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For VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

这里是VOA慢速英语的《教育报道》。

Learning a new language is a long, difficult process.

学习一门新语言是一个漫长而困难的过程。

This process can become easier if you set goals.

如果设定目标，这个过程会变得更容易。

Goals help guide language learners and give them reasons to continue studying a language.

目标有助于指导语言学习者，并为他们提供继续学习语言的理由。

However, if you set unreasonable goals, then you will probably become discouraged.

然而，如果你设定了不合理的目标，那么你可能会感到气馁。

Many English learners set difficult, even unreasonable goals.

许多英语学习者设定了困难甚至不合理的目标。

For example, here at VOA Learning English, we often read emails with comments like:

例如，在VOA慢速英语节目中，我们经常阅读带有这样评论的电子邮件：

"My goal is to sound like a native speaker..." or "My goal is to lose my accent."

“我的目标是听起来像母语人士……”或“我的目的是没有口音。”

The problem with the goal of sounding like a native speaker is that it is not a reasonable goal for many people.

听起来像母语人士的目标的问题在于，对于许多人来说，这不是一个合理的目标。

When English learners begin studying English after a certain age, they are not able to sound exactly like a native English speaker.

当英语学习者在一定年龄后开始学习英语时，他们的声音无法完全像英语母语者。

That is the opinion of Eli Hinkel, a professor at Seattle Pacific University.

这是西雅图太平洋大学教授伊莱·欣克尔的观点。

She says that people who have not reached puberty still have enough muscle and brain plasticity to allow their brain to control their mouth muscles.

她说，尚未进入青春期的人仍然有足够的肌肉和大脑可塑性，让他们的大脑控制他们的口腔肌肉。

Puberty is the period of life when a child becomes an adult.

青春期是孩子成长为成年人的人生阶段。

After your physical growth has stopped, the brain loses some of its ability to change the way it controls the muscles of the mouth.

当你的身体停止发育后，大脑就会失去一些改变控制口腔肌肉方式的能力。

This is what results in an accent, according to Hinkel.

欣克尔认为，这就是导致口音的原因。

In other words, having an accent is a natural part of the aging process of the brain.

换句话说，有口音是大脑衰老过程的自然组成部分。

Just because you might not sound like a native speaker does not mean that you should give up trying to improve your pronunciation.

仅仅因为你听起来不像是母语人士，并不意味着你应该放弃改进发音的尝试。

And just because you have an accent does not mean that your language skills are poor.

仅仅因为你有口音并不意味着你的语言技能很差。

Hinkel suggested that English learners should not be too disheartened about their accents.

欣克尔建议英语学习者不要对自己的口音感到太沮丧。

"So, there is really no connection between the quality of one's language and the accent."

“所以，一个人的语言质量和口音之间确实没有任何联系。”

She adds that there are even benefits to having an accent.

她补充说，有口音甚至还有好处。

Eli Hinkel is a native Russian speaker.

伊莱·欣克尔的母语是俄语。

But she works as a professor in a Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program.

但她是英语作为第二语言教学（TESL）项目的教授。

She believes her accent helps her when she is teaching students.

她相信在教学生时，她的口音对她有帮助。

"I teach MA TESL courses …So, my students think that I really, really know what I'm talking about…accent goes a great deal toward that."

“我教TESL硕士课程……所以，我的学生认为我真的知道自己在说什么……口音在很大程度上影响了这一点。”

Another teacher says sounding like a native speaker is not necessary.

另一位老师说，听起来像是母语人士是没有必要的。

Marla Yoshida is a Teaching English as a Foreign Language Teacher at the University of California, Irvine.

玛拉·吉田是加州大学欧文分校的英语教师。

She says that improving your pronunciation is definitely possible – if you choose a reasonable goal.

她说，如果你选择一个合理的目标，改善你的发音绝对是可能的。

"You can reach a stage where your pronunciation is easy for people to understand, where it never causes a problem...

“你的发音可以让人们容易理解，而且从不会引起问题。

you go into Starbucks and say your name, and they understand … you give your order and they understand.

你走进星巴克，说出你的名字，他们能听明白，你下订单，他们也会明白。

So, that's a reasonable goal: being understood easily.

所以，这是一个合理的目标：易于理解。

Where sounding like a native speaker is wonderful if you can do it… it's not necessary."

虽然听起来像母语人士很棒，但是如果能做到易于理解，也没必要非得达到母语程度了。”

So, what can English learners do to improve their pronunciation?

那么，英语学习者可以做些什么来提高发音呢？

Marla Yoshida says that, like when you decide to diet, you are more likely to have success if you set reasonable goals.

玛拉·吉田说，就像当你决定节食一样，如果你设定合理的目标，你更有可能取得成功。

She suggests working on specific areas of pronunciation that you can improve, instead of trying to sound like a native speaker.

她建议在发音的特定领域进行改进，而不是试图听起来像母语人士。

"Work consciously, if you are an adult, to change the way you pronounce.

“如果你是成年人，要有意识地改变你的发音方式。

It's kind of like a diet.

这有点像节食。

If you set a more reasonable goal... then, the diet might succeed.

如果你设定了一个更合理的目标，那么节食才可能会成功。

In the same way, pronunciation … if you have a more reasonable goal, like… 'I have trouble with the r and l sounds, so first I'm going try those.

同样，发音，如果你有一个更合理的目标，比如‘我对r和l的发音有困难，所以首先我要尝试这些。

And then, when I'm comfortable with those, then I'll move on to some other sound that causes problems.' It takes time, but it is possible."

然后，当我对这些感到满意时，我就会转向其他会引起问题的声音。’这需要时间，但这是可能的。”

Yoshida added that English learners should understand that improving their pronunciation can take a long time.

吉田补充说，英语学习者应该明白，改善发音可能需要很长时间。

She said that learners should not be tricked by people who claim to be able to help people get rid of their accents:

她说，学习者不应该被那些声称能够帮助人们摆脱口音的人所欺骗：

"It is good to realize that it is not a fast process.

“很高兴意识到改善发音不是一个快速的过程。

Everyone has been speaking their native language for years and years and years.

每个人都说自己的母语已经很多年了。

And it's hard to change.

而且很难改变。

Habits of how you move your mouth are really hard to change.

移动嘴巴的习惯真的很难改变。

So, don't expect miracles.

所以，不要期待奇迹。

Sometimes, people see advertisements for software or courses that say 'get rid of your accent in only five lessons'—or something... It's not going to happen!

有时，人们会看到软件或课程的广告，上面写着‘只需五堂课就能摆脱你的口音’——或者其他什么，这是不可能的！

There are no miracles."

世界上没有奇迹。”

So, what can you do?

那么，你能做什么呢？

Start by setting a reasonable goal.

从设定一个合理的目标开始。

Choose one or two sounds that are difficult for you to pronounce.

选择一两个你难以发音的声音。

Then, work to improve those sounds.

然后，努力改善这些声音。

When you have improved, study other sounds.

当你进步后，学习其他声音。

Progress might be slow for you, but don't give up!

进步对您来说可能很慢，但不要放弃！

Next week, we will give you examples of exercises that you can do to start improving your pronunciation.

下周，我们将提供练习示例，你可以通过这些练习来开始改善发音。

I'm John Russell.

约翰·拉塞尔为您播报。