Learning language is not about information. It is about lack of information. Your brain has to want to learn. You are training your brain. Your brain has to be hungry for the knowledge.
Watch television and movies you do not understand, and try to understand using only English. Use English subtitles, not your native language.
Find English music you like and watch the lyrics videos on YouTube.
Read books in English.
Use an English-only dictionary.
Your notebook should be English-only. No translation allowed. Find a way! Draw pictures, write words next to each other, or write entire English phrases to remember the definitions of words you are writing. It is easier to remember five words together than one by itself.
Speak with friends. Who do you know who alsowants to learn English? Watch the same movies, listen to the same songs, read the same books, and talk about them in English.
We hear that babies learn languages rapidly. We assume it is easy for a baby to learn his language. It’s not easy even for a baby! The baby has to be hungry, he cries, he’s lonely for company, he’s embarrassed sometimes and frustrated… and therefore the baby’s brain finds a way to learn the language! Challenge your brain, and it will learn for you.
Great English Sources
www.ted.com – has hundreds of interesting short speeches, all in English, with the transcripts and subtitles in many many languages including English.
www.tedxesl.com – TED Talks specifically for learning English.
You will have to translate some to get the meaning sometimes. Thisis how to do that.
Once you translate, repeat in English until you feel the meaning in English. Translating is necessary sometimes, but bad. Translating satisfies your brain too easily and you want a hungry brain.
This is the fourth edition of my attempt to surpass Oprah in her dominance of the favorite things market. It is my most interesting list yet and includes a lot more of my friends. Check them out, support them, and Merry Christmas!
1. Jigisha Patel’s “Positive” T-shirts
Check out the Dot Not Shop with creative T-shirts and other great gear. Comment at the bottom with suggestions for Jigisha. My favorite .not gear that doesn’t exist yet is YourFace.not What .not shirt do you want to see next?
2. Libby Harris’ Book Box Club
My friend Graeme’s entrepreneurial daughter started this online book club for teens. It’s based in the UK, so it must be cool and of course they are the English experts. Get your high school age kids into something positive on the vast internet!
3. Katie’s Tru Man Brand
I met Katie of Tru Man Brand appropriately enough during an Ohio State football game. I had already seen her “OH So Good” T-shirts out and about so that makes her Columbus famous at least. Get a cool Ohio T-shirt this year that is designed a little off the beaten path from the usual Buckeye gear. Click here for the Tru Man Brand store.
4. Meet Cbus TV
OK, it isn’t even out yet, but Meet Cbus TV is coming in 2018 and it’s part mine, so of course it’s one of my favorite things. Subscribe, or buy a T-shirt (coming soon), to support our effort to put a camera on the most interesting people in Columbus!
5. Simple Kneads Gluten-Free Bread
They just keep growing and growing. Simple Kneads is in Whole Foods and expanding fast to a grocery near you. You can buy online while you wait for their arrival at the grocery.
6. Logitech Bluetooth Headset
If you talk on the phone, this product will change your life. This accessory is an absolute must-have.
Wireless
Hear conversation in both ears
Hands-free
Rechargeable with standard USB
Quickly switch between computer and phone
7. NutriBullet
High quality and essential for getting a healthy breakfast on the run in those always-short morning hours.
8. What to Watch
There is so much alternative media out there, I decided to select the best-of-the-best to help curb those at-work and late-night “end of the internets” binges. Click here or on the TV and you’ll earn a history degree by accident:
The Challenge
Oprah has around 365 live audience members at her show. I’ll shoot for 365 hits to this page. Help me out and help the small businesses by sharing.
We (my brother and I own this jointly) were contacted again with an offer to purchase. We shared stories with the prospective buyer about how we love our buildings, and turned the offer down.
Real Estate Agent
I went door-to-door in Clintonville and it was actually a very pleasant experience. It helped that there was nice weather and the people were nice, but also because I had something besides real estate to talk about. I was also pitching Meet Cbus TV:
Meet Cbus TV
I teamed up with videographer Matt DeNoble who is graduating from Ohio State this winter. We are going to do promotional videos for small businesses and have larger businesses sponsor them. The small businesses get free exposure. The large businesses get an authentic connection with the small business clientele, and the city of Columbus gets quality content from our own back yard!
Local internet. Relevant advertising that people want to see, rather than trying to trick people for 5-30 seconds. Informative advertising. People are smart and getting smarter. Attention marketers! Trying to trick us just isn’t working anymore.