學習英文關鍵曝！加國作家分享英文學習秘訣

學習英文可不只是記住新的單字和文法規則而已，還包含精通聽、說、讀、寫四項技能。閱讀可以提供讀者廣泛的文字和文法，以正確的語句結構滋養及輔助我們的大腦。

Learning English is not just about memorizing new words and grammar rules. It also involves mastering listening, speaking, writing and reading skills.

Reading provides learners with a broader vocabulary and grammar, significantly supporting and nourishing the brain with correct language structures.

根據深耕台北的作家、插畫家和藝術家James Hugh Gough (詹姆士) 所述，閱讀無疑是學生需要精通的關鍵技能之一。這名成功的作家於12月4日參加了一年一度的「臺灣閱讀節」來分享他對於生動的故事的喜愛，以及更重要的—「英文教育」。

Reading is for sure one of the crucial skills that students must master, according to James Hugh Gough, a writer, illustrator, and artist, based in Taipei.

The successful author was participating in the annual Taiwan Reading Festival (臺灣閱讀節) earlier this month to share his passion for good stories, and more importantly, the English language.

他的第一本書 《溜冰大冒險》在五年前出版，隨後他也陸續寫出《天涯一海島》和《布布和啾比決心拯救牠們的男孩》，而這兩本也正是他於今年的閱讀節分享的三個作品。「我覺得閱讀有一個很棒的益處是它影響我一生，並讓我成為一個更好的學生。」當談到閱讀的重要性時他表示，「或許我是個非常害羞的學生 ，但在我的寫作中，我的老師感覺得到我是有內涵的。」

His first book, “The Great Skate,” came out about five years ago. It was followed by “On an Island on the Sea” and “Booboo and Juby Save their Boy,” which he was reading at the annual book festival.

“I would give a lot of credibility to reading and how it influenced me and made me a better student,” Gough said about the importance of reading. “Perhaps I was a very shy student. But when I wrote, my teachers could tell that I had intelligence.”

他把自己寫作及對藝術的興趣歸功於小時候閱讀的習慣。他的父親是名作家，從小就鼓勵他多閱讀，而他的母親也會買新書給他看。他回想道，「我是那種會在晚上躲在棉被下看書的小孩。」閱讀激發了他一生的想像力，以致於現在已經成為他的職業。「閱讀的好處我實在是說不完。」

He attributed his interest in writing and art to reading at a very young age. His father is a writer who encouraged him to read books. His mother would also get him new books, he recalled. “I was the kid who read under the covers at night.”

Reading inspired his imagination throughout his life to the point where it’s now become his occupation. “I can’t stress enough the benefits of reading,” he continued.

身為在台的老師，他告訴他的學生閱讀英文可以增進口說和寫作的熟練度。透過他們所讀的書籍，加上作者的不同觀點使他們更充實，讓他們的世界觀變得更多元。

As an educator in Taiwan, he told his students that reading would improve their spoken and written English proficiency.

Their worldview would be more diversified too, because they’re enriched by the books they read and the different perspectives of the authors of whose books they’re reading.

他強調，「閱讀是一件能激發好奇心跟提供靈感的事情。」他解釋道，「眾所皆知，只要你多主動接觸英文，不論是口說或是閱讀，溝通技巧肯定是會進步的。」

“Reading is something that provokes curiosity, provides inspiration,” he stressed.

And as we all know, the more you’re engaging in English, whether it be conversational English or reading, your communication skills are going to be better, he explained.

「從教育的觀點來論，閱讀的好處是不可輕忽的，更不用說它是一件多麼有趣的事，是你終生都可以享受的樂趣。」他補充道。

“The benefits of reading, as from an educational viewpoint, can’t be understated, not to mention just how much fun it is and something that you can enjoy throughout your entire life,” he added.

但是台灣人的閱讀能力強嗎？詹姆士表示大部分的台北人都會說英文，而就全台灣來看，即使不具備非常流利的口說和寫作能力，大多數的台灣人都有一定的英文基礎。

Asked whether Taiwanese are good readers, Gough said most people in Taipei can speak English. And throughout Taiwan, most people have some English proficiency, if not very well-spoken English and reading skills.

他說道，「我想今天這美好的活動是個展示閱讀如何在台灣流行並受到讚賞的絕佳例子！」

“I think this wonderful event is a perfect example of how reading has just exploded in this country in appreciation of reading,” he said.

毫無疑問地，中正紀念堂裡擠滿了孩子和他們的父母，享受地聆聽他人訴說的各種故事，投入書中情境。歡迎民眾購買書籍，一起分享他們對閱讀的喜愛。

Without a doubt, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall was packed with children and their parents loving the various stories they were being told that, engaging in the stories, buying books and sharing their love of reading their loved ones.