Crosby's 9

We all have commitments. They’re those (usually) unwritten personal and professional obligations that we intend to carry out in the short, mid or long-term. They’re promises that we aim to deliver on. In this episode, Drew talks about what it means to be committed over the long haul and the importance of endurance.

Learning English can be frustrating and there will be times when you’ll feel like you’re not improving (or even going backwards). Not to worry; it tends to happen. As long as you’re studying and practicing, you’ll get better. The key: pace yourself. Keeping a steady pace will prevent you from getting dejected and burning yourself out.

Before we begin, quick question. What are the two most important factors required for learning English? Concentration and willpower. Listen and find out why. And now, pools: relax by one (swimming pool), pool your money in one (office pool) and commute in one (carpool). In this episode, you’ll discover a few common uses of the word “pool.”

When you learn a new word, find out if it’s also a verb. If it is, is it regular or irregular? This episode looks primarily at two concepts: popular music lists -known as the charts (yes, “chart” is a verb) -and billboards. Listen and find out which song has recently climbed the charts to set a record.

We really don’t “conjugate” verbs in English. At least not the way verbs are conjugated in many languages where each subject pronoun has its own verb form. And that’s a good thing for you, because “conjugating” regular verbs in English is a cinch. Therefore, the real challenge lies in mastering the irregular verbs.

Embrace the power of dictation. Sure, it’s not flashy; it’s not cutting-edge technology, but it's a tried and true method that covers the key components of English: listening, spelling, writing, vocabulary, speaking and even grammar. When used properly, dictation is arguably the best all-around exercise for learning a foreign language.

In Episode 21, you’ll learn the regular verb “to lag” and how it’s related to the phrasal verb “hold back.” Students who are lagging tend to hold classes back. Also, Drew tells you when (and why) you should visit his hometown, Chicago.

What’s the secret to properly pronouncing a word? First, determining how many syllables it has and then stressing the right one. It works all the time. Break the word into syllables; place the accent on the proper syllable and voilà! You’ll never mispronounce the word again.

“Loose” is an adjective and “lose” is a verb. The words have entirely different meanings, yet many native English speakers confuse the two. Listen and discover how to avoid the same careless mistake. Also in this episode: tips for pronouncing “of” and “off.”

Transition words are bridges: they take us from one idea to the next. Episode 18 looks at the differences between the transition words “however” and “nevertheless.” “However” is used to transition from a positive idea to a negative one, while “nevertheless” is used to transition from a negative idea to a positive one.