7740 English Class
Start 8:00 pm
Live from Australia
Hello my name is Lex
I was born in a city called Melbourne, in Australia.
I have been studying Chinese for about 5 years.
I love listing to Chinese music and singing Chinese song.
I have been teaching on YY for about 3 years
Hope I can help you to love English the same way I love Chinese.
Thank you for Attending my class
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• Do you ever crawl into bed at the end of a
hard day feeling annoyed with yourself?
• You promised yourself you would stick to a
learning routine. You told yourself that you
would study English for 2 hours but only
managed a few minutes. You make a mental
promise to study extra hard tomorrow.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• Do you think you’ll keep this promise to
yourself?
• The problem with learning a set of skills like a
language is that is takes time and effort.
Anybody who tells you that they learned
English in 3 months is either delusional, a liar
or someone who thinks being able to order a
coffee and a sandwich means they are fluent.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• The other problem with learning a language is
that our degree of motivation rises and falls,
depending on the difficulty level of the
activity. If the challenge is too easy, we relax
and feel bored. If it’s too difficult, we feel
discouraged and lose motivation.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• One way many people try to deal with these
problems is by setting themselves unrealistic
learning goals. Like somebody who decides to
get fit by entering a marathon, they train too
hard and wear themselves out.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• Many studies support the view that successful
learners (not just of languages) are able to
focus on single tasks. They are also able to
maintain that focus on a regular basis. In other
words, they are consistent.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• Many of my students seem to believe that
time is the key factor in learning something.
You may have heard of the 10,000 hour rule,
which states that you need to practise
something for this length of time in order to
become an expert.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• However, the problem with this rule is that it
equates quality with quantity. Just studying
something for 10,000 hours will not make you
an expert unless you really focus on
developing your skills. I have seen this many
times with language learners. They attend an
English language course for a set amount of
hours and then feel disappointed when they
have not achieved the results they expected.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• Sitting in a lesson for 3 hours may have less
effect on your English than spending half an
hour on focused learning. You could:
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• study how to use a grammar form books
• spend 30 minutes working on your
pronunciation of vowel sounds
• listen to a short podcast / watch a YouTube
video and make some notes. Listen again and
check the transcript (if there is one)
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• read a short article and identify how the
writer uses past tenses to tell a story
• write the first draft of an email you are
planning to send
• learn 7 new phrasal verbs and never forget
them
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• When we spend a long time doing one thing,
our energy levels diminish. We start off well
but our energy and motivation levels drop as
time goes on. This can also be seen at work.
German workers seem to be more productive
than British workers despite working for fewer
hours so they do as much in one hour as we
do in two.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• Learning a language is the same and forcing
yourself to continue studying when you are
tired and disinterested may have a long-term
negative effect on your learning development.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• Remember
• Learning English becomes an activity to be
endured rather than enjoyed.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• The Pomodoro Technique
• One technique that may help you stay focused
and motivated is the Pomodoro technique.
Pomodoro means tomato in Italian. The
inventor of the technique used a timer in the
form of a tomato to develop the technique.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• The technique is simple and you don’t need
any special equipment - except a timer with
an alarm. You could use your mobile or an app
on your computer but I’d suggest getting a
physical one, for reasons I’ll explain later.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• 1. Write down something you want to study
or work on.
• 2. Remove as many distractions as you can.
Turn off your Facebook, Twitter alerts etc.
Put some headphones on if you don’t want
people to talk to you (this works!).
• 3. Set your timer for 25 minutes.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• 4. Start working or studying and don’t stop until
you hear the alarm.
• 5. When the alarm rings, stop what you’re doing
and walk around the room. The advantage of
using a physical timer is that you can place it at a
distance from where you’re working. This forces
you to stop what you’re doing and physically get
up to turn it off.
• 6. Take a 3-4 minute break and try to think or do
something else, such as washing the dishes.
Your mind needs to have a short rest.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• 7. Set the timer again for 25 minutes and do
another ‘Pomodoro’.
• 8. If your task takes a long time (more than 4
Pomodoros), take a 20 minute break after the
fourth round.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• The Pomodoro technique works for several
reasons:
• a) It helps you focus on your goals
• b) It trains you to avoid distractions. You can
even check your Facebook, Twitter feed during
the 3 minute break.
• c) 25 minutes is long enough to get things
done and short enough so you won’t get bored
or tired.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• d) You can break long tasks into shorter ones. This
means you feel a sense of achievement after each
Pomodoro.
• e) You can train your brain to focus on single
tasks. If you think you can multi-task, look at the
evidence.
• f) The 3 minute break is long enough to give your
brain time to recharge. This really helps with
problem-solving because you return to
your work after the break with a fresh
perspective.
• g) It’s ideal if you are preparing for an exam.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
Well, why not give the
Pomodoro technique a try.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
• Here is your homework challenge.
• Write down 5 English learning goals. These
could be skill-based (speaking, listening,
reading, writing) or related to specific
language (vocabulary, grammar forms,
pronunciation) and make them as specific as
possible.
Why you should study
for 30 minutes at a time
Set your timer and see if you
can focus on your learning
goals. Let me know next
week how it goes and if you
have any other ideas.
Please come up and
answer 5 questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How often do you study English?
What styles of study do you use?
How long have you been studying English?
Do you think my YY class helps your English?
Do you have any subjects you would like me
to teach is the YY class?
What's in the NEWS!
Divorce Rates High for Korea's
Migrant Brides
Divorce Rates High for Korea's
Migrant Brides
• From VOA Learning English
• Written by Anna Matteo in Washington.
Marrying someone from different culture is very common. People do
it all
the time. And many international marriage brokers earn large profits b
y
playing matchmaker for people. But what happens when the marriage
business starts to resemble the selling of women? Some experts are
examining the situation of migrant brides
in South Korea.
Divorce Rates High for Korea's
Migrant Brides
• Tens of thousands of South Korean men have married foreign wome
n over the past 10 years. However,
the government reports that many of those
marriages end in divorce. And women’s rights experts are concerned
about
how these immigrant women are being treated. They are asking the
Korean government to make rules for these marriages.
Lee Soo-yeon is a Vietnamese migrant bride. Six years ago,
she left Vietnam to marry a South Korean man. Now 36-years old,
she works as a translator at a centre for immigrant women in Asian,
a city 48 kilometres south of Seoul. She speaks Korean and uses a Ko
rean name, but Ms. Lee is no longer with her Korean husband.
Divorce Rates High for Korea's
Migrant Brides
• “At first we could not communicate well.
And later we began to fight a lot. He hit me. I do not hate him now, but
I realized he has a drinking problem”
The couple’s young child now lives with Ms. Lee’s mother-inlaw. She says it is unlikely she
will reunite with her husband. She blames the marriage agency
that introduced them in Vietnam.
“Marriage agencies do not provide any information about the men they
introduce to the women.
We need to know more about these men, their
personalities and their financial stability.”
Divorce Rates High for Korea's
Migrant Brides
•
Divorces among international couples are on the rise. As a result,
the South
Korean government has made new rules for giving marriage visas. There a
re new financial requirements and
the couple must demonstrate that they can actually talk to each other.
Chung Chin-sung is a sociology professor at Seoul National University. She
• advises the Korean government on multicultural family policy. She says ala
nguage requirement could help improve marriages. But, she adds,
the new visa rules do not deal with the main problem of these marriages.
• She says women are being sold like a product.
Divorce Rates High for Korea's
Migrant Brides
• “That kind of marriage market where, especially women, become a
product, like a product, not a human being, should be corrected.”
Ms. Chung suggests banning agencies that arrange quick marriages
between people who barely know each other.
Jolly Regacho is a counsellor at
the Asian migrant centre. She says if the
South Korean government really wants to make stronger marriages,
more education is important. The husband,
she feels, should also learn about his wife’s culture.
Divorce Rates High for Korea's
Migrant Brides
•
“They should also make a project for the husband to learn the culture of their
wife as well.”
Even with the break-up of her marriage, migrant bride Lee Sooyeon says shedoes not plan to
go back to Vietnam. She says Korea is her new home.
This report was written by VOA reporters in Korea, Jason Strother and Malte
Kollenberg.
And I’m Anna Matteo.
What do you think about the situation of migrant brides and international
marriages?
•
Do you think the Korean government should regulate this industry? Let us
know in our comment section where you can share your opinions and discuss
the issue with other listeners.
Claire - Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni
Claire - Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni
• 曲名:我不想忘记你
Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni
歌手:Claire
我在向前走却像在退后
Wo zai xiang qian zou que xiang zai tui hou
I'm walking in front, but it seems that I'm regressing.
我在用想念狂欢寂寞
Wo zai yong xiang nian kuang huan ji mo
I'm using desires to cover up my loneliness.
越快乐就越失落
Yue kuai la jiu yue shi luo
The happier I seem, the sadder I am.
Claire - Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni
• 爱将我们高高举起以后
Ai jiang wo men gao gao ju qi yi hou
Love raises us up loftily high,
再让心学会坠落
Zai rang xin xue hui zhui luo
And sends the heart plunging.
怀念这宽阔的天空
Huai nian zhe kuan kuo de tian kong
Missing the broad, bounderless sky,
虽然那里空气很稀薄
Sui ran na li kong qi hen xi bo
Though the air is very thin.
Claire - Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni
• 我努力想起你笑着哭泣
Wo nu li xiang qi ni xiao zhe ku qi
I try hard to think of your smiles and tears,
让自己深爱你再学会放弃
Rang zi ji shen ai ni zai xue hui fang qi
Let myself fall deeply in love with you, and then learn
to let you go.
我不想忘记你
Wo bu xiang wang ji ni
I don't want to forget you,
就算可以
Jiu suan ke yi
Even if it was possible.
Claire - Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni
• 我宁可记得所有伤心
Wo ning ke ji de suo you shang xin
I would rather remember all the hurt.
我努力想起你苦也没关系
Wo nu li xiang qi ni ku ye mei guan xi
I try hard to think of you, even if it encompasses
bitterness.
用祝福和感激勇敢失去你
Yong zhu fu he gan ji yong gan shi qu ni
Giving my blessings and gratitude to bravely let
you go
Claire - Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni
• 爱你这个决定
Ai ni zhe ge jue ding
I love this decision of yours,
虽然艰辛
Sui ran jian xin
Though it is difficult.
我不说对不起
Wo bu shuo dui bu qi
I do not utter any mea culpa.
Claire - Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni
• 一个人不懂什么是拥有
Yi ge ren bu dong shen me shi yong you
One person does not understand what it means
to possess something.
两个人不懂怎么把握
Liang ge ren bu dong zen me ba wo
Two people do not know how to cherish what
they have.
越在乎就越脆弱
Yue zai hu jiu yue cui ruo
The more they care, the frailer they get.
Claire - Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni
• 爱将我们高高举起以后
Ai jiang wo men gao gao ju qi yi hou
Love raises us up loftily high,
再让心学会坠落
Zai rang xin xue hui zhui luo
And sends the heart plunging.
怀念这宽阔的天空
Huai nian zhe kuan kuo de tian kong
Missing the broad, bounderless sky,
虽然那里空气很稀薄
Sui ran na li kong qi hen xi bo
Though the air is very thin.
Learning to Reading
Please join the cue
read with a partner take it in turns
http://www.eslfast.com/easydialogs/
I need a job
• A: I need a job.
B: I thought you had a job.
A: I did.
B: What happened?
A: I got laid off.
B: That’s terrible! When did it happen?
A: I got laid off last week.
B: Just you?
A: No, ten of my co workers got laid off, too.
B: What are you going to do?
A: I’m looking in the newspaper for a job.
B: Good luck!
Bad Service
• A: Have you seen our waiter?
B: Here he comes now.
A: We’ve been sitting here for almost 10 minutes.
B: Oops, I guess I was wrong. That isn’t our waiter.
A: We can give him five more minutes, and then leave.
B: I’ll go up front and talk to the manager.
A: That’s a good idea.
B: Maybe they’ll give us free drinks for waiting so long.
A: Maybe he’ll send us our waiter immediately.
B: Every time we eat out, it’s an adventure.
A: Last time, we got seats next to the kitchen.
B: We’ll never go there again.
A Good Table
• A: Is this table okay?
B: No, it’s too close to the kitchen door.
A: How about this table?
B: No, it’s too close to the front door.
A: This looks like a nice table.
B: No, it’s too close to the salad bar.
A: Okay, I give up.
B: Well, there is one good table.
A: Great. Which one?
B: That one. A group of eight just sat down at it.
Before you go to that interview
• A: Before you go to that interview, check yourself.
B: What’s to check?
A: Are your nails clean?
B: Yes, they are.
A: Did you double-check your nose and teeth?
B: They are clean, too.
A: Did you shine your shoes?
B: My shoes are shined.
A: Do your socks match?
B: Of course they match.
A: No, they don’t. One is black and one is dark blue.
B: Yikes! Thank you.
Life is hard
• A: Life is hard.
B: It sure is.
A: I thought school was hard.
B: Me, too. I couldn’t wait to graduate.
A: But now work is hard, too.
B: I agree. Work is just as hard as school.
A: Sometimes I wish I was back in school.
B: Me, too. School was fun.
A: And it was only 12 years.
B: It went by pretty fast.
A: But work goes on forever!
B: We have to work for 30 years!
I don’t like my job
• A: I don’t like my job.
B: What do you do?
A: I’m a babysitter.
B: Is that a lot of work?
A: Babies cry all the time.
B: You have to change their diapers.
A: I have to feed them.
B: Are you looking for another job?
A: No, I’m looking for another family.
B: Another family?
A: A family with only one baby.
B: That’s a good idea.
Talk about their jobs?
• A: Do your students ever talk about their jobs?
B: Yes, and they ask me what jobs are the best.
A: I tell my students to become a teacher.
B: Teaching is a great job.
A: It’s the best job I’ve ever had.
B: What makes it so good?
A: For me, it’s the students.
B: What do you mean?
A: I mean I have wonderful students.
B: That must be nice.
A: Teaching is the best part of my whole day.
B: You’re a lucky man to have a job you love
Something real stupid
• A: I think I did something real stupid.
B: What did you do?
A: I bought some stock.
B: Everybody buys stock.
A: I bought it on a hunch.
B: You didn't read about the company first?
A: I didn't have to. It's been in business for 60 years.
B: So what's the problem?
A: I used all my savings on this one company.
B: You put all your eggs into one basket.
A: If the company goes out of business, I'll have nothing.
B: Oh, you'll have something—you'll have a lesson you'll
never forget!
I was going to be a doctor
• A: I was going to be a doctor.
B: What happened to your plans?
A: I got a D in college chemistry.
B: Well, a D is better than an F.
A: A tutor helped me get the D!
B: So, you didn't become a doctor.
A: And now I'm glad that I didn't.
B: Why's that?
A: A hospital is the most dangerous place in the world.
B: Oh, yes, because of all the killer germs.
A: If you're a smart doctor, you stay away from hospitals.
B: Yes, the smart doctors are those TV news doctors—no
hospitals, no patients.
What did the doctor say
• A: What did the doctor say?
B: He thinks I have too much stress.
A: Stress causes your stomachaches?
B: Stress causes different problems with different
people.
A: So what did he tell you to do?
B: He said I need to think positive.
A: He didn’t give you any medication?
B: I hate medication. It makes me feel different.
A: So how do you think positive?
B: I think about nice things.
A: Like what?
B: Like a day at the beach, with my toes in the sand.
Do you smell that?
• A: Do you smell that?
B: Oh, yes.
A: I can’t stand cigarette smoke.
B: It smells so bad.
A: One cigarette stinks up the whole sidewalk.
B: Smokers think they are so cool.
A: They are so weak.
B: A little cigarette controls them.
A: They look so stupid taking a puff.
B: And then they blow smoke out of their mouth.
A: They think it’s cool.
B: Cigarettes stink.
My back is killing me
• A: My back is killing me.
B: What did you do?
A: I got out of my car.
B: That’s it?
A: I injured my back one time just by sneezing.
B: You should see a doctor.
A: My doctor said I need surgery.
B: So?
A: So, forget it.
B: You don’t have the money?
A: I have no insurance.
B: Maybe a back rub would help.
Dirty Nails
• A: Let’s leave.
B: But we just got here.
A: Did you see the waiter’s hands?
B: No.
A: He had dirty fingernails.
B: Really?
A: His nails were black!
B: That’s disgusting.
A: And he poured water into our glasses.
B: Yuck! No water for me.
A: I wonder if the cooks?nails are dirty, too.
B: Who cares? Let’s get out of here.
Remote is filthy
• A: Our TV remote is filthy.
B: Yes, it’s covered with crud.
A: I’m going to clean it.
B: Don’t use water on it!
A: I’ll use a damp cloth.
B: Don’t let water get into any of the cracks.
A: I’ll squeeze the cloth so it’s almost dry.
B: Don’t rub the numbers off the remote.
A: I will rub gently but firmly.
B: Do it quickly, please, so I can change channels during
commercials.
A: I’ll give it back to you in a couple of minutes.
B: Maybe we should put it in a plastic bag to keep it clean.
The new face
• A: Did you see the woman with the new face?
B: Did she get a nice job?
A: She got a job with “everything?
B: What do you mean?
A: A team of doctors gave her a whole new face.
B: Why did they do that?
A: A mad dog bit most of her face off.
B: Oh, that’s terrible. What does she look like now?
A: Her face is really fat, but they say the swelling will go
down.
B: And then will she look normal again?
A: I guess so.
B: God bless modern medicine.
A Good Lunch
• A: Lunch was delicious.
B: Thank you.
A: What kind of soup was that?
B: It was tomato soup.
A: That tasted so good.
B: I put lemon and butter in it.
A: The sandwich was good, too.
B: Everyone likes bacon and tomato sandwiches.
A: Especially on toast.
B: And the pickles were great, too.
A: Tomorrow we’ll have rice and fish for lunch.
B: I can’t wait.
A Slow Burger
• A: I can’t believe how long this line is.
B: This is a popular restaurant, isn’t it?
A: Yes, but it isn’t a fast-food restaurant, is it?
B: It’s the slowest hamburger in town.
A: That’s because they cook it while you wait.
B: Yes. That’s why it’s also the best hamburger in town.
A: A great burger and great service.
B: Yes, the workers are very polite.
A: And they’re clean.
B: I’ve been coming here for years.
A: Me too.
B: Excuse me. They just called my number.
Do I Hear $60,000?
A: I don't believe the art world.
B: What is it this time?
A: An Andy Warhol drawing.
B: He's a famous artist.
A: He drew two butterflies and a flower on a napkin in a
restaurant.
B: Did he sign it?
A: Yes.
B: Is it beautiful?
A: It's just black ink on a white napkin. And the napkin has
food stains!
B: So it's not worth much?
A: Only about $30,000.
B: Without the food stains, it would probably be worth more.
Free Chat Join the Cue
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Your name?
Where you are from?
How do you learn English every day?
What is the hardest part of learning English?
Your Questions?
Thanks for coming to my class
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English web link have a look
http://cdict.net/?q=+curator
http://www.lyricstraining.com/index.php
http://www.eslfast.com/easydialogs/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglis
h/
• http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/chinese/learnenglish/features
• http://www.talkenglish.com/