【嶺南英教匯】英語自學秘籍 重在保持熱情 Keeping the Bonfire Going: Self-Learning Techniques for Lifelong English Development
自2007年進入教育界以來，學生、家長和朋友都問我：如何保持那團篝火？我一直用同一句話回答：好奇心。近二十年來，我從未停止問「下一步是什麼？還有什麼？」因為這份好奇心就是我持續學習的燃料。2011年進入香港大學文學及文化研究碩士課程後，接觸不同範疇的世界文學，更讓我安靜、內向與謙卑：學得越多，越覺得自己知道得很少；正是這種覺察讓火持續燃燒。我一直用福樓拜的《包法利夫人》、卡夫卡的《變形記》與《審判》，以及也斯、西西關於香港文化的詩作添薪，希望清單無止境。
Since entering education in 2007, I have often been asked how to sustain continuous learning. The answer is simple: curiosity. Nearly twenty years after graduating from CUHK in language education, I still ask, "What's next?" and "What's more?", viewing learning as a lifelong process rather than something that ends with graduation.
Joining HKU's master's programme in Literature and Cultural Studies in 2011 deepened this curiosity. Exposure to world literature, including works by Flaubert, Kafka, Ye Si and Xi Xi , revealed how much remained unknown. Rather than discouraging learning, this awareness fuelled it: every book answered some questions while raising many more.
從已吸引你的事物開始
Start with What Already Hooks You
若文學不是你的菜，不需強迫自己。你只要從自己已着迷的事物出發——運動、植物、音樂、戲劇、汽車、電影、化妝或時尚都可以；主題不重要，背後的熱情才重要，因為熱情會燃燒。實例很簡單：看英語賽事報道的足球迷，或看英語產品評論的護膚迷，都在不知不覺中學習英語。這不是被迫，而是因為你忘了自己在「學習」。
教育心理學稱這為內在動機（intrinsic motivation）。Deci 與 Ryan（1985）指出，自我選擇的學習比被迫的學習更持久，因為它滿足自主性需求（另見 Ryan & Deci, 2000）。因此，你在英文論壇上為興趣消磨的時間，並非偏離真正學習，而是最有可能持續、能維持數月、數年甚至十年的學習形式。
Learners should begin with topics that naturally interest them, whether sports, music, films, fashion, or other passions. The subject matters less than the enthusiasm behind it because "passion is combustible."
A football fan reading match reports in English or a skincare enthusiast watching English-language reviews is already learning. Such learning often feels effortless because interest sustains engagement. This idea reflects intrinsic motivation. Deci and Ryan (1985) argued that self-chosen learning lasts longer than imposed learning because it satisfies autonomy rather than obligation. Time spent exploring personal interests in English, therefore, is not a distraction from learning but a powerful form of learning itself.
從熟悉領域開始
Begin with Familiar Ground
第二點是從簡單、熟悉的領域開始。若你是茶迷，你已能分辨多種茶並有品飲經驗；沒有人一出生就是茶專家，專業是慢慢累積而來的。
同理，第二語言的熟練也不是天生。如果學習語言就像品茗，就從最愛的一杯開始——你的真實興趣所在。具體做法：讀新茶品牌的宣傳冊，注意詞彙；研究宣傳單張的句型；查罐上的品飲筆記。熟悉的主題提供鷹架（scaffolding），讓生詞成為可從語境解出的謎題，而非擋路的牆，讓你現有的知識成為火種。
Vygotsky（1978）稱近側發展區（zone of proximal development）為介於你現能獨立完成與無法完成之間的空間；你已有的專長就是通往它的梯子。給我一本科學期刊我會卡住；給我一篇卡夫卡，我能憑熟悉的思想一路讀下去。選那些能靠背景知識支撐你的文本，你會爬升而不是停滯。
The second recommendation is to build on existing knowledge. Just as tea expertise develops gradually, language learning progresses most effectively when learners start with familiar subjects.
Practical examples include reading tea brochures, analysing promotional materials, or examining tasting notes. Familiar topics provide scaffolding, allowing learners to infer the meanings of unfamiliar words from context. Existing knowledge becomes the foundation for new learning.
The author links this idea to Vygotsky's (1978) concept of the zone of proximal development, the space just beyond what learners can do independently. Prior expertise acts as a ladder into this zone. A learner may struggle with an unfamiliar physics journal but cope well with a text on Kafka because existing knowledge supports comprehension. Background knowledge helps learners climb rather than cling.
回想第一次被語言吸引：在《第六感生死緣》（Meet Joe Black, Brest, 1998）看到布萊德·彼特的臉，Joe 嘗到花生醬說“Hmm… splendid”時，我暫停影片、查字典、把意思記下。那個小動作成了踏上英語學習之路的第一步。我重看電影、模仿台詞，在房間裏自言自語。動機往往不會張口說「我要精通文法」，而是從電影、歌詞、遊戲或一張臉悄悄溜進來。別輕看這些火花：抓住它們、暫停、查字典、記錄。
The author recalls being captivated by Meet Joe Black (Brest, 1998). Hearing the word "splendid" ,they paused the film, checked a dictionary, and wrote down the meaning. This small act became the beginning of a deeper journey into English learning.
The lesson is that motivation rarely begins with a conscious desire to master grammar. Instead, it often emerges through films, music, games, or other personal interests. Learners should recognise and follow these sparks of curiosity wherever they appear.
與他人共同學習
Find the Spark with Others
最後，分享這把火。與學伴——無論是兄弟姊妹、伴侶、同事或是志同道合的朋友——共同學習，是維持火勢的有效方法。回到茶迷：一起探索新茶館、讀不同品牌的宣傳冊、參加茶會，這些活動豐富對話。你們交換詞彙如同交換品飲筆記，互相修正並慶祝小勝利，例如看懂整份菜單或能用英語對談五分鐘而不換語言。Lave 與 Wenger（1991）稱之為實踐社群（community of practice）：我們透過參與而不是被教導來學習；新手只要參與群體活動，便能從邊緣走向中心（見 Wenger, 1998）。你不需要完整課綱或專業老師，只需要歸屬的地方和值得一起做的事；孤獨的自學因此成為共享冒險，而共享的冒險更難放棄。
Learning can also be strengthened through companionship. Study partners, friends, colleagues, or small groups can sustain motivation by sharing experiences and interests. Tea lovers, for example, might visit tea houses together, exchange vocabulary, and celebrate small successes.
This principle reflects Lave and Wenger's (1991) concept of a community of practice, which emphasises learning through participation. People develop knowledge by engaging with others who share common interests. Learners need not rely solely on formal instruction; they also need a sense of belonging and meaningful activities to pursue together.
追問「下一步是什麼？」
Keep Feeding the Fire
語言學習不是為了衝刺取得證書，而是一生照料的篝火。好奇心點燃它，熱情助燃它，熟悉領域保護它不被風吹熄，好友讓它在動力低落時仍然燃燒。好奇心、能力、夥伴：自主、精熟、歸屬。三塊木頭成一把火；找你的花生醬時刻、暫停影片、查字典，並不斷問「下一步是什麼？還有什麼？」一旦真正點燃，篝火便永不熄滅。
The author concludes that language learning is not a sprint towards a certificate but a bonfire tended throughout life. Curiosity ignites it, passion fuels it, familiar knowledge shelters it, and supportive communities keep it burning when motivation fades.
The message is summarised as: "Curiosity, competence, company: autonomy, mastery, belonging. Three logs, one fire." By finding a personal "peanut butter moment" and continuing to ask "What's next?" and "What's more?", learners can keep the fire of lifelong learning alive.
●范炎虹（Angel Fan），嶺南大學英語及外語教學中心講師，英國高等教育學會會士(FHEA)，研究聚焦課程國際化、混合式學習及人工智能輔助語言教學，兩度榮獲卓越教學獎計劃優異證書。
