自我导向学习
Self-Directed Learning
刘立军 供稿
TRANSCRIPT
Do you take the initiative with your learning? Can you work out what you need to learn, decide how you’re going to do it, and then judge how well your learning went?
Self-directed learners do all these things and more and their learning is all the better for it. So let’s look at seven ways you can become a self-directed learner.
First, find the time. When you’re busy, learning can feel like a luxury, but it’s important to create pockets of self-development time when you can. Some people find it’s best to set aside the same slot every week. For flexible workers, home days may provide opportunities for undisturbed learning. For others, the commute can be a great time to read research papers or industry blogs or to listen to a podcast. Find what works best for you.
Next, set some goals. This will help you commit to your learning and keep you motivated as you track your progress. Remember to make your goals SMART, in other words, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. The bigger your learning goals, the more detailed they’ll need to be.
Think long term. You’ll naturally want to develop knowledge and skills to help in your current role, but think about your longer-term aspirations, too. What will you need to meet your next challenge or to move forward in your career? Look at the people who inspire you. What have they done that’s helped them get where they are today? And what about outside of work? Perhaps you could pursue one of your hobbies as a fun and challenging way to grow.
Set up your own “to-learn list.” Many of us keep a to-do list for our daily, weekly, or monthly tasks. Similarly, a to-learn list can help you manage your learning over time. Look at this list regularly, schedule your learning activities, and discuss them during one-on-ones with your manager. If you can, bundle activities together to make them more manageable.
Remember to share the load. Self-directed learning isn’t just about you. By sharing your development activities with others, you can get support with what you are doing now and ideas about where to go next. This is a great way to grow your personal learning network, too.
Reflect as you go. A good way to monitor and manage your learning is to use a reflective journal. Record observations, thoughts, and feelings about your learning. Reflective questions can be useful if you ever feel stuck. For example, what have you learned this week? What’s gone well and what hasn’t? What could you do differently next time?
Finally, become a lifelong learner. Learning isn’t just about meeting specific challenges in your career. The rapidly changing world of work requires all of us to be flexible, open-minded, and adaptable. And lifelong learning is as good for your health as your career. Studies show that being a self-directed learner can keep your brain fit and even boost your longevity. What’s more, regularly stepping outside of your comfort zone should keep you interested and challenged, as well as excited about what you could achieve next.
VOCABULARY
1. initiative n. the power or opportunity to act and gain an advantage before other people do 掌握有利条件的能力（或机会）；主动权。例如：to seize / lose the initiative 掌握 / 丧失先机
2. slot n. a position, a time or an opportunity for sb. / sth., for example in a list, a program of events or a series of broadcasts （名单、日程安排或广播节目表中的）位置，时间
3. commute n. the journey that a person makes when they commute to work 上下班路程。例如：I have only a short commute to work. 我上班的路程很近。
4. bundle … together: to make or tie sth. into a bundle 捆扎；把……打包。例如：The papers were all bundled together, ready to be thrown out. 报纸全部捆好，准备扔掉。
QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
1. What is the first step to becoming a self-directed learner?
A) Finding time for self-development.
B) Setting long-term goals.
C) Sharing your development activities with others.
D) Reflecting on your learning.
2. Why is it important to make your learning goals SMART?
A) To impress your manager with your ambition
B) To keep you motivated as you track your progress
C) To make your learning more challenging
D) To show off your knowledge to others
3. What is a “to-learn list”?
A) A list of daily tasks.
B) A list of monthly goals.
C) A list of learning activities.
D) A list of long-term aspirations.
4. Why is it important to reflect on your learning?
A) To impress your manager with your progress
B) To keep you motivated as you track your progress
C) To compete with others
D) To show off your knowledge to others
5. Why is it important to share your development activities with others?
A) To show off your progress
B) To compete with others
C) To get support and ideas
D) To keep your learning private
6. Why is becoming a lifelong learner important?
A) To meet specific challenges in your career
B) To keep you interested and challenged
C) To impress your manager with your ambition
D) To show off your knowledge to others
KEY
1. What is the first step to becoming a self-directed learner?
A) Finding time for self-development.
B) Setting long-term goals.
C) Sharing your development activities with others.
D) Reflecting on your learning.
【答案】A
【分析】细节题。文章提到，成为自主学习者的第一步是为腾出时间用于自我发展。
2. Why is it important to make your learning goals SMART?
A) To impress your manager with your ambition
B) To keep you motivated as you track your progress
C) To make your learning more challenging
D) To show off your knowledge to others
【答案】B
【分析】推理题。文章提到，制定SMART目标可以帮助你投入到自我学习中，并在追踪进度时保持动力满满。
3. What is a “to-learn list”?
A) A list of daily tasks.
B) A list of monthly goals.
C) A list of learning activities.
D) A list of long-term aspirations.
【答案】C
【解析】细节题。文章提到，创建“待学清单”可以帮助你管理自己的学习，在与经理一对一讨论时可以讨论这些清单内容。
4. Why is it important to reflect on your learning?
A) To impress your manager with your progress
B) To keep you motivated as you track your progress
C) To compete with others
D) To show off your knowledge to others
【答案】B
【分析】推理题。文章提到，使用反思日志可以帮助你监控和管理自己的学习，记录关于学习的观察、想法和感受。
5. Why is it important to share your development activities with others?
A) To show off your progress
B) To compete with others
C) To get support and ideas
D) To keep your learning private
【答案】C
【分析】推理题。文章提到，与他人分享你自我成长的各种活动可以帮助你获得支持，集思广益。这也是扩展个人成长网络的好方法。
6. Why is becoming a lifelong learner important?
A) To meet specific challenges in your career
B) To keep you interested and challenged
C) To impress your manager with your ambition
D) To show off your knowledge to others
【答案】B
【分析】推理题。文章提到，成为终身学习者不仅是为了满足职业上的具体挑战。快速变化的工作世界要求我们都要具备灵活性、开放性和适应性。而且终身学习对于健康和职业都有好处。
（封面图片来源于摄图网，版权归摄图网所有）