廖彩杏英文童書悅讀記

我在“用有聲書輕鬆聽出英語力＂：一年 52 週 100 本

英文繪本閱讀計畫”這本書一再強調 「把英語當母語學，

循序漸進、習慣成自然，不必先學文法。」

許多家長老師還是不放心地問 「文法在哪裡？」

實際上，「文法就在故事裡」。 

“If I Were President”是一本很有趣的繪本故事，

藉由小女孩假想自己是美國總統，

來介紹國家元首所該負的責任義務。

統帥三軍：

If I were president, I’d be in charge of the armed forces -

the army, navy, air force and marines.

球季開球：

If I were president, in the spring I’d toss

the first pitch of the baseball season.

有專屬的戲院：

If I were president, I could go bowling

or visit a movie theater without ever leaving my house.

有專屬的空軍一號：

If I were president, I’d travel in my limousine

or in my own private airplane, Air Force One.

然而，如果子民遭遇不幸，安撫受難家屬，

協助重建家園是刻不容緩的要務：

If I were president, I’d comfort families that had been in an

earthquake, hurricane, or flood.

Then I’d help them rebuild their towns.

If I were president, I’d be in charge of the armed forces -

the army, navy, air force and marines.

If I were president, in the spring I’d toss the first pitch

of the baseball season.

If I were president, I could go bowling

or visit a movie theater without ever leaving my house.

If I were president, I’d travel in my limousine or in my

own private airplane, Air Force One.

If I were president, I’d comfort families that had been in an

earthquake, hurricane, or flood.

Then I’d help them rebuild their towns.

看出以上摘錄的共同點嗎？

全是標準的 if 假設語氣句型：

1. If 主詞 過去式動詞，主詞 would (could) 原形動詞。

2. If 主詞 were，主詞 would (could) 原形動詞。

除了 if 假設語氣句型不斷重複之外，豐富的措辭，

例如：the armed forces、the army, navy, air force、

an earthquake, hurricane, or flood；實用的片語，

例如：in charge of、toss the first pitch、go bowling、

without ever leaving my house、comfort families、

in my own private airplane、rebuild their towns

等等值得孩子模仿學習的精采內容。

一本值得收藏細讀的繪本故事，通常蘊含著

多元延伸的豐富性。除了故事句型架構以 if 假設語氣為主

，達成英語學習的目的。故事內容將美國總統職位的

點點滴滴作了簡單卻明確的交代，讓孩子對政治人物

所扮演的角色有正面的認識。

例如：與內閣商議：

例如：與國會聯合立法，當然總統有否決權。

Congress、sign the bill (法案)、a veto 都是英語世界

普遍常用的政治術語。

總統住在哪？

 哪紙鈔上的總統又是誰呢？

這本書另一個值得津津樂道之處在於主角設定是女生，

小女孩也能胸懷大志喔！

＊＊＊＊＊＊

不必等到上國中讀到第五、六冊，才學習 if 假設語氣。

想通熟所有英語句法，捨棄呆板的教材，讀一本又一本

的好故事才是最愉快的方式。然而，大量閱讀不是

囫圇吞棗的有什麼書就看什麼書，亂無章法的讀

是無法累積閱讀力的。想要累積大量閱讀的美好經驗，

循序漸進、由淺而深，才是最佳的途徑。

＊＊＊＊＊＊

學習 if 假設語氣的入門書

認識 if 假設語氣的入門書是 If The Dinosaurs Came Back

《If The Dinosaurs Came Back》是令人耳目一新

的恐龍故事書。作者 Brnard Most 發揮創意，

想像如果恐龍還活著，能為現代人類帶來 18 種新奇貢獻，

如推開雲層使陽光普照、養在家裡嚇跑竊賊等，

是很具幽默感的一個故事。

雖然許多用字遣詞是孩子第一次聽到，但新鮮的題材

卻能吸引孩子一聽再聽；而隨著恐龍出現，相同句型結構

連續重複了 18 次。孩子在聽到一次又一次的主題句

「If the dinosaurs came back, they could / would」的語法結構

早就烙印在心裡，哪還需要學假設語氣的文法！

摘錄一些《If The Dinosaurs Came Back》如下:

If the dinosaurs came back, they would scare away robbers.

If the dinosaurs came back,

they could help lumberjacks chop down trees.

If the dinosaurs came back,

they could help fire fighters put out fires.

If the dinosaurs came back, they could help build big skyscrapers.

If the dinosaurs came back, they would make great ski slopes.

是否讀到不少細緻的單字片語呢？

＊＊＊＊＊＊

學習 if 假設語氣的第二本經典《Dinosaur Encore》

《Dinosaur Encore》與《If The Dinosaurs Came Back》

有異曲同工之妙，都在假想如果恐龍還活著的情形。然而，

這本更精彩之處在於多了比較句型的語法結構，

使語句的描寫有另一層次的豐富，摘錄如下：

- If dinosaurs came back to live with us today…

- Which dinosaur would be angrier than a butting billy goat?

- Pachycephalosaurus

- Which one would be longer than this proud parade?

- Diplodocus

- Which one would be crueler than a crocodile?

- Tyrannosaurus Rex

- Which one would run faster than an ostrich?

- Struthiomimus

- Which one would be smaller than our Dalmatian dog?

- Compsognathus

- But which dinosaur would be two thousand times bigger than us?

- Seismosaurus

＊＊＊＊＊＊

學習 if 假設語氣的第三本經典：

《The Mixed--Up Chameleon》

這是 Eric Carle 的經典作品之一，利用一隻變色龍的

滑稽遭遇來闡明「作自己，最自在」的深刻哲理。

故事裡不斷重複的“I wish I could…”

為孩子示範表達心願的標準句型。即使心願如麻，

作者將經典留在最後一句，“I wish I could be myself.”

，為故事留下完美的註解。

I wish I could be big and white like a polar bear.

I wish I could be handsome like a flamingo.

I wish I could be smart like a fox.

……...

I wish I could be funny like a seal.

…..

I wish I could be myself.

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文法在哪裡？文法就在故事裡 。