1.Don’t study grammar too much

1.不過多學習語法

This rule might sound strange to many ESL students, but it is one of the most important rules. If you want to pass examinations, then study grammar. However, if you want to become fluent in English, then you should try to learn English without studying the grammar.

對于許多ESL(英語作為第二語言)學生，這條規則聽起來很奇怪，但它是最重要的規則之一。如果你想要通過考試，那就學習語法。然而，如果你想要把英語說的更流利，那么你應該嘗試學習英語這門語言而不學習語法。

Studying grammar will only slow you down and confuse you. You will think about the rules when creating sentences instead of naturally saying a sentence like a native. Remember that only a small fraction of English speakers know more than 20% of all the grammar rules. Many ESL students know more grammar than native speakers. I can confidently say this with experience. I am a native English speaker, majored in English Literature, and have been teaching English for more than 10 years. However, many of my students know more details about English grammar than I do. I can easily look up the definition and apply it, but I don’t know it off the top of my head.

學習語法會讓你慢下來，把你弄糊涂。在構建句子的時候，你會去思考規則，而不是像本國人一樣自然而然的說出一個句子。要知道，只有很小一部分的英語使用者知道超過20%的英語語法規則。許多ESL學生知道的語法只是要比本國人更多。從我的經驗來看，可以充分說明這一點。我的母語是英語，并且主修英語文學，到現在為止也已經教了十多年的英語。但是，我的學生比我知道更多有關英語語法的細節。我可以很迅速的去查找一個語法細節的定義并且去應用它，但是我再脫口而出說的時候卻都沒有意識到這些規則的存在。

I often ask my native English friends some grammar questions, and only a few of them know the correct answer. However, they are fluent in English and can read, speak, listen, and communicate effectively.

我總是問我同樣是英語為母語的朋友一些語法問題。他們當中也只有很少一部分人能說出正確答案。但是，他們都說著很流利的英語，并且聽說讀和交流都很順暢。

2.Learn and study phrases

2.學習和研究的短語

Many students learn vocabulary and try to put many words together to create a proper sentence. It amazes me how many words some of my students know, but they cannot create a proper sentence. The reason is because they didn’t study phrases. When children learn a language, they learn both words and phrases together. Likewise, you need to study and learn phrases.

很多學生學習詞匯，并嘗試把很多單詞在一起以構建一個恰當的句子。學生們的單詞量讓我很意外，但是要構建一個正確的句子對他們來說卻很難。原因是因為他們沒有學習短語。當孩子們學習一種語言時，詞和短語他們都學。同樣，你也需要學習短語。

If you know 1000 words, you might not be able to say one correct sentence. But if you know 1 phrase, you can make hundreds of correct sentences. If you know 100 phrases, you will be surprised at how many correct sentences you will be able to say. Finally, when you know only a 1000 phrases, you will be almost a fluent English speaker.

如果你知道1000 個單詞，你可能不一定能夠說一個正確的句子。但如果你知道1 個短語，你可以說數百個正確的句子。如果你知道100 個短語，你將會驚訝于你可以說如此多正確的句子。最后，當你知道只有1000年個短語，你就能說流利的英語了。