ESL WORKSHEET - Malala

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

MALALA YOUSAFZAI

LinguaHouse
Jul. 16, 2022

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of English: General English 

Tags: Celebrities and Historical Figures; Education, Teaching and Learning; Historical Events; People and Places; Society and Change; 18+ Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 13-15 Years Old; Vocabulary and Grammar
Publication date: 07/16/2022

This audio-aided lesson tells the story of Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai (born in 1997). The lesson focuses on vocabulary, listening comprehension, and speaking and includes a short look at using tense in biographies. There is also an optional discussion extension activity about how educating girls benefits individuals and society (by Stephanie Hirschman).

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Malala Yousafzai was born in 1997 in the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan. Her father was a social activist and educator, and he named his daughter after a female hero who led the Afghan people to victory in an 1880 battle against the British.
Malala attended the girls’ school that her father had founded, but when the Swat Valley came under the control of the Taliban in 2007, the family, including her two younger brothers, had to leave. The Taliban are a political and religious group who follow a strict form of Islam. They do not believe that girls should attend school or that women should play an active part in society. Upon the family’s return in 2008, Malala gave her first public speech, called “How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to an education?” As the Taliban continued with their violent campaign of closing and destroying girls’ schools, Malala started to blog for the BBC under a different name. During the next few years, she made two documentaries with a US filmmaker about the local situation and met with United Nations workers. Her activism attracted global attention, including a nomination from South African archbishop Desmond Tutu for the International Children’s Peace Prize.
On the ninth of October 2012, Malala was traveling home from school when a Taliban gunman got onto her bus and asked, “Who is Malala?” She was shot in the head and had to be transferred to the UK for medical care. She and her family stayed in that country with relatives, and she continued her studies there after she got better. She did not visit Pakistan again until 2018.
The Taliban’s violent actions led to a new international focus on and action for girls’ educational rights, and Malala’s work was right at the heart of these efforts. In 2013, on her sixteenth birthday, she gave a speech at the United Nations in New York. She was also named one of Time magazine’s most influential people of the year and published her life story, titled “I am Malala” - a response to the gunman’s question on the bus.
During this period, Malala worked hard to promote girls’ education around the world. In many countries, girls miss out on secondary education due to local conditions such as war, early marriage, having to work to support their family, and cost. The Malala Fund, set up in 2013, works in countries with low levels of female school attendance to train local workers to find ways to get more girls into school. It was for this work that she received the Nobel Peace prize in 2014 - the youngest ever winner. Malala has also opened a girls’ school in Lebanon for refugees from the Syrian Civil War.
Malala went to Oxford University and studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, graduating in 2020. The following year, she married Asser Malik, who was working for the Pakistani Cricket Board. In 2022, Malala was working as a TV producer.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/malala-yousafzai. Accessed on July 18, 2022. © 2008–2022 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.

ENGLISH Curiosities

6 FATOS SOBRE A LÍNGUA INGLESA

QUE VOCÊ NÃO CONHECIA

MEGA CURIOSO
Pedro Freitas
26 jul. 2022

Falar INGLÊS cada vez mais tem se tornado um aspecto importante na sociedade, seja por questões de trabalho ou simplesmente para se conectar com outras partes do planeta. Exceto pelo mandarim, o inglês é o segundo idioma mais falado no mundo e também é visto como a nossa "língua universal".
Aprendê-lo pode não ser tão simples assim, mas quando desbloqueamos essa habilidade em nossas vidas logo vemos que diversas portas são abertas. Então, se você está disposto a começar algumas aulas de inglês, é sempre bom ter algumas cartas na manga. Veja só esses seis fatos interessantíssimos sobre a língua inglesa que você provavelmente não sabia!

1. As invenções de Shakespeare

De acordo com um estudo feito pelo professor de literatura inglesa Warren King, o dramaturgo William Shakespeare teria inventado pelo menos 1,7 mil palavras na língua inglesa para compor cada uma de suas peças. A pesquisa ressalta, no entanto, que os termos utilizados eram adaptações de termos já conhecidos na literatura clássica.
Essas foram algumas das palavras que Shakespeare deixou como contribuição para a língua inglesa: majestoso (majestic), despir (undress), generoso (generous), pressa (hurry), rubor (blushing), tortura (torture) e local de nascença (birthplace).

2. Variedade de sons

Uma curiosidade intrigante sobre a língua inglesa é que o seu alfabeto é composto por um total de 26 letras capazes de gerar 44 sons diferentes. Dessa forma, é possível montar um alfabeto fonético com 12 sons de vogais, 8 sons de ditongos e 24 sons de consoantes diferentes.
Por esse motivo, muitos falantes de línguas latinas encontram enormes dificuldades para conseguir pronunciar algumas palavras específicas. Em termos gerais, o alfabeto inglês é o de maior variedade de sons no mundo.

3. Múltiplos significados

Segundo o dicionário de inglês, a palavra com o maior número de significados diferentes é a palavra "set". Se colocarmos em todos os contextos possíveis, esse mesmo tempo pode adquirir os seguintes significados: cenário, palco, montaria, pose, impor, jogo, série, grupo, equipe, coleção, estojo, assento, aula, conserto e por aí vai.
Dentro de uma mesma frase, é possível utilizá-la em lugares diferentes e com aplicações válidas. Por esse motivo, é preciso estar atento ao significado que você almeja alcançar e qual a maneira de usá-la corretamente.

4. Adaptação da língua

A palavra "goodbye", que é um popular termo para se despedir de uma pessoa, anteriormente possuía um significado mais complexo. Segundo estudos etimológicos, o "goodbye" surgiu de uma contração da frase "God be with you", que quer dizer "que Deus esteja com você".
Por esse motivo, a tradução exata dessa palavra para as línguas latinas tornou-se a palavra "adeus", que também seria uma contração da frase de despedida usada pelos católicos "A Deus seja" ou "A Deus te confio".

5. Reinado na internet

A internet tornou-se uma ferramenta essencial nas nossas vidas e não à toa o inglês é o idioma mais predominante dentro dela. Mais de 50% de todas as informações presentes no mundo virtual estão escritas em inglês, o que faz com que saber essa língua seja algo extremamente relevante em um mundo moderno.
Apesar de ferramentas de tradução espontâneas estarem se aprimorando todos os dias, ainda existem diversas barreiras linguísticas que dificultam a compreensão total de uma informação. Logo, aumentar sua capacidade de entender o inglês também ajudará na sua compreensão de mundo.

6. Quantidade de palavras

Outro fato curioso sobre a língua inglesa é que ela possui mais de 1 milhão de palavras, o que faz dela uma das línguas mais ricas em termos linguísticos. Para métodos de comparação, a língua portuguesa possui cerca de 600 mil palavras — ou até menos do que isso.
Porém, isso não condiz com uma realidade plena. Estudos mostram que um falante médio de inglês usa menos de 400 palavras em 80% do tempo.

Adaptado de: https://www.megacurioso.com.br/educacao/122519-6-fatos-sobre-a-lingua-inglesa-que-voce-nao-conhecia.htm. Acesso em: 29 jul. 2022. Mega Curioso. Todos os direitos reservados.

ESL WORKSHEET - Animals, Environment and Nature

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

AMAZING ANIMALS

LinguaHouse
Jul. 8, 2022

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of English: English For Teenagers
Tags: Animals; Education, Teaching and Learning; Environment and Nature; Animals and Plants; 13-15 Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; Article Based; Speaking; Video Talk
Publication date: 07/08/2022

The topic of this lesson is amazing animals. Students will read an article about four unusual animals and watch a video about some more weird and wonderful creatures that share our planet. Students will learn level-appropriate vocabulary to talk about animals and the natural world. Students will discuss an array of animals and environments and there is a focus on compound adjectives. In addition to this, students have the chance to research and write about an unusual animal (by Richard Moon).

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio (MP3).
• CLICK HERE to download/watch the video (MP4).

AUDIO/VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Some animals are cute, others are not. We're counting down eight animals that may not have the looks. But've got plenty of personality.
Number 8. Look at the schnoz on this guy. The Proboscis Monkey's giant nose is actually used to attracted mates. Hello ladies! Proboscis monkeys are also excellent swimmers. They'll often leap off trees in big belly flops. Cannon ball!
Number 7. Is this thing an animal or vegetable? The Pangolin looks like a walking artichoke, but is actually a mammal covered in scales. The scales are made of keratin, the same stuff as human hair and fingernails.
Number 6. This bird doesn't fly, it jogs! The Kakapo is the world's only flightless parrot. But, it uses its legs and beak to climb trees. When the kakapo needs to get down he uses its wings to glide to the forest floor.
Number 5. The Tapir's weirdest feature might be its trunk, which acts as an extended nose. The Tapir can use its trunk to grab objects, pull leaves off branches, and pluck fruit from trees. Talk about following your nose!
Number 4. The Mexican Axolotl is like a salamander that never grew up. This amphibian keeps the shape of a tadpole, a long fin along its back and frilly gills on top of its head. They also have amazing healing powers. They can regenerate limbs, organs. And even their own brain!
Number 3. This Aye-aye uses its unusually long middle finger to scoop out insect larva from the inside of trees. It may look bizarre, but this primate is related to chimpanzees, apes, and even us! Just don't invite him to dinner.
Number 2. Despite their names, Naked Mole Rats are neither moles, nor rats. They're actually related to porcupines and guinea pigs! And they're not even truly naked. Just look at those whisker-like hairs! A mole rat's incisor teeth can move on their own, working together like chopsticks. Now that's a picky eater!
And number 1. The skin on the Titicaca Water Frog looks too big for it. But there's a good use for that baggy skin. The folds and flaps allow more oxygen-rich water to pass over the frog, allowing it to stay underwater as long as it wants. Surfacing for air is so overrated!
That's our pageant of weird but wonderful animals. For more fun facts, check out other episodes of Awesome 8.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/english-for-teenagers/amazing-animals. Accessed on July 10, 2022. © 2008–2022 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.

ELT - Education for Young and Adult Students

YES, WE CAN!

Uma prática de letramento na aula de

INGLÊS da EJA

OBSERVATÓRIO ENSINO
DA LÍNGUA INGLESA
Vanessa Prado
Catilcia Lange
25 jul. 2022

O projeto foi realizado no segundo semestre do ano de 2009 em uma escola pública estadual situada em um bairro da zona leste de Porto Alegre que atende a uma comunidade de classe média-baixa.
A turma T6A, na qual desenvolvemos este trabalho, era uma turma da última etapa do ensino fundamental. Pode-se dizer que essa turma representava todo o universo complexo e diverso que é uma turma de EJA: bastante heterogênea em relação às idades dos alunos e com grande número de alunos evadidos ao longo do semestre.
As etapas da pesquisa incluíram a elaboração de uma unidade didática, a geração de dados em sala de aula e a posterior transcrição e análise desses dados.
O material produzido por nós para este trabalho é um conjunto de tarefas relacionadas e interligadas que têm como objetivo possibilitar, através de eventos de letramento, a inserção dos alunos em discursos da atualidade aos quais poderiam não ter acesso sem a oportunidade promovida pela aula de Inglês.

Temas: Ensino de línguas; Educação de Jovens e Adultos; Atividades pedagógicas
Tags: Inglês para EJA; unidade didática

Autor: Prado, Vanessa Viega; Lange, Catilcia Pass
Instituição: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - Porto Alegre - Rio Grande do Sul - Brasil
Localização: Porto Alegre - Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil
Formato: PDF
Tipo de Documento: Artigo
Fonte: Bem Legal
Volume: 1
Número: 1
Data de Publicação: 2011

• CLIQUE AQUI para fazer o download do artigo.

Adaptado de: https://www.inglesnasescolas.org/educ-resource/yes-we-can-uma-pratica-de-letramento-na-aula-de-ingles-da-eja/. Acesso em: 29 jul. 2022. © 2022 British Council. Observatório Ensino da Língua Inglesa. Todos os direitos reservados.

Learning ENGLISH with BOB!

BOB THE CANADIAN

LET’S LEARN ENGLISH!

Pet Peeves (Annoying Things People Do!)

[Lesson Only]

BOB THE CANADIAN
YouTube Channel
July 24, 2022

This English lesson is about pet peeves, the things that a particular person finds especially annoying. It can be people who don’t park between the lines, people who talk too loudly, people who chew gum with their mouth open, or my personal pet peeve, people who use their phone while driving.
The class will focus on pet peeves about other people’s behavior - the pet peeves we all have about things other people do. In this English lesson, we’ll learn phrases related to things people do that are annoying. More precisely, this will be an English class where Bob talks about the things other people do that he finds annoying.
In this lesson, Bob is sure we’ll learn how to talk about our pet peeves in English. He will also help us learn how to pronounce different kinds of English words and phrases related to the pet peeves.

• CLICK HERE to listen to/download the audio.
• CLICK HERE to watch/download the video.

AUDIO/VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Well, hello and welcome to this English lesson about pet peeves. If you don't know the term pet peeves, a pet peeve is something that bothers you. Um, there might be things in life that you really enjoy. But there's also things in life that bother you. They bug you. They make you annoyed. In this particular lesson I'm going to be talking about pet peeves that I have. Uh, pet peeves that things that other people do that annoy me. And I think you'll be some of these will be familiar to you. Not all of these are things that annoy me. But in this English lesson I'll talk about some very common pet peeves that other people have. And I'll mention which ones are ones that also bother me, most of these bother me as well. Please pay attention during the lesson to the phrases I use when I talk about each pet peeve. I'm going to say things like that bothers me, that drives me nuts, that drives me crazy, that... really, um, is something that, yeah, just bothers me. Sorry, I'm forgetting the phrases that I had memorized for this lesson. But, anyways, I think you know the point. Welcome to this English lesson about pet peeves.
So here's the first one. Telemarketers. So lately at my house one of the things that has really been bothering me. One of the things that annoys me is when the phone rings and it's someone trying to sell me something. A telemarketer someone who works in a call center, and they just phone people randomly and try to sell them something. The last phone call I got from a telemarketer I think was actually a scam. A scam is when they tried to trick you into giving them money. But telemarketers are annoying. Telemarketers really bother me. Um, this particular scam they wanted me to verify that I had gotten a payment from the government, and they wanted me to give them all my bank information, so they could verify it too, and at which point I said you are trying to scam me. So, some telemarketers are just trying to sell you something, but some telemarketers I think are trying to scam you. I guess technically that's not a telemarketer, that's just a scammer. Anyways, I don't like it when the phone rings and it's someone trying to sell me something.
People who chew loudly. Oh, little bit too big there. People who chew loudly or chew with their mouth open. So, Brent mentioned this in the chat earlier. In North America, in particular, and I don't know what the tradition is in your country or what is considered polite, but in North America we usually chew with our mouths closed. If I take a bite, I usually chew with my mouth closed. It's considered polite. But chewing with your mouth open is not polite. And chewing loudly is not considered polite in North America. And it can really, really bother people. I know that for me, when my kids chew with their mouths open, I usually say, hey, please chew with your mouth closed, because that is the thing to do.
Um, people who text and drive or use a phone while driving. This one is a particularly annoying thing for me. I like to go for a walk every morning along my road. And I've noticed a couple of things. One is people drive too fast. That bothers me. But I also notice a lot of people driving with their head down. So, they're driving like this. So, I'm assuming they're on their phone. They're probably texting and driving. Very, very dangerous. Um, I'm always worried that one of them will lose control of their car, and get into an accident. But, definitely, people who text and drive, or use a phone while driving, is kind of a, it's something that I wish would just stop. There's a big fine, by the way, in Canada for doing that. I think it's a four hundred dollar fine if you get caught.
People who are always late, this is another one that bothers me. I am generally on time. I would say 95% of the time. If I need to go somewhere, I arrive on time. If I need to be somewhere at nine, I get there at five to nine. If I need to be at work at 8:30, I get there at eight twenty-five. I like to be on time, and I have a little phrase I think my mom used to say this: “Five minutes early is on time.” Either my mom or dad would say that. Um, so I believe that when you arrive somewhere a couple minutes early, you're actually on time. So, when I'm sitting in a meeting, and there's supposed to be 10 people in the meeting, and only three people are there, that annoys me a little bit.
This is a new one. People who forget to mute their mic during a Zoom meeting. So, if you've been in a Zoom meeting or any kind of meeting like this, maybe with Microsoft Teams, or any other Skype, any other meeting product, sometimes people leave their mic open, they don't turn their mic off, they don't mute their mic. And, so, two other people in the meeting are talking, and you can hear their dog barking or their kids fighting in the background. So, it's polite to hit mute on your microphone when you are in a meeting. Uh, and some people forget to do that, and that can be that can be a little annoying. Um, some people do it repeatedly. Some people, I won't mention any names because that would be rude. But I go to meetings like this sometimes, and there are one or two people who almost always forget to turn their mic off.
Uh, people who don't use their turn signal, or people who leave their turn signal on. So, notice I'm saying I'm annoying with the person, because most of these things are actions that people do, but sometimes people drive in front of you, and they have their turn signal on, and they don't ever turn. That, that's a little annoying. Sometimes people just turn without using their turn signal and that can be frustrating as well. So, you could say it's annoying, it's frustrating, it drives you crazy when people do those kinds of things.
People who use their phone when you are talking to them, or when you're trying to talk to them. Sometimes we're driving along, and I'll be talking to Jen. And then, after a few minutes, I'll notice she's not responding, and I'll look over and realize that she's on her phone. This does not happen very often, but when people use their phone when you're trying to talk to them, or when you are talking to them, uh, it can be frustrating. Um, I know, in particular, when you go to a restaurant and you're there to enjoy each other's company, so you're there to have conversation. Uh, it can be aggravating when someone is using their phone, because you've decided to go out and spend money to spend time together. It can be a little bit annoying.
People who TYPE IN ALL CAPS. So, by the way, on the internet, if you type something like, I'm going to type in the chat, if I typed this in the chat (SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU – example of a text message on the video), people, there's a bit of a delay, so they might not see it. But that would be considered yelling. Um, so, for me, when I type (I'm just going to put a smile face there), when I type on my phone, or when I text, or when I send an e-mail, I don't ever use all caps, because it feels like the person is yelling at you. So, something that can be a little bit annoying, or an aggravating is when people type using all caps.
People who drive with their windows down and play music really loud. So, there's a few ways to say this, you could say people who play loud music while driving with their windows down, I'm sure you have heard this before sometimes when you're at the mall or maybe even in your own neighborhood, you hear this thumping sound like boom-boom-boom-boom, and a car comes down the street with the windows down and really loud blaring music playing. This can be, yeah, it can be it can be really bother some if you're sleeping and you hear this. Maybe you're trying to have a nap in the afternoon, or it's evening and you're trying to sleep, and all of the sudden you hear loud music. Very, very annoying.
People who don't return their shopping cart. So, it's considered polite to return your shopping cart to a cart corral. That's what we call them. Or to the front of the grocery store. Some people, though, just leave their cart in the middle of the parking lot. Not a very nice thing to do, um, because then the next person who wants to park there can't and might need to get out of their vehicle in order to park. We actually have a grocery store where you put a doll coin in to get a cart, and when you return your cart, you get your dollar back. So, they've created a way to encourage people to return their shopping carts.
People who always have the same problem as you. Have you ever had a headache? And then maybe you have a friend where when you say, “oh, I have a bad headache”, they say, “oh, I have a bad headache, too.” Or maybe you've been in a small car accident, and you say, “oh, I've, I've gotten a car accident, my car is a dent”, and then they tell a story about how their car never starts. So, sometimes people don't listen. Sometimes when you tell them one of the problems you're having in life, they just share their problem instead, when all you wanted was to have someone listen to you. I sometimes do this when I reply to comments, by the way. Someone will say something, and I'll just talk about myself in my reply. I'll try not to do that as much.
People who can't park correctly. So this is something that does drive me bonkers, does drive me nuts. When I go to the grocery store, and sometimes there aren't enough parking spots, and I find one, but the person has parked like this person (showing the picture), and I can't fit my vehicle in. Or when I park, and then someone parks really close beside me, and I can't get my door open when I come back from the store. Uh, that would, that would drive me crazy. So, if you're someone who drives, please, please park correctly. People will appreciate it.
People who slurp when they drink. So, when I first started doing live streams, when I took a sip of water, I would slurp. Sorry about that. That was just an example. And very quickly in the comments a lot of people would mention “please stop drinking while doing your live lesson, please stop slurping your water when you're doing your live lesson.” So, now when I take a sip, I try not to. I try to take a sip quietly. But for some people this doesn't bother me too much, but for some people the slurping sound – isn't that a fun word? – the slurping sound is annoying for them.
Uh, people who smoke in a non-smoking area. So, in Canada, there are very few places you can smoke now. You cannot smoke inside any public building. You can smoke in your home if you want. Uh, but sometimes people will smoke in a place where there's signs saying ‘no smoking. They'll just they'll smoke a cigarette, and they just don't care. Um, not very nice’. Not a nice thing to do, and I wish people would stop doing that. Um, we sell flowers at a farmers’ market, and you can smoke outside the market, but inside the market you're not supposed to. And people still do. So, it's a little bit I wish someone would just tell them to stop.
So, I mentioned this one, the sound of chalk squeaking on a chalkboard or nails on a chalkboard. This can really set people off. Um, when you say something sets someone off, it makes them have a negative emotional reaction. This can even make people angry. The sound of nails on a chalkboard. It goes screech. I don't know if you've ever heard it.
Uh, people who use both armrests. Have you ever been on an airplane or in a movie theater, and there's only one armrest between the seats, and immediately the person beside you uses both of them? Uh, sometimes on an airplane as well this will happen. Someone will use the entire armrest when they should be sharing a little piece of it. Um, it's best just to decide early on how you're going to share the armrest, I think.
Uh, people who cough without covering their mouth. Now this picture is old (showing it), you're supposed to cough into your elbow now, I think, there were new pet peeves that people developed during the pandemic. But certainly, uh, when you cough without covering your mouth, you can see in the person's mouth, and you can, uh, you know, they're expelling, um, I'm trying to think, I want to say molecules, vapor, they're expelling vapor, and just not a nice thing. So, please if you don't want to annoy people, cover your mouth when you cough.
This was mentioned earlier by someone. People who stopped suddenly when walking in front of you. I think this has become more of a problem with phones. I was walking the other day on the sidewalk, and the person in front of me was on their phone. And they did this. All of a sudden, they just stopped walking, and I almost bumped into them. So, maybe a new pet peeve for me. Um, I walk a lot more now, and sometimes I walk in town. So, people who stop suddenly in front of me are very, very frustrating.
People who cut in line or jump the queue. So, yes, in North America, it is considered polite to wait in line, it is considered polite to not jump the queue. I know this is different in different countries, but certainly if you are in North America, if there is a line, you join the line at the end and you wait your turn. That's how things work. If you try to join the line further up, people are going to get very, very angry with you. So, don't cut in line. Um, and don't, uh, don't try to get ahead of other people. Not very nice thing to do.
Uh, people who misspell your name. So, this is kind of a joke. No one has ever spelt Bob with two Bs (showing the picture). But sometimes you have a complicated name. Um, so, for instance, Bob is an easy name, it's not misspelled very often. But let's say your name was, I'm trying to think of a name, um, Kristen. There's a number of different ways to spell Kristen. It's very important for me as a teacher to learn how to spell my students’ names, so that I don't make a mistake. But it can be annoying when someone misspells your name.
People who stand too close. So this is another thing that's new -ish. Um, by the way, we add -ish to words sometimes to like it's new, but not really, but sort of new. Newish. Um, this was a pet peeve before the pandemic, but now it's even more of a pet peeve. The other day I was at a store, and I stood about a meter and a half behind the person in front of me. But then, behind me, a man stood right behind me, which in my opinion is still too close. I actually like standing two meters apart from people. That's I'm comfortable standing that far apart. So, but people who stand too close, and also people who talk too close, sometimes a person will come and talk to me, and they'll stand too close to me, and it is uncomfortable.
People who interrupt you while you are talking. I do this to other people. So, I'm guilty of this. I'm sure for someone else I'm annoying. I'm sure that they're like “whenever I talk to Bob, he's always interrupting me”, but, uh, yes, people who interrupt you while you are talking can be frustrating and annoying.
Bad Wi-Fi in a public place. Bad Wi-Fi anywhere. I think in this day and age, uh, you just expect to be connected. So, when my phone doesn't work somewhere, it's frustrating. I was at market the other day, and I wanted to upload a picture of the market, and my Wi-Fi or my internet was bad at the market, so that was a little bit annoying. At school, if the Wi-Fi is flaky one day – it, when you say flaky that means it's, it works and stops and works and stops, so it was flaky – uh, students, um, get almost, get angry, they're so upset when the Wi-Fi doesn't work. So Wi-Fi is an important thing to keep people happy now.
People who sing along to songs whether you're driving or at home. Sometimes you just want to listen to the song, but your friend or your sibling, your brother or sister might just love singing out loud. So, people who sing along to songs can be annoying when you just want to listen to it. I don't do this. I do not sing along to songs. But, um, yeah, if you're a good singer I guess it would be nice. But, yeah, I, I, I do not enjoy this one.
People who talk in the theater during a movie. Now one of the things that I find is, when I go to see a movie, I pay a lot of money to see the movie and to hear the movie. I don't pay a lot of money to listen to someone behind me talk during the movie. So, sometimes people ask questions during the movie, sometimes people just talk about other things. So, I actually prefer to watch movies home now. I just find it a lot more relaxing because people tend to talk in the theater.
When a phone rings during a movie, so, this is very, very similar. There's warnings at the beginning of a movie in the theater “please turn off your cell phones”, I'll be honest, I don't turn off my cell phone, I just turn the ringer off. Um, but when a phone rings during a movie when you go, it's, it's annoying. When you go to a movie, you want to forget about life and just enjoy the movie. And when a phone rings, it can take away that enjoyment. So, not, not a nice thing to have happen.
Uh, people who take too many selfies. So I have one friend who I think every picture they take is a selfie. And even if you're somewhere really nice, they take a selfie. And, uh, sometimes I think, well, why don't you just take a picture of the beautiful waterfall, why don't you just take a picture of the city you're in, why, why are you always, why are you always doing this? It's always like phone. It's always like that. But I do it myself as well. I do take selfies sometimes. Um, mostly if I'm posting for all of you, I will take a selfie, so that people can see where I am in the world.
PDA, public display of affection. I actually got this wrong in a lesson a few months ago, and then Mode Aggs corrected me. Uh, but a PDA is a public display of affection. That means hugging or kissing in public. Generally in North America, if you are walking around, um, with someone who you like romantically, holding hands is usually fine. Um, walking with your arm around someone is fairly common. Uh, but hugging and kissing in public is considered a public display affection. Um, so, yeah, it's not, it's not, um, yeah, it's not considered polite. You will see it sometimes especially in a touristy area. You will see people, um, showing affection in public, but generally not something you see a lot of.
Uh, people who eat your food from the fridge at work. So we have a fridge at work. I don't know if you have a fridge at work. A refrigerator. When I bring my lunch to school, I put it in the fridge. Sometimes other people will eat other people's food. I hope I explain that correctly. Sometimes people will put food in the fridge and other people will eat it. It doesn't happen very often, but it can be annoying. When I was in college, I had a roommate who often ate my food. That was, eventually I had to talk to him about it because it was very, very, very annoying.
Uh, let's see here. People who put gum under a table or bench when they are done chewing it. I, it grosses me out. So, that means it makes me like, like, I almost feel sick when I sit on a park bench, and I put my hands on the edge, and I feel gum underneath, I do not like it. This is probably one of my biggest pet peeves. When you sit in a chair, or when you sit at a table, or when you sit on a park bench, and then you realize there is gum underneath, it's very, very, it's gross. That's the word we would use in English. It's very gross.
Bad drivers. Bad drivers, I think this is everyone's pet peeve. I think everyone in the world thinks they're a good driver. And they think everyone else is a bad driver, and bad drivers annoying them. So, definitely for me, I don't like bad drivers. I, when I'm going somewhere, especially when I had little kids in the van with me, when my kids were little, um, bad drivers would really, really bother me and make me angry, actually. When I would get cut off, or when someone was driving way over the speed limit, that would always really, really annoy me.
Uh, we mentioned this a little bit. People who don't actually listen when you are talking to them. Uh, I have this, there's a couple people I know who do this where, when I'm talking to them, when I'm done saying what I'm saying, they just talk about something else, or they talk about themselves. It's kind of strange actually.
Uh, a person who is always the expert on any topic. You know, this is such a funny annoyance in life that a lot of television shows will have a character who plays this role. I think Dwight on The Office was kind of this way. He always knew everything. Um, and there's a few other shows where they'll, they'll have someone who's always the expert. And, and it's, they put a person in the show like that because it's funny, but in real life it's not as funny. Um, at a previous job, I worked with someone who was like this. No matter what we talked about, they thought they knew more than everyone else, and it was a little bit aggravating.
Spam e-mail, telemarketers. Spam e-mail, phishing scams, anything where people are trying to take advantage of you, uh, can just be, uh, yeah, too much sometimes. Uh, I get a lot of spam e-mail. Thankfully, my spam filter catches most of it, so I don't have to worry about it. But, yes, spam e-mail, you know a long time ago, before spam filters worked well, it was really annoying.
Uh, people who walk their dog and don't clean up after it. So, dogs poop, and you should clean up your poop. You should have a pooper scooper when you take your dog for a walk. You should have little bags to put the poop in because you shouldn't leave it at the park, you shouldn't leave it on the sidewalk. So, you can see this “scoop your pet's poop” (showing the poster in the picture), someone has put a sign up because, obviously, someone is not doing that. So, please, if you are a pet owner, clean up after your pet. It's everyone will be happy if you do that.
Uh, people who flick their cigarette butts on the ground. So, smoking is already a little bit annoying, but people who smoke and when they're done, they flick their cigarette. Can you tell I used to smoke? So, you smoke and then you flick your cigarette, but I, maybe I did that when I was younger. We'll see. Um, but people who flick their cigarette butts on the ground, this is also dangerous in some parts of the world. It rained here recently, but before Monday, if you flicked your cigarette butt here, you might have started a grass fire because things were starting to get very, very dry in this part. But thankfully it rained on Monday, and it rained on Wednesday. We got two nice rain showers. So, everything's growing really well again.
People who litter. So, this is related to flickering a cigarette, but, but, um, sometimes you'll go to a public park, you'll go to a public place, and there will be garbage on the ground. Uh, there will be litter everywhere, and there might even be garbage cans and recycling, and recycle bins, but people don't use them. So, it's annoying when people do this. Um, we have taught our children not to do this. I hope when they are adults and live out of our house that they don't start littering. Um, when I walk along the road, the ditch is filled with litter. I know you think Canada is a beautiful country, and it is, but if you look in certain places, you will see litter, and it's really, really annoying.
When, when people show you 5,000 pictures of their vacation. So, yes, sometimes people go on vacation, sometimes when they come back, they show you some pictures, and it's nice. But there are certain people who like to show you every picture, like “and then we visited this house, and this was their living room, and this was their kitchen, and this is their backyard, and this is where they seat at night, oh, and this is funny, this is a little lawn ornament they had, a little small gnome in their yard.” You're going to have to look up yard ornaments and gnome. Um, sometimes people go on vacation, and they simply show you way too many pictures when they get back.
And then perfume or cologne that is too strong. This is one of my bigger pet peeves. I have a very good sense of smell, um, probably because my nose is bigger than other people. I don't, I'm just kidding. But, um, when people wear a lot of perfume or cologne, it bothers me. I don't mind a little bit of perfume or cologne. Sometimes when you go somewhere, um, it's pleasant. But sometimes people, you know, they squirt a whole bunch on themselves. Or they're wearing too much and it's overwhelming. So, that is definitely a pet peeve of mine. Too much perfume or too much cologne. By the way, women wear perfume and men wear cologne. And I'll pronounce that one more time. Cologne. I don't wear cologne, by the way. I think when I was younger, I did for a bit. But wearing cologne myself was, was too smelly. Smelly is the wrong word. It, the smell was too strong for me.

#englishlesson #learnenglish #bobthecanadian

© 2022 Bob The Canadian. All rights reserved.

ENGLISH With Music - "As It Was"

ENTENDA A LETRA DE

“AS IT WAS” (HARRY STYLES)

English in Brazil by
Carina Fragozo
4 jul. 2022

A professora Carina Fragozo fez uma ótima análise da letra da canção “As It Was”, do britânico Harry Styles. 

Take a look, learn English and enjoy the song!

The lead single from his third album Harry’s House, “As It Was” sees Styles singing in a somewhat sorrowful voice about his bittersweet feelings of loneliness and the past, masking it with synths and an upbeat sound reminiscent of music from the ’80s.
In an interview, Styles describes the song as about “metamorphosis, embracing change and former self, perspective shift and all that kind of stuff.”

“It just felt like the thing I wanted to say, the thing I wanted to be doing and the kind of music I wanted to make coming back.”

Source: https://genius.com/Harry-styles-as-it-was-lyrics. Accessed on July 8, 2022.

“AS IT WAS”

Written by Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson and Harry Styles.
Produced by Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon.
Video Director: Tanu Muino
Song released on April 1, 2022.

Come on, Harry, we wanna say goodnight to you

Holdin’ me back
Gravity’s holdin’ me back
I want you to hold out the palm of your hand
Why don’t we leave it at that?
Nothin’ to say
When everything gets in the way
Seems you cannot be replaced
And I’m the one who will stay, oh-oh-oh

In this world, it’s just us
You know it’s not the same as it was
In this world, it’s just us
You know it’s not the same as it was
As it was, as it was
You know it’s not the same

Answer the phone
"Harry, you’re no good alone
Why are you sitting at home on the floor?
What kind of pills are you on?"
Ringin’ the bell
And nobody’s coming to help
Your daddy lives by himself
He just wants to know that you’re well, oh-oh-oh

In this world, it’s just us
You know it’s not the same as it was
In this world, it’s just us
You know it’s not the same as it was
As it was, as it was
You know it’s not the same

Go home, get ahead, light-speed internet
I don’t wanna talk about the way that it was
Leave America, two kids follow her
I don’t wanna talk about who’s doin’ it first

(Hey)
As it was
You know it’s not the same as it was
As it was, as it was

© 2022 Sony Music Entertainment, Erskine Records and Columbia Records. All rights reserved.

Business ENGLISH - UK

WHAT ENGLISH PEOPLE SAY

VS

WHAT ENGLISH PEOPLE MEAN

PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE BUSINESS ENGLISH

ENGLISH WITH LUCY
Lucy Bella Simkins
July 8, 2022

The English language is very powerful. We have the ability to express all sorts of emotions through the words we use. However, sometimes we shouldn't say exactly how we feel, especially in the office. This lesson will teach you important passive-aggressive phrases to express your feelings in a more pleasant way.

CLICK HERE to download the PDF and QUIZ.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction
0:51 The Business English Challenge - https://bit.ly/BusinessCourseOffer
2:05 “It seems there has been a misunderstanding.”
2:44 “I understand it’s not your fault, but…”
3:05 “Let’s circle back later.”
3:43 “Let’s stick a pin in that for now.”
3:57 “That’s an interesting perspective.”
4:16 “As per my previous email.”
4:41 “We’ll take that into consideration.”
4:58 “Thanks for the input.”
5:08 “Let's play it by ear.”
5:27 “With all due respect.”
5:46 “As I previously stated.”
6:04 “I respectfully disagree.”
6:27 “For future reference.”
6:45 “As I am sure you are aware…”
7:10 “Regards”
8:00 FREE PDF and QUIZ
8:19 Social Media
8:52 OUTRO

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Hello, lovely students. And welcome back to English with Lucy. I've got an incredibly important video today. It's all about business English. But it goes deeper than just grammar. We're talking about passive-aggressive business English. Anyone who works in an office in the UK knows that the corporate world can be extremely passive-aggressive. We will say things in emails or over the phone that don't seem insulting or angry. But what we really mean is that we bloody hate you and we want you to die. So, I'm going to help you with it. Today, we are going to go through lots and lots of passive-aggressive phrases. And I'm gonna tell you what they actually mean, what we actually mean when we use these phrases.
If you are in the situation where you're looking to find a job in English, or you want to move to an English-speaking country and work there, I have something that might really help you. I know that lots of students want to work in English, but there's a big barrier, and that is the language skills and the technical vocabulary and the jargon and the slang. The English you learnt in school might not work in an English-speaking office. I have created a 30-day course. It's got 30 lessons. It's called The Business English Challenge. You don't have to take it in 30 days, but if you want to seriously make quick progress, then I recommend you do. My students have had amazing results from this course. Through the course, we discuss so much vocabulary and so many situations in which you would use business English vocabulary. We also put in lots of listening practise as well so you don't have embarrassing situations where you don't understand what someone's saying. We are running a special price on this challenge at the moment. It's time-limited, but if you click on the link in the description box, you can view the course, view the special offer, and decide if you want to sign up. We would love to have you on board in our community. Right, let's get started with the lesson.
Okay, the first phrase is, it seems there's been a misunderstanding. It seems there's been a misunderstanding. What we really mean here is I gave you the necessary information, but you clearly did not follow the instructions. Notice how in the first phrase we used the passive voice. There has been a misunderstanding. I'm not saying it's you, I'm not saying it's me. What we really mean when we say this is did you read the instructions? Obviously, you haven't paid attention. An example: it seems there's been a misunderstanding. Why are you still copying in everyone on every email?
Another one: I understand it's not your fault, but. This means it's your fault. It probably is your fault, and you need to fix the issue. I don't care whether it's your fault. It might be your fault. I don't care whether it is. I just need you to fix this problem. I understand it's not your fault, but please go ahead and correct the contact details of every single client.
Okay, another phrase. And I must admit, I hate this phrase. This phrase is an example of jargon, specialised language practically designed to exclude other people. The phrase is let's circle back later. Let's circle back later. To circle back means to return. Why can't they just say let's return to this later? But no, it's business jargon. If someone says, "Let's circle back later," you know what they really mean is, what you're saying isn't important right now. An example: I know you want to talk about your bonus. Let's circle back later. That's not important right now.
Next, we have, let's stick a pin in this for now. Let's stick a pin in this for now. This means this is entirely irrelevant and we're never going to look at this ever again. Actually, Bob, let's stick a pin in that for now. We have much more important matters to discuss.
One I love, I must say I do see the humour in this: that's an interesting perspective. That's an interesting perspective. What we actually mean is that's a ridiculous idea. I can't believe you've actually just said that. An example: thank you for your suggestion of wearing pink on Wednesdays. That's an interesting perspective.
The next one is super common. It is as per my previous email, as per my previous email. This means I've already given you this information. Can you not read? An example: as per my previous email, everyone must come to work on Saturday. That means I've already said this in another email. Didn't you read it? I can't believe I have to say it again.
The next one: we'll take that into consideration. We'll take that into consideration. This means we're going to forget about that after this conversation. An example: you want paw-ternity leave for when you adopt a puppy? We'll take that into consideration.
Next, we have thanks for the input. Thanks for the input. This means your unwanted opinion is not welcome. Thanks for the input, Jack, but please don't interrupt me when I'm speaking.
Next, we have, let's play it by ear. Let's play it by ear. This means I hear what you're saying, but it's not going to happen. If someone came to me and said the weather's so nice today. Can we move our desks outside? I might say, let's play it by ear, and first focus on the tasks we need to finish, i.e. no.
Another one is with all due respect, with all due respect. And this is similar to saying no offence but. It means what I'm going to say is probably going to offend you, or probably going to upset you. An example: with all due respect, I don't think short shorts are appropriate workplace attire.
Another one, this is like the physical version, the spoken version of as per my last email. It is, as I previously stated. It means as I literally just said, I literally just said this. As I stated previously, you can't ask for two-weeks holiday with one day's notice.
Next, we have, I respectfully disagree. Ah, isn't that so lovely. I respectfully disagree. This means you are wholly and utterly wrong. I totally disrespectfully disagree with you. An example: thank you for the corrections on my report. I must respectfully disagree with them and change it back to how it was.
Next, we have for future reference, for future reference. This simply means so that you don't mess up again in the future, for future reference. An example: for future reference, don't download anymore inappropriate videos to your work laptop, thanks.
And finally, we have, as I'm sure you're aware. As I'm sure you're aware. This means, yeah, you should know this, I've told you this a million times. As I'm sure you are aware, it's important to avoid eating other people's sandwiches. We've all met someone that eats people's food from the office fridge, ugh. Worst kind of people. This video has made me angry and passive-aggressive.
There are three more things I want to touch on. Three ways to end an email. We communicate so much through how we end an email. Warmest regards means I love you. I love you, you are my main person. Kind regards means you're okay, we're good. But just regards on its own, oh, if you get an email with just regards, you need to ask what you've done wrong. It means you are the worst. You are getting on my last nerve, regards, Lucy. And with that, possibly the most passive-aggressive lesson I have ever made, I bid you farewell.
Don't forget to check out The Business English Challenge. The link for that and the special price is in the description box. Also, make sure you download the free PDF. There is loads of extra information on this PDF. Lots of activities, example emails. We take it a little bit more seriously on the PDFs. If you'd like to download that, just click on the link in the description box, you enter your name and email address. You sign up to my mailing list and it will arrive directly in your inbox.
Don't forget to connect with me on all of my social media. I've got my Instagram, @englishwithlucy. I've also got my personal Instagram, @lucy. And this might be interesting for you. I also have my vlogging channel where I document our lives here in the English countryside. But, importantly, every single vlog is fully subtitled, so, you can use it to acquire new vocabulary and improve your pronunciation skills and your listening skills. It's quite a good resource. I will see you soon for another lesson.

ENGLISH IN THE REAL LIFE (Study Tips)

O QUE SIGNIFICA SER FLUENTE EM INGLÊS?

EF - ENGLISH LIVE
20 abr. 2020

Ser fluente em inglês é um dos grandes objetivos de muitos brasileiros. E não há saída fácil: é preciso organizar um bom plano de estudos e mergulhar no idioma para que os resultados venham. Mas, depois de meses ou anos, vários estudantes se veem em uma encruzilhada, sem saber dizer com certeza se estão no nível avançado ou se são fluentes.
Vamos acabar de vez com essa dúvida.

Como os níveis de INGLÊS são organizados?

Uma das melhores formas de entender o progresso no aprendizado do inglês é utilizar o Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERF). O padrão divide o conhecimento de inglês em 16 níveis diferentes, agrupados em 3 divisões:

Níveis A1 e A2
Os primeiros degraus da escada de aprendizado do inglês englobam os estudantes iniciantes e de nível básico. Os estudantes no nível A1 têm seus primeiros contatos com a língua inglesa e já começam a construir um vocabulário básico, aprendendo as principais palavras utilizadas no cotidiano.
Os estudantes do nível A2 já começam a ter contato com a gramática da língua inglesa e aprendem as estruturas básicas do idioma. É nesse momento que as interações simples em inglês começam a ser compreendidas mais facilmente.

Níveis B1 e B2
Estes dois níveis incluem as pessoas que já estudam inglês há algum tempo e encontram facilidade na comunicação em algumas situações. Os estudantes no nível B1, por exemplo, já conseguem conversar sobre assuntos do dia a dia, mas encontram dificuldades em conversas com temas mais variados.
Os estudantes no nível B2, ou “pós-intermediário”, já conseguem entender a maior parte dos textos e das conversas, além de ter uma boa base gramatical.

Níveis C1 e C2
Os níveis C1 e C2 são os níveis avançados do inglês. Os alunos que estão neste ponto do processo de aprendizagem já têm um domínio bastante completo do idioma e conseguem se comunicar claramente em praticamente todas as situações.
O nível C1 engloba os alunos que já são capazes de entender textos longos e difíceis, além de reconhecer significados implícitos. Eles conseguem expressar suas ideias de forma bastante espontânea, além de conseguir usar expressões idiomáticas com flexibilidade, considerando o contexto social.
O nível C2, ou “pós-avançado” inclui os estudantes capazes de se expressar com precisão, fluência e diferenciando tons tênues de significado. Eles também são capazes de resumir informações de forma concisa tanto por escrito quanto pela fala.

O que realmente significa ter fluência em INGLÊS?

Não é nada incomum encontrar brasileiros estudantes de inglês que descrevem a fluência no idioma como a capacidade de entender e se expressar como se fosse uma pessoa nativa. Essa concepção normalmente envolve a abrangência do vocabulário adquirido, grandes habilidades gramaticais e minimização de sotaque.
A fluência no inglês, de acordo com o próprio CERF, não se trata de um domínio completo do idioma, mas sim da capacidade do uso funcional da língua.
Saber usar perfeitamente todas as construções gramaticais, conhecer palavras dos mais variados contextos e ter uma pronúncia impecável não são pré-requisitos para a fluência no inglês. Ser capaz de entender o que é dito e se expressar de forma clara é muito mais importante.

Quando podemos considerar que somos fluentes?

Começar a descrever as próprias habilidades no idioma como “fluência” é um ato que envolve um certo nível de coragem. É comum ficar apreensivo e ter dúvidas, mas não podemos deixar o medo afetar essa decisão.
Você mesmo deve avaliar quais são suas maiores dificuldades no idioma e se elas são reais impeditivos para o seu uso do idioma de forma eficaz.
Se você é capaz de se expressar de forma clara e entender o que é dito na maior partes das situações, talvez seja hora de dar esse título tão merecido para sua conquista! A dica aqui é analisar com calma e objetividade.

Sotaque X fluência – qual é a relação entre eles

Estudantes brasileiros de inglês costumam relacionar o conceito de fluência diretamente a uma pronúncia perfeita. Mas sotaques são parte de todos os idiomas e não há motivo algum para se limitar por conta deles.
Trabalhar nossas habilidades de speaking é importante. Afinal, ser entendido é essencial para o uso funcional da língua inglesa. Mas existem dezenas de sotaques diferentes no mundo e eles não costumam ser impeditivos para uma comunicação efetiva.

Superando o medo de falar INGLÊS

Parte do receio de se intitular como “fluente em inglês” também se relaciona com dificuldades na pronúncia, seja por medo ou falta de prática. Um estudante pode ler e ouvir coisas em inglês sem qualquer problema, ao mesmo tempo que encontra grandes barreiras na hora de manter uma conversa no idioma.
Superar esse medo é um processo bastante único para cada aluno, mas é possível afirmar de maneira geral que uma das melhores formas de deixar essa dificuldade de lado é praticando. Falar inglês com amigos, professores e familiares oferece a oportunidade de melhorar e muito suas habilidades em um curto período de tempo.

Comemore suas vitórias!

O processo de aprendizado do inglês é uma jornada cheia de desafios e chegar à fluência é uma grande conquista.
Mas, mesmo se você ainda estiver um pouco distante desse ponto, lembre-se de comemorar as pequenas vitórias do dia a dia. Conseguir entender um diálogo em um filme sem precisar de legendas ou pronunciar alguma palavra difícil pela primeira vez são exemplos de pequenas conquistas que vão deixar você cada vez mais perto do seu objetivo.

Keep practicing! You will get there 🙂

Adaptado de: https://englishlive.ef.com/pt-br/blog/o-que-significa-ser-fluente-em-ingles/. Acesso em: 07 jul. 2022. Copyright © 1996 - 2022 EF Education First Group. All rights reserved. EF English Live and Englishlive.ef.com are registered trademarks.

ENGLISH IN THE REAL LIFE (Study Tips)

COMO APRENDER INGLÊS SOZINHO

TUDO O QUE VOCÊ PRECISA SABER

EF - ENGLISH LIVE
01 mai. 2020

Com o mundo cada vez mais globalizado, não há como negar que o inglês deixou de ser um diferencial e passou a ser pré-requisito. Falar um segundo idioma traz oportunidades para a gente não só no mercado de trabalho, mas também no dia a dia. Aprender inglês expande o nosso mundo e permite que experimentemos novas culturas e tenhamos acesso a um mundo de conhecimento.
É por esses e outros motivos que o inglês fluente é um dos grandes objetivos de muitos brasileiros. Para ajudar você neste processo, preparamos um guia completo descrevendo tudo que vai precisar para se sair bem nesta jornada de aprendizagem. Vamos lá!

Aprender INGLÊS sozinho sem sair de casa é possível?

Não é nada incomum achar que o estudo da língua inglesa só acontece com a presença de professores em uma sala de aula tradicional. Mas a verdade é que é totalmente possível aprender inglês sozinho sem sair de casa se você souber quais etapas seguir e com a ajuda de um bom material didático.
Os estudos sobre gramática, ortografia e aquisição de vocabulário são uma parte importantíssima na jornada de aprendizado de um estudante de inglês, e não vai ser diferente se você estiver estudando sozinho. Mas uma das partes mais importantes do aprendizado de qualquer idioma é sua aplicação em situações práticas de conversação e leitura e em contexto sociais que você vivencia no dia a dia.
Agora que você sabe que é perfeitamente possível aprender inglês sozinho, vamos para as principais etapas desse processo.

Criando um plano de estudos

Antes de colocar a mão na massa, você vai precisar planejar seus estudos com bastante cuidado, principalmente se resultados rápidos são uma prioridade.

1 – Entendendo seu nível de Inglês
Uma das melhores maneiras de entender seu nível de inglês é usar o Quadro Europeu Comum de Referência para Línguas (CERF), que divide os níveis de compreensão e expressão oral e escrita em 3 grupos diferentes:
● Basico
● Independente
● Proficiente
Cada grupo é subdividido em 2 outros níveis. O grupo A, por exemplo, engloba os estudantes no nível iniciante (A1) e básico (A2). Descobrir onde o seu conhecimento melhor se encaixa é importante para a identificação dos principais tópicos a serem estudados.

2 – Estabelecendo uma rotina
Estudar inglês pode ser muito divertido e empolgante em alguns momentos. Entretanto, é bastante comum ver estudantes deixarem o idioma de lado em épocas mais atarefadas. Isso pode prejudicar o seu progresso e adiar a tão sonhada fluência.
Por esse motivo, estudar inglês precisa se tornar um hábito. A consistência do estudo diário garante progressos contínuos e visíveis, ajudando na motivação e organização do estudante.
O primeiro passo no estabelecimento de uma rotina de estudos é definir um objetivo a ser alcançado. Tentar avançar de nível rapidamente é possível, mas essa ambição exige muito mais tempo de dedicação e pode não ser viável para todo mundo.
Leve em conta quanto tempo você tem disponível, qual objetivo pretende alcançar e em quanto tempo pretende atingir esse objetivo.

3 – Encaixando as horas de estudo no seu dia
Parte do processo de estabelecer uma rotina de estudos de inglês é encaixar os estudos no seu dia a dia. Para muitos, ter 1 ou 2 horas por dia para se dedicar não é um problema, mas para outros o tempo pode ser muito mais escasso.
É possível resolver este problema diminuindo a quantidade de estudo diário apesar disso tornar o progresso mais lento. O material e modo de estudo também podem influenciar a flexibilidade da sua rotina.

Aprendendo a ler em Inglês

Desenvolver a habilidade de leitura em inglês é uma das primeiras etapas no processo de aprendizado do idioma. Os primeiros contatos com a língua normalmente se dão por meios textuais e é, portanto, a primeira aptidão a ser aperfeiçoada.
Separamos algumas dicas preciosas para você atingir resultados ainda mais rápido.

Aprender novas palavras leva tempo
Adquirir vocabulário é um processo natural e contínuo até mesmo para línguas maternas e também faz parte de aprendizados sociais e culturais. Aprender palavras suficientes para ser proficiente na língua e se sentir confortável na maioria das situações pode levar bastante tempo.
Para acelerar o processo, os estudantes podem maximizar o contato com o idioma, principalmente em áreas diferentes e que possuem palavras normalmente não utilizadas no dia a dia.

Você não precisa de um dicionário para tudo
O hábito de checar o dicionário para entender palavras em inglês é bastante comum entre estudantes. Embora esta seja uma maneira efetiva de aumentar o seu vocabulário, ela não é a única.
Um outro jeito de fazer isso é tentar descobrir o significado das palavras pelo contexto. Isso pode parecer bastante difícil à primeira vista e pode não funcionar para estudantes nos níveis mais básicos, mas fica cada vez mais fácil com o tempo.
Com o aumento do seu vocabulário, esse processo de aprendizado fica tão automático que muitas vezes você se encontra em situações em que sabe o significado de palavras em inglês sem nem ao menos saber suas traduções para o português.

Aprender estruturas gramaticais é importante
Compreender as estruturas gramaticais da língua inglesa é um passo fundamental para desenvolver suas habilidades de leitura. Estudantes no nível básico encontram muitas dificuldades nesse processo quando não aprendem como a língua inglesa é estruturada. Tente ficar confortável com o modo como as coisas funcionam no idioma antes de dar os próximos passos.

Tente ler coisas mais familiares para você
Ler um livro em inglês que você já leu em português anteriormente é uma ótima maneira de treinar suas habilidades de leitura. A familiaridade com a história e com os diálogos permite uma associação mais livre e abrangente entre as frases em inglês e seus respectivos significados.
Isso ajuda não só na ampliação do seu vocabulário, mas também na familiarização com as estruturas gramaticais e o funcionamento da língua inglesa.

Treinando o seu listening
Ouvir e compreender coisas faladas em inglês é um dos pontos que parece mais desafiador para os estudantes. No começo da jornada de aprendizagem, temos muita dificuldade de entender os fonemas e não estamos nada familiarizados com a sonoridade da maior parte das palavras. Separamos algumas dicas especiais para te ajudar nesse processo!
Ouça músicas e assista a filmes e séries em inglês
Ouvir suas músicas em inglês preferidas é uma ótima forma de praticar o seu listening. Você pode recorrer à letra sempre que tiver dúvidas, ouvir artistas de diferentes estilos, conhecer sotaques diferentes e ainda se divertir bastante.
Assistir a filmes e séries em inglês segue o mesmo princípio. Você pode começar assistindo algo em inglês com legendas em português e, depois de ficar confortável o suficiente com a história, experimente mudar as legendas para o inglês ou até mesmo desligá-las totalmente.

Explore podcasts e vídeos no YouTube para praticar
Se você gosta de se desafiar durante o processo de aprendizagem, que tal praticar o listening em condições não tão ideais?
Filmes, séries e músicas costumam ter uma qualidade de áudio boa o suficiente para serem facilmente inteligíveis. Vídeos no YouTube e podcasts em inglês nem sempre são gravados em condições ideais, e isso oferece a possibilidade para os estudantes se desafiarem.
Experimente achar programas sobre assuntos do seu interesse e desafie-se a tentar entender o máximo possível do que é dito. Vale até pegar uma colinha das legendas automáticas do YouTube nas partes mais difíceis 🙂

Pratique com falantes nativos
As dicas anteriores são ótimas e devem ser seguidas, mas não há como negar que nada substitui um bom papo com um falante nativo da língua inglesa. A flexibilidade que as conversas oferecem permite a adaptação da situação para o nível adequado do estudante.

Treinando sua conversação em Inglês

Depois de passar pelo nível básico e intermediário, muitos estudantes encontram sua maior dificuldade no aprendizado do inglês: a conversação. Mesmo conseguindo entender muito bem lendo e ouvindo inglês, é comum não se sentir confortável para falar. Separamos 3 dicas importantíssimas para você superar esse obstáculo.

Fale em Inglês com você mesmo
Melhorar suas habilidades de conversação em inglês depende muito da prática. Entretanto, essa pode ser uma atividade paralisante para alguns estudantes. O medo de se sentir envergonhado ao cometer erros impede a gente de dar os primeiros passos.
Para contornar essa questão, você pode tentar estabelecer diálogos com você mesmo em momentos particulares. Tentar falar em voz alta sobre o seu dia, sobre as coisas que vai fazer ou sobre algo que assistiu são ótimos modos de praticar seu raciocínio durante a conversação.

Pratique a pronúncia das palavras que você tem mais dificuldade
Os fonemas da língua inglesa podem ser um trava-línguas para os brasileiros, além de não seguirem regras muito objetivas para suas pronúncias. Portanto, nada resta senão a prática e o contato constante com o idioma. Você pode usar ferramentas como o Google Translate para descobrir a pronúncia correta da palavra.

Não se preocupe com o seu sotaque
A grande fonte de preocupação dos estudantes dos níveis mais avançados é o sotaque. Isso é um grande impeditivo para a prática do idioma e para a realização das últimas etapas da aprendizagem.
Tenha em mente que é totalmente normal ter sotaque ao falar inglês e que isso não será um problema para os falantes nativos que conversarem com você no futuro. Sotaques fazem parte dos idiomas e devem ser levados com a mesma naturalidade que levamos as diferenças de pronúncia do português entre as regiões do país.

Mergulhe de cabeça no idioma

Trazer o idioma para o seu cotidiano é essencial para maximizar a efetividade do seu aprendizado. Aprender inglês não é só uma questão de aquisição de vocabulário e entendimento das estruturas gramaticais, mas também é conhecimento cultural e social.
Expressões idiomáticas, referências culturais e gírias são alguns dos elementos que fazem parte do idioma e que só são efetivamente aprendidos com o contato constante com a língua.
Existem algumas práticas simples que você pode adotar para garantir um aprendizado constante:

1 – Mude o idioma dos seus dispositivos
Você provavelmente está em contato com o seu celular ou computador praticamente o dia todo. Que tal usar o tempo navegando nas redes sociais ou fazendo outras tarefas para praticar inglês passivamente?
Ao mudar o idioma tanto dos dispositivos quanto dos aplicativos que usa para o inglês, você ganha a oportunidade de aumentar o seu vocabulário e se acostumar com a presença do idioma no cotidiano.

2 – Evite traduções e legendas sempre que possível
É preciso sair da sua zona de conforto para poder aprender inglês sozinho e de forma eficiente. E parte desse processo pode acontecer ao evitar as traduções e legendas diretas para o português, principalmente se você já é um estudante no nível intermediário.
As traduções e legendas em português são muletas que precisam ser abandonadas lentamente. Tentar descobrir o significado das palavras apenas com um dicionário em inglês ou pelo contexto da situação pode ser bastante trabalhoso, mas traz ganhos significativos. Não deixe de tentar.

3 – Use o inglês para coisas do dia a dia
Que tal começar a usar o inglês para fazer sua lista de tarefas, por exemplo? Aplicar o inglês em coisas do cotidiano é um ótimo jeito de imergir ainda mais na língua e garantir um aprendizado ainda mais completo.

4 – Faça um English Day
Que tal combinar com alguns amigos interessados em praticar o idioma para vocês conversarem exclusivamente em inglês por um dia? O English Day é uma atividade que algumas escolas e empresas adotam para incentivar a prática da conversação. Um dia em que todas as mensagens, e-mails, conversas casuais e reuniões são feitas totalmente em inglês. São 24 horas para os estudantes e colegas de trabalho se ajudarem a melhorar suas habilidades de conversação.

O que faz alguém ser fluente em INGLÊS?

Conseguir se descrever como uma pessoa fluente em inglês é um dos grandes objetivos dos estudantes, mas nem sempre essa conquista é tão clara quanto parece. A fluência no inglês pode ser definida de várias formas diferentes, o que pode fazer os estudantes de nível básico acharem que estão muito distantes de qualquer uso prático da língua.

Adaptado de: https://englishlive.ef.com/pt-br/blog/como-aprender-ingles-sozinho/. Acesso em: 07 jul. 2022. Copyright © 1996 - 2022 EF Education First Group. All rights reserved. EF English Live and Englishlive.ef.com are registered trademarks.