If you've always wanted to speak another language, or just want to understand your Spanish boyfriend, then you're in luck.
如果你想學會說一門外語，又或者僅僅是想聽懂你西班牙男朋友說的話，那么恭喜你了。

Thanks to the internet, it's become easier and easier to learn a new language - and you don't even have to pay a penny.
有了互聯網，學外語變得越來越簡單，甚至還不需要花錢。

You can watch foreign films on Youtube or streaming sites, order books from every country in the world and chat online.
你可以在Youtube和其他流媒體網站上看外語片，上網訂購外語書籍，和外國人網上聊天。

Millions of language learners now also use Duolingo, a free app which treats learning like a game. Practicing earns you points and unlocks new levels of vocabulary.
現在數百萬語言學習者都在使用“多鄰國”（Duolingo），一款免費的應用軟件。用它學外語就跟玩游戲似的，用戶要通過不斷的練習賺得點數來解鎖新詞。

We asked one super user, Matthias Salzger, about his experience and what tips he has for beginners.
馬蒂亞斯?薩爾澤格是其中一位超級用戶。在我們的采訪中，他談到了自己的學習經歷，并為初學者提供了些小竅門。

'Thanks to my online Spanish, I was top of my class'
“多虧我在網上學習了西班牙語，現在我是班上的第一名。”

I started using Duolingo in June 2013. After seeing it in a Youtube video I thought: “It would be cool to speak some Spanish.” Soon I was hooked.
我是在2013年6月開始用“多鄰國”的。那時我在Youtube上看到一個介紹“多鄰國”的視頻，心想：“如果會說點西班牙語，那一定很酷。”很快我就沉迷其中了。

I learnt all of my early Spanish on Duolingo. In fact, I switched schools in the autumn of 2013 and found out I had learned in three months on Duolingo what my new classmates had in three years. I passed a test the school required me to take with flying colours and quickly was at the top of my class.
我用“多鄰國”完成了西班牙語入門。2013年秋我轉學了，然后我發現我在“多鄰國”上僅僅用了三個月就學會了同學們三年才學會的東西。我出色地通過了學校安排的測試，很快就成了班上的第一名。

Besides Spanish , I learnt some Italian on Duolingo, what I believe to be almost conversational Esperanto , and a good chunk of my French.
除了西班牙語，我還在“多鄰國”上學了一些意大利語。我認為意大利語是日常對話中使用最多的語言。我的法語也有很大一部分是在在“多鄰國”上學的。

Duolingo can only get you so far. After you’ve got the basics, read. And then read some more. Skip the children’s books and start with the stuff that you’re actually interested in. Other than that, try watching a movie or a TV series.
但“多鄰國”的幫助也是有限的。在“多鄰國”上只能學到基礎知識，以后就要靠閱讀了。要在這一過程中逐漸擴大閱讀量。閱讀時跳過那些兒童書籍，直接找你感興趣的東西來讀。此外還可以試著看看外語電影或電視劇。

The most important tip in my opinion is to do what’s fun for you.
在我看來學外語最重要的一點就是，要用你感興趣的方法來學。

I guess my level in Spanish now is around B1-B2 (intermediate). I didn’t get there with Duolingo alone. I also read quite a bit, watched some cartoons in Spanish and attended a language school in Spain for two weeks.
我估計我的西班牙語水平在B1和B2級左右（中級水平）。這不完全是在“多鄰國”上學的。我還閱讀了很多文章，看了一些西班牙語的動畫片，還在西班牙的一所語言學校學了兩星期。

But you don’t need expensive programs like Rosetta Stone, a private teacher or even language classes. The really important factor is that you stay motivated and stick with it.
你不必花很多錢購買“如師通”軟件（Rosetta Stone）、請私人老師或是報班上語言課，但最重要的是你要一直有動力，要堅持學下去。

Matthias’ 7 tips for learning a language:
馬蒂亞斯學外語的7個小竅門：

1. Set yourself a goal
給自己設定目標

This goal could be finishing the Duolingo tree, or being able to speak with your friend in their native language. Work every day at it!
目標可以是完成“多鄰國”的任務樹，也可以是達到能與外國朋友對話交流的水平。每天向著自己的目標邁進吧！

2. Team up with other learners
和其他學習者相互促進

When using Duolingo, don’t forget to use the sentence discussion and read the grammar notes too. The discussion boards are also worth taking a look at (only available in the web version).
在用“多鄰國”的時候，別忘了看討論區和別人的語法筆記。討論區真的很值得一看（這個功能只在網頁版上才有）。

Ask questions, look for people to learn alongside with and if you’re already there check out Lingots For Stories, a weekly writing challenge managed by myself and other great Duolingo members.
記得多多提問，還可以和別的學習者結伴學習。如果你都做到了，不妨參加一下“寫故事賺點數”（Lingots For Stories）的活動吧。這是我和其他優秀學習者一同發起的寫作比賽，每周舉行一次。

3. Start reading
學會閱讀

Check out your local library or the internet (a lot of books can be found as pdf downloads). Now here comes what might seem like a bizarre tip: don’t use a dictionary!
去你所在地的圖書館看看，或者直接在網上閱讀（很多書可以以pdf的格式下載下來）。我還有個建議，可能聽起來會有點奇怪：閱讀時別查字典！

Instead, try to understand the word from its context. This might be incredibly hard in the beginning, but I promise it gets easier. You won’t forget the words, as you might if you just look them up. And don’t worry about getting it wrong as you’ll encounter the word again and correct your mistake.
別用字典查詞，而是根據上下文理解單詞的意思。可能剛開始會讀得很艱難，但是我保證到后面會變得越來越容易。如果你只是查字典的話，很容易就把這個單詞的意思忘了，但是用這種方法就不會。你也不必擔心判斷錯了詞義，因為你還會在下文里遇到同樣的詞，到時可以糾正自己的錯誤理解。

4. Watch films
看電影

Try watching a movie or TV series. You can stream it online. If you can’t do that legally, see if the movies you own have an audio track in your language of choice. Youtube is also a great source for foreign language material.
試著看看外語電影和電視劇吧。你可以直接在網上觀看。如果沒有正版片源，就找找這部片有沒有那門語言的音軌。Youtube上也有很多外語學習的資源。

5. Follow your interests
根據自己的興趣去學

I’ve tried reading children’s books in Spanish but found them so boring that I never got past the first few pages. Then I read Ficcionesby Jorge Luis Borges, which is quite a difficult book, and I loved it. As a rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t read or watch it in your native language, you also shouldn’t in your second language.
我曾經嘗試閱讀過西班牙語的兒童書籍，但這實在是太無聊了，我看了幾頁就看不下去了。后來我看了《博爾赫斯小說集》（Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges），雖然閱讀起來很難，但很對我的口味。一般來說，對一本書或一部電影如果你連母語版都提不起興趣，那么就別嘗試外語版了。

6. Chat
和外國人聊天

If you know somebody who speaks the language you’re learning you should definitely try to get them to talk with you.
如果你正在學一門外語，又剛好認識說這門語言的人，那么你當然得想辦法和他們說說話。

7. Be patient
保持耐心

The cost of learning a language isn’t money but your time. It can take years.
學一門外語不一定要花錢，但一定要花時間。有時甚至會花上幾年。

Don’t expect a language course to just shove the knowledge into your mouth. You have to earn it.
別以為報外語班就一定能學到知識，一定得有自己的努力才行。

Vocabulary

with flying colours: 出色地；成功地
As a rule of thumb: 根據經驗；一般說來

英文來源：鏡報
譯者：牛歡
審校&編輯：丹妮