选择合适的练习材料很重要。在考虑口语材料的时候,一部分人可能首选比较正式的演讲,像总统演讲,毕业演讲,大场演讲等等;一部分可能首选情景喜剧,像 Friends, The Big Bang Theory;一部分人可能选择新闻,像 BBC,VOA,或者 NPR Radio 这种。
当然,没有说什么材料好或不好,合不合适就看自己的口语目标是什么。
今天主要是想分享下,在生活口语上,我自己会选择什么材料去提升 + 怎么提升。
我会用什么材料
首先,我平时基本不会去看情景喜剧来提升生活口语(不是否认情景喜剧没有帮助,里面确实有很多有用的表达,整体比演讲和新闻这种正式的材料来说更贴近生活,也有很多人是通过整理和模仿情景喜剧里面的表达提升口语的)。
个人不看的原因主要是:
1. 笑点对不上。尝试看过各大口碑不错的 sit coms 但真的笑不出来,而且觉得表演略夸张很难专注看下去,大多一集左右就弃了;
2. 自己能用的表达不多,毕竟是 comedy ,为了一定的效果,对话本身还是会有点刻意。
所以对我来说,为了实现 "自己能坚持下去 + 生活中能用上",就我要寻找一些,话题有趣 + 有用/真实的材料。渐渐后来,比较常用常听的主要是:podcast,interview 以及 vlog。
这几个类型的材料好的地方在于:说话人都是自然思考情况下开口输出。
虽然 podcast 和 interview 确实会有一个中心话题另外说话人会提前准备下,但也就是个大致的话题范围,用词用句和表达还是自然的,不像新闻演讲或者剧集一样是逐字记忆输出。
vlog 就更不用说了,就是日常聊天。另外有很多可挑选的话题,只要自己感兴趣就好,比如 podcast 我会听 After Hours 或者 Pop Culture;interview 我看的就比较杂,通常从自己喜欢的 cast,singers,或者 influencer 开始;vlog 就看 vlogger,一般会避免那些只有拍摄没有说话的 videos,大多可能是聊自己的、讲规划讲生活讲心情、或者记录和朋友出来玩之类的。
一个方面简单提一下,有些人在用这些生活材料去学习口语时,偶尔会发现这样的情况:因为说话人是自然输出,往往语速比较快,导致自己容易跟不上,听不懂,或者听懂了但是不好去积累表达。
所以选择的时候建议大家找有 transcript 的,比如 YouTube 上看 vlog 和 interview(有 caption 和 transcript 可以对照), podcast 选择有 transcript 可以下载的(可以去 podcast 官网看,有些会提供对话全文文本)。
我怎么用材料提升口语
之前强调过很多次,看一遍或者听一遍材料,对口语来说是没有用的。
最终要有用,一定是要到 "开口表达" 这一步。步骤其实很简单,就是 "听" 到 "筛" 到 "说"。
· 听
第一遍放松听/看就好,对整体的内容有个大致的了解,知道这个 podcast / interview / vlog 是在讲什么。只听/看一遍就能全部模仿下来是比较难的。一部分是自己可能会没注意到对自己来说有积累价值的词句,毕竟 interview / vlog 这种材料比较快,很难留意,另外也因为有画面感,理解上不会有障碍,因此有趣的表达不会引起自己的注意;还有就是,如果第一遍看的时候如果又看又记,会很分心,反而让自己不想看了。第二遍再次听/看的时候,因为已经知道整个材料的前后内容,所以重心可以放在表达上,把有用的表达记下来。如果觉得跟不上或者听不出来,就打开 caption 或者 transcript 对照着听/看。
· 筛
那什么表达是有用的呢?每个人需求不同,可能想记的都会不一样。对我来说,可能会额外留意 "简单词表达" ,怎么灵活用简单词表达出各种不同的情绪和看法也不是容易的事情;另外有多个人参与到对话的时候,是怎么对对方进行回应的,有哪些表达是有趣或者陌生的。
· 说
我们当然希望这些写下来的表达在以后类似的场景,在需要的时候,自己能够用上。但实际情况是,我们很难即刻遇到类似的场景;而且在未知的以后,就算真的遇到的,自己当下可能也会忘记(也不可能随时带着个本本去翻)。
因为积累完的表达,最好刻意去练习,练习到熟悉,这样才能让这些表达变成自己的,这样才会在需要表达的时候马上说出口。
讲完了,我们拿个 vlog 举例子:
#1 watch
A Productive Spring Routine
Transcript 在文末
#2 Take Notes
I started it the other day, and I'm now about halfway.
几天前:the other day读/做到一半可以说:I am about halfway
And this book is so hyped up on TikTok.
很火:is hyped up
I really want to make sure that I start off this semester strong.
一开始就努力/全力以赴:start off this semester strong
I also was kind of hoping that I could get a workout in.
希望今天还能做点运动:get a workout in
It was a very slow and dragged out process for me.
漫长拖沓的过程:a slow and dragged out process
I'm really really glad that I now kind of have like a huge weight lifted off my shoulder.
很开心现在一身轻:have a huge weight lifted off my shoulder
I'm gonna give myself a little pat on the back.
拍拍自己肩膀:give oneself a little pat on the back
I wasn't like tempted to use my phone or anything, because I was just genuinely invested in doing this lab.
一点都没想看手机:not tempted to use the phone 因为我真的很投入:be genuinely invested in
I think it's safe to say that I did make the most of this break, I got to rest, and I also got to catch up with my friends that I sometimes don't have a chance to see during the school year.
可以肯定地说 / 可以说:it's safe to say that充分地利用 / 好好利用:make the most of something
I just put on my face mask. I want my skin to have a good start. When I'm stressed out, my skin kind of deteriorates a little.
敷个面膜:put on face mask 皮肤变差了点:one's skin deteriorates a little...
up until the point that I graduate, my grades are going to be like evaluated by the schools that I applied to
直到那一刻:up until the point that
I'm getting nine hours of sleep every night.
睡够九小时:get nine hours of sleep
I think one of my goals is going to be to kind of like work around implementing a workout schedule, on top of like my homework schedule.
打算运动起来:work around implementing a workout schedule 在...以外:on top of
Another goal that I'm gonna make for this term slash semester is going to be to work on setting aside time for like socializing and like seeing my friends.
争取抽时间出来做某事:work on setting aside time for
We jumped into things right away in all of my classes.
马上干正事不废话:jump into things right away
#3 Speak
可以模仿重复以上句子;也可以自己造句练习。只要开口说就好。
Transcript
As you just saw I'm currently reading The Song of Achilles. I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I finished that book, and then I ordered this one. And I also have It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover.I started it the other day, and I'm now about halfway.
And this book is so hyped up on TikTok. People rave about this, and say that it's like the best book they've ever read. I'm halfway and I feel like I'm just like still not really into it. Welcome to my second semester preparation. It's currently Saturday, and I start classes on Tuesday.
So I've got about three days left before I go back to class, and I am feeling not super excited for that to be honest.Basically I just wanted to show you guys kind of how I'm going to get back into the swing of things, because I really want to make sure that I start off this semester strong, because I know right away that I have like assessments in the first week. Coming out of winter break, teachers are a lot less lenient than coming out of summer break, um in terms of like taking things slow and like transitioning out of a break.And reading has actually been something that I've been doing. To prepare me for this semester, I really do want to start creating that habit of reading more frequently than I have in the past. And I really want to make sure that I actually have that habit, kind of like set down once school starts. Definitely if reading more books this year is one of your goals for 2022, then I definitely start getting into that ASAP. Some stuff that I need to do before I get back to school is: my goal was to start this chemistry lab that I have to do ASAP. And then also I have some stats notes that I need to take, because um we have to take the notes for this chapter over the break. I was about halfway in these notes before the break started, so I just have like half left to do. I also have a video that I need to watch and take notes on for calc. And today I also was kind of hoping that I could get a workout in, but I'm not really sure if I have time for that. So instead of doing chemistry, because I'd like to procrastinate, I just submitted my self-reported grades for a university that I'm applying to. I basically have submitted all of my university stuff that I need to submit. If you watch my videos from all of first term, then you would know how much I wanted to finish my university applications, and to just get them done.
It was a very slow and dragged out process for me. It took a really long time but I'm really really glad that I now kind of have like a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. I don't have to work on any university applications anymore. And I'm so happy about that I'm gonna give myself a little pat on the back. The last thing that I need to submit is just like another set of self-reported grade to McGill. It's good because I've actually gotten some university acceptances, because I applied early action to some schools, but I'm not gonna like say anything on here yet I feel like it's just good for me to just wait. Once everything comes out, other seniors who are watching this, who finish their university applications, I wish you all the best of luck. So I'm going to eat my lunch now actually and then we're going to get into Chemistry. I'm not gonna lie, this is actually kind of fun that I've been working on. I literally worked on it for like a straight hour without any breaks. And I wasn't like tempted to use my phone or anything, because I was just genuinely invested in doing this lab. That's what happens when I have a break from school. Like I actually want to do work. Tomorrow Monday I'm going to do the actual like lab write-up, because I want to do a workout in 30 minutes, and I need to make my own dinner, and then I'm heading to Kate's tonight, because I'm sleeping over at her place. Today I'm doing a lower body workout. I literally just did a lower body workout in my last video, my 2022 video. Don't think that I only work out lower body, this is my fourth time working out this week, the two days in between my filming days, I did two upper body workouts. I'm hoping that the next time that I film a workout, it works out with like my schedule, and I'm actually doing an upper body workout, because y'all don't need to see me do legs again. So welcome to the last day of the winter break, I have no school today because it's like a professional development day. Last night I went out for dinner with Thomas, it was really really good. It's nice we got to dress up, and it was very very fun. I think it's safe to say that I did make the most of this break, I got to rest, and I also got to catch up with my friends that I sometimes don't have a chance to see during the school year. Today I'm going to be taking some stats notes, what I'm going to be doing right now, because I have stats tomorrow I checked my schedule, and gosh, this is a really long chapter. I also have that Chem lab that I mentioned, so I'm going to start that today, and then basically I have Chem on Wednesday. So I'll have time after school tomorrow to finish that up. I refuse to go into this semester behind all my stats, I'm doing this now. The day has come for the return of the plant study app. This app is called Flora, for all of you asking. I get asked this in every single video and I mention it all the time. It's Chem lab time. I need to do this right now, like I need to do this right now. I need to try and sleep early tonight, cross my fingers that I actually fall asleep. I'm gonna have to start this today, and then finish it tomorrow, like I said, because I want to sleep early, and like get ready for tomorrow. I just put on my face mask. I want my skin to have a good start. When I'm stressed out, my skin kind of deteriorates a little. The last thing that I want to do before tomorrow, is set some goals for the new semester. To be honest, I haven't actually like fully written down my new year's resolutions, and like my intentions for this new year. I've only kind of like thought about it. But I want to actually write down some goals, and specifically for this video, some school related ones, that i can remember and work towards, for the next few months at least. I think I'm now definitely a very different sort of like academic headspace, because in a few weeks, as people like to say when they're in grade 12, like my grades won't matter. That's not necessarily true, because literally up until the point that I graduate, my grades are going to be like evaluated by the schools that I applied to, to make sure that i like actually graduate and like pass on my classes. So I'm not really sure if like marks or something like that is kind of like a goal that I'm gonna be working towards, I think that one of my goals that i always have for school is to make sure that I'm getting nine hours of sleep every night, that was my goals for my last term and it went really well actually, because I got like eight and a half hours of sleep pretty much every single night, which was really nice. I think one of my goals is going to be to kind of like work around implementing a workout schedule, on top of like my homework schedule, because I'm not doing club volleyball this term, which I normally do, so I kind of want to fill up that time with like working out at home. Another goal that I'm gonna make for this term slash semester is going to be to work on setting aside time for like socializing and like seeing my friends, because that's definitely something that I have struggled with so much, like in the past, and even like in the last few months, and like even in december, like the last few weeks before winter break. It was such a struggle for you to like make the time to have like a social life on top of school. So I'm definitely gonna write that down, and I really do want to work towards that, especially because these are my last like six months of high school and so I really want to make sure that I'm actually spending time with my friends and not just doing homework all the time. Okay I think I'm good with that. I survived the first day. It was a long day. We jumped into things right away in all of my classes. It's really weird coming back home straight after school, because all of last term I had volleyball after school, so I was basically staying at school from like 8 a.m to 7 p.m, because my volleyball was from five to seven, so I would just like do homework from 3:30 to 5:00. That's not the case anymore. I'm basically coming home like this every single day after school, which is kind of sad, not gonna lie. So I'm gonna get to work with my Chem lab now, like I mentioned I need to finish it today, because I have Chem tomorrow and I just want to finish it before I walk into class. I also need to do some AP World History notes, because we have a test next week.