7/15 直播 | 開口說外語的心理障礙
Language barrier is only a barrier if you say nothing. Last Saturday I had the honor to have a live chat with 加加，a clinical psychologist based in Taiwan. We talked about the mental block1 language learners encounter especially when it comes to speaking.
語言障礙是障礙因為你不開口。 上週六我有幸與台灣臨床心理師加加（吳加昀）直播聊天，討論語言學習者遇到的口說心理障礙。
☊ 聽文章 Listen to the article
It is okay to think out loud. 說出思考或猜測過程
You may think that you need to have great grammar, logic or reason before you speak, but that is not usually how people talk, even if we try. The process of speaking is organizing and rearranging your thoughts. If you deny yourself the opportunity, ideas are half-baked2. If you are still afraid of speaking, try writing down your thoughts first and consider it a warmup. Again, don’t get hung up3 on grammar when writing first. Focus on developing your ideas.
你可能認為在開口前，句子必須有良好文法、邏輯或因果，但老實說即使我們努力改善，人的說話方式通常都不是長這樣（除非你本身個性就相當安靜一字千金）。 說話的就是組織和重新排列思緒的過程，如果連這個機會都不給自己，那麼可能有的想法或論點就是半生不熟的。 如果仍然害怕開口說話，可以試著寫一些簡單的日常事務的短句，當成大腦的英文暖身。寫句子的同時先著重思緒的脈絡，文法先擺一旁。
「環境刺激多變、資訊流動過於快速，現代人慣於接收訊息，有問題直接上網估狗找答案又方便快速，較不習慣自行摸索。 『與人建立關係』需要好奇心（small talk和聊天都是探索彼此的歷程）；『生活中遇到狀況』需要思考調適與解決方法。 就算對方在談的話題不是很理解，也可以問對方相關內容、自行做一些推測再向對方確認正確性、或請對方介紹。如：對《芭比》沒概念，可以猜看看在演什麼，問對方是不是自己想像中的那樣？或是雖然沒關注《芭比》，但滿想看《奧本海默》。」
- 臨床心理師吳家昀
Get good at asking questions. 提問是你的利器
Allow yourself to be a beginner. Actively listen, summarize, take a guess or ask a question.
It is scary to speak with new people and about things you may not know. Yet it is a great opportunity to learn so don’t beat yourself up4 over vocabulary. One trick people use is to summarize what the person just said in a sentence, you can take a guess & think out loud5, then ask a question based on it. Sometimes the simplest question will give you the best response and interaction. It may also change the dynamic6 of the conversation. Some research suggests that people tend to like those who ask questions. Asking questions does not mean that you are stupid.
給自己成為一個初學者的機會，積極傾聽、整理想法、猜測或提問。
與新朋友會話或談你可能不知道的事情是很可怕沒錯，但這就是一個學習機會，所以不要因為單字量而不斷自責。 有一個可以嘗試的技巧是，聽完對方後簡短一句話總結，說出你猜測的意義，再提出問題。 有時最簡單的問題會給你最好的回覆和互動對話，甚至可能改變兩人對話的互動模式。 一些研究顯示，人們傾向於喜歡那些會提問的人，問問題並不代表你很笨！
Don’t take it too seriously. 別太認真
Especially in an English-learning environment, like an online English class. When someone asks you a question, your answer does not always have to represent who you are. Let judgements go and you may learn more. We all study languages for different reasons. Feeling good about it is the first step to making progress. Don’t take yourself too seriously. This is the benefit of learning as an adult.
尤其是在線上課程這種英語學習環境中。當有人問你問題時，你的答案並不一定要代表你這個人（像是電視頻道結尾都會放一句『此節目言論並不代表本台立場』），放下批評的心態你可能會學到更多。 大家學習語言的原因各不相同，感覺良好是進展的第一步。有時不用太認真，這就是成人求學的好處，不用再當安靜乖學生啦！
如果想分享想法可以直接私訊聯絡巴奈，you are not alone!
mental block = mental barrier 心理障礙、挑戰
half-baked (adj) 半生不熟、未經思考、不成熟的（點子）
get hung up on something 過度拘泥執著
beat oneself up 過度自責
think out loud 說出思考過程、闡述未成熟的想法
dynamic (of a relationship) (n) 互動模式