Fast Track to English Fluency

Education is a deceptively difficult topic in America because so many beliefs, value systems, and political views impact each family's view of it. So, though we can break education up broadly by student age or location, it is better to discuss it by funding and purpose. We've attended public, private, and homeschool in the American South. Here is a discussion of our experiences and an attempt to help YOU understand the strong views on each type of education here.

In this podcast, Josh and Amber share about their personal experiences with minimalism and materialism. In addition, to comparing and contrasting these two extremes, they also talk about how essentialism plays into the equation and on what side they lean toward.

How one answers this question has serious implications for the way he or she approaches learning English. If English is more of a science, then a special emphasis should be placed on learning vocabulary and grammar with specific patterns to communicate accurately. However, if English is more of an art, then one should spend a significant amount of their study time observing the context, analyzing paralanguage, and making connections between language, context, and culture (however artful and illogical those connections may be). In this episode, Josh and Amber have an open conversation about which side they lean toward.

Josh and Amber take some time to bust some myths about things people "don't talk about" in American culture. There are a few things to consider with this one as some of these myths are based on a kernel of truth, while others are true depending on the situation. Are you ready? Let's get into it!

In this episode, Josh and Amber discuss the three biggest determining factors for how you speak to someone in American culture. Then, they provide a few tips for how to do this well in your study. Transcript and comprehension quiz have been provided on the left! Moreover, you can jump over to Slack to join the conversation :)

What role does American individualism play in communication and English fluency, and how does that vary broadly by generation? In this episode, Josh and Amber are diving deep into a pillar of American culture and government: individualism. Since the definition of individualism shifts with each generation, this is quite the topic to tackle!

In this episode, Amber and Josh jump into the deep end in the topic of whether or not it's actually possible to become fluent. In addition to personal experiences they share helpful illustrations to paint the picture of what it really means to become fluent AND whether that's a realistic goal.