Advanced English Practice with CLAPINGO tutor Divyam

Advanced English Practice with CLAPINGO tutor Divyam

Unlock The Mind Atlas
Hear The Mind Atlas now on Spotify original score by mystery composer , narrated by Campo

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

I'm doing exceptionally well. Thanks for asking. And how are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 0:09

I'm good, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 0:11

Okay, how how was your day? I need some time to settle down.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Well, my day was a little bit uh hectic, but yes, productive nonetheless. And uh I'm just happy I got a lot of work done.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Oh wow, that's nice. We feel happy at the end of the day when we uh check our to-do list and it's all tricked.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

So I know personally, I'm not that organized, so I don't have a to-do list. Uh especially when I'm working on my projects, I try to keep it um very sort of when I'm in when I'm in the momentum of doing things, I like to continue that momentum regardless of whether it is in my school or not, you know, so in my calendar or not. So today I was supposed to do something and I was in the flow. So I finished tomorrow's work as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Yes, actually, it happens. Uh, sometimes when you plan a lot, uh you are not able to do anything. And sometimes without any planning, you are able to do a lot of things efficiently, right? So, yes, I guess it depends on your mood. And my mood always depends on the weather. If the weather is bright, I feel so energetic and vibrant. And the weather, if the weather is gloomy, I also feel like I feel lethargic and I don't feel like doing anything. So, yes, that happens with me. But yes, if you don't have any option, you need to uh do certain things, so that happens with my sessions. So I don't have any choice.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

If you're feeling lethargic, you can do what most of us do, you can get addicted to coffee because that is like a magic portion, it'll give you all the motivation and energy you need.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Uh uh, but you know what? Uh, I I mean I don't like I don't really like coffee. I don't know why. Uh, I would rather uh go or opt for uh tea, a cup of tea, maybe with ginger or uh cardamom or these things, but coffee doesn't float my boat. But I have seen people they get instant energy and they all uh choose coffee. Maybe I am an old school, I prefer or I go with tea.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

See, mostly most of this is psychological anyway, it doesn't matter. So I noticed a lot of Indians they do this, they when it's when it's nice and pleasant and it's cold, they're like, Yes, I would love a nice hot cup of tea right now, right? But when it's hot, they still ask for tea, like so. I think it is more psychological than anything because it feels like a reward or it feels rewarding to have that cup of tea. It might be used as like a reset, you know, you had a fight with somebody at work, you got back home, you just have a tea before you hang out with your family, just to sort of gather yourself, reset a little bit mentally.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Yes, though I am not a tea lover at all, but yes, uh, tea, coffee. Um, I hardly I go for these options, but most of the time it's always tea. I I want to disclose a secret here. When I was young in my school days or in my college days, I uh would see girls used to be crazy for chocolates and coffee kind of sort of thing. I would try to uh go for chocolates or I would try to uh pretend myself, okay. I I I also love chocolates, but you know what? I don't know why I don't like chocolates. So I tried actually a lot to uh that okay, I also like chocolates, but uh I don't know why I I don't like chocolates, I don't like coffee, even I don't like Maggie. So that is it.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

I tried a lot. What did you like when these guys were having coffee?

SPEAKER_01 4:13

It can be uh it can be a fresh uh glass of uh sorry, it can be a glass of fresh uh fruits juice or sometimes simple one. Uh-huh. Okay, I I don't know why, but I can hear you in bits and pieces. What did you say?

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Uh you can say that I was always a big fan of freshly squeezed juice, fruit juice.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

Okay, freshly squeezed juice, huh? Not always, just now. I mean, when I enter after getting 35 plus, then only when I become uh uh health conscious. But yeah, simple glass of water, it works for me. And uh, if we I mean, apart from these snacks or these kind of food items, music always uh helps me. So I I need nothing. I can go for my favorite song, I just uh go to music, I listen to my favorite songs, and I'm good to go. I can do anything instantly, I get that uh energy instantly from music. So these days that song is quite uh uh trendy, Sayara. But you know what? I'm addicted to the original version, which is sung by Kisha or Kumar. Have you listened to that very song?

SPEAKER_00 5:32

I'm see, I'm not a Bollywood fan, so I don't think I've heard of that song. Uh personally, I understand the logic of uh wanting things in a more classical or traditional format. So I completely understand why you would want to have uh like what why you would enjoy more classical music because when I was younger, I was I was I'm still a movie buff. But my obsession started with Indian movies, like Bollywood movies. But slowly I realized that Bollywood movies don't make original content anymore, you know. So that really uh made me not believe in investing time in that sort of uh in those sort of movies that are not original. I would rather just go and see the original movie where the idea may be presented better or it may translate better in terms of the language, whatever it is. So I also have this thing where I enjoy older music much more than the ones that are now because now I feel music is more catered towards virality, Instagram, right? Um it's more loud and catchy so that it becomes people can make money from it. Whereas back then music was more about sharing emotions, sharing, you know, trying to get uh yes, trying to express an emotion that you're feeling for somebody.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Yes, that's true. Even movies, we can uh say that movies were like that only. I don't really watch movies, I don't really watch TV, I don't get time to watch anything, and I don't uh if some sometimes I get time, so I uh end uh up perplexing what to watch. I mean, I don't really get anything to watch, I'm not into Hollywood movies, I don't know any uh names of those Bollywood stars. I have only I only uh watched one movie, I have watched only one movie, Titanic. I know those two faces, and that title track is my favorite track. Yes, I yes, it's beautiful. That is something which I can uh watch again and again, and that uh that song, I love that song. So it used to be my uh ring tone. Uh but yes, I am in love with that very song. That's it. Now I don't really get time to watch movies. I don't, I'm not into uh movies and uh dramas at all. Sometimes randomly I watch anything. Uh, I want to keep myself busy with my practice and with my sessions. That is it. And we have a topic.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Yes, yes, let's cover that.

SPEAKER_01 8:19

Right. So it's very actually one of my subscribers asked me this question uh how to uh learn new words and how to keep I mean how to keep those words actively, uh, right, so that we can use those words frequently. So, though I have shared my ideas uh many times, but I want to know that logical technique from you that what should be the strategy according to you and how to learn and add new words.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

Um, see, here we have to take advantage of a little bit of psychology, okay? Okay, uh because yes, there are traditional ways to learn, which is uh research a word, find out its meaning, its examples, uh where the word is originated from. You can try to use it in your conversation, but that is you know what we call rata marna. So I'll give you an example. I'm sure you remember the last three or four fights you had, fights, and I'm I mean fights like when someone is using inappropriate words, when someone was saying or accusing you of something, right? But you absolutely remember what they said, what the accusation was, what's the word, what are the words they've used, right? So even though you may not use them, but you remember that person called me XYZ, you know, right? Yeah, so that proves that our brain learns things when it's connected to emotion. Yes, that moment you either felt incredibly sad or incredibly angry or incredibly uh offended, whatever emotion you were feeling at that time. But the emotion was so strong that that word is stuck in your head. Even if you try to forget it, you cannot. I promise you that. So, what you can do is depending on where you learned the word from, try to connect an emotion to the word, a sentence, whatever it is, right? So, one thing I always say, I mean, everybody knows this now. I think I'm I sound like a broken record now, but please watch movies and shows. I'll give you your example, Titanic. I'm sure there are a lot of words used in the movie Titanic, especially when they were both uh in the sea, they were about to die, or we thought they were about to die. If at that time they used a word and you don't know the meaning, that's fine. But once you research this, you will you will remember that I can't believe Rose said that to Jack, you know, because you feel emotion in that moment. So it's very important to remember those things. So that's how I learned English because when I used to watch the show Friends, I used to watch it on TV, so it was it's not as easy as it is now, like you can't just open your device and just watch 10 episodes whenever you're free. Back then, wait the whole day, and then you had to sit in front of the TV for half an hour to watch the whole episode. Hopefully, you don't miss anything. Hopefully, you're not in the bathroom and something important is going on in the show because you cannot rewind it. So, my commitment or my emotional bond with that show was so strong that whenever they used a sentence, they made a reference, they made a joke, it really stuck with me. I really I was really fascinated to understand what it is, to use it in my daily sort of uh conversations with my friends. I couldn't wait to get to school the next day and have a conversation with my friends, like, oh my god, I can't believe Rachel did this, oh my god, I can't believe Chandler got fired, you know, whatever the show, whatever the trying to say. So try to connect emotion with it. The way it works for everybody in the community is see what you are the most committed to. If you love songs, find songs like emotional songs or um, you know, heartbreak, like whatever sort of genre you like, find songs that can expose you to new words, to new meanings, to express the same emotion. You know, we usually say, Yes, I broke up with my girlfriend, I'm feeling depressed, or I'm feeling blue, or I'm feeling a little down in the dumps. There's different ways to express that same emotion. The thing is, how are you going to connect it? How are you gonna add the information to your brain and let it stay there? So I feel that emotion is very important in that case is because what do you connect

[Ad] Unlock The Mind Atlas

SPEAKER_00 12:40

with?

SPEAKER_01 13:17

Through that, actually, this is what I do, and this is what I did, this is what I keep telling

(Cont.) Advanced English Practice with CLAPINGO tutor Divyam

SPEAKER_01 13:24

to my learners. But my approach is very informal, your approach always comes with the logic. So that's that's the difference. Otherwise, what I say that most of the time when people come to me and they say that, ma'am, uh, to add vocabulary words these days, uh, I'm learning, uh, sorry, I'm reading a lot, I'm reading so many books. So I tell them it's good that you have started reading. Of course, you are going to uh be more uh knowledgeable or resourceful person in terms of knowledge and all. But what I tell the uh our vocabulary, we need uh vocabulary to express ourselves, and our expressions are all about our emotions, right? So, what I do, I don't go for uh random words, I choose an emotion. I have already discussed this thing. Okay, now uh every time when I have, I mean, I am uh I am supposed to have a session with an expert or anyone, I try not to use I'm good, I'm doing good, I am doing pretty well, and kind of you notice that I come with different expressions. I am happy and alive, I am um aligned with with my purpose, or I'm flourishing in my own space. This is my way to add new expressions to my vocabulary. Now I add words also and I add expressions also. Okay, let's say I'm not uh feeling good. So I I just I don't say that I'm upset, I say I'm not in a good frame of mind, I'm a little out of sorts today. Um I'm as you just mentioned, I'm uh feeling blue or I'm gloomy, right? And if you are heartbroken, so okay, I'm devastated, or uh I was numb to uh watch that news or kind of so it's a game of emotions, and when you find the technique, why to run uh after those words which hardly we use? As I chose those five words in our previous session, okay, right? Uh, but yes, when you are at a certain level where you can make do with certain words, where you are quite uh flexible to use these kind of words, go for that. We are not restricting you, but initially go for your expressions. If you are happy, why to say I'm happy, right? Go for idiomatic expressions. Numerous expressions are there on cloud nine in seventh seven, elated, happy as a clam, uh ecstatic, and kind of so this is my technique and this is what I tell to my learners. But again, it's all about your emotions and your creativity, how how creative you are with your learning. So that's that should be very simple. I mean, um we have given a very simple uh uh solution to this problem. Choose your emotions and no, don't choose those words. If you are busy, why to say every time that I'm busy, go for I'm occupied, tied up, snore under, or I have a lot on my plate. If you have certain other uh responsibilities or important tasks to do uh to do, so I have a bigger fish to fry. So, yes, I have told this thing many times, but I think now our learners uh have to stick to one technique because most of the time what I see, they just want to uh they just want to gain a lot of things from a lot of people. I mean, they just always come with questions, so it's high time to work on uh those doubts or those questions, right? Because you are getting a lot of uh suggestions. So now it's your time to work on. Uh because I have these kind of learners who always come with I have I've been practicing for a long time, I have taken classes from this person, from that person. Uh, I know a lot of vocabulary words, but I uh while interacting, I don't really remember my mind go blank. So, because you are not working in uh right direction, and you are just getting a lot of information and you are not implementing that uh right? Input is more than output, I would I would say little technical terms, you are not audible.

SPEAKER_00 17:42

Sorry, sorry about that. I was saying uh there are simple ways to handle this, and then there are easy ways to handle this, okay. Yes, um people don't understand the difference between simple and easy, okay. So if I gave you a task, okay, if I I have a target for myself, okay. Let's say it has to do with weight loss. I want to lose 10 kilos, okay, just to stay healthy. Um it's simple because I need to run 10 kilometers or I need to run, let's say, one kilometer every day, okay, with a break on Sunday. It's simple that I can do it, but it's not easy for me to run one kilometer every day. Yes, so people don't understand the difference between this. There are other things that people don't understand, the difference between cost and price. Okay, we'll get to that later, don't worry. Um just remember you have to the difficult part is not learning the words, the difficult part is to find ways to learn. The difficult that is the simple part. The difficult part for you is going to be to find the sources, to expose, explore yourself, uh, explore new categories, new topics, new fascinations or new obsessions that you may have. Okay, yes, you may be someone who is uh, you know, I'll give you a very simple example. You may live in Goa, very hot state, right? Uh the summers are crazy hot, the winters are not that particularly cold, but you may be fascinated with snowboarding in the US. Right? So that is absolutely valid, but make sure that if you're obsessed with it, you are also learning English with it. Watch tournaments or um, you know, the Olympics when they're talking in English.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Right.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

When when when a when a snowboarder does a trick or when they do something incredibly spectacular, listen to what the commentator says. I do that with people, you know, when a player kicks the ball really hard. I can hear the commentator say, Wow, what a thunderbolt! Um, he struck the ball with all of his might, and the whole uh goal post is shaking, and uh the keeper was unseen. Basically, the keeper didn't even see how fast the ball sort of went past him, right? So these are simple, simple words. You may not use it instantly, but what happens is as you keep noticing these things, your curiosity increases, your hunger to learn more things increases. So try to do that, try to find ways to sort of help yourself uh learn things from different people, different cultures, different shows, whatever works for you.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

Yes, and I want to add my version. I did the same actually, uh, because I easily get bored with uh maybe if I am uh listening to some news and kind of uh I try to listen to or watch some English podcasts, but I get distracted. So, what I do, I go for again short videos, maybe of Priyanka Chopra and Hina Khan. So, in her video, one of her uh short uh reels uh of Hina Khan, she said that um in the face of adversity, it is difficult to exhibit that unwavering equanimity. Okay, I just learned it, and you won't believe I have used this line in so many of my videos, right? So I learned unwavering equanity, exhibit in the face of adversity. Likewise, from Priankal Chopra's video, I don't wash my dirty linens in front of people, or I don't read my books backwards. So this is my way. Uh, because I know this thing works for me, I'll go for that. So I I I go for I uh I try to listen to Sushmita saying, and you don't learn words only, you learn the way they present themselves, right? Uh when we talk about uh uh women empowerment or feminism. So, yes, I I listen to Priyanka Chopra. I try to absorb the way she presents because it's not only about your words, it's about your expressions, tone, and whatnot, right? So, yes, these are very simple yet easy techniques. What I believe, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:54

Definitely, yes. See, that's why I keep telling people don't get stuck to one thing. Try new thing if you don't like it in one or two weeks, you can always get rid of them, but keep trying new things because the last thing you want is to learn from one single source, from one single person, and get stuck with you know, the there's a saturation, there's a level to learn from one thing, one person. So always explore, always find new things, and just have fun when you're learning. That is the most important thing.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Yes, simple, and we discussed about that Rafu Karvalu Wala Joham discussed, and I told you about that. So ek line te ki muche fasaya gaya hai. So it was very simply that I was framed by them, or it was all a setup and I was framed. So these are very natural expressions, right? We we just try to go word over translation. I was trapped. Yeah, but I was framed. I like this expression and I noticed, and now I I use so yes, uh, again, uh, we can suggest certain uh techniques now. It depends which works for you, right? And at the end of the day, we need to be uh very creative and uh innovative with everything, whatever we do in our life, be it cooking, learning, or anything.

SPEAKER_00 23:10

Yeah, always be easy, always be curious, everything else will take care of itself.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Yes, right, right. Okay, so I think we have done our work. So it was truly uh very nice session. Um, I will see you again very soon with a certain phrasal verb or maybe this kind of topic. So hope to see you soon. Till then, again, take care and bye bye.

SPEAKER_00 23:37

Yes, thank you. It was lovely seeing you, and I'll see you soon.