The First 20 Hours

The First 20 Hours

Author: Josh Kaufman

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2013-06-13

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1101623047

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Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.


Improving Spoken English

Improving Spoken English

Author: Joan Morley

Publisher: University of Michigan Press ELT

Published: 1979

Total Pages: 380

ISBN-13:

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Presents sets of listening/speaking lessons to help high school and adult students with fluency and accuracy in English


Fluent Forever

Fluent Forever

Author: Gabriel Wyner

Publisher: Harmony

Published: 2014-08-05

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 038534810X

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • For anyone who wants to learn a foreign language, this is the method that will finally make the words stick. “A brilliant and thoroughly modern guide to learning new languages.”—Gary Marcus, cognitive psychologist and author of the New York Times bestseller Guitar Zero At thirty years old, Gabriel Wyner speaks six languages fluently. He didn’t learn them in school—who does? Rather, he learned them in the past few years, working on his own and practicing on the subway, using simple techniques and free online resources—and here he wants to show others what he’s discovered. Starting with pronunciation, you’ll learn how to rewire your ears and turn foreign sounds into familiar sounds. You’ll retrain your tongue to produce those sounds accurately, using tricks from opera singers and actors. Next, you’ll begin to tackle words, and connect sounds and spellings to imagery rather than translations, which will enable you to think in a foreign language. And with the help of sophisticated spaced-repetition techniques, you’ll be able to memorize hundreds of words a month in minutes every day. This is brain hacking at its most exciting, taking what we know about neuroscience and linguistics and using it to create the most efficient and enjoyable way to learn a foreign language in the spare minutes of your day.


The Way of the Linguist

The Way of the Linguist

Author: Steve Kaufmann

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Published: 2005-11

Total Pages: 142

ISBN-13: 1420873296

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The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey. It is now a cliché that the world is a smaller place. We think nothing of jumping on a plane to travel to another country or continent. The most exotic locations are now destinations for mass tourism. Small business people are dealing across frontiers and language barriers like never before. The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger-tips. English, the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled position as an international medium of communication. But historically periods of cultural and economic domination have never lasted forever. Do we not lose something by relying on the wide spread use of English rather than discovering other languages and cultures? As citizens of this shrunken world, would we not be better off if we were able to speak a few languages other than our own? The answer is obviously yes. Certainly Steve Kaufmann thinks so, and in his busy life as a diplomat and businessman he managed to learn to speak nine languages fluently and observe first hand some of the dominant cultures of Europe and Asia. Why do not more people do the same? In his book The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey, Steve offers some answers. Steve feels anyone can learn a language if they want to. He points out some of the obstacles that hold people back. Drawing on his adventures in Europe and Asia, as a student and businessman, he describes the rewards that come from knowing languages. He relates his evolution as a language learner, abroad and back in his native Canada and explains the kind of attitude that will enable others to achieve second language fluency. Many people have taken on the challenge of language learning but have been frustrated by their lack of success. This book offers detailed advice on the kind of study practices that will achieve language breakthroughs. Steve has developed a language learning system available online at: www.thelinguist.com.


Improve Your Spoken English and Pronunciation

Improve Your Spoken English and Pronunciation

Author: Jolinda Osborne

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2011-06-13

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781461136835

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Improve Your Spoken English and Pronunciation: American Accent for Success in Business This comprehensive instructional workbook comes with SEVEN HOURS OF FREE, DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO. The course is designed to teach foreign-born students and professionals already functioning in English how to speak clearly, correctly, and confidently. The book provides detailed instruction on the pronunciation of all of the sounds of standard American English. Extensive exercises include contrast pairs (to help speakers distinguish between sounds), along with business vocabulary words and sentences, workplace dialogues, and common idiomatic expressions. Key pronunciation rules are explained. Numerous opportunities are provided to refine intonation and inflection, minimize nervousness, and develop a natural American speech pattern. Included in the book is a guide to the most problematic sounds for non-native speakers, organized by 22 first languages. The free audio download in convenient MP3 format includes instruction and all of the workbook exercises, taught by the author.


Mastering the American Accent with Online Audio

Mastering the American Accent with Online Audio

Author: Lisa Mojsin

Publisher: Barrons Educational Services

Published: 2016-09-15

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1438008104

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Mastering the American Accent is an easy-to-follow approach for reducing the accent of non-native speakers of English. Well-sequenced lessons in the book correspond over eight hours of audio files covering the entire text. The audio program provides clear models (both male and female) to help coach a standard American accent. The program is designed to help users speak Standard American English with clarity, confidence, and accuracy. The many exercises in the book concentrate on topics such as vowel sounds, problematic consonants such as V, W, TH, the American R and T and others. Correct lip and tongue positions for all sounds are discussed in detail. Beyond the production of sounds, the program provides detailed instruction in prosodic elements such as syllable stress, emphasis, intonation, linking words for smoother speech flow, common word contractions, and much more. Additional topics that often confuse ESL students are also discussed and explained. They include distinguishing between casual and formal speech, homophones (e.g., they're and there), recognizing words with silent letters (e.g., comb, receipt), and avoiding embarrassing pronunciation mistakes, such as mixing up "pull" and "pool." Students are familiarized with many irregular English spelling rules and exceptions, and are shown how such irregularities can contribute to pronunciation errors. A native language guide references problematic accent issues for 13 different language backgrounds. Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.


The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English: The Quickest Way to Improve Your Spoken English

The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English: The Quickest Way to Improve Your Spoken English

Author: Christopher Hill

Publisher: Christopher Hill

Published: 2020-01-13

Total Pages: 98

ISBN-13:

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In the world we are living in, English has become the common language that people from different countries and cultures can use to communicate with one another. There are many reasons why people would want to learn English, but for a lot of them; It is work-related. Most large companies around the world require their employees to speak English. In some cases, these companies are requiring their workers to only use English at the workplace. English has also been referred to as “the language of business”. If you have ambitions to become an international businessman or to work at some bigger companies, it’s almost essential that you’re able to speak English fluently. From The Intermediate Level to The Advanced Level From my years of teaching, I am confident to say that it is easy for an English learner to go from a beginner English level to an intermediate English level. However, it takes more time to go from an Intermediate level to an advanced English level. A lot of students have studied English for years but still aren’t able to speak English on an advanced level. They have tried many methods, attending classes, learning how to pronounce every single word and even getting a private English tutor to improve their spoken English, yet they still have a hard time pronouncing English words correctly or feeling too nervous to speak. The Best Proven Way to Learn and Speak English In this book, Christopher Hill, “THE INTERNATIONAL ESL PROFESSOR ” (with 20+ years of experience) will show you powerful unique ways to rapidly improve your spoken English. With topics you already have interest in, you will find out how easy and effortless to learn and speak fluent English. This effective method is simple, yet powerful. You will able to learn and improve your spoken English 3 to 5 times faster compared to the traditional way of learning. Inside This Black Book, You will Discover: - The 3 Golden Rules of Speaking Fluent English - The Power of Immersion - The Process of Shadowing - How Intensive Listening works - The Best Accent Reduction Techniques - Bonus Guide: The Secret Method to Become Super Fluent in 21 Days How do you know this book is for me? This book is for busy Intermediate students who wish to get to the Advanced English Level. If you can understand 60-80% of an English speaking movie and understand what you are reading so far, you have found the right book. Stop Using Ineffective Ways to Learn and Speak English. When you are using proper methods to learn, you’ll find that improving English is effortless. Learn and adopt these Proven techniques, tips, and many more secrets revealed in this black book. Don’t Learn Using The Old-fashioned Way. Get a Copy of “The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English” and Start Speaking Fluent English :)


Awesome Accent

Awesome Accent

Author: Julian Northbrook

Publisher: Northbrook Language Systems

Published: 2018-08-31

Total Pages: 126

ISBN-13: 9784909367068

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Do You Like the Way Your English Accent Sounds? How you sound in English matters. Research shows this very clearly. Native speakers judge people with clear, easy to understand accents as proficient in English (even if in reality they're only beginners). On the other hand, they judge people whose accents are hard to understand as being low-level (Even if they're


English Conversation Practice

English Conversation Practice

Author: Mark Evans

Publisher: Independently Published

Published: 2019-06-28

Total Pages: 66

ISBN-13: 9781074401481

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This a speaking and vocabulary book for intermediate speakers of English. There are 20 topic-based chapters packed with vocabulary and speaking practice. It is perfect as an additional resource or a stand-alone lesson.


Learning English as a Foreign Language For Dummies

Learning English as a Foreign Language For Dummies

Author: Gavin Dudeney

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2009-11-24

Total Pages: 371

ISBN-13: 0470685875

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Do you know a bit of English, and want to improve without a teacher? Whether you're a student, a traveller, or you just want to learn basic English, this plain-speaking guide will help you pick up the essentials so you'll be understanding and speaking English in no time. Improve your grammar, speech, vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, and prepare yourself to get around in any English-speaking country comfortably - and without embarrassment! Learning English as a Foreign Language For Dummies includes: Part I: Getting Started Chapter 1: You Already Know a Little English Chapter 2: Basic English Grammar Chapter 3: Greetings and Introductions Part II: English in Action Chapter 4: Shopping and Numbers Chapter 5: Eating Out Chapter 6: Out on the Town Chapter 7: Hobbies and Free Time Chapter 8: Talking on the Phone Chapter 9: At the Office and Around the House Chapter 10: Written English - Newspapers and Signs Part III: English on the Go Chapter 11: Money Chapter 12: Checking into a Hotel Chapter 13: Asking Directions and Getting Around Chapter 14: Handling Emergencies Part IV: The Part of Tens Chapter 15: Ten Ways to Speak English Quickly Chapter 16: Ten Favourite English Expressions Chapter 17: Ten Holidays to Remember Chapter 18: Ten Phrases That Make You Sound Fluent in English Part V: Appendices Appendix A: Phrasal verbs explained Appendix B: Common Verbs [Agree, Can / be able, Come, Do, Go, Have, Make , Need, Put, Think] English Irregular Verbs Appendix C: About the Downloadable Content