March 28, 2022

Season 3 - Introduction

4 minutes

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Season 3 Introduction [Need to translate this? Try DeepL]

In season 3, I will focus on special lessons for beginners including total beginners.

The most important thing to do as a beginning language student is to listen.

If you are unhappy with your English pronunciation, you need to listen.

If you want to sound like a native speaker, you need to listen.

Listen, listen, listen. Before you try to imitate my accent, listen to it. Listen a lot and listen closely and carefully. Try to hear every sound. DO NOT try to speak at first. Just listen.

When you have the sounds in your ears and in your brain, then try to copy me. DO NOT read the words. English spelling is NOT phonetic. Reading will NOT help. I'll say it again: Reading will NOT help. Listen, memorize the sounds, and then practice with the recordings.

Let me tell you a story. Today is Sunday, March 27, 2022. On Friday—two days ago—I decided to see if I could learn the sounds of Russian. (I am not planning to learn to speak Russian. I’m too old and I don’t have the time. But can an old guy like me learn to pronounce some Russian words correctly? That was and is my question.)

So I found a helpful Russian man and asked him if he would record a short Russian proverb for me to try and learn. This is the proverb: У страха глаза велики. (Literally it means something like “Fear has big eyes.” It is used, I think, when a person tries something new and he or she is afraid in the beginning. Then after starting, she realizes that it was not so difficult after all. Like a first swimming lesson. Or a first language lesson!)

I listened to the recording of this proverb about 500 times before I started to try to repeat. On the second day, I checked my pronunciation with a different Russian speaker and she said, “Yes, I understand you! Good!” Since then I have started working on two more proverbs. I am finding that it is already getting easier. NOT easy, but easier.

So if I, almost 74 years old, can in one day’s practice memorize and repeat a Russian proverb (note: I have never ever studied Russian before!), then you can do the same with English. But remember, it all starts with LISTENING.

Listen carefully. Listen a lot. Now go practice with Season 3, Lesson 1. Enjoy!