The English Study Method That's Better Than 99% of English Teachers

Summary

In this video, Aning Alexander of English Evolution shares a step-by-step method to improve conversational English using videos. Viewers are guided through selecting an engaging video, analyzing language with subtitles, noting unknown words and phrases, looking up definitions and collocations, creating sentences, making flashcards, writing talking points, summarizing the video, and listening repeatedly to internalize phrases. The process emphasizes deep engagement with content for effective language learning.

Takeaways

• 😀 Choose a video that is interesting and understandable to you, ideally with 70% comprehension.
• 🎬 Watch the video initially without subtitles to grasp the general idea.
• 📚 Re-watch the video with subtitles and analyze the language, noting unfamiliar words and phrases.
• 📝 Write down whole phrases and words that are new to you, focusing on those you don't use.
• 🔍 Look up definitions for unfamiliar words, using trusted dictionaries or AI like Chat GPT.
• 🔗 Find collocations (common word pairings) for these words on resources like Yogish to understand usage.
• 📖 Write sentences using the new words and collocations to practice their context.
• 🔖 Create flashcards with the phrases and collocations to aid memorization.
• 📝 Write talking points about the video's key points to prepare for discussions.
• 📝 Write a summary of the video in your own words, incorporating the new vocabulary.
• 🎧 Listen repeatedly to the video to internalize phrases and vocabulary, using apps or playlists.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to show viewers how to use videos to improve their conversational English, specifically by analyzing language and learning new vocabulary and phrases.

What is the first step in using videos to improve English according to the video?

The first step is to choose a video that is interesting and can be understood by at least 70%. The video should be at an appropriate level for the viewer.

Why is it important to watch the video without subtitles first?

Watching the video without subtitles first helps the viewer to get the gist of what the video is about and understand the main ideas without relying on the written text.

What should you do in the second step after watching the video with subtitles?

In the second step, you should analyze the language used in the video, pay close attention to words and phrases you don't know or don't use, and write them down for further study.

Why is it recommended to write down whole phrases instead of just single words during the analysis?

Writing down whole phrases helps in capturing the context in which words are used, making it easier to understand how to use them correctly in sentences.

What are the three parts of step three in the method described in the video?

The three parts of step three are: 1) Look up definitions of the words, 2) Find collocations (words commonly used together), and 3) Write sentences using the new words in context.

What is the purpose of using Yogish in the method described in the video?

Yogish is used to look up pronunciation in different English accents, learn about grammar and usage, and find collocations to understand how words are commonly used together.

Why is it beneficial to make flashcards with the collocations found on Yogish in step four?

Making flashcards with collocations helps in memorizing the phrases and their usage, which is crucial for being able to recall and use them in conversation.

What is the purpose of writing talking points in step five of the method?

Writing talking points helps in noting important parts of the video that you might want to discuss or explain to someone else, ensuring that you remember the key points.

What is the final step in the method described in the video for improving English through videos?

The final step is to download the video and listen to it repeatedly until some of the phrases start to come to mind randomly, reinforcing the language learned through auditory repetition.

What additional resources are mentioned in the video for improving English?

The video mentions a free guide on how to use videos to improve conversational English, a list of top 30 must-watch YouTube channels for improving English, and English Evolution Academy as additional resources.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Improving English with Video Method

This paragraph introduces a method to enhance English fluency by watching videos. Aning Alexander, the creator of English Evolution, suggests starting with a video that is both interesting and comprehensible, ideally with 70% understanding. The video 'Dust's Guide to Ruining Your Life' by Philosophy Channel is used as an example. The speaker emphasizes the importance of choosing a video that matches the viewer's language preference and interests. The first step is to watch the video without subtitles to grasp the general idea, followed by a second viewing with subtitles to analyze the language, noting unfamiliar words and phrases. The goal is to improve articulation, accuracy, native-like fluency, and overall language use.

05:00

🔍 Analyzing Language and Vocabulary

The speaker details the process of analyzing language from a chosen video. After identifying unfamiliar words and phrases, the next step is to look up their definitions, find collocations, and write sentences using these new terms. The example word 'spiteful' is explored, with its definition and synonyms discussed. The use of 'YouGlish' for finding collocations and understanding usage in different accents is highlighted. The speaker also demonstrates how to create sentences using the word 'spiteful' and its collocations, emphasizing the importance of context and correct usage. The process is then repeated with the term 'middle management', using Chat GPT for additional information and 'YouGlish' for collocations.

10:02

📚 Understanding Levels and Prepositions

This paragraph delves into the nuances of language, specifically the use of prepositions with the term 'middle management'. The speaker clarifies the correct usage of 'at' versus 'in' when referring to levels of management, using a WhatsApp group for quick answers. The importance of understanding whole phrases rather than isolated words is emphasized, as it provides more context and accurate language use. The speaker also discusses the word 'squalor', exploring its meaning, collocations, and common usage, highlighting the importance of studying phrases to understand language better.

15:03

📘 Creating Flashcards and Talking Points

The speaker introduces the fourth step of the language learning method, which involves creating flashcards using the collocations found from the video analysis. The use of 'Memorize' or other flashcard apps is suggested for effective learning. The speaker demonstrates how to create a course on 'Memorize' and add audio to the flashcards for better retention. Moving on to step five, the speaker explains the importance of writing talking points from the video to prepare for discussions, ensuring key points are noted and remembered. The speaker also emphasizes the value of writing summaries in one's own words to improve language sophistication and grammar.

20:05

🎧 Listening and Reviewing for Language Absorption

The final steps in the language learning method are outlined in this paragraph. Step seven involves downloading the video and listening to it repeatedly to internalize phrases and vocabulary. The speaker provides options for downloading YouTube videos, including paid and free methods, and suggests creating a playlist for easy access. The eighth and final step is to review the new vocabulary and phrases regularly, recommending the use of Google Calendar for scheduling study and review sessions. The speaker also promotes their resources, including a list of top YouTube channels for English learning and the English Evolution Academy, encouraging viewers to engage with their content.

Keywords

💡Conversational English

Conversational English refers to the informal and colloquial language used in everyday spoken interactions. In the video, the focus is on improving one's ability to speak English in a more natural and fluent manner, emphasizing the importance of understanding and using language as it appears in real-life conversations.

💡Step Zero

Step Zero in the video script is the initial step where viewers are advised to choose a video that is both interesting and comprehensible to them. This step is crucial as it sets the foundation for effective language learning by ensuring that the learner is engaged and can understand a significant portion of the content, ideally 70% or more.

💡Philosophy

Philosophy is a field of study that involves critical thinking and the exploration of ideas about knowledge, existence, ethics, and the nature of reality. In the context of the video, the author mentions a video based on a novel by Dostoevsky, which is related to philosophical themes. This indicates that the content of the video is not only educational but also thought-provoking.

💡British English

British English is a variant of the English language that is spoken in the United Kingdom and is characterized by its own set of pronunciations, vocabulary, and grammar rules. The video script mentions that the creator of the chosen video speaks British English, which is important for learners who are specifically interested in this dialect.

💡Collocations

Collocations refer to words that commonly occur together and are used in a particular context. In the video, the author emphasizes the importance of learning collocations to better understand how words are used in natural speech. This helps learners to use language more accurately and fluently.

💡Flashcards

Flashcards are a learning tool often used for memorization and review of information. In the video script, the author suggests using flashcards to reinforce the learning of new vocabulary and phrases, which is a practical method for retaining language knowledge.

💡Middle Management

Middle management refers to a level of management between the upper management and the frontline supervisors. The video script uses this term to illustrate a specific context where certain vocabulary is used, helping learners understand the nuances of language in a professional setting.

💡Spiteful

Spiteful is an adjective that describes someone who is full of or showing spite, which is a feeling of ill will or hatred. The video script uses this term to demonstrate how to look up definitions, find collocations, and use the word in sentences, thereby deepening the understanding of its usage.

💡Squalor

Squalor refers to a state of extreme poverty and filth. In the video, the term is used to describe living conditions, highlighting the importance of understanding vocabulary in context. The script also shows how to find collocations for this term, such as 'living in squalor'.

💡Talking Points

Talking points are notes or key points that summarize the main ideas of a discussion or presentation. In the video script, the author advises learners to write down talking points from the video to prepare for conversations about the content, which is a strategy for reinforcing language retention and comprehension.

💡Review

Review in the context of the video script refers to the process of revisiting and reinforcing learned material to enhance memory and understanding. The author emphasizes the importance of regular review in language learning, suggesting tools like Google Calendar for scheduling study sessions.

Highlights

Introduction to a method for improving conversational English using videos.

Step Zero: Choose an interesting and comprehensible video.

The importance of understanding at least 70% of the video content.

Example video: 'Dust's Guide to Ruining Your Life' by Philosophy Channel.

Considerations for choosing a video based on language focus and personal interests.

Step One: Watch the video without subtitles to grasp the main idea.

Step Two: Watch the video again with subtitles to analyze the language.

Writing down unknown phrases and words for further study.

Emphasis on capturing whole phrases rather than single words.

Step Three: Look up definitions, find collocations, and write sentences.

Using online dictionaries and resources like Yogish for language study.

Creating sentences with new vocabulary to understand usage in context.

Step Four: Make flashcards using whole phrases for better retention.

Using apps like Memorize to create custom flashcard courses.

Step Five: Write talking points to summarize important video content.

Step Six: Write a summary using new vocabulary to practice writing skills.

Step Seven: Listen to the video repeatedly to internalize language patterns.

Options for downloading videos for offline listening and review.

Step Eight: Schedule regular review sessions using tools like Google Calendar.

Availability of additional resources like the top 30 YouTube channels for English learners.

Introduction to English Evolution Academy as a study alternative.

Transcripts

if you want to speak more

articulately more accurately more

natively more fluently try this

method some of you have read my free

guide on how to use videos to improve

your conversational English that is a

stepbystep written guide in this video

I'm going to show you how to do it my

name is aning Alexander and I created

English Evolution to make English easy

for non-native speakers how to use

videos to improve your English step one

wait back up Step Zero there is a Step

Zero Step Zero is choose a video that is

interesting to

you and that you can understand I want

you to be able to understand 70% or more

of the video just most of it you should

understand most of it I chose a video

called dust's guide to ruining your life

by a channel a philosophy Channel called

unsolicited advice because I like

philosophy and I like DVI it's Advanced

if you are not Advanced do not choose

this video The Creator speaks British

English so if you're only focused on

American English don't choose this video

the channel is about philosophy if you

hate philosophy do not choose this video

video the video is based on a novel by

DVI if you hate DVI you should probably

re-evaluate your life but in any case do

not choose this video so now Step Zero

you have picked a video that is very

interesting to you at the appropriate

level for

you step one is watch this video without

subtitles just to get the gist of what's

Happening Here what is this video about

everyone around him and ultimately

ruined his life so when I watched this

video for the first time I just noted

that this is a video about the main

character from Notes From The

Underground and lessons that we can

learn from him step two watch the video

again this time with subtitles and what

you're going to do is analyze the

language what I mean by that is pay

close attention to the language that

they're using and think about how you

might say something similar write down

phrases and words that you don't know

and that you don't use this needs a

little bit of explanation if you know a

word but you don't use it that means you

need to practice using it so that it

will be available when you need it so we

all have words that we know and we don't

use those words are like in our brain

somewhere but we have to like stop and

think and go look for them and sometimes

we can't find them so if you want to

speak more

articulately more accurately more

natively more fluently try this method

so in step two you're just making a list

of words and phrases that you don't know

and also words and phrases that you

don't use the second thing I want to

mention about step two I want you to try

to write down whole phrases instead of

just words when I went through this

video I wrote down words that I think a

student might need to look up so you can

see that we have mostly phrases here

with a couple single words so we're

trying to capture whole phrases when

possible and we're going to turn those

single words into phrases later I'll

show you how also I want you to notice

how long this list is I got all of these

words and phrases from 3 minutes and 18

seconds of video this is just a quarter

of the actual video you can get so much

from one video this is one reason that I

recommend watching One video repeatedly

working deeply with one video rather

than skipping from video to video on

different topics what we're going to do

is go through just the top three

vocabulary words and phrases that I

wrote down so you can see how to do this

in depth step three has three

parts look up definitions find

collocations and write

sentences we're starting with the word

spiteful first we look up the word you

can use any online dictionary or even

chat GPT to look up these words I'm just

using Miriam

because it's a trusted free American

English dictionary when we look up

spiteful we see that it's an adjective

and this definition is not helpful

because it just says filled with or

showing spite so let's click on Spite

and we see that it's a noun which means

ill will or hatred H okay so let's check

some synonyms malice Venom hatred ah

hatred is coming up again so if spite

the noun is hatred spiteful the

adjective must be hateful I am writing

this definition from my own

understanding and in my own words I'm

not copying anyone else's definition the

next thing we do in step three is to

find collocations on yogish or yish I

actually do not know how to say it I

should probably look up how to pronounce

yogish on yogish because it might be

yish I'm just going to call it yogish I

don't know many people know know yogish

as a place where you can just go to look

up pronunciation in different English

accents but you can also use this

website to learn about grammar and usage

as well it is a killer resource for this

let me show you how let's type in

spiteful and look for phrases and

collocations collocations are just words

that are commonly used together spiteful

or resentful unjust and spiteful and

spiteful nature angry and spiteful mean

and spiteful drunk spiteful Behavior so

we have quite a few phrases here that

help us understand how to use this word

and show us other words that are paired

with the word

spiteful resentful unjust angry mean

spiteful nature spiteful Behavior

something else you can do on yogish is

to change the accent this is not just

for pronunciation this also helps with

identifying usage differences so if

you're focused on American or British or

any other accent look at how many are

here you can use this feature to help

make sure that the usage is correct as

well as the pronunciation by the way if

you like this video hit like And

subscribe to see more like this and

support my work the last thing we're

going to do in step three is make a few

sentences using the the word we just

explored so I wrote spiteful and

resentful people are difficult to be

around when we argue he seems so angry

and spiteful some children seem to have

a spiteful nature notice that I made

sentences using the collocations I found

in the video clips so I can be pretty

sure that I'm using the word in the

right way and in the right context so

those are the three parts of step three

and we're going to do it again with the

next word middle management I was hoping

to find out what types of jobs are

considered middle management and the

dictionary didn't help much with that so

I went to chat gbt and asked a few

follow-up questions by the way this is

the perfect way to use chat GPT for

studying have your primary sources of

information and ask chat GPT for extra

information or for more complicated

information once you have a basic idea

of what is going on with your subject

you can ask more intelligent questions

right so you're going to get better

quality information from chat GPT my

first prompt was give me job titles of

middle management positions by the way

when I ask AI a question we call that a

prompt I am prompting it the answer it

gave was not really direct but it does

help me to understand what jobs are

middle management department managers

project managers people who manage

teams I prompted it again to ask how big

are these teams how many people do

middle managers

manage okay answer 5 to 50 people so at

this point I have a pretty good idea of

what it means to be a middle manager so

now we're going to go to yogish and look

for

collocations this time I found in middle

management

in the middle management

level working in middle

management at the middle management

level so the first thing that we can see

is that we use in with middle management

the second thing we can

see is that we can talk about levels of

management that is a useful cocation and

then I have a

question because if you notice we have

two clips that mention level one says in

middle management level and the other

says at middle management level so do we

use in or at when we're talking about

levels this is what the groups are for I

took my question I pretended I was a

student for 5 seconds I submitted my

question to the group and I got an

answer within the first few minutes

let's talk about these groups really

quick I am in the what WhatsApp groups

to answer questions this is actually the

whole purpose of the WhatsApp groups

like some people seem to think that

they're like Hi how are you English

chats they're actually not that those

groups are intended to be support for

courses so when you have a question

bring your questions to the group and

this is another reason that I wanted to

make this video because I want to make

sure that you guys understand how to use

the resources that you have so back to

our example actually the answer that I

got from the group is correct we do use

at with levels so it looks like it's

better to use at the middle management

level rather than in the middle

management level when I wrote my

sentences I wrote them like that she

worked in middle management for 10 years

he was stuck at the middle management

level and of course you can always bring

your sentences to the groups to check

them as well finally I looked up squalor

squalor is is a noun and the adjective

is

squalid so the adjective means something

like dirty or filthy so squalor means

filth collocations on

yogish squalor famine and disease the

squalor they were living in people that

live in

squalor the poor are shoved farther into

squalor living in squalor so I'm seeing

living in squalor over and over and over

again this is a common collocation this

is almost the only way that anyone used

the word we can also tell that we use

the preposition in with squalor it's

never on it's never for it's never to

it's never at it's always in squalor and

this is why we study whole phrases and

not just words you are going to be able

to get so much more

information when you start studying like

this and we're on to step four by the

way step three is going to take you

forever nobody said this was going to be

quick or easy I just said it works step

four is to make the flashcards remember

that we're not using single words we are

using whole phrases where did you get

the whole phrases we found call

locations on yogish and now we're going

to make our Flash cards with the common

call locations for step four you can use

paper flashcards or any flash carding

app that you like I have historically

used memorize for this because you can

create your own courses on memorize and

there's a free version I'll show you

briefly how to create a course and what

it looks like on desktop okay so after

you log

in click on courses and it will take you

to a bunch of cool courses that you

could take but instead you're going to

going to come up here and click create a

course I have already created a course

for the purpose of this video so I'll

show you what I did I just added the

three collocations that we just learned

spiteful and resentful people in middle

management living in

squalor I pretended that I was a Spanish

speaker learning English so I put the

call locations that you're learning and

then the translation into your native

language when you go to learn it will

teach you the phrase and then test you

on it these answers look stupid because

I only input three phrases so to edit

the course what you're going to do is go

to the course page come over here and

click edit course and you can do a few

things you can add words you can also

come up here and change the direction

that we're tested another cool thing in

memorize is that you can add audio which

is super useful if you have time to add

the audio in edit course go over here to

Advanced and click add column name it

anything you want probably

audio here you can add audio and you can

record it yourself right now from your

computer so it's automatically prompting

me to say the phrases and I'm just

saying spiteful and resentful people in

middle management living in squalor save

it now whenever I go to learn I'm going

to hear the phrases hearing the phrases

is going to make it so much easier for

you to remember them you have plenty of

apps and options for this step a lot of

people like ay I'm not personally a fan

but many people use that one and some

people have apps already on their phone

where you can just add vocabulary words

and they'll test you on them I just use

memorize because it's the one that I'm

familiar with and I like it moving on

step five write talking points talking

points are just notes about important

parts of the video if you were going to

explain this video to someone you're

just writing down what you don't want to

forget what I did is I listened to the

video again and this time while I was

listening I wrote down important points

so if I have a conversation about the

video I'll be ready now we're going to

use those talking points in Step six to

write a summary my summary is about 200

words

try to keep it short and make sure it's

written in your own words don't just

copy the narrator's speech of course you

can use some of the new vocabulary that

you've just studied as well and this

would be a great time to try that

writing is the best way to improve the

sophistication of your language whether

that is your native language or a

foreign language why because writing is

like slow deliberate speaking so you

have time to think about how you want to

express yourself and you also have time

to think about using proper grammar

additionally writing is a great first

step for improving grammar because it's

going to show you what you don't know

when you make a mistake speaking native

speakers make speaking mistakes all the

time you could make that mistake for any

reason like maybe you're nervous maybe

you just forgot maybe you didn't care at

all but if you make a mistake when

you're writing and you're actually

trying to do it right chances are you

don't actually know something like

you're missing something so then you can

use that information go back and review

specific points you can do this by

having a teacher check it for you or you

can do this by running it through some

AI like chat gbt or grammarly okay if

you if you do it this way what I want

you to remember is that you're not just

correcting you're not just editing

you're actually analyzing and comparing

your sentence to the corrected version

and you're looking for why that mistake

happened I won't go too far off track

here going into that if you want a video

on how to improve your grammar through

writing just leave me a note in the

comments let's move on to step seven

download and brainwash I mean listen

repeatedly until some of the phrases

from the video start popping in into

your mind randomly sporadically if

you're not sure how to download YouTube

videos you have a few options a nice

paid option is snap downloader it works

well and it's $8 a month if you don't

want to pay a monthly subscription you

could just get it for one month and

download everything in that

Month YouTube premium is another option

if you pay for premium YouTube lets you

download easily the cost varies by

country so I've seen anywhere from $3 to

$13 per month and of course there are

free options they are annoying and

spammy and probably dangerous and we all

hate them but if you can't pay for

something they're available make a

playlist for your videos in your music

app and just listen whenever you have

downtime whenever you're driving walking

exercising washing dishes whenever

you're free step eight you have all of

these new phrases and new vocabulary now

you need to make time to review them

please schedule your study time and your

review time I recommend Google Calendar

if you do not have a calendar already it

is free and convenient make sure that

you're reviewing regularly like once a

week is a nice Rhythm maybe you need

more maybe you need less adapt your

study schedule to suit your lifestyle

also let me remind you that my list of

top 30 must-watch YouTube channels for

improving English is free on the website

as well as the written version of this

video the written steps just go to my

website and click on free stuff there

might be some other free stuff there too

it changes periodically click on free

guides put in your email and you'll get

immediate access to these steps and also

the top 30 channel list I highly

recommend not boring yourself to death

when you're studying I made this list to

give you a bunch of super entertaining

interesting engaging options for your

English practice also if you like my

style I want to let you know that I've

created English Evolution Academy which

you can also check out here on the

website I made it as a lowcost study

alternative for people who prefer

independent study for whatever reason

it's still new and it is on special

offer right now so check it out if you

want to get in at the best price thank

you so much for watching all the way

through if you've enjoyed this video

please click like And subscribe and let

me know in the comments what kind of

English content you want to see more of

bye