Transcript: The Lazy (& Easiest Way)

What is the easiest way to learn English? The way that takes the least effort? The lazy way. 'Lazy' means the least effort. Well today you will find out.

Why the lazy way? Because we have jobs, we have families. The easier it is to learn, the more chance there is you'll continue doing it, right? If it's not much effort, you will have more time for it in a nice relaxed manner.

I'm taking the best info. What's 'info'? Info, is short, slang for 'information'. Info from the top five YouTube videos on this subject, but only if it agrees with Stephen Krashen's comprehensible input idea, which is what I learned at university.

There's so much advice online, but what of it is popular advice, but also agrees with the data and the teachings, the academic side?  And using my own experiences too, of learning French as a child and also Italian as an adult. Okay, let's dive in. 

So, overall, you want to read and listen to listening and reading that is just one level above your level. So you can pick up naturally the language. Most of the advice is similar to this. This basic idea is Stephen Krashen's comprehensible input method of reading and listening to things that are just one, one level, one small level above your level. And the reading and listening must be topics you enjoy, yeah?

If you're interested in travel, you watch travel blogs. If you like stories, you read simple English stories, (like my books on SimpleEnglishBooks.com). I've written simple stories for you. If you like scrolling on social media. Scrolling. You make a new profile on TikTok in the language you are learning. So you make a Korean profile if you're learning Korean. Make an Italian profile with Italian channels if you're learning Italian.

Okay, advice number one: Watch YouTube videos and Netflix with subtitles, or podcasts with transcripts. Also, the transcript for this podcast is also on my site (SimpleEnglishBooks.com). Watch them twice, once with subtitles, once without, or once with subtitles in your language and once with them in English. You will understand much more the second time you listen to it and absorb, take in much more new language this way. The subtitles help you understand what is happening. And a third time with no subtitles at all, yes, but no pressure. There is never pressure. It must always be relaxed and fun. So also a third time if you want. Twice is enough.

Shorter videos are best. Shorter are best because it is easier to listen to it twice if it is short, right?

What's important is you understand the meaning. What does the speaker mean? What message are they trying to say? 

Travel. Travel vlogs are great. Why? Because they are very visual.  'Visual' means you can see what they are talking about.  Often on travel vlogs and YouTube videos, they are talking about simple things like food and travel and milk and orange juice and I don't know, fairground circus games, jumping off a cliff, I don't know, in different countries.

Often, they are pointing at what they are talking about using everyday vocabulary. To make it more interesting for you, it must always be interesting for you, watch travel vlogs about countries you are already familiar with, or countries that are interesting for you.  Also, watch YouTube videos generally about topics that are interesting for you.

Maybe cooking is interesting for you, or music, or celebrities, you know, famous people or movies. Watch material about these topics that are interesting and already familiar to you because you already know the topic so you'll already know the meaning of what they're saying more, and it's interesting, so it's enjoyable for you.

And do you know what else is very visual?  Where you can easily see what they're talking about? Cartoons! Yeah? Especially kids cartoons. Netflix, Disney, Amazon, they all have cartoons. And kids cartoons are subtitled, dubbed in many different languages. For example, Peppa Pig is super. It's cute but also because it's in so many different languages and each episode, each episode is only seven or eight minutes long, so you can easily watch it twice.

And, remember, for podcasts, for podcasts you can easily change the speed. If you cannot understand what I'm saying, you can slow it down more. This helps you pick up more language naturally and the second time you listen, you can speed it up. Speed it up back to the normal speed. 

Another rule, let's say, the speaker must speak clearly in it. So I speak quite clearly, right?  American accents. American English is easier to understand. But, of course, it doesn't sound as good as a British accent, or as classy, does it? But it is easier to understand. So that means you cannot listen to me anymore.  LOL, because I have a British accent. 

Americans speak from the nose, yeah? They vibrate the sound in the nose. Hamburger. Three points. Three points. Hamburger.  I mean, it's clearer. British people they speak from the chest. A burger.  Three points. It vibrates in the chest. Sometimes British people speak like, "yeah mate, you fancy a, like a cup of tea?" Like,  with their mouths half closed.

American English is more direct and uses simpler words. Because Americans are dumber.  No. Ha ha ha ha. Only joking.  And I used to have an American accent because I was born in Canada and moved to England when I was a wee boy of eight years old. And I still remember the English children making fun of my voice.

In grade three,  they'd run up to me and say, Canada! And run away and also do impressions of Canadian geese. They'd go, "Quack, quack, quack, quack". Of course, in British English we say, Canada. But in American English and Canadian English we say, Canada. 

Another general difference is  British uses more metaphors, uses more decorative, like flowery language, more adjectives like, unnecessary adjectives too and adverbs. But American English less.

It's more direct, simpler. Or you listen to me if you want a direct and simple British accent. Next, if you do not understand any words, vocabulary, when watching YouTube, Netflix, or listening to podcasts, do not worry about it! Just enjoy it. It is tedious, meaning, it is annoying to keep having to look at the dictionary every time you do not know a word. Forget it! 

Okay, but if you see the same word again and again, yeah, okay. Look in the dictionary if you really, really, really want to. But overall, try not to because it is not fun to look in the dictionary. It is not the lazy way.  So instead of worrying about what you do not understand,  instead celebrate what you do understand.

Your mindset should be, oh wow, I understood this! Oh wow, I understood this sentence! This paragraph! Oh wow, I understand this video! Be happy with what you do understand rather than be annoyed with what you don't understand. Also, listening and reading without stopping is more enjoyable so it motivates you to continue doing it more.

So, well done guys! Next podcast we will do more tips of the lazy way to learn English because I'm only halfway through the brilliant tips I found online. The transcript is on my site, SimpleEnglishBooks.com.

I'm Tristan, your host and I hope you have a beautiful day. And remember, listen to this twice and ideally, read the transcript once, but most of all, have a beautiful, incredible day of light, love, fun in the sun.