How to Speak English Fluently | Advanced English Fluency Masterclass

Today I have an advanced English fluency master  

class to help you improve  all areas of your English.

This master class has separate  sections on vocabulary, grammar,  

listening, pronunciation, and of course, speaking.

Welcome back to JForrest English.

Of course, I'm Jennifer.

Now let's get started.

Section 1 vocabulary.

First, you're going to learn 15 great  things to say in everyday conversations.

Let's start with phrases to offer  advice #1 here's my two cents.

This phrase is used to give a  personal opinion or suggestion.

In this phrase, my two cents means  my opinion, my opinion, and notice.

Here we have here's here's repeat after me.

Here's this is, here is so this is a contraction.

And the here's is the verb to be here is.

So notice my two cents.

Even though sense ends with an S,  

this is conjugated as a singular  here's here is here's my two cents.

So let's say someone asked you, do you  think I should learn English with Jennifer?

You can say to offer your opinion.

Well, here's my two cents, here's  my opinion, here's my two cents.

She's an amazing teacher, so yes you should.

Now you can also reverse the order and say  she's an amazing teacher, so yes you should.

So you start with your opinion  and then you can add on.

But that's just my $0.02.

But that is, that is my two cents.

That's my opinion.

So do you think that's right?

You should learn English with  Jennifer if you do put that's right,  

that's right, put that's right in the comments.

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

You can find the link in the description.

Just my two cents.

Anyway, that's my $0.02.

This is my two cents.

Number two, take it with a grain of salt.

Have you heard this before?

It's very common.

This is used to suggest someone should not  take something too seriously or literally.

For example, you might say my friend told  me it will take 10 years to become fluent.

Now I could say to you, take  that with a grain of salt.

Don't take it too literally or seriously.

Now, what verb tense is being used here?

Notice take that our verb is take  and is conjugated as the base verb.

So this is the imperative.

It's used to give an order or instruction.

You could put this in a full sentence  and you might say you should,  

you should take that with a grain of salt.

But that's just my $0.02.

So take it with a grain of salt.

I would.

I would take everything with a grain of salt that  

you got to take everything  I say with a grain of salt.

Number three, if I were in your shoes,  

I'd This is used to offer advice by imagining  yourself in the other person's situations.

So notice here, if I were in your shoes,  your shoes represents you or your situation.

If I were you, if I were in your situation, Now  notice you might be thinking if I were, I were.

Do you know why this is?

I were?

It's because it's the subjunctive of the verb  to be and were is used with all subjects.

So again, your friend might say,  should I subscribe to J Forest English?

And then you could say if I were in your  shoes, if I were you, I'd subscribe.

I would plus base verb.

I would I'd repeat after me.

I'd I'd a very softy I'd subscribe.

If I were in your shoes, I'd wear NIA.

If I were in your shoes, I'd  want to weigh my options.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be so nervous.

Now let's talk about phrases to offer  support #4 can I give you a hand?

This is used to offer help or assistance.

So all hand represents the help.

For example, I have so much  work to do, I feel overwhelmed.

Now you want to offer support.

So you can use this as a question  and say, can I give you a hand?

Can I give you a hand?

Can I help you?

And if you want to give me a hand,  

you can subscribe and like this video  because that definitely gives me a hand.

That definitely helps me give me a hand.

Can I give you a hand?

Can I give you a hand #5 Let  me know if you need anything.

So again this is to offer help or assistance.

Your friend could say the same thing.

I have so much work to do I feel overwhelmed.

And then you can reply back to offer your help or  

assistance and say let me  know if you need anything.

Again, let me know if you need  help so you could say let me know  

if you need a hand and notice that  pronunciation in spoken English.

Let me becomes let me, let me know, let me know.

Try that.

Let me know.

Let me know if you need anything.

Know if you need anything.

If you need anything let me know.

If you need anything, let me know.

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.

So you can improve your listening  skills of fast English, expand your  

vocabulary with natural expressions,  and learn an advanced grammar easily.

Plus, you'll have me as your personal coach.

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  number six, One of my favorites.

I've got your back.

Do you know this one?

This is used to express support  or readiness to help someone.

You're ready to help.

I've got your back.

So your friend could say I'm so worried  about the presentation this afternoon.

What if I lose my words?

And then you can reply and say,  don't worry, I've got your back.

This means you're here to support your friend  in any way you can based on the situation.

Or you might be thinking I need an English  teacher who will teach me how natives talk  

in the real world so I can reply back  to them and say I've got your back.

It means I'm here to help you support  you in this specific situation,  

to help you understand natives in the real world.

I've always got your back.

It's nice.

I've got your back.

#7 I'm rooting for you.

I love this one.

This is to express support or encouragement.

Now rooting, this is the same meaning as cheering.

I'm rooting for you.

I'm cheering for you.

So this means I hope you  achieve your desired result.

And this is in the present continuous.

I'm rooting because it's taking place now.

I'm cheering for you, I'm rooting for you.

So maybe you could tell your friend I applied  for the new position but so did 20 other people.

So I can reply back and say I'm rooting for you.

I want you to achieve your desired result.

I'm rooting for you.

I'm rooting for you, Princess.

I'm rooting for you.

#8 I'm here for you.

What a nice thing to say in so many situations.

I'm here for you.

This is to show emotional  support or availability to help.

And this this is used often when problems arise.

So let's say your friend has  that job interview tomorrow.

You could say, I know the interview  will be difficult, I'm here for you.

Or maybe if the difficult problem happens and  your friend doesn't get the job, you could say,  

I know you really wanted the  promotion, I'm here for you.

So I'm here to offer you the support that  you need in this difficult situation.

Now you could add on and say I'm here for you.

Let me know if you need a hand with anything.

So you can absolutely use many  of these expressions together.

I'm here for you.

I'm here for you.

I'm here for you.

#9 you've got this, I love  this one, you've got this.

I use this a lot.

This is to offer encouragement,  especially before a challenging task.

Your friend could say the big interview to  determine if I get the promotion is today.

Wish me luck and then you can say you've got this.

This is like saying I know you will  be successful, you've got this.

Or you might say I need to  get a high score on my IELTS  

and your friend or teacher could encourage you  and say you've got this, I know you can do it.

You've got this, you've got this, you've got this.

You've got this.

Now let's talk about phrases to offer support when  someone feels discouraged #10 keep your chin up.

This is to encourage someone to stay  positive or confident because often  

when we're feeling down, our whole body goes down.

So keep your chin up is to remind  you to put your body in that more  

confident position and you  will feel more confident.

This is commonly used in  the imperative verb tense.

Keep your chin up because again,  it's an order or an instruction.

So your friend might feel discouraged and  say 20 other people applied for the job.

There's no way I'll get it.

And you tell your friend, keep  your chin up, you've got this.

This is a great time to add on, you've got this.

Or your friend could say I've  been learning English for years,  

but I still don't feel confident.

Again, keep your chin up  and again, you've got this.

Or you could suggest to your friend, you  might consider changing your approach.

But that's just my two cents.

That's just my opinion.

Keep your chin up.

You keep your chin up.

You keep your chin up.

Gus grimly #11 stay the course.

This is to advise someone to continue on  their current path despite challenges.

So keep doing what you're doing.

And again, this is often used in the imperative  

verb tense because it's an  order or an instruction.

Your friend could say every day I speak out  loud for two minutes but it still feels awkward.

So you reply back and say stay the course.

Keep doing exactly what you're doing.

You could use a conditional.

If you stay the course you'll see improvements.

You've got this.

Keep your chin up.

Stay the course, stay the course, stay the course.

#12 take it one step at a time.

This is to suggest a gradual approach to  solving a problem or completing a task.

And again, commonly used in the imperative verb  tense because it's an order or an instruction.

Your friend could say learning  English is so overwhelming.

There are so many rules and exceptions to learn.

And then you reply back to encourage your  friend and say take it one step at a time.

This means focus on one thing at a time.

Or maybe you could say, if I were in your  shoes, I'd take it one step at a time.

You've got this.

Take it one step at a time.

Just take it one step at a time.

Take it one step at a time.

Now let's talk about phrases  to offer praise to someone  

for a job well done #13 wow, I'm blown away.

I'm blown away.

This is to.

Express that you're impressed  by someone or something.

So notice the sentence structure to be blown away  

by someone or something if you include  the someone or something for example.

Wow, I'm blown away by your  amazing presentation skills.

This is a passive sentence.

What would it be if we change  this to an active sentence?

You would say your amazing  presentation skills **** ** away.

Now.

You could say I'm blown away that I learned  so many useful expressions in one lesson.

Hopefully you're thinking that right now,  and that simply means that you're impressed.

I'm blown away.

I'm really blown away.

I am blown away #14 seriously, great job.

This seems simple because you  already know how to use great job.

Of course, seriously, this makes it stronger.

So this is to give strong praise or recognition.

And that's because seriously is an intensifier.

You could say you did a seriously  great job because you do a job,  

you do a great job and then intensify it.

You did a seriously great job.

Or you could put this in the present continuous.

You're doing a seriously great job, which  you absolutely are with this lesson.

Now you can use this just as a start to a sentence  or the whole sentence seriously great job.

I'm blown away.

I'm impressed.

Great job, you guys, great job.

Good job, great job.

Great, Really great job.

#15 you're a rock star.

I'm sure you've heard me use this one.

You're a rock star.

This is to compliment someone  for their impressive performance.

So the sentence structure is to be a star.

And then of course, you can add on rock star,  because who doesn't want to be a rock star?

So your friend could share great news.

I got the promotion.

And then you can compliment your friend, praise  your friend by saying you're a rock star.

You could even say I knew you would.

I knew you would get the promotion  because you're a rock star.

Or you could use our last phrase as well.

Seriously well done.

You can change great job to something else.

Seriously, well done.

You're a rock star.

Mike you a rock star, man?

Guy's a rock star.

He's a rock star.

Amazing job.

Now Section 2 grammar we're  going to review an area I hear  

a lot of mistakes with the difference  between all all of the and all the.

So what's the difference between all  students struggle with their speaking skills?

All of the students or all the students  struggle with their English speaking skills?

Well, first you need to know  the difference between a plural  

noun without an article and a  plural noun with an article.

So what's the difference between  students and the students?

This is the first thing you need to know when we  have a plural noun with no article in front of it.

It's a general plural noun.

We're talking about students in general.

Any student, any subject, any age,  any background, any students at all.

So students, when we put the article  the in front of a plural noun,  

students, now we're limiting it  to a specific group of students.

The students in my class, the students  I work with, the students in university.

So it's not general.

We're limiting it.

So that's the difference between all students  

and all of the students or all  students and all the students.

All students is general.

The students is specific.

Now, of course, that leaves us with the question,  

what's the difference between all of  the students and all the students?

So why in one case we use the  preposition of and in the other we don't.

The answer is simple.

In spoken English, we just leave  out the word of because it's only  

there for grammar and it's not there for meaning.

And this is just an acceptable  thing that we do with the structure.

All of the and a plural noun  you can think of of as optional.

And when we remove it, this is generally done  

in spoken English and there is  no difference between the two.

However, to be safe and to make  sure you're always grammatical,  

I recommend using of because it's always correct.

All of the students, and I'm recommending  

that because they're there is an exception  and we must use of followed by a pronoun.

It's incorrect to say all us went to the party.

That's incorrect because us is  a pronoun and because of that,  

I must say all of us, all of us went to the party.

I can't say all us went to the party.

That's incorrect.

That's just an exception we use with pronouns.

Students is not a pronoun.

So I can say all of the students went to the  party or all the students went to the party.

In that case, both of them are  correct and I can get rid of of.

So if you want, you can use the casual  form that most native speakers use and  

get rid of of except when  it's followed by a pronoun.

Then you must use of and again.

To be safe, I recommend using the  structure all of the and plural noun.

Remember when we're talking about plural  nouns in general, not a specific group.

Then we get rid of the and I can say all  students struggle with their speaking skills.

Section three, Listening.

You're going to improve your listening skills of  

fast English so you can understand  native speakers the first time.

Here's how this lesson will work.

I'm going to say a sentence  three times and you need to  

write down exactly what you hear in the comments.

After, I'll explain what I said and  I'll explain the pronunciation changes  

that take place in fast English, and I'll explain.

The natural expressions that I used.

Are you ready for your first listening test?

I'll say it three times.

She's leaps and bounds more qualified than him.

She's leaps and bounds more qualified than him.

She's leaps and bounds more qualified than him.

I said she's leaps and bounds  more qualified than him.

Notice the contraction She's this  is she is the verb to be native  

speakers will always contract this she's  she's let's talk about leaps and bounds.

Notice how bounds the D is not pronounced.

Bounds, bounds.

And here when we have and between 2 words,  you can reduce that just to leaps and bounds,  

leaps and leaps, and bounds, leaps and bounds.

She's leaps and bounds more  qualified than M Notice how  

you don't hear the H on him, then M, then him.

But if we want to combine those sounds  together and say it like one word,  

then M, then M, then M, Let's  talk about what this means.

She's more qualified than him.

You understand that when I add leaps and  bounds, leaps and bounds, this is a modifier.

It makes more qualified stronger.

So it sounds like greatly more  qualified, a lot more qualified.

And it can also mean quickly  if that's the context.

But in this context, it's a  modifier that means greatly.

So you can say I've improved  my English by leaps and bounds.

By leaps and bounds here.

Notice how you have to include the word by.

I've improved my English, and you want to  modify that improve to make it sound stronger.

I've improved my English by leaps and  bounds, so write that in the comments  

if you feel like my lessons are helping you  improve your English by leaps and bounds.

Jennifer, I've improved my  English by leaps and bounds.

Put that in the comments.

It's leaps and bounds ahead of mine Which?

Means you are just progressing  by leaps and bounds.

Virtue Khan has grown by leaps and bounds.

Let's try this again.

I'll say it three times.

Is the agenda set in stone?

Is the agenda set in stone?

Is the agenda set in stone?

I said Is the agenda set in stone?

First let's talk about the agenda.

Notice how I let have that  long E sound the agenda.

Because agenda starts with a vowel.

This is not a rule that  native speakers always follow.

I could equally say the  agenda, the agenda, the agenda.

So if you hear both, it's just not  something and native speaker always does.

Let's talk about set in stone.

Notice we have AT between two vowels,  

so we can pronounce that T as a  soft D set set in, said din din din.

So I take that sound and I connect it to the next  

word in and it sounds like din  din set in, set in, set in stone.

And I'll say all three of those words  together because they're an expression.

The expression is to be set in stone.

In our example, the verb to be is is.

It starts the sentence because  the sentence is in question form.

Is the agenda set in stone to be set in stone?

When something is set in stone, in this  case the agenda, it's in a state that  

is very difficult, if not impossible to change.

So the agenda could be set in stone  because all the speakers are confirmed,  

you've booked the hotel room, you've  already paid for the hotel room,  

people have already booked their  ticket to come to the event.

So it's difficult, if not impossible,  to change any aspects of the agenda.

It's sat in stone.

We commonly use this expression in the  negative to say our plans aren't set in stone.

If I say that to you, it means  that I can change my plans.

So perhaps I told you what my plans are and  then you want to do something different.

I can say, oh, don't worry,  our plans aren't set in stone.

So it's saying I can change my plans.

My plans are flexible.

So you can use this both in  the positive or the negative.

Because nothing set in stone.

Set.

Set in stone.

These nicknames, are they set in stone?

Let's try this again.

I'll say it three times.

I was tossing and turning all night.

I was tossing and turning all night.

I was tossing and turning all night.

Did you get this one?

I said I was tossing and turning all night.

We have and so remember.

Same thing as before.

Tossing in.

I can change that to but I have to connect it to  the word before tossing and tossing and turning.

So I will say all three.

Tossing and turning as one word, Tossing and  turning, tossing and turning, tossing and turning.

Now commonly a native speaker will drop the  G sound on tossing Ng and just say tossin.

Tossin.

I personally don't do this,  but many native speakers do.

Tossin tossing, tossing, but same thing.

You have that sound tossing and  turning, tossing and turning.

Or like I said, tossing and  turning, tossing and turning.

The pronunciation is quite clear, but if you don't  

know what this means, you won't know how  to communicate with a native speaker.

I was tossing and turning  all night to toss and turn.

This is used to say you had a very  restless sleep and you were moving a lot.

That is the tossing and turning.

That's the movement.

You were moving a lot while you were  sleeping, so you had a restless sleep.

If you were tossing and turning all  night, it means you had a restless sleep.

So it means right now you're tired.

You could say, sorry, I'm yawning so much.

I tossed and turned all night and that means  you had a terrible sleep, so now you're tired.

That's what's got you tossing and turning.

He's always tossing and turning.

Then then I spend all night  tossing and turning trying to.

Figure out what I should have said.

Are you ready for your next listening exercise?

I'll say it three times.

Just give it a go and see.

Just give it a go and see.

Just give it a go and see.

Did you get this one?

I said just give it a go and see.

Let's talk about give it.

We can combine these together,  and I'm going to use that sound.

Give it vit, vit, give it, give it.

So that's how I can say these  two words as one Give it.

And I'll do the same thing with ah, go.

I'll just pronounce it as one word a go.

Give it a go.

Give it a go, give it a go.

Just give it a go and see What does this mean?

To give something I'll go  simply means to try something.

So if I say just give it a  go, I'm saying just try it.

Maybe your friend invited you to go  dancing, but you don't know how to dance.

I could say just give it a go.

Now here the IT is dancing.

So I could say just give dancing a go.

Just give dancing a go.

Remember in the original example it was just  

give it a go and see here the C  represents and see what happens.

See what happens when you try dancing.

Maybe you are really good at it or  maybe you're not very good at it,  

but you had so much fun you don't  even care that you weren't good at.

Got it.

So if you send me a message and say, Jennifer,  

I'm not sure if I can give a presentation in  English, I'll say to you just give it a go.

So I want you to write in the comments  right now, Jennifer, I'll give it a go.

I'll give it a go.

Put that in the comments, Jennifer.

I'll give it a go.

I'll give it a go.

Let's give it a go.

Let's give it a go and see what the future brings.

Let's try this one more time.

I'll say it three times.

We have a lot riding on this pitch.

We have a lot riding on this pitch.

We have a lot riding on this pitch.

I said we have a lot riding on this pitch.

Notice when I said the sentence  fast, I did not contract we have.

I didn't say we've a lot.

We've a lot riding on this pitch.

I didn't say that.

I said we have.

We have a lot riding on this pitch.

That's because in American English, we do  not contract have when have is the main verb.

We only contract have when it's an auxiliary verb.

I could change this this and say we've  got, we've got a lot riding on this pitch.

In this case, have is the auxiliary verb.

Got is the main verb so I  can form that contraction.

We have, we've, we've got, we've  got a lot riding on this pitch.

You're probably wondering what this means.

When you have a lot riding on something.

It means that something, whatever the something  is, is extremely important to your success,  

whatever success means to you.

Now, in this case, the something is this pitch.

This pitch is extremely important  to this person's overall success.

What does this pitch mean?

In the business world, a pitch is a presentation,  

but the purpose is to convince someone  to do something or to buy something.

So it's extremely important that this  pitch, this presentation is successful,  

and it's extremely important for the person's  overall success, likely their career success.

To use a previous expression that you learned.

I was tossing and turning all  night thinking about this pitch.

My career is riding on it.

Everything is riding on it.

Well, this is it, folks.

Everything is riding on this pitch.

So much rides on this.

Now let's do an imitation exercise so  you can practice this pronunciation.

So I'm going to say each sentence again,  

but I want you to say the sentence out loud  and then we'll repeat that three times.

So let's do that now.

She's leaps and bounds more qualified than him.

She's leaps and bounds more qualified than him.

She's leaps and bounds more qualified than him.

Is the agenda set in stone?

Is the agenda set in stone?

Is the agenda set in stone?

I was tossing and turning all night.

I was tossing and turning all night.

I was tossing and turning all night.

Just give it a go and see.

Just give it a go and see.

Just give it a go and see.

We have a lot riding on this pitch.

We have a lot riding on this pitch.

We have a lot riding on this pitch.

Think of everything you've learned so far.

Section 4 pronunciation.

Now you're going to learn 10 confusing homographs.

These are words with the same spelling  but different pronunciation and meaning.

Do you know how to pronounce this word?

Listen to me say the sentence and  notice how the pronunciation changes.

You should bow at the woman with the large bow.

You can pronounce this as either bow or bow.

It depends on how it's being used.

Bow is a movement that we  do either with your head.

You can bow your head or  you can bow your upper body.

And this is usually done as a sign of respect.

That's bow.

It's a verb or a noun and and this is a bow.

And actually this is a cool bow because it lights  up and of course you can put a bow on a present.

Now there are different styles of bows.

You can put a bow in your hair.

You can put a bow on a piece of clothing.

Men wear bow ties for very special  occasions like their weddings, for example.

You should bow at the woman with the large bow.

How do you pronounce this word?

We need to lead with the  information on the lead pipes.

Two pronunciations, lead and LED.

I'm sure you're familiar with the verb to lead.

Now the past simple of the verb lead is  LED, but the spelling is different here.

On our second option, we also have lead,  

and in this case it's a noun  and it's a chemical substance.

Lead pipes.

Pipes that are made from lead,  which is a chemical substance.

How do you pronounce this word?

Listen to the difference.

Seeing the tear in my shirt  brought a tear to my eye.

1st we have tear.

You can tear a piece of paper.

Now tear as a noun is used  to describe a hole or a RIP  

in clothing or in material like a piece of paper.

Tear is the liquid that comes from your eyes.

Tear.

Seeing a tear in my shirt  brought a tear to my eye.

How do you pronounce this?

Well, again, it depends.

Listen to the difference.

It's hard to wind the toy in the wind.

The verb to wind is to turn  or to cause something to turn.

So it's very small here.

But right now what I'm doing  is I'm winding this clock.

So if you have a watch and you need  to change the time on your watch,  

what you're doing there is wind.

You're winding your watch and of  course you know what the wind is.

What about this word?

How do you pronounce it?

Listen to the difference.

I wound the toy too hard and now I have a wound.

Wound is the past form of wind.

I wound the clock.

But we also have a noun wound.

Wound.

Wound is when you have a cut or hole on  your body, usually caused by a weapon.

You know how to pronounce this word, right?

Listen to the sentence.

I need a minute to review these minute details.

Minute is our time reference.

60 seconds.

You know how to pronounce that minute.

But there's an adjective minute minute.

Minute means very small, so notice  how it describes the details.

Very small details.

I need a minute to review the minute details.

How do you pronounce this word?

Listen to the difference.

They need to produce more.

Stands for the produce.

Produce as our verb, of course,  means to make something.

Have you been in a grocery store and noticed  that there are signs for the produce department?

Produce represents the crops that  are grown by farmers for consumption.

They need to produce more.

Stands for the produce.

This word confuses a lot of students.

How do you pronounce it?

Listen to the difference.

I live in an area with frequent  live music performances.

The verb live, of course, represents  where you reside, where you call home.

Live is used to describe a performance.

It could be a musical performance,  sports, movies, any kind of entertainment,  

a performance that is being broadcast or  recorded as it's happening, happening.

So you can watch a sports game live, which  means the moment that you're watching it,  

it's happening in real life right now.

This recording that you're  watching, it's not live.

I recorded this in the past.

I edited it, and then I uploaded it to YouTube.

So this is not a live broadcast.

How do you pronounce this?

Listen to the difference.

I was supposed to read 3  chapters, but I only read 1.

When the pronunciation is  that long sound, read Eid,  

that's for the infinitive to  read, or the base verb read.

And when it's the short sound,  the same sound as the color red,  

that's the past form of the verb read.

Yesterday I read a book.

I've read three books this month and the homograph  that confuses me all the time is this word.

How do you pronounce this?

Listen to the difference.

The bass guitarist loves bass fishing.

Now I always forget if the  musical context is bass or bass.

It's bass, bass, bass.

Bass represents very low  tones and sounds in music.

So a bass guitar is a guitar  that plays those very low sounds.

Now, bass is a type of fish.

The bass guitarist loves bass fishing.

Now you have the most confusing  homographs in English.

How about a little quiz?

I'm going to show you this sentence and  I want you to say the sentence out loud,  

and then after you'll hear my pronunciation so  you can compare it and make sure you got it right.

Let's do that now.

You should bow at the woman with the large bow.

We need to lead with the  information on the lead pipes.

Seeing the tear in my shirt  brought a tear to my eye.

It's hard to wind the toy in the wind.

I wound the toy too hard and now I have a wound.

I need a minute to review these minute details.

They need to produce more stands for the produce.

I live in an area with frequent  live music performances.

I was supposed to read 3  chapters, but I only read 1.

The bass guitarist loves bass fishing.

And finally, Section 5, speaking.

In this section, you're going to learn how  to introduce yourself in English confidently.

Let's begin with casual conversations,  

maybe at parties, or you're meeting  your neighbors or you're traveling.

I'll share a template called the Start Method.

Start.

The S stands for Start.

So how do you start?

Of course, with a greeting and your name.

That's easy, right?

I would say hi, my name's  Jennifer, my name is my name's.

Or I would say hi, I'm Jennifer.

I use both interchangeably.

You probably know other greetings at  the most formal would simply be hello,  

good morning, good evening, good afternoon.

Hello all.

Hello everyone.

A little less formal, more casual.

Hi there.

We are there when you don't know the persons  name or if you're addressing a group.

And the most casual would be hey  now in a professional situation,  

you could say hello everyone, but then  the same thing, my name's Jennifer.

Now in this case you might add your last name.

In a more professional situation,  my name's Jennifer Forrest.

But in casual situations I  would say hi, I'm Jennifer.

Now notice my name has more than one syllable.

In North America, people love reducing names  to just one syllable or using a nickname.

So if I do reduce my name or use a nickname, I  could add, you can call me Jen, or I go by Jen.

So someone might ask you,  or you can ask someone else.

What do you go by?

My name's Jennifer.

What do you go by?

What name do you go by?

Or to sound a little more formal,  you can say what name do you prefer?

And then I could say, oh, you can call me Jen.

I go by Jen or I go by Jennifer.

These are the questions you might be  asked, but they're also questions that  

you can ask others to get to know them,  An important point in American English.

Don't say I'm called Jennifer.

Yes, you can say you can call me Jen to  introduce a nickname or a shortened name,  

but don't say I'm called Jen.

I'm called Jennifer.

My name is OR.

I'm in American English.

Now back to our start model.

We know what the S means.

Let's move on to T territory.

So we'll talk about geography, place you can say  I'm originally from, and then the city or country.

I've been living in city or  country for number of years.

So we'll put this together.

I'm originally from Winnipeg, but I've  been living in Ottawa for over 10 years.

This is true.

Now notice I said I've been living.

You can also use the present  perfect and say I've lived.

In this case with the verb  live, there is no difference.

Let's review some questions.

Where are you from?

Are you originally from?

And then the current location you're  in, how long have you lived in?

And then the current location or you  could say have you always lived in?

Have you always lived in Ottawa?

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

You can find the link in the description.

Now in our start method, let's  talk about a, which is activity.

Remember you're in a casual situation, maybe  a party or you're meeting your neighbors.

So you can talk about work or hobbies or both.

First, let's review work.

I'm a graphic designer.

Don't forget that article.

I'm a graphic designer.

I work for a small company.

I work in graphic design.

So here in and then the area graphic  design is the area you could add on.

I specialize in you need that  preposition in and then a gerund.

I specialize in creating  logos for cosmetic brands.

You can also say I create  logos for cosmetic brands.

Now the questions you might be asked or  that you can ask someone, what do you do?

Students often stare at me  when I say what do you do?

They don't know what I'm asking.

This is what do you do for a living?

For a living.

But most of the time we just say what do you do?

This is saying what is your job?

But that is not how a native speaker  would communicate that what do you do?

What do you do for a living?

Someone could also ask you what type of work  do you do or what line of work are you in?

They're asking your area of focus.

What line of work?

I'm a graphic designer or I'm in graphic design.

Now, if you're not currently  employed, you can still answer this.

If someone asks you what do you  do or what do you do for a living?

You can say I'm a student, I'm a stay at home mom.

I'm a homemaker, I'm retired, tired, I'm a  graphic designer, but I'm currently between jobs.

This means you are unemployed.

You could also say I'm currently exploring  career opportunities, again unemployed.

Or I'm in a career transition, again unemployed.

It's not common for someone  to say in social situations  

I'm unemployed or I'm jobless because  that has a very negative sound to it.

So we have alternative ways to say the same thing.

Let's talk about hobbies.

You could say I'm an avid cyclist and avid means  you cycle a lot, you're passionate about it.

I love reading.

I spend all my free time gerund verb drawing.

I'm learning how to play guitar.

I just got into yoga.

To be into an activity means  you enjoy doing that activity.

As for the questions, what are your hobbies?

What hobbies do you enjoy?

How do you spend your free time?

What are you into?

So again, those are questions you might be asked  or that you can ask whoever you're talking to.

Now this is just the point.

I'm an avid cyclist.

You might want to expand on this so  provide one piece of information.

I spend every weekend cycling in the mountains.

I'm currently training for a race, or you  can say I've been cycling for five years.

So this just gives more information  that you can have a conversation on  

instead of a further point you might  provide the reason I love reading.

It's a great way to relax after a busy day.

Designing gerund verb, designing logos,  

or it's so nice to disconnect from  screens for a few minutes every day.

Let's review our start method again.

We are on R.

This is your reason, your reason for attending.

Wherever you are, the party, the  wedding, the anniversary, the dinner,  

the neighborhood book club, wherever  you are, your reason for being there.

So let's say you're at an engagement party.

A couple is celebrating the  fact they're getting married.

An engagement party, you might say.

I went to school with a happy couple.

This is how you know the couple  and it's your reason for attending.

Or you can say I work with  Rebecca, Steve's my neighbor.

Or you could say I'm here with a friend  so you don't actually know the people.

I'm here with a friend.

She used to work with Christine.

So you might provide how your friend knows  the people who are hosting the party or event.

As for the questions, how do you know?

And then the person or people, how long  have you known the person or people?

Do you work with Rebecca?

So if everyone there works with Rebecca, it  might be assumed or it's just a good guess.

Do you work with Rebecca or just a  very general, what brings you here?

This is a polite way of saying why are  you here, which sounds odd and direct.

What brings you here?

Now let's review the T in our start  method, which stands for turn.

This is very important.

It means it's the other person's turn to talk.

How do you do that?

The best way is to end by asking a question  

so you could use any of the  questions we've already reviewed.

So how do you know the person or people?

Now if you are at a wedding related  event, you could ask someone.

Have you bought your dress for the wedding yet?

Because you know you're going  to the wedding in a future date.

Have you bought your dress so you can ask  questions related to the specific event?

Or if the person you're talking to has  a great relationship with the host,  

you might ask do you have any  funny stories about Christine?

Or have you met Christine's father?

Or are you from?

And then you can ask about the current location.

What do you do?

How do you spend your free time?

So you can ask any of the  questions we've already reviewed.

So now let's put our entire answer from the  start method together for our introduction.

Hi, I'm Jennifer, I'm originally from Winnipeg  but I've been living in Ottawa for over 10 years.

I'm an English teacher and I  run a YouTube channel and work  

directly with students in an online  training program in my free time.

I love being in nature and going  for hikes, walks and bike rides.

It's a nice contrast from  spending all day at the computer.

Christine and I met in university  and we've kept in touch ever since.

What about you?

How do you know Christine?

Keep in mind that this long introduction is  probably not the most common in social situations.

Is probably more common to share  one point and then ask a question,  

share another point, ask a question  and have more of a dialogue.

But let's review a professional situation  where it is more common to share a monologue  

when you introduce yourself, let's say at a  meeting, a networking event or a conference.

We'll use the impact framework.

The I stands for identity.

Who are you?

So the same information you already learned.

Hi, I'm Jennifer, I'm a graphic designer  with over 15 years of experience.

So notice with number of years of experience,  

I specialize in Jaron Verb creating  stunning logos for cosmetic companies.

Now in a professional situation,  

it's assumed you will also describe  your work when you introduce yourself.

That is part of your identity  in a professional situation.

Now let's move on to M,  which stands for motivation.

What motivates you to do the work that you do?

Why do you do it?

So you could say I've always had a passion for  art and I've been drawing since I was a kid.

So this gives you as the  audience, as my coworkers,  

more information about who I am  and why I love graphic design now.

P stands for projects.

What are you currently working on?

This is very important in  a professional situation.

I'm currently designing a new logo for one  of the world's largest cosmetic brands.

The A stands for aspirations.

What are your aspirations, your goals  for either attending this event,  

working on this project or in general in  the future as it relates to your career?

Because again, this is a  professional introduction.

You can start with my goal.

My goal is, and then you're infinitive,  

to connect with other graphic designers  who can both motivate and challenge me.

Or you could say my goal is to learn how I can use  

AI to save time and improve  the quality of my designs.

Maybe you would share this at a meeting that has  

to do with AI or a training or a  conference and networking event.

Now, the final letters CT, this stands  for connect, connect, one word connect.

So here you can either share how people can  connect with you if you're at a networking event,  

a conference, a training, or you can express  your interest in connecting with others.

For example, you can connect with  me on my website, jfdesigns.com,  

or you can say you can find a portfolio  of my work on social media at JF Designs.

Here's a phrase you need to know I'm  looking forward to, and then a gerund verb.

I'm looking forward to connecting with everyone.

Or you could say I'm looking forward  to something, the presentation on AI.

So the expression is to look forward to.

So your verb is look.

That's what you need to conjugate.

Following this, you need a gerund verb or a noun.

I conjugated my verb in the present  continuous I'm looking forward to.

This is more casual.

You can also say I look forward  to the presentation on AI.

Here is the present simple, which sounds  more formal, but both are commonly used.

Now remember here we're connecting,  

so you might want to ask someone a  question to connect with them more.

What about you?

What brings you here?

Remember that.

What brings you here?

The same question you can  use in social situations.

What did you come here to learn?

If you're at a training or a  conference or seminar, or of course,  

you can ask a question related to their career.

How long have you been a graphic designer or  

what area of graphic design do  you focus on or specialize in?

Both of those are common.

Notice that preposition change.

So now let's put all the information  from the IMPACT method together.

Hi, I'm Jennifer, I'm a graphic designer  with over 15 years of experience.

I specialize in creating stunning  logos for cosmetic companies.

I've always had a passion for art and  I've been drawing since I was a kid.

I'm currently designing a new logo for one  of the world's largest cosmetic companies.

My goal is to connect with other graphic  designers who can both motivate and challenge me.

I look forward to connecting with everyone.

Amazing job.

Do you want me to make another  master class just like this?

If you do put master class Master  class, put master class in the comments.

And of course, make sure you like this lesson.

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And you can get this free speaking  guide where I share 6 tips on how  

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You can click here to download it or  look for the link in the description.

And here's another lesson I know you'll love.

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