School holidays are great. What could be better than weeks of freedom from responsibility, assignments, early mornings and academic pressures?

 

学校放假感觉是不是好极了。那种如释重负的感觉是不是特别好?

 

Perhaps you’re the kind of person whose holidays are jam-packed with exciting activities and adventures? Or maybe you prefer to take things easy with long lazy days spent in front of the TV? Either way, that seemingly endless break before the start of the new school year is one with mountains of possibilities for the young (and the young at heart).

 

也许你的假期过的很有激情,充满了冒险运动和刺激的活动安排。也许你更喜欢闲散地度过你的假期,在电视机旁打发时间来放松?不管你选择哪种方式来享受你的假期,都会是很好的。

 

Yet, inevitably, they always come to an end. And then what? Unsurprisingly, it can be a bit difficult to get back into the strict routine of academic life. It’s not that you don’t want to learn. It’s more that your academic muscles have withered slightly after all of the care-free indulgence you’ve enjoyed during the previous few weeks.

 

但是这样一来,不可避免地,一等到假期结束,你会立马感觉回到学校后无所适从,找不回学习的那种状态了。因为当你松弛了一个假期之后,已经有点跟不上学校中的那种紧张的强度了。

 

And, ironically, the start of a new academic year is often when we need to be on tip-top form. It’s the opportunity to get a head-start on all those upcoming projects, those intimidating goals and those crucial grades.

 

但是这样显然行不通,因为新学期的一开始是重新树立新目标的时候。应该正是我们重新全身心投入到学习中的好时机,使我们制定新学期目标和规划的时候。

 

This can be especially true for language learning. When faced with competition from formal education, self-motivated learning often loses out. This is understandable, of course. Students often experience tremendous amounts of pressure, and language learning can seem like just one more nagging commitment. Perhaps even one that can be ignored a little?

 

语言学习更是需要这种阶段性的计划制定。但是当我们面临来自传统教育竞争压力的时候,往往我们会松懈,持续不了继续奋发图强。这很好理解,学生们本来就是会面临很多方面的压力,比如语言学习就会是其中一个。

 

What we need is something to motivate us back into action. And this is what this article intends to provide. Included below are some proven tips for going back to school, college or university with the right mindset for not only maintaining your language learning enthusiasm, but reigniting it.

 

那么我们到底该怎么应对这些压力呢?那么接下来我们这篇文章就会为大家带来一些好方法,帮助大家在假期后回校时可以迅速调整好自己的状态,迎接新一学期。

 

1. Reassess your goals

 

1.重新评估你的目标

 

I’ve mentioned before that concrete goals are the cornerstone of a consistent language learning routine, but when was the last time you updated them? If you’ve been at least slightly disciplined, you must have edged towards at least a few of them. If so, what you need are new goals.

 

我之前提到过语言学习成功的基石就是有明确的学习目标。但是你还可以记得你上一次树立你新目标的时间吗?是不是已经过去很远?那么现在是不是到了该重新确立新目标的时候了呢?

 

These could be anything from mastering a new tense to learning fifty new personality adjectives. The key is making targets that are achievable in the short term and quantifiable. If you’ve been neglecting your language studies, however, reassessing your goals can act more as a reminder of what you should be doing and where you want to be. Either way, it’s a useful tool for getting yourself back on track.

 

这些新的语言学习目标可以是新学习50个性格方面的形容词,也可以是去学习一个新的时态,但是不管怎么样,重点是你要有一个明确的可以在短时间内实践的目标,帮助你来展开你的学习计划。如果你已经很久没有进展你的语言学习,那么或许现在是时候让你自己重新回到学习轨道上面了。

 

2. Remind yourself why you’re learning

 

2.明确自己学习外语的原因

 

When was the last time you reminded yourself why you were learning? Of course, the list of possible reasons is long and varied: to travel in a foreign land, to bag a dream job, to win the respect of your peers. However, it’s easy to forget about this when you’re months or even years into a seemingly never-ending routine of slowly improving your language skills, one small step at a time.

 

距你上一次明确自己学习外语的原因已经有多久了?不论是为了出国旅行,还是找一份梦想中的工作,或是赢得别人的刮目相看。我们当初选择学习一门外语总是有原因的。但是在这之后,我们经常会忘却掉我们学习语言的初衷,逐渐开始漫无目的地展开学习计划。这其实并不是很奏效。

 

So, take a step back. Think about the original reason why you wanted to learn a foreign language. The act of forcing yourself to remember your original aims works wonders for reigniting a passion for language learning. Picture yourself in that exotic market haggling with a salesman or closing that deal in a foreign country using perfectly constructed language. Sometimes the only push you need is remembering why you started on this journey to begin with.

 

所以,这时候,我们需要做的就是退后一步,回顾一下我们当初学外语的初衷。这是很有必要的,它会帮助你重新点燃你学习外语的热情。

 

3. Try a new approach

 

3. 尝试一个新方法

 

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut with language learning. We’ve found a routine that works pretty well and we’ve repeated it until we’re nearly crying with boredom. Well, how about mixing it up? There’s more than one way to learn a language and incorporating a few different learning techniques into our routine can be incredibly effective for inspiring us afresh.

 

有时候我们会在语言学习的旅途中停滞不前。原因是我们厌倦了总是一成不变的学习模式,厌倦了单一的学习方法。或许这时候,我们需要考虑一下,也许变换一下思路,尝试一些别的学习方法或许会给你带来一些意想不到的新思路。

 

This could mean setting ourselves mini challenges that force us to engage with our target language in a new way. Perhaps listening to one foreign language podcast a week or reading an entire novel in the language we’re learning? It could include a complete shake-up of our learning methodology; swapping reading for writing or dry grammar books for online games. But crucially, changing the way we approach learning can seem like a breath of fresh air after sticking to a rigid system for so long.

 

这意味我们需要迎接挑战去尝试用一些新的方法来进行语言学习。比如我们可以去一周听几次外语的广播,或者是读一些外语的小说什么的。放弃你之前一成不变攻读语法书的方法,试试通过玩一个外语游戏来学习外语?这真的很有用,也许变换一下学习方法,会使你有一些意想不到的收获。

 

4. Find an accountability partner

 

4.找一个可靠的语言搭档

 

Language partners on italki are a sure-fire way to improve your conversational skills with a native speaker or a fellow learner. But have you considered using the feature to find an accountability partner? For those not familiar with the term, an accountability partner is someone who helps you keep commitments to learning.

 

语言网站italki就是一个帮助你找语言搭档的学习网站。但是你有没有想过一个靠谱的语言搭档会是什么样的呢?其实说白了,一个靠谱的搭档,就是一个可以督促你完成你语言学习目标的人。

 

This is how it works: shoot a message to your language partner at the start of the week telling them what you intend to learn. It could be twenty-five new pieces of vocabulary or it could be a particularly tricky form. At the end of the week, just let them know how you got on.

 

你可以跟你的语言搭档在每周一开始说好你这周的学习目标。比如可以是学习25个新的词汇或者其他什么的。然后等到一周结束,你可以做一个回顾,看你到底完成了你周计划的多少。

 

The benefit of an accountability partner is that it provides another reason for not getting sidetracked and neglecting your language learning. And remember, this is a mutually beneficial arrangement. So, you should also be acting as the accountability partner for them as well.

 

找一个靠谱语言搭档,督促你完成你学习目标,可以使你精益求精的进展你的语言学习,事半功倍。但是你也要同时对你的语言搭档认真负责啊,这种相互帮助都是对等的。

 

5. Blend language learning with your other commitments

 

5.把语言学习和其他的事情一块来做

 

Academic obligations sometimes have to take priority. This is especially evident during exam periods. So, how can you keep up with your language learning during this time? Well, one way is to incorporate language learning into your existing workload. Studying the history of the British Empire? Try learning the names of all those countries in your target language. Getting caught up in your chemistry homework? How about jotting down the names of standard lab equipment in the language you’re trying to learn?

 

平时学校中的课业任务总是你的首要完成的目标,那么怎么该兼顾你的语言学习计划呢?我的建议是你可以把你的语言学习过程容纳进你平时的课业学习中来。比如如果你要学习大英帝国的历史,你可以顺带记一些关于不同国家的外语词汇。再比如如果你要做你的化学作业,你可以顺带学习一些化学仪器的英文名等。

 

The possibilities for incorporating your target language into your existing academic commitments are almost endless. But the benefits don’t end with improved language acquisition. By combining your “regular” studies with language learning you’re finding new and interesting ways to retain information, thus benefitting both obligations with very minimal extra effort.

 

把外语学习融进你日常的课业中来总是可行的。这样可以使你一举两得,花最少的时间,记完成了作业,有学习了外语。

 

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