Your English Course: Your Journey to the Next Level

Did David want to have boring English lessons?

No, he did not. David didn’t want to have boring English lessons. He wanted to have interesting and exciting lessons.

Did David want to do homework?

No, not David. He did not want to do homework.

David wanted to learn English in a new way, right?

Yes, that’s right. He wanted to learn English in a new way. He wanted to do it differently.

How did David want to learn English?

In a new way. Differently. David wanted to learn English differently not like he did it before when he went to school.

David really wanted to know if there was a technology, an app (application) or a pill for learning English faster, better, and cheaper. So he asked this question of everyone he knew: his relatives, his friends and his co-workers. He even went online and did a lot of research there, but unfortunately, he couldn’t find the answer. He felt angry. He felt frustrated. He felt upset.

Did David want to pay big money for learning English?

No, he didn’t.

Did David want to spend time on learning English?

No, not David. He didn’t want to do that. David wanted to have an app for learning English faster, better and cheaper.

What did David want to know?

He wanted to know if there was a technology, an app, or a pill for learning English faster, better, and cheaper.

What did David do about it?

David asked this question of everyone he knew, but he couldn’t get the answer.

Did David ask his relatives and friends about a magic pill for learning English?

Yes, he did.

Did David ask his co-workers about a secret application for learning English?

Yes, of course. He asked his co-workers.

What else did David do?

He even went online and did a lot of research.

David studied the question carefully?

Yes, he did. He studied the question carefully online. He did a lot of research.

Did David discover the truth about a new technology for learning English?

Unfortunately, he did not. After doing some research online, he didn’t find the answer.

How did David feel?

Don’t ask. He felt angry. He felt frustrated. He felt upset.

Why did he feel like that?

He felt angry, frustrated, and upset because he didn’t find the answer to his question.

What was the question?

If there was an application that could help to learn English faster, better, and cheaper.

Ah, he wanted to find the magic pill, right?

Yes, correct. He wanted to find the easy way to learning English.

What did David do then?

Then he said, “Okay, I will go to the library. If people don’t know the answer, and the Internet doesn’t know it, maybe books can give what I need.” So he went to the library. Every day he read many books hoping to find the answer to his question. One day he met an old man at the library. The old man told David that in Amazon jungles there were shamans who made the English brew. The old man said, “If you drink the English brew, you will certainly start speaking true, real and excellent English.”

Where did David go? To the restaurant?

No, not to the restaurant. He went to the library.

Why did David go to the library? Why?

Because he didn’t get the answer from people, and he didn’t find the answer on the Internet.

Did David think that the books would help him find the answer?

Yes, he did. David thought that the books would give him the answer.

What was his question? Remember?

His question was: “Is there an application that could help him learn English faster, better, and cheaper?”

What did David do in the library?

In the library, he read many books hoping to find the answer to his question.

Did he find the answer to his question?

No, he did not. But he met an old man who told David where he could go to find the answer.

Oh, really? It’s interesting. Where did the old man tell him to go?

To Amazon jungles. The old man told David that there were shamans there who made the English brew.

The English brew. Wow! This is what David was looking for, right?

Yes, that’s right. The magic drink that could help David start speaking English immediately.

Did David listen to the old man?

Yes, he did. David went to Amazon jungles and he found the Shamans. The Shamans gave him the English brew. David drank the English brew and fell asleep. When he woke up, he immediately began to speak true, real, and excellent English. David was extremely happy.

Who did David find in Amazon jungles?

The Shamans. David found the Shamans in Amazon jungles.

The Shamans said to him, “If you want to have the English Brew, you must have money.”

David asked, “Excuse me? Money? “

They said, “Yes, money. We can’t just give the English Brew to you for free. It’s our business. We want to improve our living conditions. That’s why we make the English Brew, and we sell the English Brew. This is our business.”

Of course, David didn’t want to pay, but he had to. David was not stupid. He knew that if you want to have something, you must have money. So he paid for the English Brew how much the Shamans told him to pay.

What happened then?

Then David drank the English Brew and he fell down to the ground.

Did he die?

No, he didn’t die. He fell asleep. After drinking the English Brew David fell asleep.

When David woke up, did he start speaking excellent English?

Yes, he did. When David woke up, he immediately began to speaking true, real and excellent English.

Was David happy or sad?

Of course, he was happy. He was extremely happy.

He returned home. David could understand, speak, and even write in English perfectly well. But after three weeks something went wrong, David started to forget words. He confused English words. His English was getting worse and worse. And after two months, to his huge disappointment, he stopped speaking English at all. David realized that the English brew didn’t work very well.

When David returned he could understand, speak, even write in perfect English, right?

Yes, correct. When David returned home, he could understand, speak and even write in English perfectly well.

Did David understand, speak, and write in English terribly?

No, not terribly. Perfectly well. When David returned home, he could understand, speak, and even write in English perfectly well.

But what went wrong?

He started to forget words. He confused words.

Was his English getting worse and worse?

Yes, it was. To his big disappointment, his English was getting worse and worse and after two months David stopped speaking English at all.

After how many months did David stop speaking English?

After two months. After two months David stopped speaking English at all.

Could David say a word in English?

No, he could not. To his disappointment, he couldn’t say a word in English. He stopped speaking English at all.

Oh, my God. The English Brew didn’t work out for David, right?

Yes, that’s right. It didn’t work out for him very well.

David realized that there was no hack for learning English faster, better and cheaper. He decided to go back to a good time-tested and natural way to learn English.

What did David realize?

He realized that there was no hack for learning English faster, better, and cheaper.

Who realized that?

David did. David realized that there was no easy trick for learning English faster, better, and cheaper.

Did David give up? Did he stop learning English?

No, not David. David decided to go back to a good time-tested and natural way to learn English.

Why did he go back to a natural way to learn English?

He did it because he realized that there was no easy trick for learning English faster, better and cheaper.

Well done, David. What did David do finally?

Finally, he called Alex and he said, “Alex, I want to speak true, real, and excellent English. Please, teach me.”

What did Alex say to David?

Alex said, “Okay.”

This is the end of the mini-story for “The English Brew” See you in Alex Says show. Have a great day!

Hi there! This is Alex, and you are listening to my little English show called Alex Says. In these audiopodcasts, I am going to introduce great, fantastic, and gorgeous ideas on the very topic you hear from the stories in this English course called “Your Journey to the Next Level. I am going to talk about the best minds of this planet and share with you what they had to say. I am sure that their ideas will certainly help you change the way you think about English — and will help you start speaking better than you are doing now. Let's get started.

In today's show, I am focusing on how to learn English and why many English learners today cannot really get what they want. They want to start speaking English confidently and powerfully. In other words, they want to use English without thinking. This is great! But why — after so many years of learning English —they still cannot speak English easily, confidently, and powerfully? Let's find out.

Imagine yourself speaking true, real, and excellent English. Everybody understands what you say. Everybody smiles and respects you. You make good contracts and you have fun with the process. You enjoy every minute of speaking excellent English. This is great, isn't it? This is what you have to create in your head every time you decide to speak English.

I want you to view your English learning as a journey. If you view learning as an interesting, exciting, and fantastic journey, everything will change. It is like traveling somewhere you have always wanted to go. It is exciting. It is a little bit scary. It is tiresome — but it is always rewarding.

I have been learning and teaching languages for many years. And you know, every time I decide on a new language journey — for example, I am going to take an Italian language journey — I feel a little bit uncomfortable, nervous, and anxious. Why? Because it is always scary to learn new things. It is always risky. But because I have done it before — I mean I have learned Spanish, French, and English — I know how to do it. As you know better, you do better, as Maya Angelou used to say. Yes, I always go to people who have already been there — where I am just going to go. I go to the best. I know: if you want to learn new things, and if you want to learn them quickly and better, I absolutely must seek the best. This is my mantra, my religion in learning new things.

The first name that comes to my mind is Maya Angelou. She was a great woman. I have learned a great deal from her. She has always been a great library for me. Maya Angelou was a professor, a writer, and a phenomenal woman. Moreover, Maya was a polyglot — she could speak seven languages fluently. For me, she has always been a great example of a true, real, and curious learner. Let me share with you some of her ideas on learning language and education in general.

Here we go.

"A great enemy of speaking isn't your lack of time or lack of talent — it is being interrupted by other people. Not the ability to learn. No, not at all. The worst enemy of learning is constant interruptions of the imagination — the constant interruption of that process."

"Art is the way we communicate with each other. We can't run before we can walk. Why do we think we can just press the magic button to get or to start speaking English or Italian like a native? That's just like trying to run before we can walk."

As you understand, that is not the way we start speaking a language. We have to go through the learning process in order to perfect it — in order to make it perfect.

Once Maya Angelou was asked: "It is great to be fluent in 7 languages, to be a university professor, to be the most widely read Black female writer in the world. The question is: how did you do it?"

Maya said: "I hadn't stopped to read."

Of course, you may say: "Lots of people keep reading."

Maya would say: "Now wait — you are not listening. When one reads — if you do — you can truly begin the process of educating yourself. Not just about who's and where's and what time and the sights, but really to understand who one is. That is the value."

I love it. Let me just sum it up and help you understand the ideas given in this short passage better.

Maya Angelou is focusing here on three things. Let me walk you through them again and make it easier for you to understand.

First — Interruptions Are the Enemy

Many language learners cannot succeed at speaking languages because they are interrupted by different forces. I mean they are interrupted by people around them, by their telephones, by mass media. When a learner decides to gain a new language, he absolutely must be in the process.

To learn faster and better, you should find a quiet and comfortable place. It can be a room or even a library. Put devices away — things like your phone. Create a good, positive atmosphere for learning. An atmosphere where you feel good and nobody is going to interrupt you while you learn. Learning is only possible when you concentrate on what you are doing right now.

Second — There Is No Magic Button

There is no magic button that you can press to start speaking English, French, or Italian like a native — easily, confidently, and powerfully. No. No one can make it. Simply because the magic button doesn't exist. You always have to go through the process of learning to make it better. And it is always challenging, scary, new, and risky. It takes time, money, and energy. But it is always rewarding.

Third — Reading Is the Key

It is no secret that a good reader is a good speaker — but a great reader is a great speaker. Reading has to become your best friend. You have to read every book your eyes can see and your hands can grab. You have to become first a good reader, and then a great reader. Only reading helps your imagination work perfectly well. Reading makes you think. It makes you create new images and generate new ideas. And it changes the way you think, speak, and act. Become a fantastic reader, and you will become a brilliant speaker. When you read, you educate yourself in order to educate others — as Maya Angelou liked to say.

This is, by the way, what I always do. I go to my room. I create a very comfortable and quiet atmosphere. I put always aside my telephone because I don't want anyone to interrupt me while learning, writing, or wanting something. And I do one more thing: I always put a bottle of pure water on my table. Yes, water.

When you learn things, you think, right? You use your brain. Your brain consists mostly of water. Your brain loves water. Your brain cannot operate very well without water. And if I feel that something goes wrong — for example, "I cannot concentrate anymore" — I drink water. Immediately, my brain begins to operate better and I learn more quickly and better.

But what if you are not a reader, but you are a listener? This is what I am, to tell you the truth. I don't read books. No — but I listen to them. I am a big listener. I buy audiobooks and I listen to them. And when I listen to them, I don't just sit down and listen. No. I walk. Yes, literally go out. I put in my earphones and I listen to books. I use my ears, not my years, learning new things about the world. Isn't that great?

But if you learn things better and feel good and comfortable when you read about them, do what you do. Stay with reading. It is okay.

By the way, you can learn more about Maya Angelou from my English course called Super English Course: Speak Like a Native.

Okay, this is the end of today's English show Alex Says. I hope you found it useful, and this will certainly help you learn English quicker and better — and not only English. You can learn anything you want quicker and better when you know why, how and what to do it.

I wish you good luck. Take care of yourself — and of each other.

See you soon.

Hello, my superstar English learner! This is Alex again. I hope you are doing well today. Welcome to our second lesson called “A Heavy Accent”. Let’s begin!

Jimmy is a boy of 16 years of age. His family moves from America to China. He has a serious problem. What is his problem? When Jimmy speaks Chinese nobody understands him. Why? Because Jimmy has a heavy accent. He speaks Chinese with a heavy, strong accent. Jimmy wants to fix his accent. He desperately needs to fix it. Why? Because of his heavy accent Jimmy cannot find a good job to help his family.

One day, Jimmy is speaking to an old Chinese lady and she says, “To get a good job, you have to get rid of your heavy accent. You should find Mr. Pronunciation. He is a wizard who can fix his heavy, strong and foreign accent.”

The next morning Jimmy undertakes a journey in the quest of a great master Pronunciation. After a few weeks he finally finds the master Pronunciation.

Jimmy says, “Master, can you please help me get rid of my heavy accent?”

The master listens to Jimmy and says, “Your case is very serious. I can’t help you alone. Go and bring my two elder sisters Curiosity and Diligence and my younger brother Focus. Then I can help you.”

Jimmy immediately goes looking for the wizard’s family. In the mountains Jimmy finds two sisters Curiosity and Diligence locked in a tall tower (which is) guarded by a huge dragon by the name of Procrastination. The dragon Procrastination says to Jimmy, “My dear new friend, I will release the sisters Curiosity and Diligence, but not today. I will do it tomorrow or after tomorrow or in a week.” Jimmy fights the dragon. He defeats the dragon. From the sisters Curiosity and Diligence, he learns that their younger Brother Focus is in captivity of a witch called Laziness. When they find the witch, she tries to tempt Jimmy. She says, “Lay down your sword and shield and study war no more. Relax and eat the bread of idleness.” But Jimmy resists the temptation and rescues Brother Focus.

When they return to the wizard Pronunciation, he says “Jimmy, now it is time to fix your heavy accent.”

They begin to work. Each of them contributes to Jimmy a very important element. Sister Curiosity gives Jimmy the interest to learn new things. Sister Diligence gives Jimmy care and attention. Brother Focus gives Jimmy concentration. Now with all these three elements: interest, care and concentration Jimmy practices a lot under the watchful eye of the master Pronunciation. After six months Jimmy gets rid of his heavy accent. Now he speaks Chinese with no accent at all. He finds a job easily. Jimmy is happy. He understands that together is always better. He understands that no one can make it alone.

Okay, this is the end of the story for “A Heavy Accent”. Now you know how to improve your English accent. You need to be curious, diligent and focused every time when you listen, read and speak English. And you have to fight procrastination and laziness. That’s it. See you next time. And have a good day!

Hello, my superstar English learner! This is Alex your English teacher. I hope that you are having a nice day today. Welcome to the vocabulary lesson for “A Heavy Accent”.

Let me start with the name of the story which is A Heavy Accent. I am sure you have a picture in your head what these two words mean, but let me explain it to you again so that you could have a better picture. From the story you know that Jimmy has a serious problem. His problem is his heavy accent of Chinese. As to the word heavy everything is clear, right? Here heavy means strong and bad or not easy to understand. Now let’s focus on the word accent. What is accent? Accent is the way in which people pronounce words in a particular area, country or social group. In our case, Jimmy has a strong English accent when he speaks Chinese. Jimmy doesn’t pronounce words the way people in China do. He speaks Chinese with his English accent. That’s why nobody understands him. Jimmy has a heavy accent.

Next we have the expression to fix one’s accent

If someone has an accent it can bring some difficulties in understanding people. And who needs problems? So a very logical thing to do is to fix the accent. So to fix one’s accent simply means to repair your accent. So Jim has to repair his accent so that other people can understand him better.

Our next word for this vocabulary lesson is desperately

It comes from the sentences He desperately needs that. Here desperately means extremely or very much. So Jim extremely needs to fix his accent. He needs to repair his accent very much. Jim desperately needs that.

We move on the story and we see another very useful expression which is to get rid of something or someone

The sentence says, “To get a job, you have to get rid of your heavy accent.” So to get rid of something or someone means to free yourself of something bad or annoying. When you stop having something that makes your life more difficult or other people’s life. Simply to say you become free from something that stops you from getting what you want to. Jimmy has to free himself from his heavy, strong accent so that he can get a job to help his family. He has to get rid of his heavy accent to get a job.

Our next word for today is a wizard

The woman says to Jimmy to find Mr. Pronunciation. He is a wizard who can fix his heavy, strong, foreign accent.

Here a wizard is someone who is an expert at fixing people’s pronunciation. So Jimmy has to find Mr. Procuration who is an expert at fixing other people’s pronunciation. Only he can help Jimmy repair his heavy accent so that people can understand his better. Mr. Pronunciation knows who to repair his problem with accent because he is an expert on pronunciation.

Next we have the sentences like The next morning Jimmy undertakes a journey in the quest of a great master.

To undertake a journey means to start a journey or to have a journey.

In the quest of someone means trying to find someone. So the sentence says that Jimmy decides to start a journey to find a great master. He undertakes a journey in the quest of a great master. And of course, a great master is Mr. Pronunciation who is an expert at fixing other people’s pronunciation.

Moving forward, we have two fantastic words like “curiosity” and “diligence”. In the story these are the names of two sisters. But their names mean more than just the names. They are not just names they are two extremely important qualities that everybody absolutely must have and or develop in order to live a better life.

The master listens to Jimmy and says, “Your case is very serious. I can’t help you alone/on my own. Go and bring my two elder sisters Curiosity and Diligence and my younger brother Focus. Then I can help you.”

Next we have the expression to be guarded by a huge dragon named Procrastination. It means that the dragon watches the two sisters and he makes certain they do not escape from that tall tower. So the dragon is very watchful and he never sleeps. The two sisters Curiosity and Diligence cannot escape from the tall tower. They are locked in the tower and are guarded by a huge dragon. I am sure you get the idea.