谈如何提高英语口语能力

What’s the way to practise speaking in a non-English environment?

在非英语环境中练习说英语能力的最佳途径是什么?

Lack of opportunity to use the language is every student’s problem. That’s why, in China for example, foreigners are often rapidly surrounded by young people who want to practise theirEnglish. (I know, because it’s often happened to me.) Unfortunately, the visitors have their own agenda, which doesn’t necessarily include being used for English practice!

The only natural way to use English in a non-English speaking environment occurs when you are dealing with foreigners who are visiting your country and who are using English as the medium of communication. (A visitor’s English might be non-native as well.) You will then use English quite naturally when you are entertaining, showing your visitors the sights, etc. Human beings love to exchange information about themselves and their families, so there is always plenty to talk about.

If you don’t come into contact with foreigners for professional purposes, then arrange to meet other local people who want to practise speaking English, just as you do. You collectively decide that you will use English only and help and correct each other as necessary. Do this regularly. Choose a topic in advance, so that members of the group can think about it and prepare some of the vocabulary they will need. Turn it into a pleasant social occasion when you meet at someone's house or go out together as a group. It will do wonders for your spoken English.

缺少机会运用语言是每一个学生所面临的问题。这也是为什么在中国外国人能够很快被想练习说英语的年轻人围住。(我当然知道，因为类似的事经常发生在我身上。)遗憾的是，来访的人都有自己的日程安排，不一定能腾出时间与中国学生练习英语!

那么在非英语环境中使用英语的惟一可行办法是与在你的国家参观访问的外国人交往：与把英语作为交际媒介的人交往。(外国人讲的英语未必是自己的母语。)这样，你会在带领外国朋友进行旅游消遣活动时，很自然地使用英语。人们喜欢互相交流有关他们自己及家庭方面的情况，所以总是有很多东西可以谈。

如果你的职业无法使你接触到外国人，那么可以找一些想练习说英语的本地人彼此谈谈。大家可以决定只准许用英语交谈，必要时互相帮助修改错误。定期做这种练习。事先选定一个题目，以便小组中的成员可以事先思考，准备所需的词汇。当你们相聚在某人家里或者作为一个集体外出时，你们之间的谈话就会变成一次温馨的社交活动。你们的英语口语水平也就会因此突飞猛进了。

Which is more important, fluency or accuracy?

说英语的流利程度和精确性哪个更重要呢?

The idea that there is a clash between fluency and accuracy is quite false: they are equally important. There are times when we concentrate on fluency and times when we concentrate on accuracy. We don’t give or require grammatical explanations with the same high level of intensity all the time. For example, if we are conducting a conversation lesson, our main objective is to build up the student’s confidence and to give the student the opportunity to express him/herself freely. In this situation, fluency takes precedence over accuracy. We tolerate a great deal of error. If, for example, a student says *He go* (for He goes) we might completely ignore the mistake and leave it uncorrected. Our main criterion is that the student is making him/herself understood. We listen. We don’t interrupt. After the student has finished speaking, we praise the student’s effort and give him/her as much encouragement as possible. We correct only those errors (just one or two) that have really interfered with communication.

If, on the other hand, you are drilling students in some aspect of language like always remembering to add ’s to the third person singular in the simple present (He goes, not *He go*) then you want 100% accuracy and you don’t accept anything less. What is acceptable in one situation may be quite unacceptable in another!

那种认为说英语的流利程度和精确性不能兼容的观点很站不住脚：其实，它们同样重要。在说英语时，有时我们讲求流利，有时我们讲求它的准确。此时，我们对语法解释的要求不是一成不变的。比如，在组织一堂会话课的教学时，主要目标是增强学生们的信心以及给学生们提供一个自由表达的机会。在这种情形下，说英语的流畅程度比准确更重要。我们允许犯很多错误。比如，如果一个学生把He goes说成*He go*，我们尽可以忽略不计，把它放在一边。我们此时衡量学生的标准是看他是否让人懂得他的意思。我们只听，而不打断他的讲话。在学生发言完毕之后，我们要表扬他为此付出努力，尽量给予更多的鼓励。我们只纠正确实影响交流的一两处错误。

如果你在着重训练学生其他方面的技能，比如一般现在时第三人称单数加-s(说He goes,而不说*He go*)，那么你讲求的就是语言上百分之百的正确，否则你不会接受。其实，任何事物都不是一成不变的，在一种情形中可接受的准则在另一种情况下则很不可接受。