Speak English in 30 Minutes: Advanced English Lesson with the New York Times

In this advanced English lesson with the news,  

we're going to read a news article together  so you can speak English in only 30 minutes.

Welcome back to JForrest English.

Of course, I'm Jennifer.

Now let's get started.

Our headline, how to stay happier this year.

Imagine I said this to you.

How to stay happier this year.

Right now, if I say this, am I happy?

What do you think?

Yes, I'm happy or no, I'm not happy.

If I say how to stay happier  this year, Right now I am happy.

And we know that because of the  word stay and the word happier.

Happier is an adjective,  but what type of adjective?

It's a comparative adjective.

It means to increase your level of happiness.

So it implies I'm already happy,  but I want to increase that level,  

so happy you're happier than I am now.

And stay is another way of saying remain.

So if I stay or remain it means  I'm currently at that state now.

Comparative adjectives often use  the word then, but not always.

So you could say how to stay happier  than last year, but in this case it's  

either implied that you're talking about last  year, you're comparing this year to last year,  

or it's just not important so you can use  then is commonly done, but not required.

Now let's talk about if this meant I'm not happy.

Now, if that's the case, the headline would be  how to get happy or how to become happy this year.

So we're just using the adjective happy,  not the comparative adjective happier.

And we use get or become.

Get is the everyday way.

Become sounds slightly more  formal, but you can use either one.

And we use these two verbs get or become to talk  about that transition from not happy to happy.

Don't worry about taking notes because I  summarize everything in a free lesson PDF.

You can find the link in the description.

Now let's learn how to stay happier this year.

Notice how it starts with I'm not.

So we know that this is the words of the author.

So this is written in a first person perspective.

I'm not immune to the allure of resolutions.

Oh, the allure of resolutions.

So resolutions, this is specifically  used at the beginning of the year.

So January 1st, the new year, you set resolutions.

Any other time of the year, you  can simply refer to them as goals.

So at the time of this recording,  we're past the New year stage.

So you could just leave, just say  the allure of goals or goals setting.

Now let's review allure,  

which is attraction or temptation to  the attraction of to the temptation of.

So it's saying resolutions are  something that seems very desirable.

So you want to move towards them.

They attract you.

Now is wouldn't be that common to  use a lure in your day-to-day speech,  

but the word temptation and in the  verb form tempting is very common.

For example, I said I was going to go to the gym.

So this is your goal, your resolution  if you set it for the new year.

I said I was going to go to the gym,  but it's so tempting to sleep in.

So in this case, to be tempting,  it is so tempting to sleep in.

Let's review this all together.

I'm not immune to the allure  of resolutions, so if you're  

not immune to it, it means  that you're susceptible to it.

So it's possible for you to  be attracted to resolutions.

An easy way of thinking of it is unaffected by.

So if you use unaffected, you need the preposition  by because if you're immune to something,  

you're not affected by it, so you can  use unaffected instead of not affected.

I'm not unaffected by the allure.

So you wouldn't use this preposition  to it's only with immune, unaffected  

by the allure of resolutions,  the temptation of resolutions,  

especially health related ones, which  is why I gave that example of the gym  

because that's what a lot of people  set goals about for about 25 January's.

Notice this January in the plural  because it's more than one.

So it's the last 25 January, which is  another way of saying for about 25 years.

It makes it sounds quite strong when  you think of it as 25 January's.

So you could say 25 New Year's,  25 summers, 25 winters, 25 years.

So you can use something else as  the noun 25 vacations, 25 trips,  

and then put it in the plural with more than one.

For about 25 January's I vowed to  drink 8 glasses of water a day.

Using this verb.

Vow is very strong because if you commit to  something, if you promise to do something,  

but if you vow to do it, it means a  very strong commitment or promise.

It almost sounds like a contractual obligation.

Maybe you even signed a paper that committed you.

So you can think of it as  a very strong commitment.

We don't use it in everyday speech.

You can use it to sound very dramatic.

I vow to fix this problem.

It sounds very strong.

So if you want to make a very  strong commitment or promise,  

you could say I vow to become fluent  this year, a very strong commitment.

Does that describe you?

If it does, put let's go, let's  go, put, let's go in the comments.

I vow to become fluent.

I love that.

So in this case I vowed to  drink 8 glasses of water a day.

And for 25 years for 25 January's I failed.

Usually I'd make it only a few days, so  in this case I'd make it only a few days.

This means I only did the action I made  it only a few days and notice here this  

apostrophe DI would make it because  she's talking about a routine action  

in the past for 25 January's she vowed  to drink 8 glasses of water and then all  

those times in the past routine action she  only made it only did it for a few days.

Usually I'd make it notice  that very soft pronunciation.

I'd I'd I'd make it only a few days before I  

reverted to drinking water the old  fashioned way when I was thirsty.

So notice reverted.

This means to go back to so  she had her current state and  

then she has her goal to drink 8 glasses of water.

But then if she reverted, then she  went back to her current state,  

which was drinking water when I was thirsty, which  sounds like it was less than 8 glasses per day.

Let's continue a few.

A few years ago, though, I resolved  to do something truly different.

Stop setting myself up for failure.

Let's talk about though, because  I know it confuses students.

Native speakers use it a lot.

It's a conjunction.

It's used to contrast between two points.

You can think of it as a positive or a negative,  

a success and a failure,  something good, something bad.

But with the word though, the  contrast is often implied.

A few years ago, though, I resolved  to do something truly different.

The contrast isn't here, but I  understand it based on what I just read.

The more formal way where you identify the  

contrast is to use although at  the beginning of the sentence.

Although I failed a lot in the past,  which is what we read previously.

Although I failed, this is the negative.

Now we need a contrast.

We need something positive.

I resolve to do something truly different.

That's the positive.

So often when native speakers use though,  

we don't specify both parts of  the contrast because it's implied.

For example, it's very common for a native  speaker to say thanks for your help though.

Thanks for your help though.

And we just add the word though at the  very end, almost like an afterthought.

Thanks for your help though, and  we might even pause a little.

This is very common, more common than using,  

although because it sounds quite  professional, a little too formal.

Now if you use although at the beginning you would  have the two parts of the contrast, although I  

don't need help, that's you can think of it as  a negative and now we need something positive.

I appreciate your offer.

Although I don't need help,  I appreciate your offer.

Now, you can say this in a casual way by  simply saying thanks for the help though,  

and by using the word though a native speaker  understands that the contrast is implied.

A few years ago, though, I resolved.

This is another way of saying  committed, promised, or remember vowed.

But that's a very strong  commitment, strong promise.

So it sounds different from committed or promised.

I resolved to do something truly different,  stop setting myself up for failure.

This is an expression to set  oneself, in this case myself,  

up for and then something commonly failure.

But you can also set yourself up for success.

So this means to put yourself in a position  where failure or success is likely.

It's the likely outcome.

So what would that look like?

Well, maybe expecting to speak without  making mistakes only sets you up for failure.

So it sets you up, it prepares you.

It makes failure the likely outcome.

Because it's not realistic to  speak without making mistakes.

I still make mistakes.

So how is that realistic for you?

So don't set yourself up for failure, but you can  

set yourself up for success by  saying it's OK if I make mistakes.

So that could be a way you  set yourself up for success.

Are you enjoying this lesson?

If you are, then I want to tell you  about the Finally Fluent Academy.

This is my premium training program where  we study native English speakers from TV,  

movies, YouTube, and the news.

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You can look in the description  for the link to learn more,  

or you can go to my website and  click on Finally Fluent Academy.

Now let's continue with our lesson.

Now I sit down during the first week of January  

and list the things I did last  year that made me feel good.

So instead of good, you could  use the word feel happy.

The adjective, not the comparative adjective  was the comparative adjective of good.

Pop quiz for you, the comparative  adjective of good is better.

You knew that, right?

Better.

So you could also say happy as the adjective  and then the comparative adjective is happier.

Notice that spelling change at  the end we change yer to IER.

This is just a spelling change.

Happier, happy, happier.

Now let's review.

Sit down.

So of course, right now I am sitting down.

It's the opposite of standing.

But in this case, when she says I sit down during  the first week of January and list the things,  

it really means she allocates the time  she spends the time she set aside.

She sets aside the time to do this  activity because a lot of people  

do these activities while they are sitting down.

But it's not about literally sitting down.

It's about allocating the time.

In a workplace context, it's very common to say,  

let's sit down next week and  discuss the project timeline.

Again, it's not about literally  or physically sitting.

So it's more let's meet next week,  let's schedule a meeting next week,  

Let's spend the time doing this action.

So it's very commonly used.

Once I'm done with my list, I go into my calendar  and schedule time for more of these activities.

But I don't haphazardly repeat after me.

Haphazardly, haphazardly.

This is an adverb.

Adverbs are easy to identify.

They often end in LY and they modify verbs.

So it's modifying how she  picks or selects a few dates.

And she doesn't do this haphazardly.

And this means randomly or without a plan.

So just let's do it on Monday, but without really  thinking if Monday is the best day to do this.

So you can say she threw the  items on the desk haphazardly.

Adverbs are flexible, so you can  have it at the very end here.

You can also put it right before the  verb she haphazardly threw the items  

on the desk because this tells  you how the action took place.

If you're ever not sure where to put an  adverb, the safest spot is before the verb.

She haphazardly threw the items on on the desk.

So without any order, just randomly.

Now, the opposite of haphazardly  picking dates could be her next point.

I choose them strategically.

So this is an adverb as well.

So if something is done strategically,  

it means with a plan, with a lot  of conscious thought and effort.

Of course you're learning  English strategically, right?

Let's continue.

And I sent a reminder in my calendar to block  off the time needed to do research on my list.

So notice here to block off the time needed.

This could be another way of saying to allocate  or spend the time or set aside the time.

Now block off is specific to a calendar  because if you have available slots,  

you can think of them as available  appointment times and someone books that time.

Then nobody else is able to book that time.

So that would be what block off means.

It means you allocate it, but then also because  it's allocated, nobody else can select that time.

So it was unavailable for any other purpose.

So if you say I blocked off past simple,  

I blocked off my afternoon and this is the  reason why, so I can finish the presentation.

You can think of this like  having a do not disturb sign  

on your office or on your computer on your phone.

That time is not available for  any other purpose by doing this.

So by blocking off the time by doing this,  

I am future proofing my happiness by  planning things I know will feed it.

What form of the word is this here?

So we talked about how happy is an adjective.

Happier is a comparative adjective.

So what form of the word is this?

You can always look for clues because  here my clue is my, my happiness.

We use possessives in front of nouns.

So this is the noun form of the word.

It's referring to it as a something.

Let's review future proofing.

If you future proof something, it  means you insure it in the future.

So you might say improving your English is  a great way to future proof your career.

So it's actually used as a verb.

Now notice the conjugation is on  proof to future proof your career.

So this means to ensure your career so to have to  

keep your career in the future  to future proof your career.

I'm future proofing my happiness,  

ensuring I am happy in the future by  planning things I know will feed it.

Now of course this isn't to  do with providing it food,  

but you can think of it as providing it nutrients,  providing it what it needs to grow or thrive.

And the IT is happiness.

So you can think of it as ensure  my happiness grows or thrives.

Let's continue my process.

Made me wonder whether other people had found  interesting ways of thinking about resolutions.

Remember, resolutions are goals  that you set in the new year.

So any other time you can  simply refer to them as goals.

Thinking about goals.

So I reached out to a few experts.

This is a must know phrasal verb  you should have in your vocabulary.

If you reach out to someone, it means you  contact someone for a specific purpose.

So the purpose here is to  learn about happiness and  

future proofing your happiness becoming happier.

So I reached out, I contacted, reached out,  

but notice you contact someone,  but you reach out to someone.

So it's always important to look at the  grammar because you would just contact someone.

So I contacted a few experts, but  I reached out to a few experts.

I highlighted the two so you  know, it's with the expression.

So I reached out to a few experts whose  

work I admire and asked them how  they approach resolution season.

So outside of January, which is resolution season,  

the middle of December until the beginning  of January or all of December even outside  

of that, you can simply say how they  approach goal setting, goal setting.

You could also say how they  approach setting goals.

Now, what's the difference between these two?

Yes, I've reversed the word order.

But what is the significance of that?

How they approach goal setting?

This is a something, this is a noun.

How they approach setting goals.

This is the verb how they  approach doing something.

And it's in the gerund form  because you need that verb ING.

So this is the noun something and  this is the verb doing something.

Let's continue and hear what  these experts had to say.

Dan Harris, who is one of these experts?

Dan Harris, the host of the 10% Happier.

Notice 10% Happier.

So you're going to increase your  level of happiness by 10 percent.

10% Happier podcast.

So this is the name of the podcast.

Dan Harris told me that making something  

meaningful to you is a great  way to actually get it done.

So to get something done, this is a casual way of  

saying to actually do it,  get it done, get it done.

This is commonly used as an  expression to start something.

So if you discuss a plan and then you are ready  to start the plan, you can say let's get it done.

So you would say it with some enthusiasm  or some commitment, let's get it done.

Or you can use this as a task.

Please get this done.

Whatever the this is, please get the  marketing strategy done by 5 O clock.

So you can use this as a task as well.

And again, you could also simply say do it  when he's trying to lock in a new habit.

So the he is this expert, Dan Harris,  when he's trying to lock in a new habit,  

if you lock something in, it means you secure it.

But if the in this case, the context  of securing a habit means you make  

that habit become a part of your daily routine.

So it becomes habitual, it becomes  something you frequently do,  

it becomes part of your daily routine when  he's trying to lock in, secure a new habit  

at the start of the year or any other time, he  tries to understand the why behind his goal.

So for you, why do I want to become fluent?

Why do I want to improve my  confidence speaking English?

So those are the questions you  could ask the why behind his goal.

Next, I reached out and now you  understand why this to is here.

Or you could say I contacted Oliver Berkman.

But reach out to is very common.

It sounds more conversational,  more natural than saying contacted,  

which sounds more formal and almost official.

Next, I reached out to Oliver.

Or I contacted Oliver Berkman,  a productivity expert.

He said resolutions.

Again, goals can sometimes make  people feel worse, not better.

And now you know, better is the comparative  adjective of good feel worse, not better.

We often expect massive changes  done perfectly from the outset.

Oh, does that remind you of  anyone yourself with your English?

And from the outset, this means from  the very beginning that you start.

So if your goal is to speak confidently in  meetings, you expect to do this perfectly  

from the very first time you open  your mouth and speak in a meeting.

That would be from the outset,  the beginning of the action.

There's a common expression  as well from the get go.

Have you heard that from the get go,  get go, it means the exact same thing.

So now you have two new expressions from the  outset, from the and then if you use get go,  

you also need the from the from the  get go from the outset, he explained.

He being this expert, Oliver Berkman explained.

So whatever you hope to do in the new  year, let yourself start off poorly.

So start off is another way of say of begin.

Let yourself begin or simply start.

You don't need the off here  Start, begin or start off.

But if you use begin, you wouldn't say begin off.

It only works with start.

Now if you used your new expression,  

you would need to change the sentence structure  because you do something from the outset.

So in this case, let yourself do poorly,  

let yourself speak poorly from  the outset, from the get go.

Let yourself start off poorly.

10 minutes spent very badly jogging, he  said, is just infinitely more valuable.

So infinitely more valuable is  the strongest degree, Extremely,  

extremely, extremely, it's  the highest degree possible,  

infinitely more valuable than all the  most amazing plans to do it perfectly.

Let's talk about spend time doing.

A lot of students get confused with this  construction because you spend time doing.

You need that verb and ING.

You need your gerund.

Now the spend time.

The time happened to come first here.

10 minutes spent jogging.

I would just ignore this for now.

Honestly, I think the placement  of this is a little awkward.

I would personally place it after  jogging, but that's just a minor thing.

If you're wondering about that 10  minutes spent jogging very badly.

So 10 minutes spent doing something you  could say I spent this is the past simple.

I spent the whole afternoon.

So this is your time  reference the whole afternoon.

I spent the whole afternoon doing so  your verb and ING cleaning the garage.

I spent the whole afternoon cleaning the garage.

Now we commonly use this in the present.

Perfect for plans that you've already made.

I'm spending the weekend planning my trip.

Maybe I say this on Wednesday, but  this is a plan that's already arranged.

I'm spending the weekend and then  doing something planning my trip.

Or let's spend the base verb.

Let's spend the meeting preparing this is this  doing preparing for the presentation Very common  

expression used in the past present continuous  and the base verb among other verb tenses.

And just remember, you need that  gerund, your verb and ING now.

The way he wrote it, X amount  of time doing something,  

you can absolutely say that it  sounds a little more poetic.

Maybe you're use it more for tips or advice or an  inspirational quote so you might encourage your  

friend and say a night spent preparing for  a job interview can set you up for success.

Remember this phrase to set you up for something?

This means ensure that something  prepare for that something.

A night spent preparing for a job  interview can set you up for success.

Isn't that the truth?

And that's the end of the article.

So what I'll do now is I'll read  the article from start to finish  

and this time you can focus on my pronunciation.

How to stay happier this year?

I'm not immune to the allure of  resolutions, especially health related ones.

For about 25 January's I vowed to drink 8 glasses  of water a day, and for 25 years, I failed.

Usually I'd make it only a few days before I  

reverted to drinking water the old  fashioned way when I was thirsty.

A few years ago though, I resolved  to do something truly different.

Stop setting myself up for failure.

Now I sit down during the first week of January  

and list the things I did last  year that made me feel good.

Once I'm done with my list, I go into my calendar  and schedule time for more of these activities.

But I don't haphazardly pick a few dates.

I choose them strategically, and I set a reminder  

in my calendar to block off the time  needed to do research on my list.

By doing this, I am future proofing my happiness  by planning things I know will feed it.

My process made me wonder whether other people had  

found interesting ways of  thinking about resolutions.

So I reached out to a few experts whose  

work I admire and asked them how  they approach resolution season.

Dan Harris, the host of the 10% Happier podcast,  

told me that making something meaningful to  you is a great way to actually get it done.

When he's trying to lock in a new habit at  the start of the year, or any other time,  

he tries to understand the why behind his goal.

Next, I reached out to Oliver  Berkman, a productivity expert.

He said resolutions can sometimes  make people feel worse, not better.

We often expect massive changes done  perfectly from the outset, he explained.

So whatever you hope to do in the new  year, let yourself start off poorly.

10 minutes spent very badly jogging, he said,  

is infinitely more valuable than all the  most amazing plans to do it perfectly.

Do you want to keep learning  English with the news?

If you do put let's go, let's  go put let's go in the comments.

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