From Beginner to Confident Speaker | Learn English the Smart Way

From Beginner to Confident Speaker | Learn English the Smart Way

Unlock The Mind Atlas
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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hello, good afternoon. Good afternoon. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 0:06

I'm doing great. And how are you doing? I am doing fine. Just a little under the weather, but otherwise, yeah, I'm fine. Okay. Uh is it about cold? Yeah, cold, throat infection. Oh so yeah, I'm just having a little tough time here.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Oh yes. Thought throat infection, kind of phobia when it comes to yes. It's very difficult. Very difficult. You so restless, you can't sleep well, you can't eat well. My son has the same, and it's difficult to deal with it. Your whole body becomes very weak in that.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Cold is also the same. You lose your taste, throat infection if that happens, you can't swallow much. So it's a tedious task. So I can't cancel them, also. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

That's the challenging part. That's the challenging part. Yes. And that's how you show for yourself. It shows your uh your uh determination and uh your commitment. Commitment would be it shows how committed you are towards your job. Good job.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Yes, I can't do that. Like if it's a very emergency situation, I would have done that, but then this came out of the blue, so I can't do anything of that sort. So I thought I'll just give it.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

I was lucky enough to get your session. It your all your slots were booked, I guess. Uh uh this week for this week, but maybe uh someone cancelled the slot, and I was lucky enough. Actually, somebody did cancel the slot, and immediately I booked it.

SPEAKER_01 1:56

Everybody says that it's very difficult to get some tutors, right? It becomes a very big task to get some tutors because they the thing is that we get new learners most of the time. Yes, that's the problem. And our old learners come complaining saying that you don't get your session. I'm like, I'm sorry it's not in my hands, right? Otherwise, I would have done something. But then if everybody starts saying that, then I can't do anything about it. Yes, actually, yes. So, how was your day going?

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Uh yeah, I was uh as usual, same old, same old, nothing special. Classics and uh breakfast, lunch, dishes, laundry, what not you name it. But yes, I was waiting for this session. After the session, I'll take a cup of tea and then I'll try to take a short nap because I I am feeling like uh taking a short nap, though I'm late. How's the weather? Weather is quite volatile here. Uh, it rained yesterday, and uh sun is trying to shine uh through clouds, but it's cloudy and a bit gloomy.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

I don't like you don't like the climate.

SPEAKER_00 3:05

Yes, I I feel so gloomy and lazy. You don't feel like doing anything, right?

SPEAKER_01 3:09

That is also there. Here, I think the climate has changed. Maybe that's why I'm getting sick. It's suddenly started becoming hot. So maybe that drastic change has made me sick. My mother-in-law was also sick, maybe I got it from her also. Yes, can't say because we've been in the kitchen together doing things, so you get infected very fast, so yeah, and it was a very long weekend also for me. Monday was a holiday, also, right? I took an off. Yes, yes, so how is everything treating you? How how are you how are your classes going on?

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Your WhatsApp classes? Everything is going on nicely, classes are going on the way uh they should be. Um, my learners ask a lot of questions, so they uh keep me on my toes always. I can't skip my practice, and uh that this is the best way to revise your uh grammatical concepts because I I believe in India people are more into grammar.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

Yes, to a certain extent. Not everybody, there are a lot of people who are very against the concept of grammar, also. They say you don't need grammar to communicate, you just need to bring out words and all that. I do agree partially, but not fully. Yes, right. Yeah, that is there. See, when you are learning grammar, just learn how to use it properly. That's the thing, yes. And that so I I was having a conversation with one of the learners today about grammar, so she told me that I am continuously using had been, has been. So I'm like, yeah, so what is the problem? What is troubling you there? I'm like, I'm supposed to use simple past and simple. I'm like, who said that? Okay, who made that rule like that? So then I made her understand that see, you just have to make sure your sentence is grammatically correct, exactly, and the tense is correct, is it present, past, or future? What you use at that time is totally yours, that is, it's your option, but that doesn't mean when you're talking about your daily routine, you can talk about continuous tense or past tense. That's another thing. But if you are having a conversation with somebody, somebody, and you're saying, I had been doing this for a morning, or I have been doing this for a morning, it is not a mistake. Yes, your sentence is grammatically correct, so go on with it. So then she understood, oh, that's how it works. Why am I struggling so much? Because her language was good, is good. I'm sorry, her language is really good. It's just that she finds trouble when she speaks, she feels like she's not using the correct end. She has a lot of filler sounds and all that. But other than that, in a nutshell, she's doing a good job. So today I told her, and she's like, Oh my god, I was making the biggest mistake of my life by stressing too much on grammar. Yes, like, yeah, now you got the realization of it, right?

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Right. Sometimes uh who just started their journey, who just started journey, they come to me and they're like, ma'am, I just want to be grammatical correct, grammar grammatically correct, right? How to use words would have, would have been if uh if I had had had it been if if questions, right? Yes, I tell them please don't put yourself in uh hot water or don't trouble yourself, right? Because initially just focus on the flow and try to be natural enough, right? Yes, so that's something I want to make them understand. Still, they want to get into those nitty-gritties of grammar. Um, so when I I feel that it's not uh possible to make them understand, then I provide them the that's uh sort of material where uh it is clearly mentioned how to use vote, would have now people have a great confusion how to use uh vote should as model verbs, how to use, yeah. Yes, uh uh would specifically with wood, how to use it in conditional sentences. I tell them that it's of no use of mugging up uh rules because you are going to forget. It's all about how do you practice and you have to relate these concepts with your everyday life, then only you can use these concepts and initially just put the put these uh concepts aside, focus on the flow. In my case, I hardly use these uh structures because my I try to focus on simple English. I am a homemaker, I'm a teacher, right? So I need to be very basic and simple. Yes, but if your learner wants you to be complicated, then you are helpless. Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

If that's the case, they wouldn't come to us, also, right? It's very rare that you find such learners who just there are learners who wants to who want to focus on vocabulary as such. I tell them go with simple English, bring out your fluency properly, then focus on vocabulary. Vocabulary is always your last resort, and vocabulary does not only mean advanced vocabulary, vocabulary can be anything, just using better words, that's all. Yeah, right. So I would say master simple English first, then go on to the next level.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Because that's something that works, right? That works, and this is the right technique to add vocabulary. As I tell them, if you say that I'm busy, just skip busy and use maybe occupied, tied up, right? This is how we add certain new words when you are comfortable with occupied and tied up, go with some uh EDM snore under swamp or a lot on my plate. Don't try to grab all uh all the things at once. Yes, that's what I say.

SPEAKER_01 8:41

The same thing. Don't try to gobble up everything at one. You're trying to swallow a lot of foods to get food together, it's gonna give you a bad stomach. Okay, your gut is going to go bad. That's the same way, your brain is also going to get confused, confused, and you're giving more pressure onto your brain also. Yes, when you are accustomed or habituated to your mother tongue, it's very new for your brain to you know digest another language, so it's big it becomes difficult. Take one step at a time, you know. If you're if you want to learn vocabulary, take one word on a daily basis. Right. If you feel like you're thorough with that word, then move on to the next one. But when you're focusing on that word, if you find a new word, see the alternatives for that word also. Yes, right, right. That's how you become thorough with the language, I feel exactly. If I think people who are very passionate about this language would know all these things, yes, because they would like to go deeper and deeper into the language, right? Yes, that's a common thing that happens. So, how is your YouTube going? How is it treating you?

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Yeah, everything is going on nicely. I don't expect uh much now. I'm yes, I just post my videos and that's it. Uh easier said than done. Uh, you need to practice it, otherwise, uh, these things hamper your mental peace, peace of mind. Every time you upload a video, then you check the views, comments, likes. Oh my goodness, I I already have a lot on my plate. I can't afford these things. So, yes, I upload my videos. I am enjoying creating content, I am learning, growing, glowing, and now I don't want anything to spoil my peace of mind and my happiness. So, yes, relaxed and happy.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

Wonderful. I think that's something that gives you a sort of contentment to a certain extent, right? At the end of the day, it's whether you ask the question to yourself, are you satisfied? Are you contented with whatever you're doing? If it's a yes, then go on doing the same thing. Nobody's going to ask, nobody has the right to come and ask you like that, also, right? Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 10:44

And you need to you need to have that feeling of contentment and you need to be relaxed. I think we all are so restless these days. Okay, we have everything home, cars, every basic, not basic things, we have more than basic necessity. Yes, still, we are not satisfied. I just want to be relaxed, I just want to feel the rhythm and I want to be in the moment. That's it. I don't want to run uh behind anything and don't want to be part of that red race. Yes, yes. So I keep telling myself that if if some if sometimes I feel like being a part of uh uh that again red race or uh I'm being restless, then I keep telling uh myself that no, this is not something you are chasing or you're looking for, just be relaxed, take your time and uh enjoy the moment. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

That's wonderful, and I think that should be the policy that most of them take because when you start to uh do a channel, especially YouTube channel, you are gonna get criticism no matter what, you will be criticized. So I think if you have that thought inside your mind and then you start doing it, it becomes better because you're already prepared for it.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Through that, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Yeah, I don't have that much experience running a YouTube channel, but from whatever I've heard, I feel this is a common thing. You will get criticized no matter what. There will be one person among those good comments, among those good sparks that you get, there will be at least one or two persons or one or two people who would try to criticize you.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

You you can't be a hero in everyone's book. You'd be a villain too, right? No, no, no, definitely. And second thing, I uh sometimes we feel uh motivated when we see the other person growing rapidly. Oh, let me start, let me create my channel, but it's not that much easy. It's not you don't know, it's very unpredictable. Whether sometimes I put all my efforts uh to create a uh video and I feel that okay, this one is going to be very nice. People don't like that video, I don't get that visibility or uh I don't get those uh lives or comments, right? But sometimes I just uh record myself randomly. I put that video, I upload that video.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

It clicks like that video, it was wonderful, it was nice, so you never know. It's all about being simple, I feel that's what people want rather than complicated. That's something that I noticed throughout these sessions after I joined English Yari. You try to become a very big person there, you try to degrade somebody at the end of the day, they don't want you there. Yes, they want somebody who makes you comfortable, who makes you feel like you're not alone in this. We are going to and doing this together, I'm here to support you. I think that's the kind of support that people want more than anything.

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SPEAKER_00 13:41

Yes, that's for sure. See, let's say it's our first session. If I don't get that why from you, I'm not going to

(Cont.) From Beginner to Confident Speaker | Learn English the Smart Way

SPEAKER_00 14:25

uh have a I'm not going to book any more session with you. Sessions, as I just mentioned you that I was just waiting for your session, and as I I found that vacant slot, I just booked it because we feel comfortable with you, we feel that we can relate, and it doesn't feel like I I never prepare. I just booked a session. When I booked a session, I was like, Okay, so it should be sometimes that's what most of the people want.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

See, I asked them in the beginning, it's like, Do you want to go with session notes? So I had a learner, I'm I've been having a learner for the past few weeks now. So she's like, So when I ask her, Do you want to go with the session notes or something else? She's like, I just want to have a conversation with you. Okay, I just want to talk, and then at the end you can give me a feedback about that. That's also learning, right? So I'm like, Yeah, it's up to you. See, at the end of the day, it's learner's choice. You want to go with the session notes? I'm totally in for it. You want to have a normal conversation? I have n number of topics for it. I can just keep asking you a lot of things, you answer it. So then she's like, We'll go, you we'll take it on an alternate day. You know, one day we'll go with session notes, the next day you can check how I'm doing in normal conversation. Also, because people want that more than specific topics, they want to have a normal conversation that they can continuously speak in English. And that's another thing that I found out after I took a lot of sessions from students from learners, they want to have normal conversation more than me asking, okay, I'm giving going to give you a topic, you can talk on that. They don't relate to it much. Yes, they get out of the topic at that time. But when I'm having a normal conversation like this, they try to open up a lot, yeah, and they say, Okay, this is what I wanted to speak, and this is how I wanted to speak in English, and then at the end, I give them feedback, they'd be like, Yeah, we're satisfied today. So that's also something that I noticed.

SPEAKER_00 16:16

When when I started my journey, I used to uh I used to feel nervous uh while discussing topic. Let's say you ask me about anything about uh economical or political uh level or growth of India, so I would be like, Because I have no clue, right? Okay, I can speak on positivity or maybe friendship, reading, these are very relatable topics as a homemaker. I can uh speak on these topics. So initially I used to have a fear, oh God, your topic, uh so how would I reply? How would I answer? Right, but now with that practice, I don't feel uh uh I do feel nervous, uh, but I want to challenge myself. Okay, okay, let me go for it, let me try this. And uh the other day I was having a session um with one of uh tutors, so he asked me very politely, would you mind if I provide you feedback? I said, Yes, that's the reason don't feel shy or embarrassed. Sometimes it happens, some learners or some uh people they don't want to go for uh for feedback or something. Feedback, yes, yes. I said, no, no, no, that's something I look for and I truly want to uh go with this. So yes, he pointed out some words which I pronounced incorrectly. So, yes, that's how I'm going to grow, otherwise, it's of no use, right? Yes, I'm not for my content, truly, I'm not here for my YouTube or my content, I am here for myself. I truly want to grow myself.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Yes, yes, that reluctance is there, okay. When I've noticed that in myself, I recently was having a conversation with a woman, she was pretty old, okay. I don't want to mention her age or anything of that sort, and I don't know also her age, but she from the way she interacted with me, she has grandkids and all that. So I assume that she would be above 50 for sure, right? So then I was having a conversation. So every time she comes, she does make a lot of mistakes most of the time. I do correct her, but at the end, I am a bit reluctant to give her a feedback because that sort of respect is there. So will it be okay if I correct her? Will she be okay if I correct her? But then I felt if I don't correct her, then what's the point of me sitting here? Every time I'm just having a conversation, we're winding it up. She would feel like she's talking okay, she would feel like she's not making mistakes. So then one day I mastered up my courage. I told her, ma'am, is it fine if I give you a feedback? Then she looked at me for some time. She's like, That's what I'm here for, dear. Please give me the feedback. And then I would I felt so happy, I felt so proud of myself that I took up or I mastered the courage to go up and you know tell her that I wanted to give a feedback. Then now I'm fine, but I make sure that I seek permission first because not everybody takes it in the right sense, right? So I always protect myself first, then move on to that part. Okay, because some people do get offended. There are a lot of again. I don't want to mention people, there are a lot of uh learners who come and you know just have a conversation. But the moment I start giving the feedback, they just you know change the topic like that, they don't want to hear the feedback, so they just want to talk about themselves, they want to so I I don't have a problem in that, but still, but the whole purpose of them coming here is not justified, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Yes, so I always make sure that I ask. I tell you, uh, the words he told me that uh in a flower, I I normally I think uh I speak a bit faster. I so I uh pronounced it strategy. So he said it should be strategy. I I got it now. I'm going to keep this thing in mind, okay? It's not tackle, it's tackle strategy. So that's I am always ready to take the feedback because this is how I've reached here and I want to grow more. So yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

Like I I I wish people are like you, you know, who's very positive and who's ready to take feedback. But you shouldn't let anybody give you a very destructive kind of feedback, also. Yes, yeah, because you know, nobody has the right to degrade you or tell you that you're not good enough, or you're you should try to give a bit more constructive feedback, I feel, in a manner which is going to motivate them, but at the same time, they do realize that they have maker they are making this mistake, yes, right. So I'm a person who does that to a certain extent. I've never been I from my point of view, I've never disregarded or disrespected somebody in terms of that because I've been in the field for the past four to five years right now, and I think that is something that I have been doing it.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

That is something which tags you apart. Because yes, it it matters a lot. You need to be um very polite and humble while talking to people, whether you give uh feedback or you are talking, right? Then only people are going to uh book your slots or they are going to relate with you. It's not only about booking slots, I can tell you that I feel so comfortable and we all look for your slots. There are some tutors on English, Shari, which are truly, truly they are incredible, and you are one of them. Oh my god, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

That is indeed a proud moment for me. Because when I get learners, the first thing that they say, when I get a demo learner, I ask them, Are you nervous? Are you okay? Are you comfortable? Then I'm like, No. And this is the first time they've never become nervous, and I feel very happy about that. I just had a demo learner before your session, and I asked her, Are you? She's not that she's very young. So then I asked her, Are you comfortable? Are you nervous? She's like, No. And this is the first time I've been, you know, very confident to speak to somebody. It's because I watched a lot of video of yours and I felt you're very friendly, you're very you make everybody comfortable. So I think that's something that I feel very good about when they talk about it that I am making people comfortable. So that means for the past four or five years, I've achieved something out of it, right? So then, yeah, that's a very proud moment at that time.

SPEAKER_00 22:10

Right, yes, and I told you you are on such a uh grand platform, and you know a lot of YouTubers are there who are quite popular, right? So when they upload their videos with you, so have you ever felt a bit jittery or nervous? Okay, now my uh my video as a mentor or as a tutor is going to publish. What if people find any mistake of what if they try to maybe belittle you or criticize you? So

SPEAKER_01 22:38

See, first thing I didn't know this whole thing of YouTube bef when I joined English Yari. I think it was Naveen, if I'm not wrong, from English Bowl. I don't know if you know about him. He has a channel called English Bowl. He was the first person to post my video. And I didn't know about it. I was randomly, you know, scrolling through YouTube. I'm like, okay, is that me? And I was like, oh my god. See, I don't have a problem that way because I've been doing content videos for a different company for a very long time. Now I'm not. But yeah, for the one in Kerala, when I was working with a spoken English firm, I was doing content videos at that time. So I thought maybe somebody has taken from that and they've posted a video. I got really confused. I was in a dilemma at that time. Then I opened up and I was like, okay, I'm there. So from that time onwards, you start getting bothered. Bothered in a sense, you become very cautious. Conscious, yes. Yes. And that thought is there. I think when I got to know that there are YouTubers who come, when I got to know that you my videos will be there on YouTube. At I think first few, it took me a month to get over with it. Okay, I will be there, I'm going to be there. I was conscious to a certain extent. But then after a few months, I realized why should I be conscious? I'm just speaking whatever there is. I'm not going or doing anything which is bad or which is, you know, too uh offensive for anybody. And then I started getting habituated to it. But now whenever I see myself, I'll be like, yeah. But then I reflect on myself also because those videos are there. I get to know when I watch it, I don't watch it on a regular basis, but when I see a random video, I try to watch it. Okay. And I get to reflect on myself. Okay, I have to improve in this part. I'm lacking a bit here. I need to give more constructive feedback to my learner. So Saturday and Sunday, the reason I don't take sessions is mainly because I reflect on myself. I sit, I work on myself, I work up with a lot of I don't focus more on vocabulary. See, I feel I'm okay with the vocabulary part, but when I'm teaching, I can't use that anyway.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

No, you can't.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

So yeah. So I've learned the method. It took me two, three years to do this, but I learned the method of switching.

unknown 24:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

See, the way I talk to you might not be the way I talk to a different learner.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 24:59

I've mastered that quality in me, which I feel did take a lot of time. But then I feel I'm okay in that field. So whenever I feel a learner is good or is able to understand advanced English, I try to use that. That's where I try to use. But otherwise, I can't do that. It's not justice to the other to the learner if I do that.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

Right. You can tell, you can tell them, okay, you could use this word, but you can't use because it is of no use if the person uh doesn't understand you. Understand, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 25:30

So I try to minimi minimum minimize the usage of such words, but I tell them, like you said, I go with synonyms a lot. I don't know if you've uh looked up, but I'm a person who goes a lot with synonyms more than advanced, like the ones you said, when you feel you have got a lot on your plate. Yes, you try to use better words. I'm tired of it, I'm burnt out. Right, right. So I try to give them such kind of words. That is how you learn naturally. It should come naturally, it shouldn't be something that you're supposed to force yourself on. There are different categories in that sense, right? Yes, so it's all about that. Oh, I think we've talked, talked, talked, and the time has just flown away like that. So thank you, Neha. It was indeed lovely. It's always lovely connecting with you. I do have a good time, I get to speak a lot also. I try to restrict myself, but when you bring out good conversation, I can't put myself back from talking. So thank you so much. I hope to see you again in my sessions.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

It depends on you.

SPEAKER_01 26:33

Done, done, done. I hope you get one soon.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

Yeah, definitely I'm going to keep an eye on your story.

SPEAKER_01 26:39

Thank you so much. Take care. Bye bye.