VOA慢速英语2018 新词汇拓展项目加速儿童对语言的理解

New Program Helps Speed Up Children’s Understanding of Language

Learning to read provides a foundation for future learning in all areas of study. But reading is more than just sounding out words. Students need to understand what those words mean. And experts say students need to have a working knowledge of 10,000 words.

阅读是未来各方面学习的基础。但阅读不只是会认字而已。学生们需要理解字里行间的含义。而且有专家表示，学生们需要会用至少一万个单词。

Now, a new vocabulary program claims to greatly speed up a child’s understanding of language. The program is called Mrs Wordsmith. The teaching system uses pictures and short word exercises to improve a student’s performance on tests.

如今，有一个新的词汇项目号称能大幅加速孩子对语言的理解。该项目名为语言大师的在线识字平台。这个识字平台是个教学系统，可以通过图片和简短的单词练习来提升孩子们在测验里的表现。

Sofia Fenichell created the system. She worked with researchers from Cambridge University in Britain to develop the list of words.

索菲亚·芬尼契是该系统的研发者。她与英国剑桥大学的一些研究人员共同开发了这套单词体系。 

We call it the 10,000 word journey and we believe that children can master these words from the age of seven to 17, and then not have to cram 1. And these words are typically the words they find in the books they read, in newspapers, in adult conversation. We’re accelerating their ability to communicate, but also to improve their reading and writing age.

我们称该系统为一万个单词之旅。我们相信，孩子在7-17岁之间就能掌握这些单词，不必死记硬背。而且这些单词都是他们在书本、报纸、成年人对话里能听到看到的单词。我们在加速他们交流的能力，同时也缩小了他们的读写年龄。

Each word in the Mrs Wordsmith system of teaching has a child-friendly definition and a picture showing how the word is used.

该教学系统中每个单词的定义都很儿童化，并附带图片，教孩子怎样使用单词。 

For example, the word shriveled is defined as "wrinkled, like hippo skin that’s been the in bath too long."Underneath 2 the definition is a drawing of a very wet, somewhat shrunken hippopotamus 3.

比如，单词shriveled的定义就是“褶皱的，就像洗了太久澡的河马的皮肤。”其定义无形中描绘了这样一幅画面：一只湿漉漉的、表皮皱皱巴巴的河马。

The words are illustrated 5 by the same award winning artist that did Madagascar, Hotel Transylvania and all these Hollywood hits, so they want more of it and moms and teachers love it because they know that there’s real research backing and data behind it. It’s not random 6.

单词的释义都是由同一位获奖艺术家所做的，这位艺术家创作了《马达加斯加》、《精灵旅社》等好莱坞知名电影。他们希望这套系统能做得更好，而妈妈们和老师们也很喜欢这套系统，因为他们知道数据背后是有真实研究做支持的，并非随性而为。

There are also exercises to help strengthen the student’s understanding.

此外还有一些练习可以助力加强学生的理解。 

Fenichell spoke 7 at a recent education technology show in London. She said the Mrs Wordsmith system has been popular in schools across Britain.

最近，芬尼契在伦敦的一个教育科技展上进行了讲话。她表示，这个系统在伦敦的很多学校都备受欢迎。

The teachers are reporting back that the kids love it. They want to do more, they’re putting it in their writing, they’re learning more words and it’s so easy to teach them the vocabulary. Little children are using words like: ‘The brazen 8 attitude of the British in World War Two’, and teachers are writing us and saying they can’t believe how much their writing has improved.

老师们反馈说，孩子们很喜欢这个系统。他们还希望用这个系统做更多事情：他们将该系统用在了写作中，他们学习了更多的单词，教他们词汇也变得很容易了。小孩子们能造这样的句子了：‘英国在二战中无所顾忌的态度’。很多老师给我们写信说他们不相信孩子们的写作水平能提高这么大。

Mrs Wordsmith is now set to expand into schools in other countries, including the United States.

语言大师现在的目标是进军其他国家的学校，包括美国。

Words in this Story

brazen – adj. acting 9 or done in a very open and shocking way

cram – v. to prepare for a test by learning a lot of information quickly

kid – n. children

random – adj. lacking a plan; unpredictable

illustrate 4 – v. to show or explain with pictures

accelerate – v. to speed up

conversation – n. a talk involving two or more people

master – v. to learn completely

vocabulary – n. a list of words or expressions

foundation – n. a basis; something that provides support for something else