如果我們能改變我們的口音、詞彙和語法，使自己說英語聽起來就像母語是英語的人，生活就會簡單得多。與此同時，如果你想說英語就像本地人一樣，你必須付出一些努力。但它可能不像你想象的那麼難。
有一些實用的步驟，你可以遵循，它們會使你說英語聽起來更流利，更像一種母語，從你的發音到你對詞彙的用法。
有了這些技巧，再加上耐心和練習，你很快就會成為一種語言變色龍。
1. Get Familiar with Different English Accents
1 .熟悉瞭解不同的英語口音
There are many different accents among native English speakers. Someone from New York sounds different from someone who grew up in Texas.
母語為英語的人有許多不同的口音。來自紐約的人聽起來不同於在德克薩斯州長大的人。
And of course, you must have heard the Queen’s English (the standard English of Britain). I’ll tell you right now that not everyone there sounds like their queen. Then there are the Scots, Welsh and Irish who speak English with different accents.
當然，你一定聽說過女王的英語(英國標準英語)。我現在就告訴你，不是所有人都像他們的女王一樣。然後是蘇格蘭人、威爾士人和愛爾蘭人用不同的口音說英語。
Here’s a fun thing to do. Go to YouTube and search for videos of people trying to do different English accents. Not all are good (or correct) but they’ll give you an idea of how many English accents there are. Here’s a good example you can start with.Done with the fun? Now back to business!
這是一件有趣的事情。去YouTube上搜索那些嘗試不同英語口音的人的視頻。不是所有的都好(或正確)，但他們會告訴你有多少英國口音。這裡有一個很好的例子。完成了樂趣?現在回到業務!
What kind of accent do you want to have? Think about the regions you want to travel to and the cities you’d like to work in. This is pretty important to decide as it will make your study and practice more focused.
你想要什麼口音?想想你想去的地區和你想去的城市。這一點很重要，因為它會讓你的學習和練習更加集中。
Do you want to sound like a New Yorker? That’s fine, but when you look for a TV show to watch, pick “Friends” instead of “Twin Peaks.” Stay focused.
你想聽起來像個紐約人嗎?這很好，但是當你在看電視節目時，選擇“朋友”而不是“雙峰”。“保持專注。
考慮到這一點，讓我們繼續改進你的發音，下面的小貼士:
2. Imitate Native Pronunciation
2.模仿本地發音
Okay, so now you have a basic idea of different English accents. But how do you go about actually learning native pronunciation?
好了，現在你有了一個不同的英語口音的基本概念。但是你是如何真正學習地道的發音的呢?
One great place to start is watching and imitating authentic English videos. These will expose you to real English pronunciation and speaking styles. They also give you the chance to study the speakers’ mouth and lip movements so you can imitate them.
一個好的開始是觀看和模仿真實的英語視頻。這些會讓你接觸到真正的英語發音和說話風格。他們也會給你機會研究說話者的嘴和嘴唇的動作，這樣你就可以模仿他們。
There are tutorial videos (e.g Rachel’s English) and software (such as Tell Me More) that show you the English lip and tongue positions for every letter of the alphabet and all the combinations.
有一些教程視頻(如瑞秋英語)和軟件(如“告訴我更多”)，向你展示了每個字母和所有組合的英文嘴唇和舌頭位置。
I know learning them is tedious, but it’ll help you pronounce words correctly, especially the ones with sounds that don’t exist in your native tongue.
我知道學習它們是很枯燥的，但它會幫助你正確發音，尤其是那些用母語不發音的單詞。
So learn them and practice in front of the mirror. Do it again and again until it becomes muscle memory. You can even try recording yourself to assess your progress!Watch how your mouth and lips move and see if you make a mistake or struggle with any particular words. Repeat the difficult words until the movements of your mouth feel natural.
所以，在鏡子前學習練習吧。一次又一次地做，直到它變成肌肉記憶。你甚至可以試著錄下自己的發音，用它們測評你的進步!觀察你的嘴和嘴唇是如何移動的，看看你是否犯了錯誤或與任何特定的單詞作鬥爭。重複這些困難的單詞，直到你的嘴感覺自然。
3. Learn the Flow of English
3.學習英語的連貫性
Pronunciation is crucial, but it’s not everything. You can pronounce every individual word like a native speaker, but still not talk like one. That’s because you also need to have the right flow.
發音很重要，但並不是全部。你可以像母語人士一樣正確發音每個單獨的詞，但仍然不能像母語者那樣說話。這是因為你也需要有正確的連貫性。
So, what exactly makes the flow of English?One important element is “connected speech.” This refers to the way the end of one word and the beginning of the next word sometimes interact in English.
那麼，英語的連貫性究竟是怎樣的呢?一個重要的因素是“連讀”。這指的是一個單詞的結尾，下一個單詞的開頭在英語中有時候會交叉合併。
Specifically, a native speaker can:
具體地說，母語人士可以:
Join two sounds. When a word ends in a consonant sound, and the following word begins with the same consonant sound, both sounds are pronounced together as one.
連接兩個發音。當一個單詞以輔音結尾的時候，下面的單詞以同樣的輔音開始，這兩個發音可以合二為一。
Example: I’d decide it later.
例子:我以後再決定。
One word begins with a vowel, a native speaker would connect the consonant with the vowel as if they belong to one word.
如果第一個單詞以輔音結尾，第二個單詞以元音開頭，一個以英語為母語的人會把輔音和元音連在一起，就好像它們屬於一個單詞一樣。
Example: I’d like a fried egg.
例子:我想要一個煎蛋。
Get rid of a sound. When the sounds “t” or “d” occur between two consonant sounds, they’ll often disappear completely from the pronunciation.
擺脫一個發音。當聲音“t”或“d”出現在兩個輔音之間，它們通常會在發音中完全消失。
Example: See you nex(t) week!
例子:下週見！
Native speakers also almost always use contractions (short words created by combining two separate words) to speak faster. Some examples of common ones:
以英語為母語的人也幾乎總是使用縮寫(由兩個單獨的單詞組合而成的縮寫)，以更快的速度說話。一些常見的例子:
I + am = I’m
我是=我是
I + will = I’ll
我將會=我將會
do + not = don’t
不是=不是
I + have = I’ve
我已經=我已經
I + would= I’d
我將要=我將要
You can also listen for stress and rhythm in native English speaking. Native English speakers typically raise their voices and make a longer sound for the word that needs the most attention—in other words, they “stress” the most important words.
你也可以在地道的英語說話中，來聽英語的重音和節奏。母語為英語的人通常會提高他們的聲音並且發出更長的聲音，來強調最需要注意的單詞，他們會“重讀”最重要的單詞。
English rhythm is the musical feature of English—the up and down of the pitch each word in a sentence takes.Now that we know what the flow of English involves, how can we learn it?
英語節奏是英語的音樂特徵，每個詞的上下音都是在一個句子裡的。既然我們知道了英語的流動連貫性，我們如何學習它呢？
The best way to learn the flow of English is to mimic native speakers. It’s really something you need to hear and imitate, over and over. Research indicates that sometimes we imitate others’ behavior subconsciously (without realizing it). So this might be a more natural process than you think.
學習英語的最佳方法是模仿母語人士。這是一件你需要反覆去聽和反覆模仿的事情。研究表明，有時候我們會下意識地模仿別人的行為(而自己沒有意識到)。所以這可能是一個比你想象的更自然的過程。
For mirroring material, find a famous speech, a TED talk or a song. Rap songs are very good for this purpose. Note down how a speaker stresses different words in a sentence, which in turn leads to the distinct rhythm.
對於鏡像材料，找一個著名的演講，一個TED演講或者一首歌。說唱歌曲非常適合這個目的。注意說話者如何在句子中重讀不同的單詞，從而導致不同的節奏。
4.Use Slang When You Speak English
4.說英語時使用俚語
“Slang” refers to informal (sometimes vulgar) words and phrases. Slang is more common in speech than writing.
俚語指的是非正式的(有時是粗俗的)詞彙和短語。俚語在口語交際中，比在寫作更常見。
Slang is also usually different in different communities—so the slang in the Southern U.S. is different than the slang in England. (To see how different it can be, check out this hilarious “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” interview with the actor Hugh Laurie.)
俚語在不同地區也有不同之處，所以美國南部的俚語和英國的俚語是不同的。(看看這有多不同，你可以看搞笑的艾倫秀，對演員休.勞瑞的訪談那一期)
But there are some examples of slang that a wide range of English speakers use, which you can learn. For instance:
但也有一些俚語的例子，很多說英語的人使用，你可以從中學到。例如
Wanna (Want to)Hang out (Spend time together)
In an informal setting, a native speaker would say “Do you wanna hang out?” instead of “Do you want to spend some time together?”
想要(想要)在一個非正式的環境中閒逛(花時間在一起)，一個說母語的人會說：“你想出去玩兒嗎?”而不是，“你想和我待一會兒嗎？”
If you do hang out, the next day your friend might say, “We had a blast yesterday.” That means that he/she had a really fun time. But if he/she tells others that “you drove him/her up the wall,” that means he/she was irritated by you.
如果你真的出去玩，第二天你的朋友可能會說：“昨天我們玩得很開心。”這意味著他/她玩得很開心。但是如果他/她告訴別人“你把他/她逼上了牆”，那就意味著他/她被你激怒了。
By mastering this type of slang, you’ll instantly sound more fluent and native-level.
掌握這種類型的俚語，你的發音會更加流利和自然。
Don’t try to find slang on the news or in formal speeches. Watch current TV shows or search for vlogs (video blogs) on YouTube. Because slang is regional, you should search for shows/videos set in the region whose English accent you want to speak.
不要試圖在新聞或正式演講中找到俚語。看目前的電視節目或搜索視頻（YouTube上的視頻博客）。因為俚語是區域性的，你應該在你想說的英語口音的區域裡找一些節目/視頻。
As you start incorporating slang into your own communication, use Urban Dictionary or ask a native speaker to make sure you’re using it correctly.The best way to learn slang words is to use them but remember the context. They should be used in informal settings only.
當你開始把俚語融入到你自己的交際中時，使用城市詞典或者問母語者確保你正確使用它。學習俚語的最好方法是使用它們，但要記住上下文。他們應該只在非正式場合使用。
5. Learn English Idioms
5.學習英語習語
English idioms are phrases whose meanings aren’t obvious from looking at the individual words.
英語習語是指從單個詞來看意義不明顯的短語。
The use of idioms might not be as common as slang in informal speech. However, native speakers can use idioms at times and mystify you.
習語的使用可能不像俚語中的俚語那樣常見。然而，母語說話者有時會使用母語習語並且使你困惑。
For example, if you’re in a meeting and your colleague says, “you can’t see the forest for the trees,” you might be confused. Your conversation has nothing to do with trees or a forest!
例如，如果你在開會，你的同事說，“你看不見森林裡的樹木”，你可能會感到困惑。你的談話與樹木或森林無關！
That’s because she’s using a common idiom. “You can’t see the forest for the trees” means you’re too involved in the details of a problem to understand the situation as a whole. Perhaps you pay too much attention to the logistic matters while not enough on the bigger issues like budget or deadlines.
那是因為她使用了一個常用的習語。“你看不見森林中的樹木”，意思是你太專注於某個問題的細節來理解整個情況。也許你過於關注後勤問題，而不是在預算或截止日期等更大的問題上。
It’s also helpful to keep a diary of idioms you learn and their (possible) equivalents in your language. This can make them more memorable. You can also look up idioms in your diary if you hear one, but forget what it means.
用你學習到的習語和你母語中可能意思相同的替換習語寫日記是很有幫助的。這可以讓它們記憶更深刻。你也可以在聽到一個習語時，在日記中找到它，但可能忘了它的意思。
Finally, don’t be afraid to use them! You might not have them perfectly nailed the first time but a kind native speaker might help you with the correct usage, and you’ll remember.
最後，不要害怕使用它們！你可能第一次沒有對它們完全掌握，但是一個母語為英語的人可能會幫助你正確使用它們，你會記住的。
It’s not easy to learn English like a native speaker. In fact, it’s very hard.
把英語學得像一個母語為英語的人。事實上，這是非常困難的。
However, you can start today by perfecting your pronunciation and practicing to obtain a natural flow of speech.
然而，你可以從今天開始，通過完善你的發音和練習來獲得自然流暢的講話。
Don’t let slang and idioms hinder your progress. Plunge in.
不要讓俚語和習語阻礙你進步。全身心投入。
Learn the spoken speech, and you’ll speak like a native speaker when you least expect it.
學習口語講話，你會像說母語的人一樣說話，當你對它給予最少的期待時。
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