Go Natural English Podcast | Listening & Speaking Lessons

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Step 4 for Fluent English Listening and Speaking Sep 16, 2015

Show notes

Practice! Practice! Practice! I am sure that you have heard this said many times for, a variety of scenarios from sports, to music, to academic studies. You not only have to practice your English but you must practice pronouncing the words correctly. It does you no good if you continually mispronounce the words you hear.

Your Go Natural English teacher, Gabby, stresses the point in this fourth step to American English fluency. Language fluency comes faster when you constantly use the new words and phrases that you have learned. By imitating the pronunciations you hear from native American English speakers, you will be reinforcing correct pronunciation while strengthening your overall English language skills.

If you listen to English every day, and read, and write what you have heard, you will be surprised at how quickly your language skills improve. Also, make sure you visit gonaturalenglish.com and connect with the Go Natural English community so you can practice, practice, and practice some more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJaaAxmq9LU

Episode transcript below:

The Go Natural English method Step 4 to fluency is once you've identified new words, and you know the meaning of the new words, then you must use them immediately.

If you don't feel ready to use them immediately in a conversation, there are other ways to use the word.

You can simply repeat the word out loud to yourself, or you can think the word to yourself quietly in your mind.

Even doing that will really help you to remember the word.

I suggest that you listen to the word the way a native speaker says it and then you repeat the word out loud to yourself.

You could do this in the quiet of your own home; you could do it wherever you are just saying the word quietly to yourself.

Repeat it several times and try to make a connection in your mind with the sounds of the new word and a word that you already know.

It could be a word in English or a word in your native language, but it's very important to connect new information with old information.

That's how our memory can be accelerated, and how we can learn faster, and reach fluency faster.

Hey guys, one last thing before you go.

I'd like to share all seven of the Go Natural English steps to fluency with you in a free mini course.

You'll receive all the videos, all the audio, and transcripts of everything if you come to gonaturalenglish.com/7steps – that's the number 7 s-t-e-p-s.

Alright, I hope to see you there so that I can share this awesome English-learning material with you to help you get fluent.

So, let's go.

I'll see you there.

The post Step 4 for Fluent English Listening and Speaking appeared first on Go Natural English.

Step 3 for Fluent English Listening and Speaking Sep 14, 2015

Show notes

In this third step toward American English fluency, Gabby talks about how you should try to push yourself to listen to materials that might seem a bit more difficult for you. If you're always listening to materials that you completely understand, you won't learn new words and phrases.

As your listening and conversational skills improve, you need to find more difficult materials to use. If you read books, you should continually raise the level of difficulty so that you are constantly learning and improving. As you read, or listen to audio books or music, write down the words or phrases that you don't understand so that you can look up the definitions later.

One way to stay engaged in your American English journey is to vary the types of materials you use. In any given day you can listen to lots of music, you can read a variety of books, newspapers, and magazines, and you can watch different types of TV shows or videos. The key is to keep it interesting and not to let yourself get bored or tired of the materials. The Go Natural English community is there to support you in your learning. Reach out and get to know them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iENT7vHMyg

Episode transcript below:

The third step to fluency the Go Natural English way is to pay attention, or to understand that you don't know everything.

So, try to understand which areas, or which words in English you don't understand.

If you don't understand about 30% of what you're listening to, that is a good material to listen to because it will challenge you to learn more.

If you understand about 80%, or 90%, or 100%, then that material is great but it should just be regular maintenance.

You are not going to learn a lot of new vocabulary from something that you completely understand.

So, if you are aware that you cannot understand about 30% or more of what you're listening to, then it's a good challenge material.

If you cannot understand more than 50% of what you're listening to, then it's too difficult.

Try something that's a little bit easier.

Now, when you're listening to material that is good for your level and giving you a little challenge you have to pick out or select the words that are new, that you don't know yet so that you can research them, so that you can ask your native speaker teacher or friends about what those words mean.

And that is how we grow our vocabulary, little by little, listening to the kinds of materials that we want to be able to understand and to speak like.

So, step three is to notice the new words that you want to learn.

The post Step 3 for Fluent English Listening and Speaking appeared first on Go Natural English.

Step 2 for Fluent English Listening and Speaking Sep 11, 2015

Show notes

This Go Natural American English tip from Gabby is, in my mind, one of the most important. It has been said that immersion in a culture is the best way to learn a foreign language. If living in another country is not possible, then the next best thing is to listen to as much of the language as you can.

You should try to read a little bit more every day and listen to television and radio shows as often as you can. Try to mimic the accents that you hear. Audio books are a great way to listen to a language. You can use the time that you spend riding the train or bus to listen to a few book chapters. If you don't have audio books, then listen to song lyrics and try to imitate the way the words sound. Whatever you do, never give up.

Be sure to visit gonaturalenglish.com and discover a community of American English learners who are experiencing the same struggles, anxieties, and even joys of learning a new language. You will be amazed at how quickly your fluency improves once you start spending time immersed in the language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTWirJIlk4E

Episode transcript below:

The second step to fluency here at Go Natural English is to listen a lot.

Listen! Not to everything but listen specifically to the kind of English that you want to be able to understand and to speak.

So, for example, if you're interested in being able to discuss the news with people, you should listen to the news in English.

If you want to talk about sports with your friends in English, then listen to sports news.

If you want to be able to have regular conversations with people, then perhaps watch some sitcoms on TV, or listen in to real conversations, or listen to podcasts.

They're a great way to hear natural English.

So again, step two is to listen a lot, and make English a part of your daily life so that you're listening to English a little bit, or a lot, every day.

The post Step 2 for Fluent English Listening and Speaking appeared first on Go Natural English.

Step 1 for Fluent English Listening and Speaking Sep 09, 2015

Show notes

Before undertaking any task or project, it is best to lay out your plan of attack. If you are building something out of wood, a popular saying is "measure twice and cut once." Why? Because it is best to err on the side of caution and make sure the plan and measurements are right before actually cutting any materials.

Learning a language is no different. In this first step to American English fluency Gabby talks about planning and determining what your goal is. Whatever your reason for wanting to learn English, be sure that you study the proper way. This means focusing your attention on the type of English you want to use. Different trades require different vocabularies, some very technical and scientific or medical.

Go Natural English is a great place to learn and practice your English skills. Gabby teaches you how to speak conversationally and smoothly so that you are well understood. Go Natural English also provides a great forum for finding other learners with similar skill levels to your own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUmxkQCMTAQ

Episode transcript below:

Hello, and welcome to The Seven Steps to Fluency, the Go Natural English way.

This is a method that I've developed over years of experience teaching English as a second language, and also learning foreign languages myself.

The first step for fluency is to plan your English learning.

Don't simply follow the textbook plan, or even your teacher's plan.

You need to figure out why you are learning English.

You need to think about why you're learning, what you want to say, and with whom you want to talk.

For example, if you want to learn English so that you can become a doctor, the vocabulary that you're going to study is going to be very different than if you want English to be able to have a conversation in a bar with regular people.

If you want to learn legal English so that you can translate in a courtroom, the vocabulary that you're going to learn is going to be very different.

So, the first step to fluency is to actually think about why you want to learn English and how you want to use it.

So, answer those questions and you will be off to a great start.

The post Step 1 for Fluent English Listening and Speaking appeared first on Go Natural English.

Why English is so Difficult and 7 Steps to Fluency in Listening and Speaking Sep 07, 2015

Show notes

Listen up! I want to tell you about an exciting offer that Gabby is making for the Go Natural English community to help build confidence and English fluency. In the coming weeks there will be a series of YouTube videos released regarding steps to fluency in listening and speaking.

You will not want to miss this if you are serious about improving your American English language skills. Go natural English is dedicated to teaching you how American English is actually spoken, not just the rules of grammar that so many courses teach.

Be sure to visit gonaturalenglish.com to find out about all of the resources and support available to you regarding the learning of American English. This is a great opportunity to share your adventures with other English language learners. Stop by and leave a comment, or ask a question. Just remember, there are many people out there in the same boat as you who want to be able to communicate in English to improve their fluency. Don't be afraid to make contact with them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t4eA-CkgEU

Episode transcript below:

Hey.

How's it going?

I'm Gabby Wallace, your American English teacher and today I'm not in a recording studio.

Today I'm coming to you from the shore of the Bosphorus River.

You can see behind me.

I hope it's not too distracting but this is the best place – kind of quiet – where I could make a quick English tip and update for you today.

So, in this quick tip, I want to talk about why it's difficult to become fluent in English and what the answer is.

How to become fluent in English.

I get this question so much.

How can I become fluent in English?

What should I do?

Well, I think the biggest problem is that in most English classes we don't start with steps or formula, or instructions.

You know how when you get a new – it could be a new toy, it could be a new piece of furniture, it could be a new game – you usually read the instructions or maybe a friend tells you how to play the game.

But you need to know the rules in order to play the game, and for me, that's a lot like learning English.

I mean, in my mind it really helps me to know the rules before I play a game, and learning a language to me is a lot like playing a game.

So, what I'd like to do with you over the next seven quick English tips, back-to-back, I'm going to share my seven steps for English fluency.

These are steps that I made for the Go Natural English community, for you, to show you exactly the rules of the game – How to become fluent in English.

So, it's kind of detailed, so, I want to take it one step at a time.

Now, if you would like the video, audio, and the text – all of the subtitles for all seven steps, come to gonaturalenglish.com/7steps.

That's the number 7 s-t-e-p-s, and you can download all of that with one click.

I want you to come visit so, I would love to share that valuable resource with you to help you improve your fluency.

I'm going to keep this really quick but for today what I want you to remember is that it's really important to understand the rules of the game if you want to win it.

Okay, so that's what we're going to do with English – with our seven steps to fluency over the next few days.

This is a really valuable series that I'm sharing with you that could be its own course but I want to offer it free for you to help you as much as I can.

So, come on over and grab the video, audio, and text for all seven or you can wait over the next week or two weeks, I believe, it'll take some time since we're on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday release for quick tips.

You can wait and you can watch the videos separately, the audio separately, and read the subtitles as you watch the videos on YouTube, or you can come over to gonaturalenglish.

Learn Fluent American English: Must vs Have to Sep 04, 2015

Show notes

Learning English is not easy, but can be both fun and challenging. You must have heard people talk of their own experiences and struggles trying to become fluent in English. There are so many little words and phrases that can either make you sound more natural, or less natural, depending on how you use them. Everybody wants to sound like a native speaker and that takes effort and perseverance.

In these American English language tips Gabby provides hints and suggestions on how to sound less stiff and more native-like. If you want to achieve success at American English fluency, you have to listen to as much American English as you can, whether it be music, radio, or television programs. You should also take advantage of all the resources that Gabby makes available to you.

Make sure you visit gonaturalenglish.com and get a free eBook guide and don't be afraid to join some of the many English language conversations that are going on. Almost everybody there has been nervous at one time or another about being embarrassed by their accents, or vocabulary, or grammar. The Go Natural English community is there to support you and encourage you along the way to American English fluency.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUIQH410Rsc

Episode transcript below:

Hello there! How are you doing?

Welcome to Go Natural English.

In this video tip we're going to take a great question from Paolo.

Paolo asked, "What is the difference between 'Must' and 'Have to?'"

Paolo, I love this question because the confusion I think comes from traditional – I was going to say "bad."

I don't want to say "bad" – I don't like passing judgment but you know what? Bad!

Bad traditional English lessons that are too focused on grammar and that don't look at real, natural conversational use of English – at least American English.

Remember, I'm your American English teacher so I'm talking always about American English.

So, "Must" and "Have to" according to the grammar books are very similar.

They mean the same thing, right?

Kind of like "Should – You should do something" – it's a suggestion but more powerful, right?

So, here's the catch.

What your grammar books don't tell you is that we really only use "Must" when we're talking about probability.

This is how we really use "Must" in conversation – in daily use.

You know how I know when someone hasn't had enough exposure to real English is when they use "Must" to suggest something.

Like "You must go to bed at 8 PM because it is good to go to bed early."

Okay, thanks.

It sounds really unnatural.

You could say in a better, more natural way "You should" or "You have to go to bed at 8 PM" right?

That's really early

I don't know why I said 8 PM.

Oh, another dead giveaway that you really haven't had much exposure to natural English is if you say, "Ought to."

"You ought to go to bed at 8 PM."

Now, actually I should take that back because I think people might say that in other countries like maybe British English but like I said – disclaimer – I am teaching American English.

I am American.

I have very little exposure to British English so keep that in mind.

Okay, so "Must" is used for probability, not suggestions.

In real life, okay, I'm talking about real-life usage so, "You must have" so we always use – I shouldn't say always but most of the time we use "Must" and "Have" together.

"Oh, you must have read the weather report; you brought your umbrella, so you know it's going to rain."

Wonderful, okay?

"Oh, you must have gone to bed at 8 PM last night because you're looking so handsome today" – so, probability, right.

We use "Must have" to show probability which is not actually discussed that often in traditional English classes.

Native English Answer: What's the Difference Between Being and Been? Sep 02, 2015

Show notes

Are you being faithful and persistent in your English-learning journey? Have you been pushing yourself to listen and hear as much spoken English as you possibly can? Learning English is hard enough but mastering it takes an extra effort. The good news is you can do it. Don't give up!

It takes a bit of work to understand tenses in English because English is such a descriptive language. In Gabby's English tips such as this one, she explains how to have a better understanding of the grammar and usage of all the parts of speech in American English. We have been working hard to provide excellent materials and support to assist you on your quest to learn English.

To have a full understanding of English you should read and listen to native English speakers. This will allow you to better grasp sentence structure and the flow of the words. Remember also, the premium Go Natural English course provides many more resources to help you. Get involved in the conversations and practice speaking English as often as you can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqkG9J9Fbg0

Episode transcript below:

Hey! How's it going?

Welcome to Go Natural English.

In this English tip I'm going to answer a question from a Go Natural English audience member, Kenza.

Kenza asked, "What is the difference between "being" and "been?"

So, Kenza, that's a great question.

It's kind of a grammar and usage question and I'm happy to share my answer with you.

So, I would like to start off by saying that a really great way to start to be an independent learner is to expose yourself to a lot of English and you can start recognizing the differences between things like "being" and "been."

Of course, it's going to help a lot and you're going to learn faster if you have some direct explanation.

At least, in my opinion, I learn better when I have some direct answer like this English tip video.

And also in the premium Go Natural English course where you get more explanations, you get more answers directly, and you learn from exposure to more English because in the course we have tons of native English conversation for you to listen to and see how we really use vocabulary and grammar in everyday American English conversation.

So, you can find out more about that on my website, gonaturalenglish.com.

So, back to your question, Kenza, about "being" and been."

Now, they're both a form of the "to be" verb, but they're used in different tenses.

So, I could use "being" with the progressive like "I am being" – let me change that a little bit – "He is being annoying."

Okay?

"I am being amazing."

Okay, so, "He is being annoying."

Another progressive tense would be "He has been annoying."

So, see, with the present perfect progressive we use "been" and in the present progressive we use "being."

So, "He is being annoying – He has been annoying, but now he's not annoying."

So, they're both forms of "to be" so I would recommend to perhaps review grammar a little bit but don't focus on your books.

Get out of your books.

Listen to more English, perhaps for identifying how you use "being" and "been" in different tenses.

It would be helpful to listen to stories or to conversations, and as I mentioned with the Go Natural English premium course, we have a lot of conversations where we talk about the past and experiences, so we use tenses like "has been" or "have been" so you'll be able to hear a lot of examples.

So, one more time just to recap – they're part of the same verb "to be" but we use them with different tenses.

So, again, "I am being a great teacher", okay? – the present progressive and in the present perfect progressive, "I have been a great teacher."

So, we just use them in different tenses.

Alright?

How to Learn Fluent English and Feel Awesome Aug 31, 2015

Show notes

When was the last time you did a good deed for someone, or maybe somebody performed a good deed for you? Can you remember what it was? Do you recall where it was? Well, it just might be time that you try again. In this episode Gabby brings up the idea of doing a good deed for someone using English language skills.

As travelers in foreign lands we could all use help once in a while, whether it's about the signs that are not in English, or the restaurants where the menus are not in English. Wouldn't it be nice if you were in a strange city, and somebody noticed that you looked lost, and then offered to help you find your way again – in English?

Tips like this are useful and can be found at gonaturalenglish.com, along with other resources materials and support. Be sure to take advantage of all that Gabby and the Go Natural English community have to offer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGGc2UjTEZU

Episode transcript below:

Hey there! How's it going?

Welcome to Go Natural English.

Are you ready to get fluent?

Let's get started.

In this English quick tip I'd like to talk with you about the idea of a good deed English day.

A lot of the time we focus on how English can benefit you.

You can make more money; have a better position; have an international career; meet new people; be able to communicate with people from all over the world; enjoy travel; enjoy access to knowledge and information; and the list goes on.

Obviously English is a very powerful tool for you and your success.

But wait just a minute.

It's not all about you.

English can actually be a tool to make the world a better place.

And that's what I want to encourage us to think about today – with a good deed English day.

So, today, after you watch this episode, I'd like you to do a good deed involving English.

What is a good deed?

Well, a good deed is when you volunteer to help someone.

You do something where you go out of your way – something you didn't have to do, you didn't need to do, but you did it because you want to help people.

You want to be a good person, and you want to make the world a better place.

So, a good deed doesn't have to be big.

You don't have to make world peace.

A good deed is something small.

Maybe you could say "Good morning" to someone, especially if you live in an English-speaking country.

Use your English to greet someone, and smile, and make that person's day a better day.

If you don't live in an English-speaking country, you can certainly still do a good deed in English.

You could someone a message on social media or by email in English.

Perhaps you know an English speaker, or you could communicate with the Go Natural English community at facebook.com/gonaturalenglish or on Twitter at gonaturaleng, and help us out (glitch on recording here) on the page or tweet a positive message to someone who you know who is also learning, or who speaks English.

How can you use your English to help people?

Perhaps if you see someone who looks a little bit lost like I was today in the train station here in Tokyo.

A very nice man came up to me and he said, "How shall I help you?" which is very proper English – not very common actually.

I would suggest saying, "How can I help you?" or "May I help you?"

You could help someone if you see them lost or perhaps if you see someone trying to find their way using a map, or maybe they need some kind of help from you.

It could be a different situation depending on your daily situations or where you live.

So, think about how could you use English to do a good deed today?

Could you pay a compliment?

Could you help someone with information?

Could you even do something more like offer your help with a bigger p...

Learn English Fluently with Phrasal Verbs: To Put Off Aug 28, 2015

Show notes

Have you ever had to put off doing something you really wanted to do because of circumstances beyond your control? That seems to happen all the time when your life becomes very busy from everything going on around you.

In this episode, Gabby provides a great tip about three ways that the phrasal verb "To Put Off" can be used in American English. This is one of those phrasal verbs that is versatile enough to be be used in different ways depending on the circumstances. You should try to make use of this in your English conversations. It will make you sound more conversational and fluent in English, and will be readily understood by native English speakers.

Go Natural English is a wonderful site for learning useful and colorful English tips such as this one. Visit gonaturalenglish.com often to learn new phrases that will increase your fluency and enable you to express yourself more naturally in conversational English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTxU_27SJG0

Episode transcript below:

Hey, what's up? How's it going?

Welcome to Go Natural English, the place for fluency in American English.

Are you ready to get fluent?

Let's get started.

In this episode I want to talk about an important phrasal verb – "To Put Off."

So, there's several different meanings.

Now, phrasal verbs are the key to understanding everyday natural English.

And, in the Go Natural English premium course we focus a lot on them.

So, if you're interested in learning more, and you want to learn faster, then come find out about the Go Natural English premium course at gonaturalenglish.com.

Also, when you visit the website you can grab a free eBook for instant download.

So, I'd love to share that with you to help you with your English skills.

So, "To Put Off" can mean three different things.

So, "To Put Off" can mean actually to offend someone – for example, "I was put off by his strong cologne, it was too strong and it – woo, it was just too much. So, I didn't like it. I was put off by it. I couldn't even stand close to him," for example.

"To Put Off" can also mean "To Postpone."

"So, I really wanted to meet with my friends for dinner, but we were all really busy so we put off dinner – or we put dinner off" - either one is Okay - "until next week."

"To Put Off" to the side – you can also use "To Put Off To The Side" to mean to move an object over a little bit.

"So, let's just put this salad dressing off to the side of the salad. I don't want it on the salad."

So, those are three ways to use "To Put Off."

I hope this was helpful.

Remember, come on back to gonaturalenglish.com where you can find out more about how to get fluent in natural American English.

Thanks so much for watching.

Hope you subscribe on YouTube, and thank you so much for being a part of the Go Natural English Audience.

You're doing great.

I want to keep you motivated to keep learning English.

It is an exciting language to learn and it's a great way to develop personally.

Alright?

Thanks and I'll talk to you soon.

Bye for now.

The post Learn English Fluently with Phrasal Verbs: To Put Off appeared first on Go Natural English.

Learn American English: What's the Difference between Then and Than? Aug 26, 2015

Show notes

If you would rather improve your English language fluency the easy way rather than fight a continuous battle learning grammar, then Go Natural English is the place for you. At gonaturalenglish.com, your American English teacher, Gabby, provides great tips and advice like this on how to learn English better and faster.

Even though the words THEN and THAN can sometimes sound similar, they are very different in meaning and you must learn to use them appropriately if you want to be understood when you speak English. Usually you would use the word THEN when you have one event following another in time. For example, you might say, "I get off work at 5:00 PM and then go bowling with my friends at 6:00 PM." On the other hand, THAN is used for comparison. For example, "I would much rather eat pizza than tacos."

English is a fun language to learn and use but you must constantly put yourself in situations where you are forced to use it. Read, write, and speak as much, and as often as you can. You will be surprised at how quickly your English comprehension and fluency will improve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNAuFultCIw

Episode transcript below:

Hey there! How's it going?

Welcome to Go Natural English.

Today I have a great tip for you.

It is, "What is the difference between THEN - T-H-E-N and THAN - T-H-A-N?

So, this is a commonly confused point both with English language learners and native English speakers because when we speak English, especially when we're speaking quickly they sound very similar – THEN THAN, THAN THEN.

So, there's a little difference but we confuse them pretty often, right?

So, quick answer for you – this is a quick English tip.

If you want to learn more, you can find out about the premium Go Natural English course at gonaturalenglish.com, but THEN is to talk about time, right?

So, "I'm going to work out, THEN take a shower."

"I'm going to eat, THEN get a coffee."

"I'm going to go to work, THEN meet with my friends."

Okay?

THAN is a comparison.

"I like chocolate better THAN vanilla."

"I like to wake up early better THAN staying up late."

I'm not sure if that's true.

Sometimes I like to stay up late too, but anyway, THAN is a comparison.

THEN is to talk about time.

Alright? So I hope that that quick tip is helpful.

Again, if you'd like to learn more, find out about the Go Natural English premium course.

There's a lot of good things inside including natural English conversations broken down so that you can feel confident in your comprehension and also learn how to speak more like a natural American English speaker – gonaturalenglish.com for that course and also you can grab a free eBook guide to help you with your fluency to start with.

Alright. Thanks so much for watching.

Make sure you're subscribed on YouTube.

Come join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter – facebook.com/gonaturalenglish or tweet at gonaturaleng, and I hope to see you back at the website – gonaturalenglish.com.

Alright, I'll talk to you soon.

Bye for now.

The post Learn American English: What's the Difference between Then and Than? appeared first on Go Natural English.

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