
所以你们多多少少需要，识别出来 使你的英语多样化。
Focusing on that word 'variety' again
再次注意多样化这个词
I want to talk to you about resources.
我下一点想谈谈资源。
For my next point, I want you to ask yourself a question
我想请你们先问自己一个问题
I want you to answer it yourself honestly
要诚实地回答哦
How much time do you actually dedicate to practicing and improving your listening skills?
你到底花了多少时间，在练习和提高英语能力上？
Answer honestly !
要老实回答哦！
Most of the students that I asked say around 1 to 2 hours
我问过的大多数学生会说
and even then they might be exaggerating a little bit
大概1到2个小时，即使这样，还是有一点点夸大
Now you've recognized that: You're probably not practicing enough.
所以现在你大概意识到了，自己练习的还不够。
I want you to start practicing
我希望你们多多练习
Honestly, practice makes perfect !
真的，熟能生巧！
You're not going to suddenly wake up and be perfect at listening.
你并不会一觉睡醒发现自己听力变得超好。
It takes time, it takes dedication
这个过程需要时间，需要付出
and it's called a skill for a reason
它被称之为一项技能
is something that you have to develop principally on your own and also with help from others
正是因为这主要靠你自己努力，和其他人的帮助
but what is listening practice you might be asking me.
你也许会问 怎么练习听力。
Well, I've got lots of recommendations for you
我这里有很多建议
which brings me to my next point: "Resources and more importantly variety of resources"
所以到了下一个建议了，资源 或者说多样的资源，
Now the most obvious one is watching TV programs or movies in English.
最先想到的就是看英文电视节目或者英语电影。
This is great, but I think you can take it a step further.
这个方法挺好 但我认为，还应该更深入。
Maybe you're watching programs with English subtitles.
也许你会看带字幕的电视节目。
That's good, but you don't want to rely on the subtitles.
这很好 但你并不希望，依赖字幕吧。
I want you to learn with your ears and not with your eyes.
我希望你用耳朵而不是眼睛去学习。
So what I recommend you do to take your listening to the next level is "Watch each program or movie TWICE!"
所以为了提高你们的，听力，我推荐你们，每个节目或电影看两次”
Probably, more achievable with programs short ones.
短一些的节目更容
易做到。
I recommend that you aim for something that's less than 30 minutes.
我推荐你们先看一些，半个小时以内的东西。
So you could try a comedy like: Friends which is American English or maybe BBC news
比如你们可以看喜剧像《老友记》，这是美式英语 或者是BBC的新闻
and you can just watch the headlines which would be British English pronunciation.
你可以只看头条新闻，这是英式英语。
So, I want you to watch it first with no subtitles, see how much you can understand.
我建议你们看时，第一遍不要字幕 看看自己，能听懂多少，
and then I want you to watch it again with subtitles, and see what you did pick up and what you didn't pick up and then note it for next time.
然后你们再看一遍带字幕的，看看哪些你确实听懂了，哪些没有，然后记下来。
Don't be afraid to replay things again and again and again !
不要害怕重复播放，一次一次又一次！
Learn the patterns of voice that we use.
学习说话时的语音。
If you've got a listening exam or you're going to have a telephone conversation or some 
sort of interview over the phone, you're not going to be able to read the person's lips which can be really useful.
如果你参加听力考试，或者有一个电话会议，或是一些电话采访，你不能读唇语，虽然很有帮助。
So, you really ought to practice listening blindly !
所以你应该练习盲听！
So, one really really good tip that often gets overlooked is use audio books.
接下来是一个非常非常有用但被忽视了的建议，就是有声书。
Reading is great for building your vocabulary but it doesn't do much for your listening skills, because what a book does not offer you is a pronunciation guide normally.
阅读对你的词汇对你很有帮助，但是对听力并没有多大用，因为书并不能提供，语音指导。
I'm sure some exist that do.
通常来说啊，有一些还是可以的。
So, I would like you to start listening to audiobooks.
所以我推荐你们可以，听有声书 选一本。
Pick a book that is interesting and relevant to you.
你感兴趣的，和你有关的。
Judge it by your level !
而且根据你自己的水平！
If you're quite a low-level, choose a children's book.
如
果水平较低，可以选择儿童读物。
For more intermediate maybe go something for teenagers.
中等水平呢，可以选一些，青少年读物如果水平较高。
and if you're advanced obviously go for something that's aimed at adults or maybe has a lot of technical language.
就可以直接看成人水平的书了，或者还有很多，专业书籍记住，如果你想。
Remember that: If you want to check your understanding you can always buy the book as well listen to a section and then read it, listen to another and then read it.
检查自己弄懂了多少，你可以买实体书，先听一部分，再看，听另外一部分，再看这一部分。
This is a wonderful way of improving your listening comprehension.
这是一个很好的提高你的。
The best website for audio books is audible
听力的方法一个有声书很好的网站，是audible
and if you click in the link in the description box you can get a free audiobook and a 30-day trial.
点击简介里的链接，你就能得到一本有声书的。
There's absolutely no catch, so try it out and see if it works for you.
30天试用期 一点也不难，所以试一下吧，看看这对你有
没有效。
One resource that often gets overlooked is youtubers.
一个常被忽视的资源是，YouTube上的播主 我并不是在说我们这些。
I'm not talking about us - lovely bunch of online English teachers.
可爱的网上英语教师。
That are all over YouTube at the moment.
现在YouTube上到处都是。
Although I think we could help you a little bit with your listening.
我认为我们对你们的听力，还是有点点的帮助。
You have an amazing resource full of free videos and listening tools.
你有一个充满了，免费视频和听力工具的资源。
Find something that you're interested in.
找一些你感兴趣的。
Maybe you're interested in Gossip, celebrities, science, current affairs.
也许你对八卦、，名人、科学、时事。
Search for it in English and start listening to it.
用英语搜索，开始听吧。
My next point is multi task.
下一个建议是“分心”
Unlike reading or watching TV, listening is something that you can do whilst you do something else.
不像阅读和看电视，听力是你可以边听，边做其他事的。
So once you've found your ideal resource, start to build a sort of pack of resources on your smart phone or your computer that you can take with you.
所以当你找到了你理想的资源，就把那些大量的资源，存在你的手机或是电脑上，那你就可以随身携带了。
So, if you have a long car journey, on the way to work, on public transport, whilst you're doing something else like cooking, something you don't have to concentrate on.
所以如果你要坐很久的车，去上班，或当你在做一些其它的事比如做饭，你并不需要全神贯注。
Listen to something in English !
就可以听英语了！
and that links back to my question: "How much time do you actually dedicate practicing your English?"
这就可以回到我之前的问题 你花了多少时间在练习英语上”
So, say you spend half an hour traveling to work each day and half an hour traveling back home each day and you listen to something in English for the entirety of those journeys Each week, you will be doing five hours of listening practice.
就让我们假设你每天花半个小时，上班，半个小时回家，这期间，你都会听一点英语每周你就会有五个小时的，听力练习时间了。
That's amazing !
这很了不起！
If you do that, you will definitely improve in no time.
如果你做到了，你的水平肯定会快速提高的。
The really great thing is that you're doing something productive and maybe learning about another topic through English.
另一个好处是，这非常有效，而且能通过英语学到其他知识。
That you would normally do.
这是你通常会做的事情。
So, it's really a win-win situation.
所以这实在是一个稳赚不赔的方法。
My next tip is do not translate, do not translate.
下一个建议是不要翻译。
When you're speaking to someone in person, I want you to listen for context.
当你和别人对话时，我希望你们更多地听语境。
Something I always say to my students is "Fluency over accuracy !"
我经常对我的学生们说，流利比正确更重要”
Now I speak Spanish fluently, but I do not speak it a hundred percent accurately.
我能很流利地说西班牙语，但我不会说得百分之百地正确。
I have no problems with listening, I have no problems with understanding, and I have no problems with communicating.
我的听力完全没问题，理解上我也没问题，交流上也完全没有障碍。
But if you were to film me speaking Spanish and analyze all of the errors that I make, you find quite a few.
但是如果你录下我说西班牙语的视频，去找我犯的错误，你会发现很多很多。
It's really important to understand that you don't need it to be perfect, you don't need to understand every single word
你需要明白，你不必追求完美，也不必去听懂每一个单词
You need to understand context and general meaning.
你只需要理解语境和大意。
If you spend too much time analyzing each word, the conversation or monologue will have moved on, by the time you finally understood the word that you are focusing on, so you actually then have to catch up and you lose understanding.
如果你在分析每个单词花了太多时间，对话或是独白，就会在你听懂你关注的那个单词之前，快速划过，所以为了追上对话，有一些你就听不懂了。
So, instead of listening word-by-word
所以不要一个词一个词地听
listen to phrases as a whole.
把短语当成一个整体来听。
My next tip is learn speech patterns.
我下一个建议是学习说话的方式。
Okay, I want you to research into how natives speak.
我希望你们研究一下，母语者是怎么说话的。
The way in which we write something is certainly not the way in which we say it.
我们书面语和口语是很不同的。
English is not a phonetic language and we don't always follow our own pronunciation rules.
英语不是表音文字，我们并不会一直遵守我们的发音规则。
So, what research can you do?
你能做什么呢？
Well, you can look at homophones.
你可以看看同音异义词。
For example: These are words which have the exact same pronunciation but different spellings and different meanings.
比如有些单词，我们发音相同，但是拼写和意思都不一样。
I've actually got a video coming out on homophones very soon which i will put in the description box.
实际上我也有一个，关于同音异义词的视频，我会在简介里放链接。
An example of a homeophone would be "bear" and "bare"
同音异义词的一个例子是bear和bare”
the same, but different spelling and meaning.
发音相同，但是拼写和意义都不一样。
You can also look at minimal pairs.
你也可以看一下最小语音对。
Minimal pairs are words that have the exact same pronunciation a part from a single vowel sound.
最小语音对是那些，有完全一样的发音，只除了一个元音。
An example of a minimal pair would be "ship" and "sheep".
最小语音对的一个例子是ship和sheep。
. . . ship. . . sheep. . .
ship……sheep。
So that. . . and. . . of the same but the vowel sound is different.
前后辅音相同，但是元音不一样。
It's also important that you understand weak forms.
了解弱读同样很重要。
So we have strong forms of words and we also have weak forms.
我们有重读的单词，也有弱读的。
For example: The word "at", on its own I say 'at
比如at，我单独读是at
But sometimes if I'm using it in a sentence or in conversation and I'm speaking very quickly I will say at with the schwa sound.
但是有些时候当它在一个句子中时，或者在对话中，我会读得很快，我就会读作‘ ‘
I won't say 'at three o'clock.
我不会说‘at’ 三点钟。
I will say at three o'clock.
我会说‘at’三点钟。
It's important that you recognize that the schwa sound can represent many vowels.
所以知道来这个schwa发音，能代替很多元音。
You also need to look at reductions
同样需要关注的是缩写
I've got a video all about the reductions "wanna" and "gonna" which is also in the description box, that will really help you out especially if you want to use those
我也有一个关于缩写的视频，同样我也会把它放到简介里，这对你们很有用，特别是当你想用，
I know a lot of you do
我知道你们想
It's a really quick way of making yourself sound more native.
这是一个快速的让你的，发音听起来更地道的方法。
and also contractions: I am => I'm; I will => I'll; she would => she'd.
比如I am是I‘m，I will 是I’ll，she would是she‘d，
Important that you learn those.
学习这些是很重要的。
I'm also making a video on contractions.
我正在做一个关于缩写的视频。
So when that's uploaded I will also put that in the description box.
上传之后，我也会把链接放到简介里面。
So that's it for my lesson on: How to improve your listening skills?
以上，就是我关于怎样，提高听力能力的技巧了？
Your homework is to comment below and tell me and everyone else: How you are going to improve your listening skills? now you've watched this video.
作业：在视频下方评论，告诉我，告诉大家你要怎样，提高你的听力水平，在你们看了这个视频后。
I want to see you be motivated and I want to see you make a change, I believe in you and you need to believe in yourselves too.
我希望你们被鼓励了，也希望看到你们的改变，我相信你们，你们也必须相信你们自己。
Don't forget that: I now upload on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
别忘了我现在是周一，周三和周六更新。
And I also have a free live pronunciation and vocabulary lesson every Sunday at 4:30 gmt which is london time.
我也有一个免费的在线语音课，词汇课程，在每周日的四点半，是伦敦时间哦。
On my -English with Lucy- Facebook page.
在我English with Lucy的Facebook主页上。
Don't forget to connect with me on all of my social media.
还有我其他的社交媒体账号。
My Facebook and my Instagram is where I'm most active
facebook，instagram是我最活跃的地方
and you can also sign up to my mailing list
你也可以订阅我的邮件
If you want to receive emails from me and hear about updates before anyone else.
如果你想收到我的邮件，而且能比其他人先看到我的更新的话。
Alright then, I'll see you soon for another lesson !
