How to maximize your English learning

Oh, hi, sorry, James Fingenveld, usually I'm reading but I was having fun drawing a face.

I like to maximize my time and when I'm reading do other things and in this case it's getting

the lesson ready.

As you know Mr. E is here and he's going to put on a scholar cap because this is a lesson

on scholarship, dun, dun, dun, dun, scholarship.

Studying in Canada, if you get lucky, but it also means studying.

I'm going to put his little hat on here.

Professor E is now in school, school's in session.

What Mr. E has noticed is when studying all the people come to EngVid, he decided he needs

to help them maximize their learning of English, so we should put English here.

In case you're watching it in other languages, I hope not because it is in English, English,

English baby, it's an English website, and he found that there are five key elements

to getting the most out of English.

It's not going to kill you to do these things, in fact, doing these things makes English

much more fun.

You retain the information, retain means to keep, you will keep the information and you

know what, motivate you to get out there.

Alright, first things first, unconscious learning.

If you're like me and Mr. E, you go out on the weekend, you have a couple drinks and

you get unconscious.

No, not that unconscious, you don't drink so much you fall asleep and get drunk.

Unconscious is what happens is, when you're actually in an, especially in an English speaking

country, this is especially true, everything around you is in English.

I'll give you an example, I went to Spain a couple of years ago and it kind of freaked

me out.

You know better, I was in Mexico a few months ago, it freaked me out, everything's in Spanish.

But after a while, something really weird started to happen because pharmaceutica, that's

the pharmacist, things started to make sense.

Not everything, but I started to get unconscious learning that I would see things and understand

that these things represented something, pharmacy, pharmaceutica, pharmaceutical, I got it, pharmacy

in English.

So unconsciously, my brain would look at information and take it in.

So this is what we mean by unconscious learning, alright?

So what you need to do is engage, engage yourself and your surroundings.

You're going to be surrounded by it.

If you're learning English in a foreign country, I mean, get books, get pictures, get movies,

get music, have it around you, all around you, because if it's playing in the background

and you've got Michael Jackson going "Beep beep, beep beep", I mean, you're listening

to English, it's going to be coming in your head, it'll be easier and you'll be much more

readily, sorry, much more ready to learn English.

It makes your brain more comfortable so the information can come in.

It's called unconscious learning.

So surround yourself in English.

If you're from like India, Cambodia, Thailand, Thailand, okay, you're over there, what you

want to do is expose yourself to it as much as you possibly can in your environment to

get unconscious learning.

Because sometimes the unconscious learning is better than the conscious learning of the

grammar and the vocabulary, right, because you hear the language fluently, how we'd actually

use it.

Alright.

Next, be active.

If you're studying these lessons, you can be active.

We have quizzes.

There's a comment board.

Go and use it.

If not for myself, other teachers.

Go on there.

Be active.

The more active you are, the more engaged you are, the more interested you are.

Your brain is ready to retain and take that information in.

Be active.

Second point, if you're taking a class, which I'm sure you may be, I mean, this is good,

you might be taking classes, also good, be active.

I have a five-question rule I usually ask my students.

If you're in school and you didn't ask five questions today, go home and slap yourself.

They're like, "What?"

I'm like, "Slap yourself.

You just wasted your time and your money."

When you're not asking questions, you don't care.

You're not engaged.

You're not learning.

The brain isn't there.

Alright?

So what I want you to do is be active.

When you're in class, ask at least two questions for every class you're in.

If you only take one class, try and ask three.

Couple of reasons for this.

Number one, as I said, it makes you interested in what you're doing.

Number two, actually there's three, but number two, the teacher becomes interested in you.

I usually remember the students who ask me questions, straight up.

If they ask me a question, one time, "Ah," two, three, I'm like, "Who is this person?"

They're always asking me questions, and I make mental notes, and I actually pay more

attention.

I don't mean to.

It just happens.

Okay?

So, be active.

So, what I want you to do is participate.

Participate.

Okay?

Oh, and the third thing I was talking about, be active in class, is quite simply this.

Students notice you.

And when students notice that you are asking questions, they sometimes think you're the

smart student, so they talk to you, so you get more practice, and it makes you more interested,

which means you learn more.

How about this?

Understand it.

I know.

I know.

Stupid, right?

Everybody knows.

"I must understand it in order to be good.

This is very obvious.

Why are you telling me?"

It's not as obvious as you think.

Many times, I will teach a student a word.

Oh, I'll give you a better example.

I teach a vocabulary class, and somebody will come up with a word, for instance, "green."

One student will say, "What does green mean, teacher?"

And another student will go, "Idiots.

It is obvious.

Green is the color.

Everybody knows this."

And they'll have to go, "I'm sorry.

You are wrong.

Green is not just a color.

Green in Canada means environmentally good.

Green also means brand new, inexperienced to what is happening."

And they're like, "Really?

And that is only two things for green.

Green is also money."

All right?

So when we talk about green, I gave you green, money.

Man, you got some green on you?

Some long green?

Lots of money.

Green.

He's green, inexperienced, has no experience on the job.

Green, environmentally friendly.

And green, the color, all right?

So understand it.

And how do we understand it?

There's an easy way.

You think you understand one?

Great.

All you have to do is change the context.

Because many words in English can have two, three, or four meanings.

In the same context, they always mean the same.

And that sometimes gives you the false confidence you understand it.

Once you understand by changing context, it's like, who's the new -- see the new guy?

Yeah, he's a little green.

Don't worry.

We'll work with him.

You'll go, "Strange.

He does not look green.

What could they possibly mean?"

And then someone will go, "He's inexperienced.

He's new.

Green like grass.

When a flower comes up the first time, it's green."

"Oh, I understand."

Or I might say, "It's a green bag.

You can use it several times.

Don't just throw it out."

"Oh, I understand."

"And what color is your hair?"

"Green."

All right?

You get it.

So when you want to make sure you understand it, change the context.

See if you understand the meanings or the multiple meanings it can have.

If you're lucky, it only has one.

Good luck.

All right.

Next.

Maximizing your learning.

If you notice these ones -- actually, I'll be honest with you.

This is about memory retention for vocabulary and grammar points.

Specifically, vocabulary, but can it be used for grammar?

These can also be done that way.

These are actually strategies for in the class, where, you know, while you're at home, make

an unconscious space where you have English being thrown at you all the time.

Okay?

Be active while you're in the classroom.

But these three things are personal.

These are for you.

That's right.

I care about you.

We do it only for you.

Okay?

Understand it.

You have to do this for yourself.

Not all the students will do it.

This will make you number one student.

Number two.

Make it useful.

Why?

I've had students, as I've said before, if you've watched other videos, where they say,

you know, "I'm never going to remember this," and I say, "Yes, you will."

Make it useful.

How are you going to make green useful?

Okay.

Well, I really care -- sorry.

I really care about the planet.

I and Bambi and my other friends want the planet to be nice.

Therefore, I am very green.

Now, somebody, a corporate fat cat, a guy who makes a lot of money, basically goes -- this

guy's a little green behind the ears, you know what I'm saying?

Doesn't know what's going on.

Let's make money off of him.

In this case, they're saying you're inexperienced.

Now, you being nice and environmental will not like the fact he thinks you're green and

unknowledgeable.

See, by taking this word and making it useful for my understanding, I'm going to remember

it.

And I bet you'll remember it now.

Right?

Green for environment.

Green for not knowing.

Now, remember, the corporate fat cat wants to make a lot of -- you got it, green, money.

Money is important.

By making it useful and understanding it, I make it memorable, memorable meaning I will

remember it.

Okay?

So, how do we make it useful?

Okay?

Here's a nice word.

Find its application.

How can you apply it?

Right away.

How can I apply it right away?

How can I apply it right away?

How can I use it?

Find it, use it, and it actually helps you to understand it and you'll remember it.

And finally, he's smiling, Mr. E's got the cap on.

It's incredible how many students, you will teach something to them, they will write it

down, they will talk to other students in the classroom, and they will close their book.

And like that, their mind is closed and it forever stays in the book.

And then it finds its way -- sorry -- in the garbage can.

They never look at the book again, and then later on, six months later, they go, "Oh,

I remember this word.

Someone taught me this word.

I remember them teaching me this word.

Five times they teach me, but I cannot remember."

They keep writing it in the book, and they have it, "Oh, look, five times I write it."

All right?

Use it.

As soon as you check with the context -- check with your teacher, check with your friends,

change, change, change the context so you make sure you understand it.

Then find it useful.

How can I use this?

Can I use it at work?

Can I use it with my friends?

Can I use it at the next party?

I was at this green convention the other day, you know, because we're trying to save the

environment.

And we're making a lot of green while doing so, okay?

So in doing something like that, you're making it useful, you go, "Okay, I can use it at

my next party."

All right?

You know, be green, recycle the beer bottles, the vodka bottles, and the Sambuca or -- I

can't remember all the stuff people drink, you know, be green.

Then use it.

Go out and actually use it in the real world.

Here's the big secret.

What your brain finds useful, your brain doesn't forget, simple.

And giving you something on that note that's very, very useful, okay?

I've made you understand it's useful by teaching you this lesson.

I've made it useful by giving you actually one word that I wasn't even teaching vocabulary

and I gave you three to four meanings for it, and I'm going to allow you to use it.

And what would this be?

This would be "www." as in English.

Actually right now, I'm using Unconscious Learning, "vid" as in video,.com, where myself

and other teachers will help you with the Unconscious Learning, play it in the background,

you know?

While you're doing some salsa, play the English videos in the background, have some fun, right?

You're going to be active, so you'll be having fun smiling as you listen to my voice and

maybe see me on TV salsa-ing, right?

Will help you understand the English that you're working on, will make it useful -- or

actually you'll make it useful -- and by coming here regularly, you're going to use it, right?

Because you're going to have to understand the terms I use.

Anyway, I hope you had a great time, www.engvid.com.

James, had a great time, hope it was useful for you, I'm sure it was, see you soon.