A Fantastic English Course. Change your mind, change your English, change your life
A Fantastic English Course. Change your mind, change your English, change your life
Александр Чумаков
Change your mind, Сhange your English, Change your life это фантастическое приключение в мир английского языка, где вы найдете много новых, интересных и полезных идей, чтобы не только начать лучше говорить по-английски, но и понимать лучше людей вокруг вас. Это союз видео и аудио уроков, а также бесценный жизненный опыт, который вы получите, проживая истории вместе с главными героями.
A Fantastic English Course
Change your mind, change your English, change your life
Александр Чумаков
A Fantastic English Course
"Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life" By Alexander Chumakov.
I don’t write English courses. I create life experiences.
Read by the author
© Александр Чумаков, 2023
ISBN 978-5-0062-0404-1
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Introduction
I heard my alarm-clock ringing. It was 6:15 in the morning. I reached out for my cell-phone to turn it off. A few moments later I was sitting on the edge of my bed. I looked around. There were books, my pants, my T-shirt and something else lying on the floor. Next to the TV-set there were three pairs of shoes. The window was curtained.
I got up and went to the bathroom. When I looked in the mirror I saw a man. His face was fat. His face was not saved. His hair was untidy and not clean. He looked terrible. I realized that the man was no one else but me. Now let me introduce myself to you. My name is Alexander and I am the author of this fantastic English Course Change your Mind, Change your English, Change your Life. Let’s get back to the story.
I was standing in front of the mirror, staring at myself, trying to figure out what was going on and what had led to this chaos, to this complete disorder in my life.
That time I was working for one big company. I had a good salary. I loved what I did. Everything was great. But one morning the boss came into the office and he said that we went bankrupt and a big company bought us. New bosses never come alone. The new company owners brought new rules and new people. One of the rules was to speak real, true and excellent English. As I have never been good at English, I had nothing to do but to leave the company.
I lost my job. After five months I spent all the money I had. I was broke. I had no idea what to do. I was depressed.
But one fine day I met a man who told me how to change my mind, how to change my English and then it helped change my life completely. I decided to pay the price and become a believer. I was the same idiot, the same fool, but I was willing to move in the direction of my dream.
It took me a while to find a truly remarkable and outstanding English teacher. After seven months I got much better at English. As a result, I got my job back in the company. Again I made a decent life. It took me seven months to turn my life around. It was simple, but it was not easy. I changed, and everything changed around me. It worked out for me, and it will work out for you.
That’s why I have created this fantastic English course for you to help.
What am I going to do in this course for you?
In this course I am going to not only teach you how to speak real, true and excellent English, but I will also give you some tips about changing your English learning philosophy. I’ll guide you and I’ll train you, and most of all, I’ll give you that confidence, that belief, that M-16, if you will, and my undying love so that you can learn and speak excellent English. All this will certainly help you become a fantastic human being inside – this is my wish for you.
“Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life.” It is going to be a turning point, a life-changing experience that you are going to have while doing this course. “Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life” English course is based on my little English Show called “Alex Says” that I have been running successfully for a few years on my YouTube channel.
This English course is a mixture of video clips and audio lessons. The ideas, I am going to introduce in this English Course, are not my ideas. They belong to the best minds of this planet. I am very much excited to introduce them to you. Here they are: Maya Angelou, Jim Rohn, Jordan Peterson, Tony Robbins, Simon Sinek, Oprah Winfrey, Alan Watts, Robert Kiyosaki and many others.
Simply because I have a fantastic habit and I am sure you have it too, which is to learn from the best. I do learn from the best. I mean, the best minds of this planet, and I borrow their ideas and then I pass them on to you: to the people who want to have new experiences, who want to learn from the best and who want to be the best.
To achieve success in English start with yourself. Jim Rohn – an American successful businessman, millionaire, master motivator, famous writer and brilliant public speaker used to say, “The key to success is you.” I totally agree with him.
It is not a secret that we, human beings, are emotional creatures. You absolutely must feel confident when you speak with other people. Why? Because when you feel confident, you begin to notice how everything around you begins to become better: people want to hear you. You stop being so called “an invisible man”. People begin to notice you; they want to talk to you. Of course, in order to start speaking English with confidence, you have to practice a lot. You have to consciously think, feel and live through every single sentence you hear, read and say, then and only then success will come to you. It always comes. It never fails when you invest three things: money, time and energy. You will speak English the way you never did before.
“Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life” is the door to that fascinating world of real, true and excellent English.
This is a fantastic English course that will make your dream of speaking English a reality. Join me at this fantastic English course and we will take your English and your life to the next level together.
I promise you that after doing this English course you will never be the same again. You will certainly speak English better and you will become a better human being not only outside but also inside.
I wish you good luck and every success.
With love and respect,
Your fantastic English teacher,
Alex.
The Structure of the Course
If you want to speak true, real and excellent English. If you want to think in English and if you want to build a new life, the life which is full of adventures, do my English course called “Change Your Mind, Change English, Change Your Life” and I promise you will change the way you think of English. You will improve your English. You will start speaking English the way you never did before. I am telling you, it will change your life. New opportunities will come into your life. Your life will never be the same again. I promise.
Now let me tell you what you learn in this fantastic English course.
There are 7 units and 3 months of audio lessons.
Each Unit includes:
First: Main Talk
This fantastic English course is an absolutely new set of lessons; these are called Change Your English, Change Your Life.
The reason they’re called Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life is because in these lessons you’re going to do two things. Number one, you’re going to learn English, of course. As always, we have the mini-stories, but the content, the focus, the topics in these lessons are going to be focused on the psychology of success.
So the first thing is listen to the main talk. And you can read this as well the first time if you cannot understand easily, you can read the transcript and listen at the same time. Do this perhaps two times per day, starting with the main story and reading. Use a dictionary to look up new words, if you need to.
Second: The vocabulary lesson.
With these vocabulary lessons your pronunciation gets better, your understanding gets better and your listening abilities grow faster. This is a bridge between the main talk and the mini-story lesson. This lesson will help you build that bridge. The vocabulary lesson also teaches you one very important thing that all native speakers do. What is it? This is how to paraphrase. It teaches you to paraphrase. In other words, it provides you with the synonyms you need to say the same differently. It teaches you to use them correctly and to speak English accurately. It gives you the freedom you need.
Third: The mini-story lesson.
This is a crazy, funny, and stupid mini-story.
These mini-story lessons are the most powerful, the most important and the funnies ones. With the mini-story lessons you teach your brain English grammar intuitively, playfully like a child by answering easy and simple questions. Yes, grammar is boring. Yes, grammar is difficult. Yes, grammar is very difficult. But if the input is so interesting and so comprehensible you forget that you are listening to English. The world disappears around you. You enjoy the process. You acquire the language. Grammar takes care of itself.
Fourth: My comments
In this lesson I am going to talk briefly about the main talk again and the story. I am going to philosophize just quickly about the summery of the story. And then I am going to give you my own ideas on the story or I am going to offer other people’s ideas that can help you understand the story much better. And of course, I am going to focus on the moral of the story. In other words, what we can learn from the story to improve not only as an English speaker but also as a human being. All this, I am sure, will help you get the main idea and the main message of the story and of course, you will listen to English more, you will learn more and you will enjoy it more.
The digital MP3 format of audios will allow you to listen to them using any device you like. You may listen to them when walking in the park or going along the streets. You may listen to them when running or jogging or when doing exercises. You may listen to them at home when cooking something delicious in your kitchen. You may listen to them when driving your car or when traveling by subway to work and from work. It is easy and convenient, isn’t it?
Okay, now you have a clear picture of what you are going to do in this fantastic English course called “Change your Mind, Change your English, Change your Life”
Good luck to you! And see you soon.
How to do this Course
The name of the course “Change your Minds, Change your English, Change your life” speaks for itself. You start with an idea, right? Now it is in your head. You are preoccupied with this fantastic idea, wonderful thought and burning desire to speak English better than you are doing now. You already understand that all you have to do is change things around you. But how? Let me walk you through this process.
Now you conjure your vivid imagination to help you. You literally say, “My vivid imagination come to me. Come to me now. I need you now!” Yes, we need help sometimes. It is your vivid imagination that can make your dreams to speak Russian, more powerful, more colorful and clearer.
It is your vivid imagination that can give your dream the energy, the vitality and most importantly hope that everything will come out okay and you will certainly become successful at speaking English. Now I want you to imagine yourself speaking English. It is very easy, right? See yourself in your head speaking Russian wherever you want to: at a restaurant, on the plane, on the phone. Use that powerful instrument, that powerful weapon you have at your disposal, which is called imagination. Do it! This is your first step to make.
Second step: You believe that your desire to speak English can be real.
Now look around and find a person who already speaks English very well. In other words, you look around and you begin to look for your role model. The person who has already done what you are just going to do. This person shows you that what you want to do is possible. If he has done it, so you can do it too.
If you learned English before, let’s say in school, you took English courses or you tried to learn English by yourself. Now I want you to remember some moments from your past where you were already successful. It maybe a small victory: you were successful at saying a few sentences in English; maybe you learned a little poem or a rhyme in English. I don’t know. But one thing I know for sure is that if you did it before and if you were successful, you can do it again, but this time you are going to do it much faster and far better.
If it happened to you before, it can happen again. If you did it once, you can do it again.
All this will give you confidence, and it will give you the emotional boost to start working at this fantastic course.
Third step: Make it real. Make it tangible. Make it viable. Breath life into it
Every single day you listen, read and say loudly one lesson. You do it as many times as you can. Not one time, not two times and not three times. No! You do it as many times as you can. One time is never enough. One time never works.
And finally step number four which is discipline. Discipline is the last piece of miracle. This is the most critical step, because discipline is the bridge between your wish to speak English and your ultimate goal to become an excellent English speaker. Every single day you have to build that bridge by listening to my voice and by answering the questions.
Every day (except Saturday and Sunday) you train your brain. Every day you help yourself become better at English. Every day you make another small step across that bridge, you endeavor in the direction of your dream which is to speak true, real and excellent English.
So let’s sum it up:
1. You imagine yourself speaking English.
2. You believe in yourself. You believe that you can do it. You believe that you will speak English better than you are doing now, much better.
3. You work hard to breathe life into your dream.
4. You discipline yourself. Every single day you listen to me and answer the questions.
That’s it. This is a very easy formula, but it is very powerful. It does work!
If you follow this simple formula, I promise, you will certainly understand English better and you will speak English better than you are doing now. You are changing now, so your English is changing with you.
Good luck to you!
See you soon.
With love and respect,
Your English teacher Alex.
Unit 1 “What does it take to be an English Learner?”
Hi there! This is Alex and this is our first lesson of our fantastic English course called “Change your English, Change your life”.
In this lesson I am going to talk about things that English learners can face with while learning English. Actually, I am answering the question “What does it take to be an English learner?” In other words, what you should do to become what you want to become – a fantastic English learner.
And then you are going to have your vocabulary lesson where I am going to explain some words you may not know to help you establish, make deep, meaningful and strong connections between words to learn them faster and better and to remember them faster and longer.
And then there is going to be your mini-story lesson where I am going to tell a crazy, funny and stupid story and ask a lot of easy questions and answer them.
And finally, you will listen to my comments on this video where I am going to tell you about what it is there between the lines, how to improve faster and how to become a better English speaker and a fantastic human being.
Let’s get started.
Here is the QR code that you can scan with your phone’s camera and watch the video on my YouTube channel where I am answering this question or you can stay here and keep reading and listening to this lesson. It’s your choice. But if I were you would do both. I would watch the video and then I would read and I would listen to it.
Here we go.
Hey there! Welcome to Alex says, where you ask questions and I answer them.
My goal is to help you speak English like never before. Let’s begin.
Today’s question comes from Laura and Laura wants to know “What does it take to be an English learner?”
It is not an easy question to answer, but let me try.
Learning a foreign language, English, in particular, is certainly a huge challenge. And it literally can take years. It is not an easy process. And why should it be easy? No one said it should be easy.
But you should take it as an adventure. If you see learning English as a wonderful, fantastic and interesting journey, it will certainly change everything.
For example, let’s see an English learner as a marathon runner, not a sprinter. Of course, there are forces that pull you to left and right, but you have to stay on your course. And that involves a huge effort. And as I said it is not this day and that day. It takes time.
That’s what my parents taught me, by the way. Good things take: a long time, a huge commitment and they are difficult. And you have to be prepared for that.
Simply to say, you have to be a big believer. You have to be an optimist, believing that future will be brighter tomorrow. You have to see the end results. See yourself speaking true, real and excellent English and feel proud of yourself when you speak English.
If you do this, I promise you will certainly start speaking English like never before.
Thanks for the question. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other.
Okay, this is the end of this lesson. I mean you have watched or listened to the video and now, I am sure, you have a better understanding what it takes to be an English learner. But if you still have some difficulties understanding some words, don’t worry. I’ll explain them to you in the vocabulary lesson. You can watch this video as many times as you want to and you can share it with your friends to help them know it really takes to become an English learner.
Have a great day and see you soon. Bye for now.
The vocabulary lesson
Hi, this is Alex and this is the vocabulary lesson for “What does it take to be an English Learner?” Let’s get started.
Let me briefly remind you of what we need the vocabulary lessons for and how you can improve your English from them.
First of all the vocabulary lessons teach us the meaning of the words you might know and you may not remember well. Secondly, you it teachers us one very important thing which is the ability to paraphrase the sentence. and thirdly, it liberates you from the story by offering you a choice, a variety of similar verbs, I am talking about synonyms so that you could speak true, real and excellent English. By changing your vocabulary, you change everything around you. People begin to notice you. They remember you better and as a result, they treat you better. Isn’t it wonderful?
So let’s dive into our vocabulary lesson.
Our first word for today is a challenge. A challenge is a new and difficult task and it requires, takes great effort to do it.
Learning a foreign language is a huge challenge. It is a new, risky and difficult task. It takes a lot of efforts to do it. It is a challenge.
Next we have the word literally. Literally means in truth or really. We usually use it to emphasize that what you are saying is true, even though it seems exaggerated or surprising. It (learning a foreign language) really can take years. It, in truth or indeed, can take years. It literally can takes year.
Alright, next is the word take. Here take means understand or see. To become a great English learner you should see the process of learning as an adventure, as a journey. You should understand that learning languages is a risky thing to do simply because it is new, it is fresh and you never know the final results, right? It is a real adventure you are going to undertake, to make. It is a risky, dangerous and exciting journey. You should take it as an adventure.
Next we have two words: a marathon runner and a sprinter.
A marathon runner is someone who runs in a marathon, in a long race. He or she runs a distance of just over 26 miles which is about 42 kilometers.
A sprinter is a person who takes part in short, fast races.
This is a very good metaphor which actually means that learning a foreign language is a long race, it is not a short race. If you are a sprinter you cannot succeed in a marathon, simply because you are trained to run fast and in short distances. Running in a marathon is a long process and it takes a lot of preparation and you have to be strong and well-trained, well-prepared.
Next we see the word combinations forces that pull you to left and right. What it means is that when you learn a foreign language or when you do a new, difficult task the things like: other people, their opinions, political and moral, or financial reasons may change your mind by changing your direction in which you are going to. They literally stop you from moving in your direction or they may change your direction and you begin to lose your way, your goal and you will never get to the place of your destination. In our case, it is to become a fantastic English learner. That’s what you don’t want, right? Don’t let these forces pull you to left and right. You have to stay on your course.
And our next expression is to stay on one’s course. When you stay on your course it means you don’t change your direction. You don’t change your opinion. You don’t change your beliefs. You don’t change. You continue to follow your direction. You remain on your course. You don’t change your course. You are where you are. You continue to want to become a great English learner. You stay on your course. I think you get the point, right?
Our next word in this vocabulary lesson is commitment. Commitment is a strong belief in an idea or system. If you want to have the good things happen in your life you have to have a strong, positive and calm belief in what you are doing. You have to have a strong belief in the idea of becoming a fantastic English learner. You have to have a huge commitment to what you are doing.
Next we have the phrase to be prepared for something. It simply means to be ready for something. That’s easy, right?
Okay, we move on and we see a big believer. A big believer is a strong, true, faithful, firm believer. In other words, a big believer is someone who is strongly, truly and firmly believes in what he is doing or in what he is going to get.
Our final expression for today is to see the end results. To see the end results means to imagine or to see in your head what you will finally get. If you work hard and if you imagine, see in your head yourself speaking, true, real and excellent English and if you always think about it in a very positive and calm way, you will become that fantastic English learner and finally a fantastic English speaker. Why? The answer is simple: we become what we think about.
That is all for our vocabulary lesson today for “What does it take to be an English Learner”. Listen to this lesson as many times as you can. Listen to my voice and see in your head yourself speaking true, real and excellent English. Don’t let different forces pull your left and right. Stay on your course and remember you are a marathon runner, you are not a sprinter. Feel proud of yourself every time you speak English and believe in what you are doing and then success will certainly come to you. I promise you will speak English like no one else. Have a great day! Bye for now.
The mini-story
Hi! This is Alex. Welcome to the mini-story for “What does it take to be an English Learner?” You know what I am going to do, right? Yes, I’m going to ask the story. I want you to answer the questions fast and automatically. I want you to train your brain, teach your brain to answer very quickly. I don’t want you to translate from your language to English or from English to your language. Of course, you can answer with one or two words. It’s okay. Short answers are fine. Let’s go!
Joan is an amazing, intelligent and wonderful woman. She wants to become a freediver. But she cannot. Why? She is a woman with Megalohydrothalassophobia.
Megalohydro what? What is it?
Megalohydrothalassophobia is a fear, a phobia of water and large underwater creatures and objects.
Does Joan have a fear of a fear of deep water and large underwater creatures and objects?
Yes, exactly. She has a fear of deep water and large underwater creatures and objects.
What kind of phobia does Joan have?
Megalohydrothalassophobia. She is a woman with Megalohydrothalassophobia.
She has a phobia, a fear of deep waters like seas, oceans.
Is Joan afraid of large underwater creatures, underwater monsters?
Yes, she is. She is afraid of large underwater creatures such as: whales, sharks, see monsters.
How does Joan feel when she is in the deep waters?
She literally feels very much uncomfortable in the deep waters near huge underwater creatures. It is a huge challenge for Joan.
Is it a difficult task for Joan to dive into the deep waters?
Yes, it is. It is a very difficult task for Joan to dive into the deep waters. It is literally a huge challenge for her.
Why is freediving a huge challenge for Joan?
Because she is a woman with megalohydrothalassophobia.
Oh, I love this word. It is so beautiful, isn’t it? Megalohydrothalassophobia. I love it.
Okay, let’s get back to the story.
Tell me what Joan wants to become?
She wants to become a freediver. She wants to swim as deep as she can underwater without using breathing equipment.
Without using what?
Without using breathing equipment. It is things like an oxygen tank or a scuba tank. She wants to swim as deep as she can underwater without using breathing equipment. But she cannot because of her megalohydrothalassophobia.
What does Joan do about the problem?
She decides to go a local diving school. The diving instructor says, "To get rid of megalohydrothalassophobia you have to dive with a gun. And if you see any underwater monster you have to shoot underwater monsters." Joan goes and buys a gun. She dives with the gun but there is another problem. The gun doesn’t work underwater. Joan quits the school. She feels upset. She is still a woman with megalhydrothalassophobia.
Does the diving instructor help Joan to become a freediver?
No, he doesn’t. The diving instructor doesn’t help Joan to become a freediver.
Does Joan still have that phobia, that fear of deep water and sea monsters?
Yes, she does. She still has that phobia, that fear of deep waters and sea monsters.
She is still the woman with megalhydrothalassophobia.
Why? Why doesn’t he help Joan?
Because the diving instructor is not a good diving instructor. He is a terrible diving instructor.
What does Joan do next?
Joan quits the school. She stops going to the diving school. She feels upset.
Why does she feel upset?
Because she is still a woman with megalohydrothalassophobia. She still has that fear of deep waters and sea monsters.
But one day at a party Joan meets a man. The man is so handsome that she literally cannot take her eyes off him. Through her friends Joan learns that the man’s name is Bob. And that Bob is a professional freediver. She wants to know him better and she wants to learn the secret of his success.
Interesting! Is the man handsome or ugly?
Handsome. He is very handsome. He is so handsome that Joan literally cannot take her eyes off him.
You mean, he is so handsome that Joan cannot not look at him?
Yes, that’s what I mean. Joan cannot not look at him. She cannot take off her eyes off him, because the man is very handsome.
How does Joan learn the man’s name?
Through her friends. Her friends tell Joan his name. Joan learns the man’s name from her friends.
What is the man’s name?
Bob. His name is Bob.
What else does Joan learn about Bob?
She learns that Bob is famous marathon runner.
I see. No wonder why Joan cannot take her eyes off Bob. He is strong and handsome.
What does Joan want to know from him?
She wants to learn the secret of his success.
Does Bob share the secret of his success?
Yes, he does.
Why?
Because Bob cannot not look at Joan either.
Of course, he cannot not look at her. Joan is an amazing woman.
What exactly does Bob say?
He says that becoming a freediver is not an easy process. It literally can take years to become a big runner. And it is important to take it as adventure.
He also says that there are forces that pull you to left and right, but you have to stay on your course. Than and only that success will come to you. You will become what you want to become.
Wow! Bob is absolutely right!
What does Joan learn from Bob?
She learns that freediving is an interesting and exciting adventure.
What else? What else does Joan learn about becoming a freediver?
Joan learns that there are forces that are going to pull her left and right, but she has to stay on her course.
Does Johan stay on her course or does she have to change her direction?
She has to stay on her course. She has to be strong and doesn’t let any forces pull her left and right.
Does Joan listen to Bob?
Yes, of course. Joan listens to him. Joan takes freediving as an adventure. She imagines herself diving deep down without an oxygen tank. She practices freediving every single day. Underwater monsters try to pull her to left and right. Large whales meet her, huge and dangerous shark try to attack her, but Joan continues to dive. She stays on her course. She feels proud of herself.
Does Joan see herself diving deep into the water without an oxygen tank?
Yes, she does. She sees herself diving deep down into the water without an oxygen tank.
Does Joan practice freediving every single day?
Yes, she does. Joan practices freediving every single day.
Who pulls her to left and right?
Underwater monsters do. They pull her left and right.
They want to stop Joan from becoming a freediver?
Yes, they want. They pull her left and right. They want to stop Joan from becoming a freediver.
Does Joan give up? Does Joan quit? Does Joan stop freediving?
No, not Joan. She doesn’t give up. She doesn’t quit. She doesn’t stop. Joan continues to practice freediving every single day.
How does Joan feel herself?
She feels proud of herself. Joan prepares herself to become a freediver.
Does Joan become a professional freediver?
Yes, she does. Joan does become a professional freediver.
After 5 years Joan stops having a fear of deep waters and underwater monsters. Joan becomes a confident, experienced, professional freediver. Now she is a woman without megalohydrothalassophobia.
Joan understands that good things take: a long time, a huge commitment and they are difficult. But they are always worth doing.
How long does it take Joan to become a professional freediver?
5 years. It takes Joan 5 years to become a confident, experienced and professional freediver.
Is Joan still a woman with megalohydrothalassophobia?
No, she is not. After 5 year Joan is still a woman, yes. She doesn’t change physically, not. She is still a woman. But she is a different woman. She is a woman without megalohydrothalassophobia. Joan is a freediver.
This is the end of the mini-story for “What does it take to be an English Learner”. You know what to do, right? Stay on your course and don’t let different forces pull you to left and right. Listen and answer the questions. Feel confident and be proud of yourself when you speak English. This is the best way to start speaking English the way you never did before. Okay, I’ll see you next time. Bye-bye!
My Comments
Hi, this is Alex again and welcome to my comments on the unit called “What does it take to be an English Learner?”
In this lesson I am going to say just a few sentences or maybe more in order to support the message given in the main talk. I am also going to talk briefly about the story, a very very short summery of the story. And I am going to philosophize just quickly say a few sentences giving you my own ideas and I am going to offer other people’s ideas that can help you understand the topic far better. And of course, I am going to focus on the moral of the story. In other words, what the story can teach us to improve not only as an English speaker but also as a human being. My hope is that all this will help you get the main idea of the topic and the message that the story carries and of course, you will listen to English more, you will learn more and you will enjoy it more. Here we go.
First, let’s focus on the main talk and the idea it carries. From the main talk we have learned about the difficulties that a language leaner may have when he or she decides to take up a foreign language. I mean when a language learner decides to start learning and practicing a foreign language. We’ve also begun to understand better that it takes a huge effort to start speaking a foreign language and it literally can take years. Many language learners take the learning process of a new language too seriously and they literally forget that it should be a game and they should take it as an adventure not as something that is comfortable, safe, secure and easy to do. Simply because it is never easy to do a new thing. It is always risky, right? And you have to be prepared for that.
When a language learner or any learner, in fact, begins to realize that it is a risky activity, a dangerous journey and he or she agrees to play this risky game, immediately the forces appear that are trying to pull him or her to left or right to stop the learner from getting what he or she wants to get. In our case, it is the desire to learn something new, interesting and useful, not only for himself or herself, but also for other people.
But by staying on the course, by remaining committed to learning the language he or she demonstrates faith and faith is simply another word for persistence or belief. I would call it discipline. By becoming a big believer, by being an optimist you design your bright future. Although, you can never guarantee the final result, you believe that tomorrow will take care of itself and you will certainly succeed.
Okay, now let’s focus on the story and message it has to offer.
From the story we know that Joan is a woman with megalohydrothalassophobia. Although, you already know what it means and you have learned how to pronounce it correctly and accurately, let me explain it to you again. I believe that it doesn’t hurt to go over it again, right?
Megalohydrothalassophobia is a term that combines several Greek roots to describe a specific phobia. To understand it better let’s break the word and see what we have:
Number 1. Megalo. Megalo means “great” or “large”
Number 2 Hydro. Hydro means “water”
Number 3 Thalasso. Thalasso means “sea” or “ocean.”
Number 4 Phobia. Phobia means “fear”.
Now combining these roots. I mean putting them together we have the word Megalohydrothalassophobia
Megalohydrothalassophobia can be understood as the fear or phobia of large bodies of water, such as oceans, seas, or deep bodies of water. People with megalohydrothalassophobia may experience intense anxiety, intense worry or panic when confronted, when faced with depth of bodies of water and sea monsters.
Getting back to the story we see how strong Joan is. Although, she has a terrible phobia, she still wants to become a freediver. She goes through difficulties. She fails when she decides to learn diving at the local diving school, but still Joan looks at the bright side of her life. One fine day she meets a man who tells her how to succeed in becoming a big freediver by setting his own example. The man shows Joan what she should do in order to become what she wants to become. Just because Joan listens to him and decides to firmly stay on her course. She doesn’t let the forces to pull her to left and right, she becomes a professional, experienced and confident freediver.
As you remember that after 5 year Joan is still a woman. She doesn’t change physically, no, no, no. She is still a woman. But now she is a different woman. Joan has a different mindset. Joan meets difficulties, but because she remains on her course, she remains committed to free diving she becomes a confident, a confident, experienced, professional freediver. She is a woman without megalohydrothalassophobia. Joan is a freediver. Joan succeeds in freediving because she understands that good things take: a long time, a huge commitment and they are difficult. But they are always worth doing.
I would like to finish today’s lesson with just a few more couple sentences to make the point clearer.
As you may understand Joan is you and Bob is me. You are pretty lucky, I should say, because you have found me and now you have a fantastic English learner to learn from, imitate or even emulate which actually means to copy or imitate. There is nothing wrong in imitation. If the person you are imitating is the worthy example. Why not imitate him? And I am lucky as well, because all my huge effort, time and energy and my burning desire to help you become a better English learner, a better English speaker and finally a better human being are not in vain, which means they are not unsuccessful, not useless. And by practicing your English every single, by following the formula, by taking the learning process as an adventure, you begin to understand that good things take a long time, a huge commitment and they are difficult, but they are always worth doing. If you take the process of learning as an adventure, I promise you will get the results you are expecting to have. You will become what you want to become: a fantastic, brilliant and great English speaker.
That’s it for now. See you next time and have a wonderful day!
Unit 2. “Grammar is a myth”
Hi there! This is Alex and this is our second lesson of our fantastic, wonderful and useful English course called “Change You Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life”. Let’s begin.
In this lesson I am going to talk about Grammar: why we learn Grammar in schools, how we do it and what problems we usually face with and what results we have in trying to acquire a foreign language. And as you already know you can listen and read this lesson here or you can go to my YouTube channel and watch it there. By the way, here is the QR code that you can scan with your phone’s camera and watch it. It’s up to you to decide.
But if I were you would do both. I would watch the video and then I would read and I would listen to it.
So, let’s begin.
Hi, I am Alexander Chumakov: writer, teacher and speaker. I am also the author of Super English course – learn to speak English like a native. Welcome to another edition of my little EasyEnglish Show: where I teach you, I train you and I help you speak English easily, confidently and powerfully.
Today I am going to talk about one of the most burning, the most important and the most dramatic issues that every English learner faces with. It is Grammar. Let’s jump into the topic.
Grammar seems to be the most difficult, the most complicated and the most boring part in language acquisition.
Why?
Because of the way you have been taught English in schools. They make you believe that English grammar is a kind of marvelous box with a secret inside.
They often tell you, “If you want to know English Grammar, if you want to reveal the secret of the grammar box, one of the obvious ways to perceive it is to take it into pieces.”
Everybody knows that if you want to know how something is made, you unscrew the parts and you see that the secret is inside the box. (I call this box Pandora’s box).
And you listen to them and you (blindly) open that so-called – the box of grammar rules – Pandora’s box. Hoping that this is only way to boost up your speed of learning and speaking English.
But when you open it, you unscrew the box; suddenly it becomes even worse, because now you have no idea how to put all the parts together, when you want to make your own sentence. And eventually, it slows down your speaking a lot.
You try very hard many times, but you fail over and over and over again. Eventually, you become a Grammar agnostic. You come to the realization that grammar is just a myth; it is something that is untrue, something that is better left unsolved. You close Pandora’s box.
And what you do next? You simply start to listen to people a lot and you start to repeat what they say. In other words, you start learning English with your ears like children do.
With time it becomes easier and easier for you to figure out what you hear, and eventually you start to speak English without thinking about grammar rules like native speakers do.
I wish you good luck and every success. See you soon!
Okay, this is the end of this lesson for “Grammar is a myth” I mean you have watched the video or you have listened to it as a podcast. Now I am sure that you have a better understanding what I actually mean when I say that Grammar is a myth. But if you still have some difficulties understanding some words, don’t worry. I’ll explain them to you in the vocabulary lesson. Of course, you may agree with the ideas given here or you may disagree with them, it is your choice. But let’s not talk about it here. Let’s talk about it in the part of this set of lessons called “My Comments”, where I am going to philosophize about it. Okay. Watch this video as many times as you want to share it with your friends and help to learn they way how to learn Grammar better. That’s it for today.
Have a great day and see you soon.
The vocabulary lesson
Hello! This is Alex. Welcome to the vocabulary lesson for “Grammar is a myth” Let’s start right away.
Our first word for today is issue. You can see this word in one of my opening sentences and it says: “Today I am going to talk about one of the most burning, the most important and the most dramatic issues that every English learner faces with.”
Okay, issue has a few meanings in English, but here issue means a topic of interest or discussion. So in the presentation I say that I am going to talk about one of the most burning which means crucial or very important topics or problem that every English learner faces with. Well, actually, not only every English leaner faces this problem, but also every language learner does face the same problem. When I say a language learner I am definitely talking about a person who learns a foreign language. So now you understand that issue means a topic of interest or a topic of discussion.
Next we have a phrase language acquisition. In this article I say, “Grammar seems to be the most difficult, the most complicated and the most boring part in language acquisition.” Language acquisition is a situation when you listen to the language or when you read in the language and you understand it. Another way to put it is that language acquisition is when you begin to get the language, and because you understand what you hear or read you begin to use it successfully. “You can only acquire the language when you understand the message,” as Steven Krashen, one of the best experts on language acquisition, likes to say.
Okay, another phrase in this presentation is a kind of.
I say, “They make you believe that English grammar is a kind of marvelous box with a secret inside.”
(A) kind of means something like this or that. So they (teachers, educators) want you to believe that English grammar is something like a marvelous, very beautiful, very amazing box with a secret inside. So again, (a) kind of means something like this, but it is not exactly this or that. It may look like this or that, but it is not exactly this or that. They make you believe that English grammar is a kind of marvelous box with a secret inside. It is a box, right! But it is not one hundred percent the same box. I think you get the idea, right!?
Next we have the phrase reveal the secret. For those who did my Unique English Course, which is, by the way, the bestselling book, it is not a new phrase, right? But if you didn’t do this course, don’t worry. I’ll explain it to you right now. The sentences says, “They often tell you, “If you want to know English Grammar, if you want to reveal the secret of the grammar box, one of the obvious ways to perceive it is to take it into pieces”.
Oh, here are some more wonderful words in this marvelous sentence. Okay, I’ll explain them to you, just in a minute, but now let’s focus on the phrase to reveal the secret. To reveal a secret simply means to tell or to show a secret or to make known or public. So they often tell you, “If you want to know English Grammar, if you want to make known or disclose, or to show the secret of the grammar box, one of the obvious ways to perceive it is to take it into pieces.” To perceive simply means to realize or to see something that you didn’t see before. And the phrase to take something into pieces means to break something down into parts or to separate something into smaller parts.
So let’s put it all together and see what we have here.
They often tell you, “If you want to know English Grammar, if you want to reveal the secret of the grammar box, to disclose the secret, one of the obvious ways, one of the natural ways to perceive, to realize it is to separate grammar into smaller parts to take it into pieces”. It is a long sentence, but we did it.
Okay, we move on and we see the word unscrew.
The sentence says, “Everybody knows that if you want to know how something is made, you unscrew the parts and you see that the secret is inside the box.” It is very easy to understand what it means, right? But anyway, let me talk just a little bit about it. Unscrew means to remove a screw from an object. In our case, it is from the box. It has the same meaning like separate something by removing a screw. So the sentence says that if you want to know how something is made, you remove a screw or screws from the box. You separate the box into smaller parts and then you begin to see what the box has inside. You unscrew the parts and you see that the secret is inside the box. But you can only reveal the secret, you can only see the secret, if you unscrew the parts of the box.
Another phrase in this presentation is to boost up.
I say, “Hoping that this is the only way to boost up
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Александр Чумаков
Change your mind, Сhange your English, Change your life это фантастическое приключение в мир английского языка, где вы найдете много новых, интересных и полезных идей, чтобы не только начать лучше говорить по-английски, но и понимать лучше людей вокруг вас. Это союз видео и аудио уроков, а также бесценный жизненный опыт, который вы получите, проживая истории вместе с главными героями.
A Fantastic English Course
Change your mind, change your English, change your life
Александр Чумаков
A Fantastic English Course
"Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life" By Alexander Chumakov.
I don’t write English courses. I create life experiences.
Read by the author
© Александр Чумаков, 2023
ISBN 978-5-0062-0404-1
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Introduction
I heard my alarm-clock ringing. It was 6:15 in the morning. I reached out for my cell-phone to turn it off. A few moments later I was sitting on the edge of my bed. I looked around. There were books, my pants, my T-shirt and something else lying on the floor. Next to the TV-set there were three pairs of shoes. The window was curtained.
I got up and went to the bathroom. When I looked in the mirror I saw a man. His face was fat. His face was not saved. His hair was untidy and not clean. He looked terrible. I realized that the man was no one else but me. Now let me introduce myself to you. My name is Alexander and I am the author of this fantastic English Course Change your Mind, Change your English, Change your Life. Let’s get back to the story.
I was standing in front of the mirror, staring at myself, trying to figure out what was going on and what had led to this chaos, to this complete disorder in my life.
That time I was working for one big company. I had a good salary. I loved what I did. Everything was great. But one morning the boss came into the office and he said that we went bankrupt and a big company bought us. New bosses never come alone. The new company owners brought new rules and new people. One of the rules was to speak real, true and excellent English. As I have never been good at English, I had nothing to do but to leave the company.
I lost my job. After five months I spent all the money I had. I was broke. I had no idea what to do. I was depressed.
But one fine day I met a man who told me how to change my mind, how to change my English and then it helped change my life completely. I decided to pay the price and become a believer. I was the same idiot, the same fool, but I was willing to move in the direction of my dream.
It took me a while to find a truly remarkable and outstanding English teacher. After seven months I got much better at English. As a result, I got my job back in the company. Again I made a decent life. It took me seven months to turn my life around. It was simple, but it was not easy. I changed, and everything changed around me. It worked out for me, and it will work out for you.
That’s why I have created this fantastic English course for you to help.
What am I going to do in this course for you?
In this course I am going to not only teach you how to speak real, true and excellent English, but I will also give you some tips about changing your English learning philosophy. I’ll guide you and I’ll train you, and most of all, I’ll give you that confidence, that belief, that M-16, if you will, and my undying love so that you can learn and speak excellent English. All this will certainly help you become a fantastic human being inside – this is my wish for you.
“Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life.” It is going to be a turning point, a life-changing experience that you are going to have while doing this course. “Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life” English course is based on my little English Show called “Alex Says” that I have been running successfully for a few years on my YouTube channel.
This English course is a mixture of video clips and audio lessons. The ideas, I am going to introduce in this English Course, are not my ideas. They belong to the best minds of this planet. I am very much excited to introduce them to you. Here they are: Maya Angelou, Jim Rohn, Jordan Peterson, Tony Robbins, Simon Sinek, Oprah Winfrey, Alan Watts, Robert Kiyosaki and many others.
Simply because I have a fantastic habit and I am sure you have it too, which is to learn from the best. I do learn from the best. I mean, the best minds of this planet, and I borrow their ideas and then I pass them on to you: to the people who want to have new experiences, who want to learn from the best and who want to be the best.
To achieve success in English start with yourself. Jim Rohn – an American successful businessman, millionaire, master motivator, famous writer and brilliant public speaker used to say, “The key to success is you.” I totally agree with him.
It is not a secret that we, human beings, are emotional creatures. You absolutely must feel confident when you speak with other people. Why? Because when you feel confident, you begin to notice how everything around you begins to become better: people want to hear you. You stop being so called “an invisible man”. People begin to notice you; they want to talk to you. Of course, in order to start speaking English with confidence, you have to practice a lot. You have to consciously think, feel and live through every single sentence you hear, read and say, then and only then success will come to you. It always comes. It never fails when you invest three things: money, time and energy. You will speak English the way you never did before.
“Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life” is the door to that fascinating world of real, true and excellent English.
This is a fantastic English course that will make your dream of speaking English a reality. Join me at this fantastic English course and we will take your English and your life to the next level together.
I promise you that after doing this English course you will never be the same again. You will certainly speak English better and you will become a better human being not only outside but also inside.
I wish you good luck and every success.
With love and respect,
Your fantastic English teacher,
Alex.
The Structure of the Course
If you want to speak true, real and excellent English. If you want to think in English and if you want to build a new life, the life which is full of adventures, do my English course called “Change Your Mind, Change English, Change Your Life” and I promise you will change the way you think of English. You will improve your English. You will start speaking English the way you never did before. I am telling you, it will change your life. New opportunities will come into your life. Your life will never be the same again. I promise.
Now let me tell you what you learn in this fantastic English course.
There are 7 units and 3 months of audio lessons.
Each Unit includes:
First: Main Talk
This fantastic English course is an absolutely new set of lessons; these are called Change Your English, Change Your Life.
The reason they’re called Change Your Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life is because in these lessons you’re going to do two things. Number one, you’re going to learn English, of course. As always, we have the mini-stories, but the content, the focus, the topics in these lessons are going to be focused on the psychology of success.
So the first thing is listen to the main talk. And you can read this as well the first time if you cannot understand easily, you can read the transcript and listen at the same time. Do this perhaps two times per day, starting with the main story and reading. Use a dictionary to look up new words, if you need to.
Second: The vocabulary lesson.
With these vocabulary lessons your pronunciation gets better, your understanding gets better and your listening abilities grow faster. This is a bridge between the main talk and the mini-story lesson. This lesson will help you build that bridge. The vocabulary lesson also teaches you one very important thing that all native speakers do. What is it? This is how to paraphrase. It teaches you to paraphrase. In other words, it provides you with the synonyms you need to say the same differently. It teaches you to use them correctly and to speak English accurately. It gives you the freedom you need.
Third: The mini-story lesson.
This is a crazy, funny, and stupid mini-story.
These mini-story lessons are the most powerful, the most important and the funnies ones. With the mini-story lessons you teach your brain English grammar intuitively, playfully like a child by answering easy and simple questions. Yes, grammar is boring. Yes, grammar is difficult. Yes, grammar is very difficult. But if the input is so interesting and so comprehensible you forget that you are listening to English. The world disappears around you. You enjoy the process. You acquire the language. Grammar takes care of itself.
Fourth: My comments
In this lesson I am going to talk briefly about the main talk again and the story. I am going to philosophize just quickly about the summery of the story. And then I am going to give you my own ideas on the story or I am going to offer other people’s ideas that can help you understand the story much better. And of course, I am going to focus on the moral of the story. In other words, what we can learn from the story to improve not only as an English speaker but also as a human being. All this, I am sure, will help you get the main idea and the main message of the story and of course, you will listen to English more, you will learn more and you will enjoy it more.
The digital MP3 format of audios will allow you to listen to them using any device you like. You may listen to them when walking in the park or going along the streets. You may listen to them when running or jogging or when doing exercises. You may listen to them at home when cooking something delicious in your kitchen. You may listen to them when driving your car or when traveling by subway to work and from work. It is easy and convenient, isn’t it?
Okay, now you have a clear picture of what you are going to do in this fantastic English course called “Change your Mind, Change your English, Change your Life”
Good luck to you! And see you soon.
How to do this Course
The name of the course “Change your Minds, Change your English, Change your life” speaks for itself. You start with an idea, right? Now it is in your head. You are preoccupied with this fantastic idea, wonderful thought and burning desire to speak English better than you are doing now. You already understand that all you have to do is change things around you. But how? Let me walk you through this process.
Now you conjure your vivid imagination to help you. You literally say, “My vivid imagination come to me. Come to me now. I need you now!” Yes, we need help sometimes. It is your vivid imagination that can make your dreams to speak Russian, more powerful, more colorful and clearer.
It is your vivid imagination that can give your dream the energy, the vitality and most importantly hope that everything will come out okay and you will certainly become successful at speaking English. Now I want you to imagine yourself speaking English. It is very easy, right? See yourself in your head speaking Russian wherever you want to: at a restaurant, on the plane, on the phone. Use that powerful instrument, that powerful weapon you have at your disposal, which is called imagination. Do it! This is your first step to make.
Second step: You believe that your desire to speak English can be real.
Now look around and find a person who already speaks English very well. In other words, you look around and you begin to look for your role model. The person who has already done what you are just going to do. This person shows you that what you want to do is possible. If he has done it, so you can do it too.
If you learned English before, let’s say in school, you took English courses or you tried to learn English by yourself. Now I want you to remember some moments from your past where you were already successful. It maybe a small victory: you were successful at saying a few sentences in English; maybe you learned a little poem or a rhyme in English. I don’t know. But one thing I know for sure is that if you did it before and if you were successful, you can do it again, but this time you are going to do it much faster and far better.
If it happened to you before, it can happen again. If you did it once, you can do it again.
All this will give you confidence, and it will give you the emotional boost to start working at this fantastic course.
Third step: Make it real. Make it tangible. Make it viable. Breath life into it
Every single day you listen, read and say loudly one lesson. You do it as many times as you can. Not one time, not two times and not three times. No! You do it as many times as you can. One time is never enough. One time never works.
And finally step number four which is discipline. Discipline is the last piece of miracle. This is the most critical step, because discipline is the bridge between your wish to speak English and your ultimate goal to become an excellent English speaker. Every single day you have to build that bridge by listening to my voice and by answering the questions.
Every day (except Saturday and Sunday) you train your brain. Every day you help yourself become better at English. Every day you make another small step across that bridge, you endeavor in the direction of your dream which is to speak true, real and excellent English.
So let’s sum it up:
1. You imagine yourself speaking English.
2. You believe in yourself. You believe that you can do it. You believe that you will speak English better than you are doing now, much better.
3. You work hard to breathe life into your dream.
4. You discipline yourself. Every single day you listen to me and answer the questions.
That’s it. This is a very easy formula, but it is very powerful. It does work!
If you follow this simple formula, I promise, you will certainly understand English better and you will speak English better than you are doing now. You are changing now, so your English is changing with you.
Good luck to you!
See you soon.
With love and respect,
Your English teacher Alex.
Unit 1 “What does it take to be an English Learner?”
Hi there! This is Alex and this is our first lesson of our fantastic English course called “Change your English, Change your life”.
In this lesson I am going to talk about things that English learners can face with while learning English. Actually, I am answering the question “What does it take to be an English learner?” In other words, what you should do to become what you want to become – a fantastic English learner.
And then you are going to have your vocabulary lesson where I am going to explain some words you may not know to help you establish, make deep, meaningful and strong connections between words to learn them faster and better and to remember them faster and longer.
And then there is going to be your mini-story lesson where I am going to tell a crazy, funny and stupid story and ask a lot of easy questions and answer them.
And finally, you will listen to my comments on this video where I am going to tell you about what it is there between the lines, how to improve faster and how to become a better English speaker and a fantastic human being.
Let’s get started.
Here is the QR code that you can scan with your phone’s camera and watch the video on my YouTube channel where I am answering this question or you can stay here and keep reading and listening to this lesson. It’s your choice. But if I were you would do both. I would watch the video and then I would read and I would listen to it.
Here we go.
Hey there! Welcome to Alex says, where you ask questions and I answer them.
My goal is to help you speak English like never before. Let’s begin.
Today’s question comes from Laura and Laura wants to know “What does it take to be an English learner?”
It is not an easy question to answer, but let me try.
Learning a foreign language, English, in particular, is certainly a huge challenge. And it literally can take years. It is not an easy process. And why should it be easy? No one said it should be easy.
But you should take it as an adventure. If you see learning English as a wonderful, fantastic and interesting journey, it will certainly change everything.
For example, let’s see an English learner as a marathon runner, not a sprinter. Of course, there are forces that pull you to left and right, but you have to stay on your course. And that involves a huge effort. And as I said it is not this day and that day. It takes time.
That’s what my parents taught me, by the way. Good things take: a long time, a huge commitment and they are difficult. And you have to be prepared for that.
Simply to say, you have to be a big believer. You have to be an optimist, believing that future will be brighter tomorrow. You have to see the end results. See yourself speaking true, real and excellent English and feel proud of yourself when you speak English.
If you do this, I promise you will certainly start speaking English like never before.
Thanks for the question. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other.
Okay, this is the end of this lesson. I mean you have watched or listened to the video and now, I am sure, you have a better understanding what it takes to be an English learner. But if you still have some difficulties understanding some words, don’t worry. I’ll explain them to you in the vocabulary lesson. You can watch this video as many times as you want to and you can share it with your friends to help them know it really takes to become an English learner.
Have a great day and see you soon. Bye for now.
The vocabulary lesson
Hi, this is Alex and this is the vocabulary lesson for “What does it take to be an English Learner?” Let’s get started.
Let me briefly remind you of what we need the vocabulary lessons for and how you can improve your English from them.
First of all the vocabulary lessons teach us the meaning of the words you might know and you may not remember well. Secondly, you it teachers us one very important thing which is the ability to paraphrase the sentence. and thirdly, it liberates you from the story by offering you a choice, a variety of similar verbs, I am talking about synonyms so that you could speak true, real and excellent English. By changing your vocabulary, you change everything around you. People begin to notice you. They remember you better and as a result, they treat you better. Isn’t it wonderful?
So let’s dive into our vocabulary lesson.
Our first word for today is a challenge. A challenge is a new and difficult task and it requires, takes great effort to do it.
Learning a foreign language is a huge challenge. It is a new, risky and difficult task. It takes a lot of efforts to do it. It is a challenge.
Next we have the word literally. Literally means in truth or really. We usually use it to emphasize that what you are saying is true, even though it seems exaggerated or surprising. It (learning a foreign language) really can take years. It, in truth or indeed, can take years. It literally can takes year.
Alright, next is the word take. Here take means understand or see. To become a great English learner you should see the process of learning as an adventure, as a journey. You should understand that learning languages is a risky thing to do simply because it is new, it is fresh and you never know the final results, right? It is a real adventure you are going to undertake, to make. It is a risky, dangerous and exciting journey. You should take it as an adventure.
Next we have two words: a marathon runner and a sprinter.
A marathon runner is someone who runs in a marathon, in a long race. He or she runs a distance of just over 26 miles which is about 42 kilometers.
A sprinter is a person who takes part in short, fast races.
This is a very good metaphor which actually means that learning a foreign language is a long race, it is not a short race. If you are a sprinter you cannot succeed in a marathon, simply because you are trained to run fast and in short distances. Running in a marathon is a long process and it takes a lot of preparation and you have to be strong and well-trained, well-prepared.
Next we see the word combinations forces that pull you to left and right. What it means is that when you learn a foreign language or when you do a new, difficult task the things like: other people, their opinions, political and moral, or financial reasons may change your mind by changing your direction in which you are going to. They literally stop you from moving in your direction or they may change your direction and you begin to lose your way, your goal and you will never get to the place of your destination. In our case, it is to become a fantastic English learner. That’s what you don’t want, right? Don’t let these forces pull you to left and right. You have to stay on your course.
And our next expression is to stay on one’s course. When you stay on your course it means you don’t change your direction. You don’t change your opinion. You don’t change your beliefs. You don’t change. You continue to follow your direction. You remain on your course. You don’t change your course. You are where you are. You continue to want to become a great English learner. You stay on your course. I think you get the point, right?
Our next word in this vocabulary lesson is commitment. Commitment is a strong belief in an idea or system. If you want to have the good things happen in your life you have to have a strong, positive and calm belief in what you are doing. You have to have a strong belief in the idea of becoming a fantastic English learner. You have to have a huge commitment to what you are doing.
Next we have the phrase to be prepared for something. It simply means to be ready for something. That’s easy, right?
Okay, we move on and we see a big believer. A big believer is a strong, true, faithful, firm believer. In other words, a big believer is someone who is strongly, truly and firmly believes in what he is doing or in what he is going to get.
Our final expression for today is to see the end results. To see the end results means to imagine or to see in your head what you will finally get. If you work hard and if you imagine, see in your head yourself speaking, true, real and excellent English and if you always think about it in a very positive and calm way, you will become that fantastic English learner and finally a fantastic English speaker. Why? The answer is simple: we become what we think about.
That is all for our vocabulary lesson today for “What does it take to be an English Learner”. Listen to this lesson as many times as you can. Listen to my voice and see in your head yourself speaking true, real and excellent English. Don’t let different forces pull your left and right. Stay on your course and remember you are a marathon runner, you are not a sprinter. Feel proud of yourself every time you speak English and believe in what you are doing and then success will certainly come to you. I promise you will speak English like no one else. Have a great day! Bye for now.
The mini-story
Hi! This is Alex. Welcome to the mini-story for “What does it take to be an English Learner?” You know what I am going to do, right? Yes, I’m going to ask the story. I want you to answer the questions fast and automatically. I want you to train your brain, teach your brain to answer very quickly. I don’t want you to translate from your language to English or from English to your language. Of course, you can answer with one or two words. It’s okay. Short answers are fine. Let’s go!
Joan is an amazing, intelligent and wonderful woman. She wants to become a freediver. But she cannot. Why? She is a woman with Megalohydrothalassophobia.
Megalohydro what? What is it?
Megalohydrothalassophobia is a fear, a phobia of water and large underwater creatures and objects.
Does Joan have a fear of a fear of deep water and large underwater creatures and objects?
Yes, exactly. She has a fear of deep water and large underwater creatures and objects.
What kind of phobia does Joan have?
Megalohydrothalassophobia. She is a woman with Megalohydrothalassophobia.
She has a phobia, a fear of deep waters like seas, oceans.
Is Joan afraid of large underwater creatures, underwater monsters?
Yes, she is. She is afraid of large underwater creatures such as: whales, sharks, see monsters.
How does Joan feel when she is in the deep waters?
She literally feels very much uncomfortable in the deep waters near huge underwater creatures. It is a huge challenge for Joan.
Is it a difficult task for Joan to dive into the deep waters?
Yes, it is. It is a very difficult task for Joan to dive into the deep waters. It is literally a huge challenge for her.
Why is freediving a huge challenge for Joan?
Because she is a woman with megalohydrothalassophobia.
Oh, I love this word. It is so beautiful, isn’t it? Megalohydrothalassophobia. I love it.
Okay, let’s get back to the story.
Tell me what Joan wants to become?
She wants to become a freediver. She wants to swim as deep as she can underwater without using breathing equipment.
Without using what?
Without using breathing equipment. It is things like an oxygen tank or a scuba tank. She wants to swim as deep as she can underwater without using breathing equipment. But she cannot because of her megalohydrothalassophobia.
What does Joan do about the problem?
She decides to go a local diving school. The diving instructor says, "To get rid of megalohydrothalassophobia you have to dive with a gun. And if you see any underwater monster you have to shoot underwater monsters." Joan goes and buys a gun. She dives with the gun but there is another problem. The gun doesn’t work underwater. Joan quits the school. She feels upset. She is still a woman with megalhydrothalassophobia.
Does the diving instructor help Joan to become a freediver?
No, he doesn’t. The diving instructor doesn’t help Joan to become a freediver.
Does Joan still have that phobia, that fear of deep water and sea monsters?
Yes, she does. She still has that phobia, that fear of deep waters and sea monsters.
She is still the woman with megalhydrothalassophobia.
Why? Why doesn’t he help Joan?
Because the diving instructor is not a good diving instructor. He is a terrible diving instructor.
What does Joan do next?
Joan quits the school. She stops going to the diving school. She feels upset.
Why does she feel upset?
Because she is still a woman with megalohydrothalassophobia. She still has that fear of deep waters and sea monsters.
But one day at a party Joan meets a man. The man is so handsome that she literally cannot take her eyes off him. Through her friends Joan learns that the man’s name is Bob. And that Bob is a professional freediver. She wants to know him better and she wants to learn the secret of his success.
Interesting! Is the man handsome or ugly?
Handsome. He is very handsome. He is so handsome that Joan literally cannot take her eyes off him.
You mean, he is so handsome that Joan cannot not look at him?
Yes, that’s what I mean. Joan cannot not look at him. She cannot take off her eyes off him, because the man is very handsome.
How does Joan learn the man’s name?
Through her friends. Her friends tell Joan his name. Joan learns the man’s name from her friends.
What is the man’s name?
Bob. His name is Bob.
What else does Joan learn about Bob?
She learns that Bob is famous marathon runner.
I see. No wonder why Joan cannot take her eyes off Bob. He is strong and handsome.
What does Joan want to know from him?
She wants to learn the secret of his success.
Does Bob share the secret of his success?
Yes, he does.
Why?
Because Bob cannot not look at Joan either.
Of course, he cannot not look at her. Joan is an amazing woman.
What exactly does Bob say?
He says that becoming a freediver is not an easy process. It literally can take years to become a big runner. And it is important to take it as adventure.
He also says that there are forces that pull you to left and right, but you have to stay on your course. Than and only that success will come to you. You will become what you want to become.
Wow! Bob is absolutely right!
What does Joan learn from Bob?
She learns that freediving is an interesting and exciting adventure.
What else? What else does Joan learn about becoming a freediver?
Joan learns that there are forces that are going to pull her left and right, but she has to stay on her course.
Does Johan stay on her course or does she have to change her direction?
She has to stay on her course. She has to be strong and doesn’t let any forces pull her left and right.
Does Joan listen to Bob?
Yes, of course. Joan listens to him. Joan takes freediving as an adventure. She imagines herself diving deep down without an oxygen tank. She practices freediving every single day. Underwater monsters try to pull her to left and right. Large whales meet her, huge and dangerous shark try to attack her, but Joan continues to dive. She stays on her course. She feels proud of herself.
Does Joan see herself diving deep into the water without an oxygen tank?
Yes, she does. She sees herself diving deep down into the water without an oxygen tank.
Does Joan practice freediving every single day?
Yes, she does. Joan practices freediving every single day.
Who pulls her to left and right?
Underwater monsters do. They pull her left and right.
They want to stop Joan from becoming a freediver?
Yes, they want. They pull her left and right. They want to stop Joan from becoming a freediver.
Does Joan give up? Does Joan quit? Does Joan stop freediving?
No, not Joan. She doesn’t give up. She doesn’t quit. She doesn’t stop. Joan continues to practice freediving every single day.
How does Joan feel herself?
She feels proud of herself. Joan prepares herself to become a freediver.
Does Joan become a professional freediver?
Yes, she does. Joan does become a professional freediver.
After 5 years Joan stops having a fear of deep waters and underwater monsters. Joan becomes a confident, experienced, professional freediver. Now she is a woman without megalohydrothalassophobia.
Joan understands that good things take: a long time, a huge commitment and they are difficult. But they are always worth doing.
How long does it take Joan to become a professional freediver?
5 years. It takes Joan 5 years to become a confident, experienced and professional freediver.
Is Joan still a woman with megalohydrothalassophobia?
No, she is not. After 5 year Joan is still a woman, yes. She doesn’t change physically, not. She is still a woman. But she is a different woman. She is a woman without megalohydrothalassophobia. Joan is a freediver.
This is the end of the mini-story for “What does it take to be an English Learner”. You know what to do, right? Stay on your course and don’t let different forces pull you to left and right. Listen and answer the questions. Feel confident and be proud of yourself when you speak English. This is the best way to start speaking English the way you never did before. Okay, I’ll see you next time. Bye-bye!
My Comments
Hi, this is Alex again and welcome to my comments on the unit called “What does it take to be an English Learner?”
In this lesson I am going to say just a few sentences or maybe more in order to support the message given in the main talk. I am also going to talk briefly about the story, a very very short summery of the story. And I am going to philosophize just quickly say a few sentences giving you my own ideas and I am going to offer other people’s ideas that can help you understand the topic far better. And of course, I am going to focus on the moral of the story. In other words, what the story can teach us to improve not only as an English speaker but also as a human being. My hope is that all this will help you get the main idea of the topic and the message that the story carries and of course, you will listen to English more, you will learn more and you will enjoy it more. Here we go.
First, let’s focus on the main talk and the idea it carries. From the main talk we have learned about the difficulties that a language leaner may have when he or she decides to take up a foreign language. I mean when a language learner decides to start learning and practicing a foreign language. We’ve also begun to understand better that it takes a huge effort to start speaking a foreign language and it literally can take years. Many language learners take the learning process of a new language too seriously and they literally forget that it should be a game and they should take it as an adventure not as something that is comfortable, safe, secure and easy to do. Simply because it is never easy to do a new thing. It is always risky, right? And you have to be prepared for that.
When a language learner or any learner, in fact, begins to realize that it is a risky activity, a dangerous journey and he or she agrees to play this risky game, immediately the forces appear that are trying to pull him or her to left or right to stop the learner from getting what he or she wants to get. In our case, it is the desire to learn something new, interesting and useful, not only for himself or herself, but also for other people.
But by staying on the course, by remaining committed to learning the language he or she demonstrates faith and faith is simply another word for persistence or belief. I would call it discipline. By becoming a big believer, by being an optimist you design your bright future. Although, you can never guarantee the final result, you believe that tomorrow will take care of itself and you will certainly succeed.
Okay, now let’s focus on the story and message it has to offer.
From the story we know that Joan is a woman with megalohydrothalassophobia. Although, you already know what it means and you have learned how to pronounce it correctly and accurately, let me explain it to you again. I believe that it doesn’t hurt to go over it again, right?
Megalohydrothalassophobia is a term that combines several Greek roots to describe a specific phobia. To understand it better let’s break the word and see what we have:
Number 1. Megalo. Megalo means “great” or “large”
Number 2 Hydro. Hydro means “water”
Number 3 Thalasso. Thalasso means “sea” or “ocean.”
Number 4 Phobia. Phobia means “fear”.
Now combining these roots. I mean putting them together we have the word Megalohydrothalassophobia
Megalohydrothalassophobia can be understood as the fear or phobia of large bodies of water, such as oceans, seas, or deep bodies of water. People with megalohydrothalassophobia may experience intense anxiety, intense worry or panic when confronted, when faced with depth of bodies of water and sea monsters.
Getting back to the story we see how strong Joan is. Although, she has a terrible phobia, she still wants to become a freediver. She goes through difficulties. She fails when she decides to learn diving at the local diving school, but still Joan looks at the bright side of her life. One fine day she meets a man who tells her how to succeed in becoming a big freediver by setting his own example. The man shows Joan what she should do in order to become what she wants to become. Just because Joan listens to him and decides to firmly stay on her course. She doesn’t let the forces to pull her to left and right, she becomes a professional, experienced and confident freediver.
As you remember that after 5 year Joan is still a woman. She doesn’t change physically, no, no, no. She is still a woman. But now she is a different woman. Joan has a different mindset. Joan meets difficulties, but because she remains on her course, she remains committed to free diving she becomes a confident, a confident, experienced, professional freediver. She is a woman without megalohydrothalassophobia. Joan is a freediver. Joan succeeds in freediving because she understands that good things take: a long time, a huge commitment and they are difficult. But they are always worth doing.
I would like to finish today’s lesson with just a few more couple sentences to make the point clearer.
As you may understand Joan is you and Bob is me. You are pretty lucky, I should say, because you have found me and now you have a fantastic English learner to learn from, imitate or even emulate which actually means to copy or imitate. There is nothing wrong in imitation. If the person you are imitating is the worthy example. Why not imitate him? And I am lucky as well, because all my huge effort, time and energy and my burning desire to help you become a better English learner, a better English speaker and finally a better human being are not in vain, which means they are not unsuccessful, not useless. And by practicing your English every single, by following the formula, by taking the learning process as an adventure, you begin to understand that good things take a long time, a huge commitment and they are difficult, but they are always worth doing. If you take the process of learning as an adventure, I promise you will get the results you are expecting to have. You will become what you want to become: a fantastic, brilliant and great English speaker.
That’s it for now. See you next time and have a wonderful day!
Unit 2. “Grammar is a myth”
Hi there! This is Alex and this is our second lesson of our fantastic, wonderful and useful English course called “Change You Mind, Change Your English, Change Your Life”. Let’s begin.
In this lesson I am going to talk about Grammar: why we learn Grammar in schools, how we do it and what problems we usually face with and what results we have in trying to acquire a foreign language. And as you already know you can listen and read this lesson here or you can go to my YouTube channel and watch it there. By the way, here is the QR code that you can scan with your phone’s camera and watch it. It’s up to you to decide.
But if I were you would do both. I would watch the video and then I would read and I would listen to it.
So, let’s begin.
Hi, I am Alexander Chumakov: writer, teacher and speaker. I am also the author of Super English course – learn to speak English like a native. Welcome to another edition of my little EasyEnglish Show: where I teach you, I train you and I help you speak English easily, confidently and powerfully.
Today I am going to talk about one of the most burning, the most important and the most dramatic issues that every English learner faces with. It is Grammar. Let’s jump into the topic.
Grammar seems to be the most difficult, the most complicated and the most boring part in language acquisition.
Why?
Because of the way you have been taught English in schools. They make you believe that English grammar is a kind of marvelous box with a secret inside.
They often tell you, “If you want to know English Grammar, if you want to reveal the secret of the grammar box, one of the obvious ways to perceive it is to take it into pieces.”
Everybody knows that if you want to know how something is made, you unscrew the parts and you see that the secret is inside the box. (I call this box Pandora’s box).
And you listen to them and you (blindly) open that so-called – the box of grammar rules – Pandora’s box. Hoping that this is only way to boost up your speed of learning and speaking English.
But when you open it, you unscrew the box; suddenly it becomes even worse, because now you have no idea how to put all the parts together, when you want to make your own sentence. And eventually, it slows down your speaking a lot.
You try very hard many times, but you fail over and over and over again. Eventually, you become a Grammar agnostic. You come to the realization that grammar is just a myth; it is something that is untrue, something that is better left unsolved. You close Pandora’s box.
And what you do next? You simply start to listen to people a lot and you start to repeat what they say. In other words, you start learning English with your ears like children do.
With time it becomes easier and easier for you to figure out what you hear, and eventually you start to speak English without thinking about grammar rules like native speakers do.
I wish you good luck and every success. See you soon!
Okay, this is the end of this lesson for “Grammar is a myth” I mean you have watched the video or you have listened to it as a podcast. Now I am sure that you have a better understanding what I actually mean when I say that Grammar is a myth. But if you still have some difficulties understanding some words, don’t worry. I’ll explain them to you in the vocabulary lesson. Of course, you may agree with the ideas given here or you may disagree with them, it is your choice. But let’s not talk about it here. Let’s talk about it in the part of this set of lessons called “My Comments”, where I am going to philosophize about it. Okay. Watch this video as many times as you want to share it with your friends and help to learn they way how to learn Grammar better. That’s it for today.
Have a great day and see you soon.
The vocabulary lesson
Hello! This is Alex. Welcome to the vocabulary lesson for “Grammar is a myth” Let’s start right away.
Our first word for today is issue. You can see this word in one of my opening sentences and it says: “Today I am going to talk about one of the most burning, the most important and the most dramatic issues that every English learner faces with.”
Okay, issue has a few meanings in English, but here issue means a topic of interest or discussion. So in the presentation I say that I am going to talk about one of the most burning which means crucial or very important topics or problem that every English learner faces with. Well, actually, not only every English leaner faces this problem, but also every language learner does face the same problem. When I say a language learner I am definitely talking about a person who learns a foreign language. So now you understand that issue means a topic of interest or a topic of discussion.
Next we have a phrase language acquisition. In this article I say, “Grammar seems to be the most difficult, the most complicated and the most boring part in language acquisition.” Language acquisition is a situation when you listen to the language or when you read in the language and you understand it. Another way to put it is that language acquisition is when you begin to get the language, and because you understand what you hear or read you begin to use it successfully. “You can only acquire the language when you understand the message,” as Steven Krashen, one of the best experts on language acquisition, likes to say.
Okay, another phrase in this presentation is a kind of.
I say, “They make you believe that English grammar is a kind of marvelous box with a secret inside.”
(A) kind of means something like this or that. So they (teachers, educators) want you to believe that English grammar is something like a marvelous, very beautiful, very amazing box with a secret inside. So again, (a) kind of means something like this, but it is not exactly this or that. It may look like this or that, but it is not exactly this or that. They make you believe that English grammar is a kind of marvelous box with a secret inside. It is a box, right! But it is not one hundred percent the same box. I think you get the idea, right!?
Next we have the phrase reveal the secret. For those who did my Unique English Course, which is, by the way, the bestselling book, it is not a new phrase, right? But if you didn’t do this course, don’t worry. I’ll explain it to you right now. The sentences says, “They often tell you, “If you want to know English Grammar, if you want to reveal the secret of the grammar box, one of the obvious ways to perceive it is to take it into pieces”.
Oh, here are some more wonderful words in this marvelous sentence. Okay, I’ll explain them to you, just in a minute, but now let’s focus on the phrase to reveal the secret. To reveal a secret simply means to tell or to show a secret or to make known or public. So they often tell you, “If you want to know English Grammar, if you want to make known or disclose, or to show the secret of the grammar box, one of the obvious ways to perceive it is to take it into pieces.” To perceive simply means to realize or to see something that you didn’t see before. And the phrase to take something into pieces means to break something down into parts or to separate something into smaller parts.
So let’s put it all together and see what we have here.
They often tell you, “If you want to know English Grammar, if you want to reveal the secret of the grammar box, to disclose the secret, one of the obvious ways, one of the natural ways to perceive, to realize it is to separate grammar into smaller parts to take it into pieces”. It is a long sentence, but we did it.
Okay, we move on and we see the word unscrew.
The sentence says, “Everybody knows that if you want to know how something is made, you unscrew the parts and you see that the secret is inside the box.” It is very easy to understand what it means, right? But anyway, let me talk just a little bit about it. Unscrew means to remove a screw from an object. In our case, it is from the box. It has the same meaning like separate something by removing a screw. So the sentence says that if you want to know how something is made, you remove a screw or screws from the box. You separate the box into smaller parts and then you begin to see what the box has inside. You unscrew the parts and you see that the secret is inside the box. But you can only reveal the secret, you can only see the secret, if you unscrew the parts of the box.
Another phrase in this presentation is to boost up.
I say, “Hoping that this is the only way to boost up
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Александр Чумаков
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Языкознание
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: Издательские решения
Дата публикации: 29.10.2024
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О книге: Change your mind, Сhange your English, Change your life это фантастическое приключение в мир английского языка, где вы найдете много новых, интересных и полезных идей, чтобы не только начать лучше говорить по-английски, но и понимать лучше людей вокруг вас. Это союз видео и аудио уроков, а также бесценный жизненный опыт, который вы получите, проживая истории вместе с главными героями.