在台灣，我們學習英文是在一個EFL（English as a Foreign Language）的環境中。EFL的意思是走出英文課堂，我們還是回到說中文的大環境。很多的補習班號稱為全美語ESL（English as a Second Language）的學習，是真的嗎？ESL的意思是當我們走出英文課堂，我們的大環境是說英語的（如同我們今天若移民到澳洲或是到當地的語言中心加強一下英文。走出教室後，整個環境都是在用英語的。）
咦！這個跟我在台灣或國外學英文有啥關係呢？除了語言環境不同之外，仔細的看所用的英文學習書籍的編排及內容都不同喲！（記得我們學的 ‘How Are you?’ ‘I’m fine, and you?’ 嗎？這個很經典哦！我們的學習中，這樣的植入性對話已經成為反射動作了。但母語人士只有這種說法嗎？是不是有其它常用的說法呢？）
回歸到正題，我們在台灣想要加強英語能力，一個很有效且是常效性的方法是提供自己一個英文情境式的學習環境。
那在外籍老師的眼中，相較於其它國家的英文學習者，我們學習英文的強項及可加強的部份有哪些呢？列出以下幾點供大家參考：
STRENGTHS OF TAIWANESE ENGLISH LEARNERS:
我們學習英文的強項：
A. Focused and self-disciplined – Taiwanese students can work for many hours without becoming too distracted. They are hard-working and conscientious. Perhaps taking more breaks during learning can help them be more efficient.
專注及自律 ﹣ 台灣的英文學習者可以學習很長的時間而不被鎖事干擾，很認真也很努力。建議中間安排幾次休息的時間，學習效率會更好。
B. Motivated – Taiwanese children and teenagers seem more mature than their Western counterparts and take their exams very seriously. They have a clear goal in their learning path, and they pursue it persistently. On the other hand, it is important to also see the big picture and treat the learning process more open-mindedly, as something that will be useful not only in an exam.
很積極 ﹣ 台灣的小朋友及青少年比起同齡的西方人比較早熟，而且很認真的看待考試這件事。在學習的方面，我們有清晰的學習目標並且努力不懈。但從另外一個角度來看，同等重要的是將視野打開，思想更開明的來看學習的大方向，很多東西的學習不應只是為了應付考試而已。
C. Great memory and exam-skills – thanks to the Taiwanese educational system, Taiwanese learners have perfected their memorization strategies and are able to cope with a test quickly and well. Practice makes perfect and there’s not much to add here about further improvement.
極加的記憶力及考試技巧 ﹣ 歸功於台灣的教育體制，台灣學習者的背誦技巧已是爐火純菁，並且能輕易的應付考試。熟能生巧！
WEAKNESSES OF TAIWANESE LEARNERS:
我們可以再加強的地方：
A. Falling intonation pattern in most sentences they utter – the Taiwanese students are not to be blamed here, because this is a natural consequence of their melodic and tonal mother tongue patterns being copied into English sentences. Careful listening to the intonation of native English speakers and trying to repeat after them will surely help them improve in this area.
口說時的語調大多數呈現下降的狀態 ﹣這應該是台灣的英語學習者將中文的語氣及語調用到英文口說中了（英語語調多為上揚的，中文則是下降的語氣比較多）此實為非戰之罪！試著多聽英文母語人士說話的聲調再加以複講，對於改善我們口說英文的語調是有很大幫助的。
B. Speaking too quietly and shyly – this can be improved by encouraging Taiwanese students to make friends with foreigners and use English in everyday situations too. They should also be praised for their English skills – this will help build more confidence.
口說英文的時候太小聲及太害羞了 ﹣ 要改善這個情形，可以透過多結交外籍朋友並且在每天的生活情境中使用英文。當我們英文能力加強的時候，也要記得獎勵自已，讓自己更有信心來使用這個語言。
C. Forgetting or simply not pronouncing the ‘s’ at the end of words (plural nouns and 3rd person singular verbs) – well, this is just a matter of practice and memorization, and as mentioned earlier, Taiwanese learners are superb in this area so it should not be a problem for them to eliminate such mistakes!
忘了或者是没有發字尾的 ‘s’ 聲 （複數名詞及第三人稱單數動詞字尾的‘s’）﹣ 只要有意識的記住這點及加強練習，很快地我們就可以除掉這個錯誤了。
依自己的觀察，你與以上外藉老師所提到的相同點是哪些呢？ 不同點又有哪些呢？
歡迎你與大家分享自己如何加強英文的經驗！
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