Learn Naturally

What is the best way to learn a language? This is the most common question asked by my students. After several years of teaching English (and learning Vietnamese), I may have an answer. The answer is... Learn Naturally. Stop reading and think about what that means. 

People have practised spoken language for thousands of years. Long before books and pencils, they used their ears. Our mind has evolved to learn a language through sound. We repeat what we hear and the more we practice the better we become. I will make an example to prove this point. Out of all the people living in HCMC, who do you think has some of the best English speaking skills? Of course lawyers, doctors and businessmen are fluent in English because they had lots of practice here and abroad. But how about cyclo-drivers? The guys who spend all day pedalling tourists around Ben Thanh market have some of the best English I've heard. None of them went to school and I'm sure they couldn't tell you any grammar rules but their speaking and listening skills are better than most of the students I talk to. Why? Because they learned English naturally. They didn't learn subject-verb agreements or past and future tenses but instead used English everyday. The keyword here is use. 

So, should you quit school and become a cyclo driver to learn better English? Of course not. But what you should do is realize how important it is to practice. I have met so many students who've studied English 5 years or more and they still don't feel comfortable talking to foreigners. Learning naturally means you have to practice. But how? Where? With who? I can make several recommendations:

1.) Join an English Club. Every Tuesday night, there is an international meeting next to the Lush Nightclub in District 1. I'm not 100% sure but I think it starts around 7:30pm.

2.) Pham Ngu Lao. When I first came to Vietnam I spent a lot of time at this park. Students would always approach me to have a conversation. We would talk about Vietnam, America, Miley Cirus and anything else that came to their mind. A great way to practice English and learn about other cultures.

 

3.) Private Tutoring. But teacher, they are so expensive! And you're right, the average Vietnamese student cannot afford a one on one teacher. But how about your friends? Do they want to learn? Most English teachers, including me, are happy to teach a group of students for only a small increase in the fee. That means 4 or 5 students can share the cost of one fee.  

Learning naturally does not mean you have to quit school or forget about all your books and notes. But you should always remember that practice is the most important part. We learn to speak in the real world, not the classroom. 

Answering Negative Questions

This conversation is a great example of a very common mistake students make when answering questions: 

Student: "Hello Teacher, I can't come to class today because I feel sick" 

Me: "Okay Thao, so we are not studying tonight, right?"

Student: "Yes"

Me: "We are studying?"

Student: "No" 

Me: "..............khong hieu!!"

This happens all the time and it's because the Vietnamese and foreigners answer questions differently. In English, if someone asks you a question in the negative form and you agree, your answer must be negative as well. Let's look at the conversation again:

Student: "Hello Teacher, I can't come to class today because I feel sick" 

Me: "Okay Thao, so we are not studying tonight, right? 

Student: "No"

Me: "Ok, see you next time."

Student: "Goodnight teacher" 

"We are not studying English tonight, right?" is a negative question because it has the negative particle "are not". Other negative particles include: don't, won't, can't, shouldn't, couldn't, wouldn't. If you hear any of these in a question and you agree with the question you must answer no. 

Let's look at two more examples:

1.     Question:"You didn't finish your homework?"

        Correct Answer: "No, I didn't finish my homework" or "Yes, I did finish my homework" 

2.     Question: "Don't you like donuts?"

        Correct Answer: "No, I don't like donuts" or "Yes, I do like donuts" 

We can say "Yes, I do" or "No I don't" but we can NEVER say "Yes, I don't" 

English speakers often ask questions in negative forms so remember to answer correctly. Practice every day and you will get better. 

You can check out my Facebook page "Business English Class" for more help on learning English. See you next time. 

Consonant Pairs

Since arriving in Saigon 2 years ago, I have met many young people who can speak English. Usually their reading and writing skills are good but they need help with pronunciation. One of the most common mistakes the Vietnamese students make is mispronouncing consonant pairs. 

When Vietnamese students speak English, they often have trouble pronouncing consonant pairs such as "street" or "price" Instead, they will say something like "treat" or "rice". The consonant pairs are difficult to say because the Vietnamese language does not have these sounds. So how can you improve your speaking in this area? One word: PRACTICE. If your goal is to become a better speaker than you must practice EVERY DAY. You don't have to practice for a long time, 20 minutes is enough. This is the only solution I have seen that works. 

When practicing your pronunciation, focus on the consonant pair. Practice speaking "st" and "pr" first and after you can say "street" or "price". The most common consonant pairs are listed below:

bl, br, ch, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr, qu, sc, sh, sk, st 

But how do you know if you are saying them correctly? The best option is to find a native speaker and ask them to listen to you. Another way is to ask your friends to listen to you and write down what you say. 

I have never met a student who practiced English daily and did not improve. Focus your attention on being consistent and you will be successful. practice 

If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a message. That's all for today.