VOA慢速英语:Improve Your English by Testing Yourself(翻译)

English learners can improve their ability to remember and use new words by testing themselves.
英语学习者可以用过自我测试来提高自己识记和使用新单词的能力。

This idea comes from Sarah Lynn, an educational consultant and teacher at Harvard University’s Bridge Program.
这个观点来自哈佛大学桥梁计划教育顾问兼老师 Sarah Lynn。

She adds that self-testing improves retrieval – the ability to use and remember new words.Beyond improving the learner’s ability to retrieve information, self-testing improves the learner’s confidence, too.
她补充道自我测试能提高检索能力，即使用和识记新单词的能力。除了提高学习者检索信息的能力外，自我测试还能提高学习者的信心。

If you are like many learners, you may have faced a situation such as this one:
如果你像一般的学习者，你可能会面临以下问题：

Person 1: Hey! Did you study the new English grammar lesson?
A：嗨！你上语法课了吗？

Person 2: No, I don’t need to.I already know that topic.
B：没有，没必要学。我已经掌握这个知识点了。

Person 1: Hey! How did you do on the English grammar test?
A:嗨！语法测试考的怎么样?

Person 2: I don’t want to talk about it. I thought I knew the lesson…
B:我不想说这个。我以为我已经掌握这个知识点了，但......

This dialogue shows a common situation: Language learners think they understand a topic.Yet when asked to use what they learned, they are not able to remember the information.
这个对话讲的是一种常见的情况：语言学习者以为自己掌握了某个知识点。但应要求使用所学内容时，却记不起信息。

Not being able to retrieve new ideas could happen on a test or even in a conversation.The basic problem is this: Learners did not learn something as well as they thought they did.
测试甚至交谈时都可能会出现无法检索新信息的问题。最基本的问题是：人们并不像想象中那样掌握了一些知识。

Learning takes effort.It takes effort because the learning process changes the brain, says Sarah Lynn.
学习需要努力。Sarah Lynn说需要努力是因为学习过程会改变大脑。

One way it changes the brain is by creating connections.These connections, which we discussed in previous education stories, are called dendrites.
改变大脑的一个方式是创造连接。我们在之前的教育栏目中讨论过这些连接，这些连接被称作树突。

Lynn suggests that dendrite connections are important for retrieval.
Lynn表示树突连接对检索来说非常重要。

There are three main ideas about how to grow dendrites and improve retrieval, says Lynn.
有关如何促使树突增长，如何提高检索能力，有三个主要观点，Lynn说。

We covered the first two ideas – making connections and using repetition – in previous education stories.
我们在之前的教育栏目中提及了前两种观点，即创造连接和使用重复。

The third method to grow dendrite connections is to test yourself.
发展树突链接的第三种方法是自我测试。

Lynn is not the only expert who recommends self-testing.
Lynn不是唯一一个建议进行自我测试的专家。

A paper in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition tells about the benefits of testing yourself.
《记忆和认知的应用研究期刊》上的一篇论文讲述了自我测试的好处。

The paper says one benefit of testing practice is that it improves retrieval.Retrieving information once makes retrieving that information easier in the future.
该文章表示测试训练的一个好处是能够提高检索能力。检索信息之后能够让之后的信息检索更简单。

In addition, the paper says, when students test themselves as part of studying, they learn what they do not know.When students know what they do not understand, they can pay attention to improving their weaknesses.
此外，该文章表示，学生将自我测试作为学习的一部分时，他们便了解自己没有掌握什么。学生了解自己不懂之处之后，就会有意弥补自己的不足之处。

Lynn recommends that learners test themselves by getting away from what they are studying.Then, they should test themselves by thinking about what they have learned.
Lynn建议学生通过暂时抛开正在学习的内容来进行自我测试。随后，通过思考所学内容进行自我测试。

She recommends that learners make themselves write or speak something.Lynn suggests reading something or watching a video on the topic, then summarizing it.This will allow learners to test what they know:
她建议学习者自己书写或者进行口头表达。Lynn建议阅读与某话题相关的内容或者观看视频，然后进行识记。这能够让学习者检测自己掌握的内容。

“But actually, if you close the book, or turn off the YouTube video,and then write down, or audio record yourself of what you remember, and then you go back,and you see what it is, that’s really when you begin to construct your own understanding of the new knowledge.And you begin to organize it, and control it, and eventually master it.”
“但实际上，如果合上书或者关掉Youtube视频，随后自己写下或者录下你所记得的内容，然后返回去，你就明白，这才是你真正构建自己对新知识理解的开始。你开始进行组织，控制，最终掌握它。”

The benefits of such practice, Lynn says, are not just about improving your ability to remember information.By testing yourself, you can build confidence in the skills you have developed.
Lynn表示，此类训练的好处不仅仅是提高记忆信息的能力。通过自我测试，你还可以建立自己对所发展技能的信心。

When you test yourself, Lynn says, you will see how much progress you have made. This progress will satisfy and encourage you to do more in the future.
Lynn表示，自我测试时，便能看到取得的进步。该进步将让你感到满足，并鼓励你在未来做的更多。

The next time you are studying English, try to test yourself.A simple way to test vocabulary is to create flashcards with clues on one side and the answer on the back.
下次学英语时，试着进行自我测试。测试词汇的一个简单方法是制作抽认卡，一面写上相关提示，另外一面写上答案。

Flashcards in the past were small cards or pieces of paper with a word or a question on one side and the meaning or answer to the question on the other side. Students used them to quiz each other or quiz themselves to review for examinations.
之前的抽认卡是小卡片或者一小片纸，一面写着一个词或者一个问题，另外一面写着词义或者问题答案。学生用卡片互相测试，或者进行自我测试来复习考试。

Now, many online services allow students to create digital flashcards.
现在，很多在线服务让学生们能够制作电子抽认卡。

One such service is Quizlet, where learners can do a variety of activities based on one set of new words or information.You can match words and meanings, write a word after looking at a picture, or listen to a word and write it.You can also play games with the new words and meanings.
其中一个便是Quizlet，学生可以在此根据一系列的单词或者信息进行各项活动。你可以进行单词和词义的搭配练习，可以看图写单词，或者听写单词。你也可以用新的单词和词义做游戏。

Another way is to ask yourself questions at the end of the day, at the end of a study session, or at other times.Lynn recommends that learners ask questions such as,“What did I learn today? What were those words I thought were interesting? What was that verb tense I learned? How does it work?”
另外一种方法是在晚上或者单元末或者其他时间进行自我提问。Lynn建议学习者进行以下提问：“我今天学到了什么？我认为有趣的单词有哪些？我学到的动词时态是什么？如何使用？”

The important point is this:Effective learning takes time, effort and practice.
最重要的一点是，有效的学习需要时间、努力和练习。

Do not just assume that you can read something once or twice and fully understand it.Even if you highlight important points or take notes in a class, you probably do not fully understand what you learned.
不要认为你可以读一次，两次就能够完全理解了。即使你在课堂上标注了重点，并做了注释，但学习的时候可能并未真正了解。

After all, Olympic athletes cannot learn how to swim or run just from reading a book.They have to practice swimming or running every day for years.They often compete in races to test their skills. Like those athletes, successful language learners practice as much as they can, and test themselves to improve their skills.
毕竟，奥运会运动员不能通过读书就学会怎么游泳或者跑步。他们必须数年如一日的训练游泳和跑步。他们经常互相竞赛来检测自己的技能。成功的语言学习者也和这些运动员一样，需要不断的自我测试才能提高自己的技能。

Self-testing is one way to improve your retrieval and inform your future course of study.Give it a try, and let us know how it works for you.
自我测试是提高检索能力，并能让你了解之后学习课程的一种方法。试试吧，然后告诉我们这个方法是不是有效。

I’m John Russell.
John Russell为您报道。