That's what I want to talk about in this video, and I think this is a really important topic because when we talk about language learning, when I talk about language learning in my videos, in my podcast, or when you hear other people talk about language learning, none of us usually makes the distinction between learning English and learning other languages, but there are some major differences, and I think that because of these differences, it's almost like a separate category, like English learning versus learning other languages.

我認為這是一個非常重要的話題，因為當我們談論語言學習時，當我在我的視頻、播客中談論語言學習時，或者當你聽到其他人談論語言學習時，我們通常都不會區分學習英語和學習其他語言，但這兩者之間存在一些重大差異，我認為正因為這些差異，這幾乎就像是一個獨立的類別，比如英語學習和其他語言學習。

Of course, English is a language, so learning English is learning a language, obviously.

當然，英語是一門語言，所以學習英語顯然也是在學習一門語言。

But as I go through my points in this video, I think you'll kind of get what I'm talking about here.

但當我在視頻中闡述我的觀點時，我想你會明白我在說什麼。

How learning English is not exactly comparable to learning Spanish, learning French, learning Greek, whatever.

學習英語與學習西班牙語、法語、希臘語等並不完全相同。

So I think you're going to enjoy this one.

所以，我想你會喜歡這本書的。

I think that you will be able to sympathize with or identify with the points that I'm going to give here today.

我想，你們會同情或認同我今天在這裡提出的觀點。

Before we continue, remember to hit that little notification bell so you get notified when I release new videos, and please go down and check out those links that I have down below for my membership for my U.S.

在我們繼續之前，請記得點擊那個小通知鈴，這樣當我發佈新視頻時您就會收到通知。

Conversations podcast, in which I talk to different native speakers from around the country at normal speed, and I provide the transcript with definitions of key words and phrases.

在 "對話 "播客中，我以正常語速與來自全國各地的不同母語人士交談，並在文字稿中提供關鍵詞和短語的定義。

It's great practice for your listening, so go down and check that out after the video, and I'll remind you about it at the end.

這是很好的聽力練習，請在視頻結束後下去看看，我在最後會提醒你的。

So let's talk about this topic.

讓我們來談談這個話題。

English is not like other languages when we talk about it in the context of language learning.

就語言學習而言，英語與其他語言不同。

So first of all, let me talk about the obligation that many people have to learn English.

是以，首先讓我談談許多人學習英語的義務。

Many people around the world are supposed to learn English.

世界上有許多人應該學習英語。

You don't have a choice.

你別無選擇。

This is the language that is assigned to you in school.

這是學校分配給您的語言。

It's important for you to learn it for different reasons.

出於不同的原因，學習它對你來說很重要。

Maybe you need a certain level of English in order to graduate or get into a university or whatever it may be.

也許你需要達到一定的英語水平才能畢業或進入大學，或者其他什麼要求。

Of course, getting a job or whatever.

當然，找工作什麼的。

But there is this sense of obligation, like English is just something that you have to learn.

但有一種義務感，就好像英語是必須要學的東西。

I'm sure many of you can identify with that feeling.

我相信很多人都能體會到這種感覺。

Maybe you don't even like learning English, and I'm sorry if that's you, because really you're just doing it because you have to do it.

也許你根本就不喜歡學英語，如果你是這樣的話，我很抱歉，因為實際上你只是因為不得不學才學的。

Maybe if it were up to you, you would choose a different language, but you can't because you need English.

也許如果由你決定，你會選擇另一種語言，但你不能，因為你需要英語。

So English has this element of obligation packaged into it, and this is something that many people around the world can identify with.

是以，英語中包含了義務的元素，這是全世界許多人都能認同的。

Not everyone, but many people feel this obligation, and that's very different from learning a language because it's your choice to learn a language.

不是每個人都有這種義務，但很多人都有這種義務，這與學習語言是完全不同的，因為學習語言是你自己的選擇。

So that's something that I can't identify with because I'm a native English speaker, and here in the U.S., we have to take foreign language classes, obviously.

所以這一點我無法認同，因為我的母語是英語，而在美國，我們顯然必須上外語課。

When I was in school, I took Spanish classes, but I don't think any of us really have that feeling when we take these classes that this language is going to be really useful for us.

我上學的時候上過西班牙語課，但我覺得我們每個人在上這些課的時候，都沒有真正感覺到這門語言會對我們真正有用。

Like, we're really going to need this language that we're learning.

比如，我們真的需要我們正在學習的這門語言。

I would say, at least in my experience, the majority of people in their Spanish class, or their French class, or whatever, they don't really think that this is going to be a super useful language for them in the future.

我想說的是，至少根據我的經驗，大多數人在上西班牙語課、法語課或其他課時，並不覺得這門語言將來會對他們超級有用。

Some people do think like that, but they're probably in the minority.

有些人確實是這麼想的，但他們可能是少數。

So yes, we have to learn a foreign language in high school, or I don't know how it is nowadays, but for me, when I was in high school, I had to do this.

所以是的，我們必須在高中學習一門外語，我不知道現在的情況如何，但對我來說，當我在高中時，我必須這樣做。

So yes, you were forced to learn English, probably.

所以是的，你可能是被迫學習英語的。

I was forced to do another language, but the difference is the obligation I had was just, okay, I just got to pass these classes, and then I'm done.

我被迫學習另一門語言，但不同的是，我所承擔的義務只是：好吧，我只要通過這些課程，然後我就完了。

I don't ever have to think about that again.

我再也不用考慮這個問題了。

In your case, it's probably not like that.

你的情況可能並非如此。

You probably didn't just think, okay, as soon as I pass my English class, I'm done.

你可能不只是想，好吧，只要我通過了英語課，我就大功告成了。

I don't need to do any more English study or whatever.

我不需要再學習英語什麼的了。

That's probably not what you had in mind, because the obligation in other countries for speakers of other languages is much greater in terms of their English learning.

這可能不是你所想的，因為在其他國家，講其他語言的人在英語學習方面的義務要大得多。

So that's a big difference.

是以，這是一個很大的區別。

Everyone around the world learns English.

全世界的人都在學習英語。

They feel like they have to learn English.

他們覺得自己必須學習英語。

We, on the other hand, in the US or in other English-speaking countries, we don't really have to learn other languages, and that kind of sounds arrogant, and I'm not trying to say it like that.

反觀我們，在美國或其他英語國家，我們並不需要學習其他語言，這聽起來有點傲慢，我並不想這麼說。

You know me.

你瞭解我的。

I'm a language guy, so I don't have that mindset that, oh, I'm good with English.

我是學語言的，所以我沒有那種 "哦，我英語很好 "的想法。

Everyone else is learning my language.

其他人都在學我的語言。

I'm okay.

我沒事

No, I'm a language learner.

不，我是語言學習者。

I want to learn other people's languages.

我想學習別人的語言。

I want to talk to people in their language.

我想用人們的語言與他們交流。

I love that, but for many English speakers, native speakers, the feeling is, well, everyone else learns English.

我喜歡這種感覺，但對許多以英語為母語的人來說，他們的感覺是，別人都在學英語。

Everyone can help me out in English.

大家可以用英語幫我。

Not everyone, but many people can help me out in English when I'm traveling, when I'm abroad.

雖然不是每個人，但很多人都能在我旅行或出國時用英語幫助我。

There are many English speakers, so they don't really feel this need to learn another language since everyone else is learning English.

講英語的人很多，所以他們並不覺得有必要學習另一種語言，因為其他人都在學習英語。

So that's a big, big difference, and learning something when you're forced to do it because you need it, you have to do it, that's different from learning something because you have a desire to do it, and you might be less motivated to learn English than I am to learn French or whatever even though you have a greater need for English than I have for French simply because you're forced to do it, and it's not something you would choose to do.

是以，這是一個很大很大的區別，當你被迫去做一件事，因為你需要它，你必須去做，這與你有願望去做而去學習是不同的，你學習英語的動力可能不如我學習法語或其他，即使你對英語的需求比我對法語的需求更大，只是因為你被迫去做，而這不是你會選擇去做的事。

Maybe because of that, you have trouble concentrating on it, you're not excited to do your English learning.

也許正因為如此，你很難集中精力學習，對英語學習提不起興趣。

I hope my channel and my podcast make you a little more excited.

我希望我的頻道和播客能讓你更興奮一點。

Leave a comment down below, and let me know if my content is more interesting for you than your typical English study materials.

請在下面留言，告訴我我的內容是否比一般的英語學習材料更吸引你。

I hope it is.

但願如此。

But yeah, for someone that's not really, or someone who didn't choose to learn English and they just have to do it, that can be something that hinders their progress.

但是，對於那些並不是真的想學英語的人，或者那些並沒有選擇學英語而只是不得不學的人來說，這可能會阻礙他們的進步。

It doesn't let them progress the same way that someone else might progress if they're learning because they're really interested in English.

如果他們是因為對英語真正感興趣才學習的，那麼他們就不會像其他人那樣取得進步。

They really want to learn English, right?

他們真的想學英語，對嗎？

So for some people, it's just a chore.

是以，對有些人來說，這只是一件苦差事。

They just have to do it, and that's unfortunate, but that's the world that we live in, right?

他們不得不這樣做，這很不幸，但這就是我們生活的世界，不是嗎？

So let me talk about the status of English now.

現在讓我談談英語的現狀。

So obviously, this is not even debatable.

是以，這顯然是無可爭議的。

English is the most important language for business, for the internet, right?

英語是商業和互聯網最重要的語言，對嗎？

Just using the internet and finding information, different resources.

只是利用互聯網查找資訊和不同的資源。

Obviously, English is the most important language for that.

顯然，英語是最重要的語言。

For technology, the tech industry, right?

對於技術，科技行業，對嗎？

For travel, I'm sure some of you have traveled to other countries where you don't speak that language, but you speak some English, and so you use English to communicate in that other country, even though they don't speak English in that country.

在旅行方面，我相信你們中的一些人曾到過其他國家旅行，在那裡你不會說那種語言，但你會說一些英語，是以你在其他國家使用英語交流，儘管他們在那個國家不說英語。

It's not their official language.

這不是他們的官方語言。

So even for traveling in other countries that aren't English-speaking countries, English is really important, right?

是以，即使是去其他非英語國家旅行，英語也非常重要，對嗎？

Obviously, just the communication that people have between different countries, among different countries, between governments, individuals, whoever, right?

很明顯，這只是人們在不同國家之間、不同國家之間、政府之間、個人之間的交流，對嗎？

And just communication in general with the world.

以及與世界的一般交流。

If you want to talk to a lot of people, people from different countries, probably the most efficient way to do that is to learn English because you'll have access to all those other people that are learning English or have learned English or who speak English natively.

如果你想與很多人交談，與來自不同國家的人交談，最有效的方法可能就是學習英語，因為你可以接觸到所有那些正在學習英語、已經學會英語或以英語為母語的人。

So English is really, really important for all of those different things.

是以，英語對所有這些不同的事情都非常非常重要。

But not only that.

不僅如此。

I'm not only referring to just English's status in the world and its importance.

我指的不僅僅是英語在世界上的地位及其重要性。

I want to also focus on just the fact that speaking English in these other countries, like if you live in Mexico, if you live in Brazil or wherever, and you speak English, that can be a status symbol for you, right?

我還想強調一個事實，那就是在其他國家說英語，比如你住在墨西哥、巴西或其他地方，如果你會說英語，這對你來說就是一種身份的象徵，對嗎？

Like if you speak English and you speak it pretty well, society might view that as a status symbol.

比如，如果你會說英語，而且說得很好，社會可能會把這視為一種地位的象徵。

Like maybe it means that your family put you in a private school where they had an English program there.

也許這意味著你的家人把你送進了一所私立學校，那裡有英語課程。

It was a bilingual school with native-speaking English teachers or whatever.

那是一所雙語學校，有以英語為母語的教師之類的。

I've known people in Mexico that went to English schools and so they spoke English pretty well and it's kind of like a status symbol.

我認識一些在墨西哥上英語學校的人，他們的英語說得很好，這就像是一種身份的象徵。

Like you know, oh, okay, they studied at a private school.

就像你知道的，哦，好吧，他們在私立學校學習。

That's an indicator of status in many places, right?

這在很多地方都是地位的象徵，不是嗎？

Or maybe it means you studied with a private tutor or you had an opportunity to do an exchange program or whatever.

或者，這意味著您曾跟隨私人教師學習，或者您有機會參加交換生項目或其他項目。

And all of that kind of raises your status a little bit in these different countries.

所有這些都會提高你在不同國家的地位。

And people just look at you as being more educated, more cultured.

人們只會覺得你更有教養、更有文化。

I'm not saying that I think that, right?

我不是說我這麼想，對嗎？

If you don't speak English, I don't think that you're less educated.

如果你不會說英語，我不認為你的受教育程度就低。

I don't agree with that at all, right?

我完全不同意，對嗎？

I think that probably most of the most brilliant people I know only speak one language, right?

我想，我認識的大多數最傑出的人可能只會說一種語言，對嗎？

Whether that's English or whether that's Spanish or whatever.

無論是英語還是西班牙語或其他語言。

So speaking more than one language is not an indicator of education.

是以，會說一種以上的語言並不是教育的指標。

But people have that idea like, oh, wow, he speaks English.

但人們的想法是，哇，他會說英語。

She speaks English.

她會說英語。

Wow, he has a pretty good English or accent in English.

哇，他的英語或英語口音還真不錯。

Whoa, you know, people view that in other countries as a status symbol.

哇哦，要知道，在其他國家，人們把這看作是身份的象徵。

But for me, that's not the case.

但對我來說，情況並非如此。

Like if I go out and speak Spanish in the streets, nobody is looking at me like, oh, wow, this guy is, you know, of high status, right?

比如，如果我上街說西班牙語，沒人會像這樣看著我：哦，哇，這傢伙，你知道，地位很高，對嗎？

No one thinks that way when it's the opposite.

當事情恰恰相反時，沒人會這麼想。

In the U.S., people don't really think about languages.

在美國，人們並不真正考慮語言問題。

It's not something that even crosses their mind for the most part, okay?

在大多數情況下，他們根本不會想到這個問題，好嗎？

But in other countries, having that English high level or even just an intermediate level of English, to someone who doesn't speak English, your intermediate English sounds good.

但在其他國家，擁有高水平的英語，甚至只是中級水準的英語，對於不會說英語的人來說，你的中級英語聽起來就很不錯。

So that can give you a sort of status in that country, right?

是以，這可以讓你在該國獲得某種身份，對嗎？

So you might feel that pressure to want to be one of the people that speaks English, right?

是以，你可能會感到有壓力，想成為講英語的人中的一員，對嗎？

If you see a tourist, you know, that comes into your coffee shop and you're the barista or whatever, you might feel that pressure like, oh, I want to speak English to this person.

如果你看到一個遊客來到你的咖啡店，而你是咖啡師或其他什麼人，你可能會感到壓力，比如，哦，我想和這個人說英語。

And if you do that, your coworkers might look at you like, whoa, you speak English.

如果你這樣做了，你的同事可能會這樣看你：哇，你會說英語。

Okay, you get my point.

好吧，你明白我的意思了。

It's kind of like a status thing in other places.

在其他地方，這就像是一種身份象徵。

People want to show off that they speak English.

人們想炫耀自己會說英語。

I'm not saying you are like this, but many, many people are like this.

我不是說你是這樣的人，但很多很多人都是這樣的。

Trust me, I've lived abroad for many years.

相信我，我在國外生活了很多年。

And when people see me, they often want to show off and speak English to me, even when it's completely unnecessary, uncalled for.

當人們看到我時，他們經常想炫耀一下，跟我說英語，即使這完全是不必要的，沒有必要的。

I don't remember if I've told this story before.

我不記得以前是否講過這個故事。

I think I might have once.

我想我可能有過一次。

I was at the doctor's office or a hospital in Mexico for my son, for an issue that he had.

我在墨西哥的醫生辦公室或醫院為我的兒子看病，因為他有一個問題。

And I was talking to this doctor who just came in and telling him the story of everything that happened.

我和剛進來的醫生交談，告訴他發生的一切。

And he interrupts me in the middle of me talking about what happened to say, oh, you can speak English to me if you want.

他在我講到一半時打斷我說，哦，如果你願意，可以跟我說英語。

And that honestly really frustrated me.

說實話，這真的讓我很沮喪。

Like, I was in the middle of telling him this really important piece of information about my son, like trying to explain to him the details of what was happening.

比如，我正在告訴他關於我兒子的重要資訊，試圖向他解釋事情的細節。

And the only thing going through his brain, this doctor that we're paying is, oh, let me show him that I'm educated and I speak English.

我們付錢給這位醫生時，他腦子裡想的唯一一件事就是：哦，讓他看看我受過教育，會說英語。

And he literally interrupts me as I'm talking.

我說話的時候，他真的會打斷我。

You know, I'm speaking fluent Spanish.

你知道，我說的是流利的西班牙語。

It's not like I'm stumbling over my sentences.

我的句子又不是磕磕巴巴的。

I'm just explaining to him what happened.

我只是在向他解釋發生了什麼事。

And he thinks that it's a good time to stop me and to show off that he speaks English.

他認為這是攔住我、炫耀自己會說英語的好時機。

And at that point, I don't remember if I just turned to my wife and I'm like, you talk to this guy.

那時候，我不記得我是否轉過身對我妻子說，你去跟這傢伙談談。

Like, I was in a really bad mood because of what was happening with my son already.

比如，因為兒子的事情，我的心情已經非常糟糕了。

He was having issues.

他遇到了問題。

And that just really ticked me off.

這讓我非常生氣。

And I just couldn't believe it.

我簡直不敢相信。

But that is how many people feel like they want to show off that they speak English.

但是，很多人就是這樣覺得，他們想炫耀自己會說英語。

And for a native English speaker, let me just tell you, it's not something that we get really impressed by.

對於一個以英語為母語的人來說，讓我告訴你，這並不是一件讓我們印象深刻的事情。

I'm not saying that in a negative way, in a mean way.

我這麼說並不是消極的，也不是刻薄的。

Don't take this personally.

別往心裡去。

We just don't tend to really care that much when someone can speak English well or not well.

我們並不太關心一個人的英語說得好壞。

As long as we can understand each other, right?

只要我們能互相理解，對嗎？

And that's honestly like a positive thing for you.

老實說，這對你來說是件好事。

Like, I always talk about this.

就像我經常說的那樣。

If you can speak English in a way that allows the native speaker to understand you, that's amazing.

如果你的英語口語能讓母語人士聽懂，那就太了不起了。

They're not going to care about the mistakes you make and other things that you say that are a little bit off.

他們不會在意你犯的錯誤，也不會在意你說的其他有點不對的地方。

As long as it doesn't affect the meaning.

只要不影響意思就行。

They just want to know what you're saying and communicate with you in a meaningful way.

他們只想知道你在說什麼，並與你進行有意義的交流。

So, it's actually a good thing for you that native speakers don't really care this much.

所以，母語使用者並不太在意這些，這對你來說其實是件好事。

They don't really care that much about, you know, what level you have.

他們並不太關心你的級別。

But I think in English learners' minds, they think that native speakers place a lot of importance on this.

但我認為，在英語學習者的心目中，他們認為以英語為母語的人非常重視這一點。

And they really want to show off and show their skills.

他們真的很想炫耀和展示自己的技能。

That's not really the case for English.

英語並非如此。

It is for other languages like, you know, an English speaker learning Chinese or learning Spanish.

它適用於其他語言，比如英語學習者學習中文或西班牙語。

That does tend to spark a reaction like, Whoa, you speak Spanish really well.

這的確會引發一種反應，比如 "哇，你的西班牙語說得真好"。

Oh, you speak Chinese really well.

哦，你的中文說得真好。

But that's because the people who speak those languages aren't as accustomed to people learning their language.

但這是因為說這些語言的人並不習慣人們學習他們的語言。

But let me tell you, English speakers are really, really accustomed to foreigners learning English.

但讓我告訴你，說英語的人真的非常非常習慣外國人學英語。

It's not some strange thing.

這不是什麼奇怪的事情。

It's something we deal with all the time, especially if we live in big cities.

這是我們經常要面對的問題，尤其是生活在大城市的人。

We see this all the time.

我們經常看到這種情況。

So, that's not a huge thing for us.

所以，這對我們來說不是什麼大事。

You know, I'm not saying that to downplay the effort that you've made to learn English.

我這麼說並不是要貶低你學習英語的努力。

I want that to encourage you so that you don't feel scared to talk to native speakers, right?

我希望以此鼓勵你們，這樣你們就不會害怕與母語人士交談了，對嗎？

They don't really care about what level you have as long as they can understand you and you can understand them.

只要他們能聽懂你的話，你也能聽懂他們的話，他們並不在乎你的水準如何。