There Is a Bird on Your Head!" is a funny book for kids by Mo Willems. It's about two friends, Gerald the elephant and Piggie the pig. Gerald finds a bird on his head, and they try to figure out what to do. I hope you enjoy hearing this story told by me, Teacher Amanda. To read this book with me in class and see the hilarious illustrations, book a Story Time Lesson with me!

Story Time for Kids with Teacher Amanda

Episode 1: There is a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems

Welcome back to another exciting episode of ‘Insights to Learning English’! I'm your host, Ann, and today we're diving headfirst into the fascinating world of English language learning. Whether you're a beginner looking to improve your fluency or an advanced learner striving for perfection, this episode has something valuable in store for you.

In this episode, we're going to talk about five different parts that will help you get better at English. We'll start by discussing the difference between active and passive learning and share some tricks to make learning English more exciting.

Then, we'll look closely at a very effective technique called "The Army Method" for learning grammar structures and fixing your mistakes. It’s a method that can change the way you approach language learning. 

But that's not all! We'll also discuss the necessary skill of training your ears to understand various accents and dialects, allowing you to connect with English speakers from around the globe. Plus, we'll discover the often-overlooked practice of training your mouth muscles through reading aloud, unlocking a world of pronunciation, fluency, and confidence.

Finally, we'll tackle the tricky skill of spontaneous speaking with exercises designed to sharpen your on-the-spot conversational skills. Whether you're studying English for business, travel, or personal growth, these segments are packed with practical tips and insights that will speed up your language-learning journey.

So, fasten your seatbelts! It's time to go on a fun journey through the world of English language learning! Let's get started.


Sensei Ann

Effective English Learning Techniques Part I

Try these tips during awkward silences or when you don't know what else to talk about.

1.   Don't reject your own ideas thinking that they are not worth sharing. When you filter most of your stories and experiences you have fewer topics to talk about. 
 
2.   Don't list your points, instead elaborate on each point using examples or personal experiences. This also gives the opportunity to the listener to add to the topic or share their own experiences making it a two-way conversation.
 
3.   Speak at the right pace. If you speak too fast, you end the conversation very quickly. It’s usually because the listener doesn’t understand you and therefore can’t keep the conversation going.  
 
4.   Learn to ask smart questions to keep the conversation going. Ask open-ended questions such as, “what do you think about …?” with follow-up questions “why do you think …?”. This helps you build up on the information that you received.
 
5.   Practise thinking critically so you always have something to say. When you practice critical thinking and ask yourself counter-questions, you are able to spontaneously think of ideas and form arguments using your background knowledge. You can easily connect the dots and be eloquent while talking to people.
 
6.   Learn a few speech frameworks such as Past - Present - Future, Problem – Solution - Benefit, or other storytelling formats such as ‘the mountain’. When you have a structure, you don’t lose your chain of thoughts and you don’t run into dead ends. Your listeners are also able to understand you better and remember what you said.
 
7.   If you are using a second language to communicate such as English, then simplify your complex thoughts in your native language first and then translate them to English. Lots of times when translation is tough, we give up and change the topic. But this practice helps you make the translation process easy. 
 
If you want to learn more, please book a session with me. 


Tips for not running out of things to say

We know we should appreciate people more often but do we know how to acknowledge them and why is it even so important? 

In a conversation when you acknowledge people, they feel heard and valued. They become more open-minded even if you are opposing their beliefs. It’s because, through your acknowledgment of their ideas, they know that you have been listening and you understand where they are coming from. If you want to do business with people or maintain a good relationship with them, without learning how to acknowledge people, you will get nowhere.

Acknowledging is easy.

Just paraphrase what they said and follow up with a relevant question or your opinion. Paraphrasing proves that you understand them since you express their ideas using your own words. 

During negotiations or discussions even if you disagree with people, you can make them hear you out by disagreeing politely or by partially disagreeing with them. A strong disagreement shows that you are unwilling to talk. This makes the negotiation take a negative turn and go downhill. 

So, disagree politely and follow up with relevant questions to show that you are interested in learning more about them. 

What you do is often reciprocated. When you listen, they listen. When you show interest in people, they will show interest in you. When you acknowledge them, they will acknowledge your work, ideas, and suggestions.

Acknowledge people. Have more discussions and not arguments. 


How not to be rude in English? 

I am Ann I talk about how to resolve problems at work caused due to lack of communication skills.
In this podcast, I want to talk about what to do when you don’t know the answer to a question or when you are clueless about the topic of discussion.
Usually, when people don’t know what to say they try to change the subject or dodge the question. In a more professional setting when you don’t have the answers, you say you will get back to them later. If you can get away with this, it’s great. In another video, I will share how to do so in worst-case scenarios. 
In another scenario where you don’t know what people are talking about, you end up listening and smiling pretending to be a part of the conversation. You want to be included and want to be part of the discussion but don’t know how to since that topic is unknown territory for you. So in this video, I want to share how to deal with difficult questions or speak on topics you don’t know a thing about. At the same time, this method will help you build rapport with people, keep the conversation going and come across as someone smart.
We will achieve this in three steps. First, when someone asks you a question you ask them to be more specific. In step 2 you make a personal comment and follow up with another question to dig for more information on that subject. And finally, you ask for the speaker’s opinion on the matter. 
Listen to the podcast and learn how? 

How to  answer difficult questions and keep the conversation going?

Many of us focus on only one aspect of our communication: language. We are obsessed with learning grammar and advanced vocabulary. But let me ask you, would you like to speak with someone who sounds dull, and whose tone is so flat that they make you fall asleep? No, right? In this video, I will share how you can improve the quality of your voice and sound confident while subconsciously improving your active vocabulary and grammar. 