Learn

Ideas, tips and stories to help you speak English with more confidence.

Learning
Why is learning English so hard?

到底學習英文有何難? 為什麼我學了英文這麼久,看到外國人需要開口說英文就會感到害怕;閱讀英文文章時還是一知半解的…想到要出國旅行,深造, 或是海外求職, 這些規畫都因為自己的英文程度一直沒有進步而裹足不前,為什麼我的英文學習之路如此困難? 就一位學習英文,而且英文是作為第二外語的學習者而言, 在學習英文的長路上需要克服的障礙主要可分為內在及外部因素兩大部分: 外部因素 (1) 有限的學習環境 身處在一個缺乏開口說英文的機會及環境下,迫使自己開口用不熟悉的英文與他人交流,是非常困難的。故如何在不出國的情況下,讓自己尋找或是營造一個說英文的環境是有必要的。 如同浸透原理一樣,學習語文與學習樂器等…

Feb 25, 2025
Learning
Fixing Broken Cram Schools in Taiwan

學外語≠背外語 破除背多分魔咒贏在起跑點 學習外語,最純粹的功能是能夠以「溝通」為主要目標,但以台灣形塑的外語學習環境而言,學習者從小就需要花許多時間背誦單字、熟記文法規則,甚至為了在考試中得到好成績,學習許多「正規」的拗口句型。學習外語持續一段時間後,不僅沒有得到任何成就感,更因為以考試成績評斷外語能力的評分機制,產生滿滿的挫敗感。當外國友人跟我們開啟交談,我們往往會發現自己說的「標準句型」竟是外國友人難以理解的內容。您發現了嗎?在台灣,我們總是忽略了學習外語最重要的是用來交談,而不是靠硬背得到好成績。這也是台灣學習者最常面臨的「填鴨式教育」。 填鴨式教育(Cramming) 學外語不是一…

Feb 13, 2025
Leadership
Take Control of Your Success #likeaboss

If you follow me on social media (@foreignprince), you’ve probably seen me use the hashtag #likeaboss quite a bit. This phrase got me through high school and college. It took me to Taiwan and help me succeed in several businesses and also led me to fail in others. It doesn’t matter that I failed be…

Feb 6, 2025
Culture
Chinese New Year Vocabulary in English

There are 3 things you must know about Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year). You must wear read, you must eat dumplings, and you must give people red envelopes. Wear Red In western culture red is the color of the devil, however in Chinese culture the color red protects you from the evil. So you

Jan 29, 2025
Learning
In English, Can’t be perfect

輕鬆學,完美小姐 上個月趁春節跟老公回了一趟老家,發現了許多他荒廢的舊畫冊跟泛黃琴譜,聊著聊到我十幾年前在日本打工的經歷。當時日文程度約二到三級之間,幸運地應徵上一家小居酒屋,每天利用通勤時間,熟記菜單跟各種酒的名稱、寫法,還有新手最頭痛的敬語,絲毫不敢鬆懈。返台後,本想趁著對日文的熱度,進入日商公司繼續磨練日文,但是我卻止步了。 相對日文,學英文的資歷可以說超過n倍,雖然非本科系,最認真時期多益曾拿到兩張金色證書,但我始終無法善用雙語的優勢。「這個產業的日文太難了」、「這類型的中翻英太難了吧」、「萬一被考倒了很不專業耶」「不行!練習時間不夠」藉由合理化自己不夠完美的擔憂,索性當起了省話一姊…

Jan 21, 2025
Learning
How To Learn English By Myself?

In my over 15 years of English language instruction, I’ve met a total of three people who had very proficient speaking and listening abilities without a single minute spent in a classroom or paying for online learning/tutoring. I was curious as to what their secret was in going from a complete begi…

Jan 8, 2025
Technology
Top 5 Takeaways from Computex: Insights for Business Professionals

Computex in Taipei, Taiwan is one of the world’s leading technology trade shows that provides a platform for industry professionals to stay updated on the latest trends and advancements in consumer electronics. As a business and communication coach, I have consulted many companies with their prepar…

Jun 12, 2023