Nobody likes exams, let alone studying for them, but with these tips you'll conquer those tricky language exams with no trouble at all.
无人喜欢考试，更不要说为了考试而学习了，不过通过下面的小技巧，你就能毫不费劲地通过那些复杂的语言考试了。
We all know the score: exams are quickly approaching, your stress levels are rising, and you feel like the days are getting shorter and shorter as you run out of time to study. Heck, even the nights feel shorter, as the idea of cramming for your English, French, German, or Spanish exams is giving you nightmares. Panicking is rarely a good way to cope with stress, so if you’re studying for those upcoming exams, follow these simple tricks to boost your confidence for the big day.
大家都了解考试的分数：就要考试了，你的重压愈加大。同时你会感觉时间愈加少，你就快没时间为考试做筹备了。妈蛋，你感觉天天晚上都非常短暂！为筹备英语、法语、德语或者西班牙语考试而死记硬背，这真的是噩梦。恐慌不是应付重压的好方法，所以你若是正在为了这类即将来临的考试而学习，可以通过下面一些简单的小技巧，来增加你在考试当天的自信吧！
1)Don’t be afraid to try out some unconventional techniques
不要害怕尝试一些很规的办法
Geography, history, math… they might be interesting subjects, but let’s be honest, they’re a little hard to connect to your everyday life. Languages, on the other hand, are alive. They can be used to communicate with anyone, anywhere, and at any time.
地理，历史，数学......它们或许是有趣的科目，不过老实说，它们与你平时的生活的联系是极少的。然而，语言是活的。大家可以用语言去跟其他人、在任何地址、时间进行交流。
If you can afford a little linguistic holiday away, go for it! One week abroad can teach you more than an entire year sitting in class. If a quick trip to Sicily is a little beyond your budget just now, don’t despair —there are still plenty of possibilities to practice a foreign language. For instance, try finding a partner you can practice with over Skype.
假如你有钱去海外旅游，那就快点的！在海外待一个礼拜将给你带来比在课堂里学习一年更多的常识。假如现在阶段去西西里岛的短期旅游会叫你超支，不要灰心——你仍然有很多训练外语的可选办法。譬如，找一个可以用Skype进行外语训练的伙伴。
2)Prioritize your revision
优先考虑你的复习计划
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to studying for exams. Every exam is unique, with a certain set of specific skills being tested. For example, being fluent in Italian might make you a pro at the spoken exam, but you’ll probably crash and burn in the written exam if your grammar knowledge is lacking.
可惜地是，并没什么适用于所有考试的通用办法。每一个考试都是与众不同的，都有自己固定的一套测试方法。譬如说，一口流利的意大利语或许能叫你在口语考试中成为一个佼佼者，不过假如你缺少语法常识，那样你或许会在笔试中一败涂地。
If you grew up bilingual, or have loads of friends who speak the language you’re learning, then you most likely learned the language in an intuitive way. You should therefore focus your study time on mastering the grammar rules.
假如你是从小就是一个双语者，或者你有一些朋友、他们的母语正是你在学的语言，那样你大概用偏直觉化的方法学习语言。那样，你就应该把你的学习时间集中在学会语法规则上。
Plan ahead, make sure you know exactly what aspects of the language are being tested in the exam itself, and prioritize your revision on improving the weakest parts of your linguistic repertoire. After all, no one likes a surprise on exam day, do they?
你应该提前计划，确保你了解在这场考试中会考这个语言的什么方面，然后优先考虑能改变你最薄弱部分的复习计划。不管怎么样，无人会喜欢在考试当天的“惊喜”，对不对？
3) Make a war plan
拟定一个作战（冲刺）计划
Start as soon as possible! Look at your schedule and build yourself a tailor-made plan that gives you ample time to focus on all areas of the language. Dedicate between 30-90 minutes a day to your language learning, and be honest about your specific needs: you might need to adjust the amount of time you spend learning grammar/vocabulary versus the amount of time you spend practicing speaking, reading or writing.
尽快开始吧！看一下你的时间表，然后为自己拟定一个专门的计划、给自己充足的时间去突破语言考试的每一专项。天天花30到90分钟去进行语言学习，并且依据你的特定需要进行调整：或许相对于训练说、读、写的时间，你需要调整你学习语法/词语的时间。
Just remember —you are the master of your own study plan, so if you hate the inanity of the same daily routine, you can always switch things up by dedicating an entire day to just one area. And if you thrive on structure and routine, build yourself a clear daily agenda and stick to it!
记住——你是自己学习计划的掌控者，所以你若是讨厌千篇一律的计划，可以花一天的时间只学习一个部分来转换一下。假如你喜欢结构化和常规化，那就为自己拟定一个明确的每天学习日程表并且坚持下去！
Whichever approach you choose, the most important thing is to plan long in advance to give you a clear understanding of your strengths and weaknesses right from the start. Plus, to give yourself a little motivational boost during your review time, set yourself daily or weekly goals that you can aim for.
不论你选择什么办法，非常重要的是你应该提前做好计划，在刚开始就了解地了解我们的优势和薄弱点。此外，为了在你复习的时候给自己一点提升的动力，给你一个人设立可达成的每天或者每周阶段性目的。
4) Teamwork makes dreamwork
团队协作创造神奇成效
Don’t be a hermit —foreign language is the perfect subject to learn in pairs or groups!
不要做“隐士”——外语绝对合适结对学习或者小组学习！
Maybe you think of yourself as a bit of rock star at listening and comprehension, but when it comes to writing you’d like nothing more than to crawl under a rock and hide? If so, try setting up a weekly study session with a classmate who excels in your weakest area . Teaching someone else is also one of the best ways to learn, so studying in small groups is great when preparing for an exam.
或许你感觉你在听力和理解上是一个小能手，不过在面对写作时，你只想躲起来？若是如此的话，尝试着设立为期一周的计划、找一个善于你薄弱部分的同学一块学习吧（反之亦然）。教其他人也是最高效学习方法之一，所以在你筹备考试时，小组学习是一个好办法。
Keep the setting informal , and prepare a small agenda in advance so that everyone knows what to expect. The informality of the setting will put everyone’s nerves at ease, and before you know it, your confidence will grow in leaps and bounds.
维持学习环境的非正式性（小知识：咖啡馆是学习的好去处），提前筹备一个小的议程，如此别的人都能心中有数。非正式的环境能让大伙的神经放松，并且在你不了解的状况下、你的自信心将会突飞猛进。
5)Turn your hobbies into fun study aids
将你的兴趣转化为兴趣学习的助手
It can’t be repeated enough —languages surround us every day, so make sure you get your nose out of the books to practice your learning in a variety of settings. Are you a sports fan with a penchant for Spanish football? Then check out the latest La Liga results on a Spanish website. Maybe music is more your thing? Subscribe to Spotify playlists of bands who sing in the language you’re learning. once you’ve found a song you like, try translating their lyrics into English.
语言天天都随着着大家，所以不要仅仅局限于书本、用各种有趣的办法去学习——这是重复多少遍都不为多的真理。你是一个对西班牙足球有着喜好的体育迷吗？若是，那样在西班牙网站上看看最新西班牙甲级足球联赛的结果吧。或许音乐是你更有兴趣的东西？在Spotify（海外音乐播放器）上订阅你所学语言的乐队歌曲播放列表吧。一旦你找到了你喜欢的歌，尝试着把歌词翻译成英语（母语）。
Not only will this expand your vocabulary, you’ll also end up learning idioms and expressions along the way and improve on your pronunciation skills. Plus you’ll have a pretty crazy smorgasbord of international bands with which to impress your friends at your next house party…
这个办法不但会扩大你的词语量，你最后也将通过这个方法学习到习语和表达方法，并且提升你的发音方法。此外，你还会对各种各样的国际乐队相当狂热，并且能在下一次聚会唱歌时给你的朋友留下深刻印象......
Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way to acing those language exams! So good luck！
通过学习这类小窍门，你将会在语言考试中脱颖而出！祝你好运！
