Languages on Kind of Idea

Five Tips for Speaking English Naturally

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Translation from: http://lingualeo.com/jungle/3492

(Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetmojo/2349316636)

You’re learning English. Of course, you want to speak naturally, as if you were American or British. But how can you do that? Here are five tips to help.

1 — Use “get”

“Get” is one of the most useful and commonly used words in English. English speakers use it all the time! Take a look at this example:

Beginner: What time did you arrive?
Native speaker: What time did you get there?

“Get” has many meanings. It can mean “take” or “buy.” English learners often have trouble using “get” in the sense of “become”:

10 Mistakes That Hinder English Learning

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Over the last two years, I've researched a lot about how not to waste time on unnatural techniques, and the result is the list of mistakes below. The goal is for you to read it, reflect, and gradually eliminate the items on the list—and then forget about them. Remember that your focus should be on what you need to do. So don't keep ruminating on this article. It's just here to clarify things, give you freedom, and remove obstacles. As I always like to say, this isn't absolute truth. I suggest you try things out and choose what works for you.
Your goal is to listen to interesting, comprehensible audio over and over!

The image in this post is meant to convey a sense of freedom: read the negative points, but remember that your focus should be on the positive. Here is the list of ten mistakes to avoid so that your English learning can flow naturally:

Set Big Goals and Set Your Motivation Ablaze (Translation)

Sat, 16 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

When you’re learning to speak English, motivation is very important. You need emotional drive to learn and improve quickly.

Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/

One of the easiest ways to get more strength and motivation is to choose BIG goals. Most students have vague, powerless goals. They say things like, “I want to improve my English,” “I want a good TOEFL score,” or “I want a better job.”

These goals are emotionally weak and won’t give you the energy you need for rapid success.

Let's Play at Learning English

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

It’s true: we’ve grown up and become responsible and independent, but believe me—we have to bring back the naturalness we had as children from time to time.

Children playing with Lego. By: www.flickr.com/photos/emrank

I’m talking about curiosity, spontaneity, and a willingness to experiment and explore new things.

Children play simply for the pleasure of playing. A little girl invites her friends to play house; they make “food,” give each doll a name, take the dolls for a walk, and within minutes they’ve made up fun stories.

You're Not Stupid! (Translation)

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Hello. Today I want to talk about error correction.

Error correction is a controversial topic. Many people have strong feelings about it.

Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/dylaphant07/

Most English teachers believe that error correction is necessary. In fact, they think it’s vital. Many students who have been trained by these kinds of schools and teachers also believe they need to have their speaking and pronunciation errors constantly corrected.

My students get a little confused when I tell them, “I will never correct your speaking errors.”

English Deserves the Attention It Needs: Fall in Love with It

Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Hi, I’ll keep this to a few paragraphs for us to think about.

I’d already shared a link to Levy’s post, where he talked a little about people having a bigger goal and English serving as a means to reach it.

By: tifotter

I’d like to offer a few different points, with the aim of complementing his post. Let’s start from the assumption that we’re trying to simulate, as closely as possible, how we learned our native language as babies:

Learning a New Language Is Like Being in Love (Translation)

Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Tonight I have to give a short speech in Japanese to about 30 members of the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce. I’m a director of this chamber, which consists mainly of recent Japanese immigrants to Canada who run their own businesses here. Here’s what I plan to say in Japanese.

By: TheDreamSky

Learning a language is like being in love. In fact, you have to be in love to learn a language well. I mean a passion for the language. You have to have a love affair with it. You don’t have to marry the language. You can have an affair and then move on to another language after a while. But while you’re learning it, you have to be in love with it. You’ll learn faster if you stay faithful to the language while you’re studying it.

Why Should We Learn English?

Sat, 02 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Image belongs to bettybraun

I’ll start this post by listing several advantages of learning English:

As a computer programmer, I need up-to-date, original information, and almost 100% of the time that information is in English.
In IT, if I’m fluent in English and write well, I can get a remote job—working from home for a company in another country and earning a very good salary. Many Brazilians are already working this way.

Learn English Naturally (Translation)

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Most of us intuitively know that the best way to learn English is naturally. Yet many students still choose to use unnatural, ineffective, outdated learning methods … and they remain frustrated. Why is it so frightening for some students to switch to natural methods that don’t require unnecessary effort? (Effortless English)

Image created by khrawlings

The answer is, of course, our education system. Around the world, we have an industrial park—a factory-style approach to teaching. Students sit passively, memorizing information through boring routines. They passively listen to lessons and receive grades.

Effortless English: Learning Without Unnecessary Effort

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

Image created by jvh33

I’ve seen some superficial comments online questioning the word Effortless, which means “without effort,” and then dismissing the Effortless English learning method because of that word.

The thing is, even though Effortless means “without effort,” the term is consistent and honest, because this method does eliminate all the effort that researchers in the field consider unnecessary and inefficient.

Some examples:

Studying grammar
Forcing yourself to speak too early as a matter of routine (this can cause language-learning trauma for some people)
Focusing too much on learning through translation
Forcing yourself to memorize vocabulary out of context

The image above of cyclists racing helps illustrate the idea of focusing on what’s essential. They have to exert themselves, but their effort should be directed toward the main goal of winning. If they spend energy on unnecessary things—like looking at the crowd too much or talking to them—it might get in the way of the bigger goal of finishing first.

Learn English with the Mastery Formula (Translation)

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

To learn English, or any other skill, follow the “Mastery Formula.”

What is the Mastery Formula? Well, whenever I’m truly committed to mastering a skill, I follow a very basic “mastery formula.” For example, I use this formula for business, music, and health.

Here’s the Mastery Learning Formula:

Find an excellent coach, mentor, role model, or teacher.
Practice “CANI” (Constant And Never-ending Improvement).
Learn intensively.

(Alternate between and repeat steps 2 and 3 forever.)

Learning English

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone!

###This section comes from my desire to become fluent in English, to share my journey with you, and to learn from your experiences and tips as well.

The idea behind my journey is based on a decision that is simple and complex at the same time:

Is it better to live or to talk about life?

Wait! I’ll explain.

We spend a good part of our lives receiving tons of information, most of which is useless. Rules upon rules, methods that don’t excite us or make a difference.

Learning English, Part 2

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

Before we begin this journey, I’d like to clarify what this section will cover.

This is not sensationalism in any way. I’ve tested, or am currently testing, all the techniques presented here.
The slogan “The RIGHT way to learn English” means the approach that I and hundreds of other people have identified with, because we’re tired of inefficient, unnatural, and nonsensical methods.
The techniques presented here are not absolute truths, but a selected set of techniques that I consider relevant after reflecting on them, comparing them, and putting them to the test.