In this fourth episode I focus on the idea of separating spoken English from written English. My main point is that as adult learners we often learn a target language through the written form, which is not inherently bad, but then sometimes get stuck in that way of approaching the language.

Even when we watch TV, movies, listen to music, etc., those are still largely scripted or rehearsed forms of the language. English, and all languages, are really just tools for communication, and so it's vital to "listen" to conversations, interviews, free-form podcasts or radio programs where people don't stick to a script. I also talk about my experiences with this in my Japanese learning journey and living in Japan.

The key is to stop worrying about trying to understand everything and instead just enjoy or at least be interested in the subject matter. I talk about how I listened to my favorite Japanese comedians' radio show for several years, and little by little I understood more and more of what they were saying.

For a few minutes I also (struggle to) explain why English spelling and writing in particular is problematic, and for this reason it's important to use audiobooks (or a speech reader for articles) in tandem with reading. If you're looking for audiobooks, you can get them for free through your library, YouTube, etc. Personally, I use Audible because it's synched with my Kindle digital library of books.

Check out the transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12PcrVk372eFPv0K0d4NvlNnwAo_DgikiRaAZeo8TcAc/edit?usp=sharing

As always, leave a comment, question, or a suggestion for a topic!