LEP goes through tips for improving English in 2024, reflects on learning French, and shares fun experiences like cooking truffle risotto in Paris and attending a cooking event with a French chef. They discuss strategies for learning French, the importance of listening and speaking skills in English, and various ways to practice and improve language skills.
Read more
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Engaging in activities and immersing oneself in the language are effective ways to improve language skills and build confidence.
Instead of dwelling on mistakes, view them as learning opportunities and focus on the progress made.
Regular language exposure and practice, through various means, can ensure consistency and provide a structure for improvement.
Embrace challenges and actively seek out opportunities to further develop language skills and gain a deeper cultural understanding.
Deep dives
Reflecting on Language Learning
Reflecting on my own language learning experiences, specifically with French, I've noticed that my attitude towards my progress can be negative at times. However, I recently had a positive experience attending a cooking class with my wife at a place called Italy in Paris. During the class, we learned how to make a delicious truffle risotto, and it was a fantastic experience. The chef provided us with aprons, knives, and all the necessary equipment, creating a professional and enjoyable environment. Although anxiety can arise in social situations where French is solely spoken, I pushed past that and actively participated in the cooking class. This experience was a reminder that engaging in activities and immersing oneself in the language are effective ways to improve language skills and build confidence.
Staying Positive Even during Moments of Frustration and Setbacks
Despite positive experiences, there are times when frustration and setbacks occur during language learning. This is normal and part of the process. It's important not to be too hard on oneself during these moments, as everyone, regardless of their language level, faces challenges. Instead of dwelling on mistakes, it's essential to view them as learning opportunities. Perhaps you struggled to understand a particular conversation or made errors during speaking exercises. Take note of these difficulties and identify areas for improvement. Instead of fixating on the negative, focus on the progress made and the steps necessary to continue moving forward.
Increasing Language Exposure and Practicing Regularly
To maintain progress and growth, it's crucial to seek out ways to increase language exposure and practice regularly. This can include listening to podcasts, engaging in conversations with native speakers, reading articles or books in English, or watching films or TV shows. Setting aside dedicated time each day or week for language practice can ensure consistency and provide a structure for improvement. Additionally, incorporating various exercises, such as vocabulary building or pronunciation practice, can help strengthen specific language skills.
Embracing Challenges and Taking Advantage of Opportunities
Language learning is an ongoing process, and it's important to embrace challenges and seize opportunities to further develop skills. Push yourself to step outside of your comfort zone, whether that's participating in language exchange programs, attending cultural events, or engaging in conversations with a diverse range of speakers. By actively seeking out these experiences, you'll not only enhance your language abilities but also gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the culture connected to the language.
Main Ideas on Language Learning
The episode begins with reflections on language learning, emphasizing the need for mindfulness and self-reflection. It highlights the importance of positive experiences and signals the possibilities of progress beyond the intermediate plateau. The speaker suggests adopting a positive attitude, considering ways to improve, and finding joy in the learning process.
Speaking Practice Ideas
The episode offers various suggestions for speaking practice. It suggests joining online language communities or taking language classes. It also introduces speaking challenges such as commentary, role plays, storytelling, and singing along with songs. The speaker encourages recording oneself, mixing and matching different exercises, and using tools like Google Translate and chat GPT for feedback.
Writing Practice Ideas
The episode suggests writing challenges such as email tasks, monologues, and dialogues. It mentions tools like chat GPT and Google Translate for writing support and feedback. The speaker also recommends recording and analyzing written responses, comparing them with sample answers and engaging in self-reflection to improve writing skills.
Closing Remarks and Vocabulary
The episode concludes with general remarks about vocabulary highlighted in the PDF and announces that a premium episode will be dedicated to it. The speaker acknowledges the potential challenges of long episodes and thanks the audience for listening. The episode ends with a warm goodbye.
A new year episode to welcome you back to my podcast, to encourage you to reflect on your learning of English over the last 12 months, to consider your English learning in 2024 and how this podcast can help you. Includes plenty of ideas for how to improve your English, some reflections on my learning of French, and some 'help' from my baby son πΆ.
