BBC六分钟英语|靠App能学会一门语言吗?

6 Minute English｜BBC Learning English

①Do language apps really help adults learn effectively?  

②What is the difference between implicit and explicit learning?  

③What did the study comparing app users and classroom learners find?

💡参考答案见留言区

Neil

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

大家好，欢迎收听BBC英语学习的《六分钟英语》。我是尼尔。

Pippa

And I'm Pippa. Apps like Duolingo, Babbel and Busuu all aim to help you learn a language, but do they really help? We'll be trying to answer that question in today's episode of 6 Minute English, and as usual we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary too.

我是皮帕。像多邻国（Duolingo）、巴贝尔（Babbel）和博树（Busuu）这样的应用都旨在帮助你学习一门语言，但它们真的有用吗？我们将在今天的《六分钟英语》节目中尝试回答这个问题，并且像往常一样，我们还会学习一些实用的新词汇。

Neil

Yes, and don't forget to head to our website for a transcript of this episode and a free worksheet to test what you've learnt. It's all at bbclearningenglish.com.

是的，别忘了访问我们的网站，获取本期节目的文字稿和一份免费练习册，用来测试你所学到的内容。尽在bbclearningenglish.com。

Pippa

OK. Neil, let's start with a quiz question. Which of these is not a language you can learn using Duolingo? Is it: a) Latin, b) Klingon, or c) Elvish?

好的。尼尔，我们先来做一个测验题。以下哪一门不是你可以通过多邻国学习的语言？是：a) 拉丁语，b) 克林贡语，还是 c) 精灵语？

Neil

I'm going to say c) Elvish.

我选 c) 精灵语。

Pippa

Well, we'll find out at the end of the programme. Now, people might be familiar with the app Duolingo. And then there are other apps which say they can help you learn a language quickly – Bussuu and Babbel, for example.

好的，我们会在节目结束时揭晓答案。现在，人们可能很熟悉多邻国这款应用。还有其他一些应用声称可以帮助你快速学习一门语言——比如博树和巴贝尔。

Neil

And listeners might be familiar with how they tend to work. You get short lessons which test you on a repeated set of words.

听众们可能很熟悉它们的运作方式。你会上一些短课程，通过反复出现的一组单词来测试你。

Pippa

Right. And many of these apps say they focus on teaching language for situations and implicit learning, rather than directly teaching language rules such as grammar. If something is implicit, it's suggested but not communicated directly.

对。而且这些应用中有许多表示，它们侧重于针对情境的语言教学和隐性学习，而不是直接教授语法等语言规则。如果某件事是“隐性的(implicit)”，那就是说它是被暗示出来的，而不是被直接传达的。

Neil

Yes. So, if you think about how children learn to speak their first language, it's mostly implicit – they don't have lessons. But can this work for adults?

是的。所以，如果你想想孩子们是如何学会说他们的第一语言的，那大多是隐性的——他们并不上课。但这对成年人也有效吗？

Pippa

BBC Radio 4 programme Sliced Bread has been investigating the evidence behind language learning apps. Presenter Greg Foot spoke to language learning expert Professor Elizabeth Wonnacott, or Liz, about implicit learning.

BBC广播4台节目《切片面包》一直在调查语言学习应用背后的证据。主持人格雷格·富特与语言学习专家伊丽莎白·沃纳科特教授，也就是莉兹，谈到了隐性学习。

Professor Elizabeth Wonnacott

There is a very big difference between being a child who gets constantly exposed to this world of language, compared with trying to learn a language a few hours a week. There is quite a bit of evidence that some explicit teaching of, for example, grammar and vocabulary is helpful.

一个不断置身于语言世界中的孩子，与每周只花几个小时尝试学习一门语言的人相比，两者之间存在非常大的差异。有相当多的证据表明，对某些内容进行一些显性教学是有帮助的，比如语法和词汇。

Greg Foot

Got you. So, it would be helpful to try to mimic what children do, which is full immersion, but realistically you're not going to get to those levels.

明白了。所以，尝试模仿孩子们的做法，也就是完全沉浸式学习，会有帮助，但现实中你达不到那种程度。

Neil

Liz says that while children learn their first language implicitly by being constantly surrounded by the language, adults are often learning for only a few hours a week.

莉兹说，虽然孩子们通过不断被语言包围来隐性地学习他们的第一语言，但成年人往往每周只学习几个小时。

Pippa

Yes. So, for adults trying to learn a new language, research has shown that some explicit teaching is helpful. Explicit is the opposite of implicit. So, for example, explicit grammar teaching would be somebody explaining a grammar rule to you.

是的。所以，对于试图学习一门新语言的成年人来说，研究表明一些显性教学是有帮助的。“显性(explicit)”是隐性（implicit）的反义词。所以，举例来说，显性语法教学就是有人向你解释一条语法规则。

Neil

Right. So, adults can't realistically achieve full immersion in a language like children do. Immersion means being completely surrounded by something.

没错。所以，成年人无法现实地像孩子们那样实现完全沉浸式学习。“沉浸(immersion)”意味着被某物完全包围。

Pippa

OK. So, a mixture of the implicit teaching of the apps and some explicit teaching – for example, learning grammar rules – is useful. But Neil, there's limited research about just how effective these apps can be at teaching you a language.

好的。所以，应用的隐性教学与一些显性教学——例如学习语法规则——相结合是有用的。但是尼尔，关于这些应用在教授语言方面的实际效果究竟如何，目前的研究还很有限。

Neil

Indeed, Liz Wonnacott has seen one study she thinks could be interesting though, which compares two groups of Spanish speakers learning English – one using an app and one attending classes – for a similar amount of time. She explains more to BBC Radio 4 programme Sliced Bread.

 确实如此。不过，莉兹·沃纳科特看到了一项她认为可能很有意思的研究，该研究比较了两组以西班牙语为母语、正在学习英语的人——一组使用应用，另一组参加课堂学习——学习时间大致相同。她向BBC广播4台节目《切片面包》做了进一步解释。

Professor Elizabeth Wonnacott

The key finding was that in some of the tests, written grammar tests, the Duolingo learners actually improved a bit more, while actually in a test where they were looking at listening the classroom learners appeared to improve more. So, it's really promising, but of course it's one particular language, in one particular app, against one particular school.

关键发现是，在一些测试中，即书面语法测试中，使用多邻国的学习者实际上进步得更多一些；而在一项考察听力的测试中，课堂学习者的进步似乎更大。所以，这确实很有前景，但当然，这只涉及某一种特定语言、某一款特定应用，以及某一所特定学校。

Pippa

Liz says the key finding from the research is that the app users improved more on written tests, but the classroom learners improved more on listening tests. A key finding is the most important conclusion of a piece of research.

莉兹说，这项研究的关键发现是，使用应用的学习者在书面测试中进步更多，而课堂学习者在听力测试中进步更多。“关键发现(key finding)”是指一项研究最重要的结论。

Neil

Liz says the study is promising, which means it shows signs of being positive.

莉兹说这项研究“有前景(promising)”，这意味着它显示出积极的迹象。

Pippa

Yes. However, Liz points out the limits of the study. It's only looking at one particular language, one particular app and one particular language school. The repetition of one particular here means specific or individual, and Liz would like to see research on more apps, more types of teaching and also more different languages.

是的。不过，莉兹也指出了这项研究的局限性。它只考察了某一种特定语言、某一款特定应用和某一所特定语言学校。这里重复出现的“某一个特定的(one particular)”意思是特定的或个别的。莉兹希望看到针对更多应用、更多教学类型以及更多不同语言的研究。

Neil

Apps can help us learn some parts of a language, but in this study they weren't as successful at improving listening skills, and so Liz concludes that combining learning in apps with some other ways of studying is the best way to try to improve your language skills.

应用可以帮助我们学习一门语言的部分内容，但在这项研究中，它们在提高听力技能方面并不那么成功，因此莉兹得出结论，将应用学习与其他一些学习方式结合起来，是提高语言技能的最佳尝试方式。

Professor Elizabeth Wonnacott

Probably moving forwards, some combination of human teaching and these platforms to give us that repetition is probably going to be the right direction.

也许今后，将人工教学与这些平台相结合，让我们获得那种重复练习，可能是正确的方向。

Neil

As teachers, we'd also suggest doing things that help you improve different skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. So, listening to podcasts or trying to practise speaking with a language exchange partner could be things to combine with learning in apps. Find what works for you.

作为教师，我们也建议做一些有助于提高不同技能的事情——说、听、读、写。所以，听播客或尝试与语言交换伙伴练习口语，可能是可以与应用学习相结合的事情。找到适合你的方法。

Pippa

I think it's time to find out the answer to the quiz question, Neil. I asked you which language you can't learn on Duolingo... and you were right. It's c) Elvish, but you can learn Latin and Klingon, the fictional language from the TV series Star Trek, on Duolingo. And if you did want to improve your Elvish, we did find an app specifically for that.

我想是时候揭晓测试题的答案了，尼尔。我问你哪门语言不能在多邻国上学习……你答对了。是c）精灵语，但你可以在多邻国上学习拉丁语和克林贡语，也就是电视剧《星际迷航》中的虚构语言。如果你确实想提高你的精灵语，我们确实找到了一款专门为此设计的应用。

Neil

Right. Let's recap the vocabulary we learned in this episode. Implicit means suggested but not communicated directly.

好的。让我们回顾一下本期节目学到的词汇。“隐性的(implicit)”意思是暗示出来的，而不是直接传达的。

Pippa

Explicit is the opposite of implicit. It means something is communicated directly.

“显性的(explicit)”是隐性的反义词。意思是某事被直接传达。

Neil

Immersion is the state of being fully surrounded by something.

“沉浸(immersion)”是指被某物完全包围的状态。

Pippa

The key finding of a research study is the most important conclusion of the research.

一项研究的“关键发现(key finding)”是该研究最重要的结论。

Neil

And the phrase one particular means specific or individual.

而短语“某一个特定的(one particular)”意思是特定的或个别的。

implicit [ɪmˈplɪsɪt] adj. 隐性的，含蓄的，暗示的

explicit [ɪkˈsplɪsɪt] adj. 显性的，明确的，清楚的

immersion [ɪˈmɜː(r)ʃn] n. 沉浸，沉浸式学习

key finding 关键发现，主要发现

one particular 某一个特定的，某一种特定的

Duolingo [ˌdjuːəʊˈlɪŋɡəʊ] n. 多邻国（语言学习应用）

Babbel [ˈbæbəl] n. 巴贝尔（语言学习应用）

Busuu [buːsuː] n. 博树（语言学习应用）

Latin [ˈlætɪn] n. 拉丁语

Klingon [ˈklɪŋɒn] n. 克林贡语（《星际迷航》中的虚构语言）

Elvish [ˈelvɪʃ] n. 精灵语（《指环王》等作品中的虚构语言）

mimic [ˈmɪmɪk] vt. 模仿，模拟

promising [ˈprɒmɪsɪŋ] adj. 有前景的，有希望的

📑pdf