A Fantastic English Course. Change your mind, change your English, change your life

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.