Another Book You May Love

A Book You May Love

I’ve been re-reading a book I’d bought recently (while visiting the US to attend a good buddy’s wedding).  It’s by one of my favorite authors, Wayne Dyer, and it’s called “Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life” (under the category of Self-Help).  This is about applying Lao-tzu’s 2500-year-old Chinese philosophy text the Tao Te Ching to modern life, through Wayne’s interpretation and personal experience.  There are 81 short essays on each of the 81 verses of the Tao.

I’m joyfully sharing this because, more than learning English language, this study has the potential to activate thoughts allowing your deep natural peace and happiness to guide you in how you engage with the world.  As Wayne emphasizes, simply by changing the way you look at yourself, all life around you will change (work, school, personal relationships, your relationship with nature) … for the better.

(can also access this information through the “Help” link at the bottom right side of Amazon’s home page in the “International Shipping” section). 

This reading and self-discovery may be even more interesting for you if you team up with a friend, slowly reading a verse’s essay aloud together, sitting quietly for a few minutes, and then discussing what you think and feel.

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 2:24 AM | Comment (5)

Learn With Feeling Good

Passion is the key to learning more, more quickly, and more permanently … this applies to English language, or anything else in life you’d like to pursue.? Skilled instructors understand this, and make it one of their top priorities in the class environment … yet the majority of the responsibility rests within us as students.? We simply know ourselves better than any other person can know us, therefore we can summon individual thoughts which “put ourselves into a great feeling” allowing us to happily embrace the subject we’re dealing with now.

Whatever excites you, hold that thought, and let your whole body and mind feel it, then connect that feeling to what you’re learning now … one sure method for me, is to visualize (in my mind’s eye) crisp fall air while walking through lovely Xujiahui Park, then let that emotion carry into my present task.? By doing this, you’re guaranteed to create a fresh amazing experience during every session.? An important side benefit is that everyone around you will feel your high-energy state, and this will raise the collective vibe--including that of your teacher!? Again, this is something you accomplish from the inside out, and the more you do it and see results, the easier and more fun it becomes.? Please try this during your next class, whether it’s self-taught or with an instructor.

Happy Autumn, Mark

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 11:40 PM | Comment (11)

Ask Open End Questions

Did you enjoy your Labor Day holiday?

This question is one you could simply say “Yes” or “No” to, and that might be the end of the conversation on this topic … so we call it a “closed end question”.

If, on the other hand, I ask you, “How did you spend your Labor Day holiday?”, then I’ve encouraged you to speak in some depth about your experience.  You’ll feel naturally comfortable to say more, and I’ll learn more about your holiday. This is an “open end question”.

Why would we care about being aware of this? (open end question to myself!) … being aware of the form of our question let’s us ask in a manner that will generate flow in the conversation, allowing the creation of a closer relationship between listener and speaker.  The more information we exchange, the more we will get to know each other.  In language learning, this gives speakers greater opportunity to express themselves and expand vocabulary, and it gives companions more listening practice.

I’m not suggesting we avoid closed end questions.  Closed end questions are useful to establish opinions or facts, and we can use them effectively to clarify a situation.  Then, we can expand on the opinion or fact by following up with an open end question beginning with “Why …?“, What …?”, or “How …?”

Do you feel this suggestion is useful? Why?  What do you find useful about it? How will you use it with friends and colleagues?

See what I mean? … I hope your answer is “Yes”… haha!

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 2:11 PM | Comment (2)

My English Is Good

Do me, and especially yourself, a favor please …

When you look in the mirror, or speak to yourself anytime about your English, say “My English is good, and I’m improving!”  Also, when someone asks you if you can speak English, simply respond “yes” … it’s not necessary, any longer, to say “a little” or “poorly”, since these will only hold you back.  The truth is if you can use English to talk about a variety of subjects in life, even using simple words, then you CAN speak English.

Why is this important?  How YOU think about yourself, much more than what others think, will determine the speed and the success and enjoyment with which you learn.  You deserve to think highly of yourself, and to treat yourself well.  Improvement will come naturally as you use the language.

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 8:19 PM | Comment (1305)

New Year New Feeling

What do you LOVE? I mean REALLY love?

If you learn English language for the things you love in life, you’ll create happy feelings inside that will accelerate your learning.  Simply take time to find, learn, and use vocabulary for your favorite ways to spend time … all the subjects and activities that excite you and touch good emotions within you.  When you use what you discover in this way, you’ll learn many additional words naturally, as you describe these favorite areas and describe your feelings about them to others.  You’ll find it easy to remember the new language because of your deeply happy emotions surrounding it. Nature, photography, music, sports, movies, fashion, food … the list is infinite, whatever you’re able to imagine that makes you feel good.  This is an easy and fun way to quickly improve speaking and listening.

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 7:06 PM | Comment (3)

Merry Now

It's a week before Christmas Eve,

and this is my wish for you ...

Merry Now

“Christmas Every Day” isn’t cliché,

It’s real.

Simply choose to feel,

Christmas Blessings,

With each breath you take

Every minute of every hour of every day …

Happy Holidays to you, family, and friends!

Love and Light, Mark

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 5:08 PM | Comment (0)

Letting Go Of Why

Many times in language learning, we seek to understand rules or history to explain “why” something is the way it is.  I’m not suggesting we abandon learning rules in general, which may be helpful to recognize and produce patterns to communicate, but I am suggesting that we be ready to abandon “needing” to know why … that we always be open to accepting that something “just is”.

This gives space for more freedom, peace and joy in the process.  Perhaps I’m reminded of this especially today, Thanksgiving Day, because being thankful for “what we have”, or “what is”, is the essence of the holiday and the foundation of true happiness … this happiness is carefree awareness, and is our best friend in learning anything, including English!  Its energy can fuel and coexist with any intense pursuit and will allow the highest results to emerge.  We can trust in the power of simply observing what we see and hear, and quietly accepting that “it is”, before taking action.  In this way, we permit the whole body to learn, much more deeply and creatively than the mind can in isolation.

It’s easy to do, and the initial challenge is learning to let our mind be still, which becomes natural as we practice.  Any resistance is rooted in our thinking … and seeing our thoughts allows them to fade away, clearing a path to feel what’s before our eyes and ears.  The rest just happens, if we let it consciously unfold.

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 4:18 PM | Comment (2)

Trust Yourself

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 2:55 PM | Comment (16)

Yoga And Dumplings

A wish for you is that this story about my learning Mandarin will raise your confidence, enjoyment, and effectiveness

when you make mistakes listening and speaking in English!

Three weeks ago, I began taking yoga classes.  I’m loving the workout and trying to go many times each week.  Directions are given in both Mandarin and English, and after class I sometimes review a few Mandarin words with fellow students from China.

I now understand that “xi qi” = inhale, and “tu qi” = exhale, breathing being very important to yoga (and life in general!!) … and I’m familiar with “zuo bian” being left side, and “you bian” being right side.  Recently, I asked my classmates to confirm “jiao”

is foot, and “jiao zi” are toes?”  One of them tried not to laugh, but could not help herself … right then, I knew I’d made a funny mistake. She and the others corrected me:  toes are “jiao zhi” … “jiao zi” are dumplings!  Haha!  So I had a good laugh at myself, letting them know that when I can eat “jiao zi” with “kuai zi” using my “jiao zhi” then my yoga progress will be great ;o)

Now, I’ll never forget the difference in pronouncing those words, happy I made that mistake to help me remember.

My point is you can do this too, and can always use mistakes positively to improve speaking and listening.

… simply laugh and remember!

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 8:13 PM | Comment (9)

Materials Beyond Textbooks

Textbooks serve a purpose as a traditional tool to learn language.  Beyond them, is a world of materials that may be more useful to you to learn words and topics YOU would prefer to know about.  Here are some suggestions.

1. Magazines and Newspapers

For current business events and trends, you could use Businessweek magazine, or Financial Times newspaper.  Each printing contains enough material for weeks of study!  You can refer to the previous Read & Re-tell posting in this blog to help you use these for listening practice.

A fun type of magazine for cultural subjects is the series of “expat guides” published in Shanghai to assist non-Chinese residents in knowing the city.  There are publications like That’s Shanghai or City Weekend which have articles on cultural advice, restaurants, music, books, horoscopes, and editorials (which can offer useful language on expressing opinions).

2. Internet Articles

There are almost unlimited materials which you can research on the internet.

If there’s a specific grammar topic of interest, you can simply type “ESL” (English as a Second Language) in front of the topic in your search bar (for example “ESL past tense”) … and you will find many useful lessons (some with exercises) which you can try yourself or with a partner.

As you know, you can search for ANY topic that interests you, and use what you find as the basis for a class (or several classes) … instead of being held to the topics in a textbook, a universe of knowledge is open to you!

3.   DVDs and MP3s

You may already be in the habit of watching English movie DVDs or listening to English MP3s, and this serves as a reminder of the value of listening as much as you can.  I know a student who is diligent about keeping a notebook next to her, then pausing to write words or phrases she doesn’t know.  The next day, she asks native English speakers to explain.

So you see, without a formal textbook, there are materials available to you to design your own fun course daily, and bring into the classroom to share with instructors and fellow students … you’ll learn much more, and more quickly!

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 1:38 PM | Comment (4)

Improve Listening With Read & Re-tell

OK, you’ve lived in China all your life, and you say you don’t have many (any?) native English speaking friends to practice with.  Also, your corporate situation gives you little chance to listen to and speak English each day … so what can you do?

Besides reaching out to make new friends from the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia, you can use this strategy now, with Chinese friends and colleagues of your same English language level, to make great listening progress.

First, find someone (or a few people) equally enthusiastic to improve their oral English skills.  Then, at least twice a week for 30 minutes each time (every day, one hour is better!), sit together with your partner to share the following:

1. each bring 2 paragraphs of English writing about an interesting topic you found online, or in a newspaper, magazine, company materials
2. practice “reading and re-telling” the writing out loud together:
1. one partner “reads” 2 sentences aloud, twice, without the second partner seeing the words (second partner listens)
2. second partner, in their own vocabulary (doesn’t need to memorize every word), “re-tells” what they heard …      the reader can say the sentences a third time or give clues to help the listener remember
3. speaker and listener do this again with the next 2 sentences, and repeat the process until the 2 paragraphs have been completed
4. speaker and listener switch roles, with second person’s material. 

If you can find more than one partner to practice with, that’s even better, since you’ll have the opportunity to hear different speaking styles.  Also, try not to use your electronic dictionary until after you’ve made every effort to ask each other to explain

a new word or phrase … you’ll be amazed at how many answers are inside you and your partner waiting to come out! ...

please reference “Brotherly Love” posting below for proof of this.

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 12:57 PM | Comment (7)

Pronouncing Longer Words

At first, longer English words may appear difficult to pronounce, but they’re actually easy to learn to say,

if you use this approach:

Find someone to help you say the complete word correctly.  Break the word into pieces, then starting from back to front, pronounce it by adding one piece each time until you’ve said the entire word.  Each piece is called a “syllable”, like a beat

in music, and one syllable will have the strongest emphasis (ask a native English speaker to tell you which one).

Here’s an example.

enthusiastic (“having great excitement for or interest in a subject or cause”);

five beats or syllables = en thu si A stic;

“A” is the strongest beat when pronouncing enthusiastic … so now let’s try:

1.  start with “stic” (“stic” like in “chopSTICK”)

2.  then “A stic” (“A” like in “Apple”, saying A strongest)

3.  “si A stic” (“si” like saying the letter “Z”)

4.  “thu si A stic” (“u” like in “sOOn”)

5.  “en thu si A stic” (“en” like in “ENter”)

… repeat each string of syllables 3 times.

Try this with other longer words of your choice.  Once you get familiar with this technique, you won’t be afraid to add any

English word to your speaking vocabulary.  The method was taught to me during TESOL certification (Teaching English to

Speakers of Other Languages) in San Francisco California, and I’m sharing it with a wish for you to become comfortable

and enthusiastic to say many new words!

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 6:01 PM | Comment (6)

Put Your Words In Motion

Mistakes Are Good!

How can mistakes be good, when everyone tries hard to avoid them in life?

They’re one of the most valuable learning experiences!

I’d like to suggest that you be happy each time you make an error speaking English, because it means you’re not afraid to use the language.  Smile when you say something wrong, knowing you’re gaining more great information for the next conversation.  Let the error help you remember the correct way to speak the words next time.

If someone laughs, laugh with them.  It’s unnecessary to take the error personally … you know you’re intelligent and capable, so don’t worry about appearing less than that … and in the rare occasion that someone from an English-speaking country does laugh at what you say, know that they probably wish they could speak Putonghua and Shanghaihua as well as you!

Also, I’m not saying we want to repeat incorrect language patterns.  It’s our choice to seek a better way to express something, from a native English source, then remember the solution and practice it.

Through mistakes and the process of correcting them, we can celebrate the basic reason we learn another language …

to communicate with and understand each other!  If you can achieve this as you correct your English, then you’re already successful.

posted by Mark Tarpinian at 3:53 PM | Comment (9)