well hello everyone I just finished
finished a fantastic lesson with the
the one and only fluency MC Jason
Jason Levine we
we had a fantastic time talking about
about meeting native speakers online
online so we were going over a lot
lot more things in detail about the
the guide i released recently that
that is now available for free for
for everyone to download english anyone
anyone . com i will put the link right
right here so you can get that just
just click right on that link and
and it will take you to english anyone
anyone . com and
and you can download that important
important audio guide along with the
the PDF that will teach you all about
about how to think and how to get
get out and meet native speakers so
so we just finished that we were preparing
preparing for that for about one month
month it was really a lot of fun we
we had a lot of great students a lot
lot of great questions but one question
question in particular I wanted to
to come back and create this special
special video to talk about that because
because I think it's a really important
important issue that came up and we'll
we'll we'll get into it right now
now so I answered a whole bunch of
of questions from students and talked
talked about a lot of things but first
first before I get into that I want
want to kind of explain what I did
did for leading up to this lesson
lesson and why it's such an important
important thing in such a valuable
valuable thing this
this guide that I've created for everyone
everyone so a few months ago I began
began thinking okay what do students
students really need what are the
the questions i keep getting from
from students over and over again
again
again and
and one of them was how do I get out
out and actually meet native speakers
speakers because again you can learn
learn a lot of the words and phrases
phrases and things like that for the
the language but unless you actually
actually get out and really start
start working with people speaking
speaking the language and practicing
practicing you're
you're not going to become a fantastic
fantastic speaker so i thought a lot
lot about that and I asked a few questions
questions of students i had a survey
survey so I actually produced a video
video with Jason a few maybe it was
was a few weeks ago actually maybe
maybe even longer than that but we
we were asking questions of students
students and trying to figure out
out really what kind of getting to
to the bottom of what students need
need to know for that so
so the first thing I was asking was
was what are the real frustrations
frustrations that people have that
that was kind of the biggest thing
thing i really wanted to find out
out from from students and it seemed
seemed like a lot of people were worried
worried about you know not only getting
getting out and finding people to
to practice with but once they get
get into conversations a big problem
problem that students were having
having was what do i do when i have
have to respond in a conversation
conversation so people are really
really quite good at getting out and
and reading and writing and asking
asking questions and so this means
means you know being able to control
control the situation but the tricky
tricky thing is when you get people
people that you're answering questions
questions and then asking the back
back so that's kind of a tricky thing
thing we were talking about that so
so after getting a lot of questions
questions from students i decided
decided to make this guide and so
so I created the guide which is available
available again you can click on the
the link right here to get that but
but also we have the lessons I really
really wanted to talk about more things
things in that but in the lesson one
one of the interesting questions that
that i got from students was in describing
describing my situation and how i
i learned Japanese so I really want
want to talk in detail about that
that right now because I think it's
it's really important for students
students to understand where i'm coming
coming from as a teacher and why I
I know what I'm talking about because
because I've gone through the same
same steps of struggling and having
having to deal with those problems
problems and i'm still learning I
I still make mistakes in when I'm
I'm speaking Japanese and so I still
still have to go through those problems
problems that everybody else experiences
experiences the
the difference is in something that
that I talked about in the video today
today and that's also in the guide
guide which is having a really specific
specific strong goal that will pull
pull you pass the mistakes and all
all of the hard times that you will
will experience as you're learning
learning to get fluid if you do not
not have a very strong goal over here
here
here all
all of the little errors and mistakes
mistakes that you encounter you're
you're going to kind of fall victim
victim to those you're going to accept
accept defeat and give up so
so don't say something like I want
want to become fluent or I want a
a job or you know some other kind
kind of general goal like this you
you really have to pick something
something specific and then really
really focus on that thing so
so that way when you're actually working
working in practicing you will number
number one find lots of great ways
ways to figure that out number two
two you will find other people that
that are helping you and
and number three you will be able
able to deal with all the problems
problems in stride we saw we say in
in English to deal with something
something in stride and all this means
means is that you're able to relax
relax and go through it just like
like you're sailing through some some
some rough seas outside so you'll
you'll be able to do those things
things calmly now one of the things
things i talked about in addition
addition to having this really strong
strong gold so for myself I wanted
wanted to learn japanese garden but
but the even bigger goal and the thing
thing I'd like to do in the future
future is opening traditional Japanese
Japanese hotels in other countries
countries
countries so
so I'm really excited to do that but
but I go out and I start talking with
with people about that and they get
get excited and they start talking
talking it helps me improve my Japanese
Japanese so again it's a very clear
clear obvious example of a very specific
specific goal that I have something
something I'd like to do in the future
future and I can envision it in my
my head I can see it and it's really
really powerful for me so
so when I think about what I want
want to do in the future I get excited
excited about that i want to tell
tell people it helps and pull me to
to the goal where it is i want
to
to so
so the other thing that I kind of
of came up in the lesson that I had
had today with Jason was well if people
people are saying I guess drew can
can kind of he can learn japanese
japanese he can get out and speak
speak with people because well he
he lives in Japan I guess I can't
can't do that because I don't live
live in a foreign country or I don't
don't live in an english-speaking
english-speaking country so i really
really wanted to talk about that in
in this video that's what this video
video is all about so
so i'll go through right now how it
it is I kind of came to improve my
my japanese and how I'm able to speak
speak Japanese fluently now even though
though I still make a few mistakes
mistakes so I kind of told my story
story before and you can see it on
on my website as well about how i
i learned to get fluent and you know
know kind of beginning the traditional
traditional way that most people do
do where they're learning through
through text books and they're trying
trying to read one thing but then
then when you get into the real life
life situation everything
everything is different things are
are faster words are different pronunciations
pronunciations are totally the opposite
opposite or whatever you think they
they should be and you're almost you're
you're trying to kind of force your
your way of looking at the world and
and a lot of people even mail me and
and they asked me questions online
online and they say well why is it
it that they can understand me now
now and I have really clear pronunciation
pronunciation but when people get
get into a regular conversation they
they really can't understand what
what people are saying and that's
that's because right now i'm speaking
speaking more clearly intentionally
intentionally i don't speak this way
way normally you know my pronunciation
pronunciation is usually pretty clear
clear but I'm much faster using much
much more slang in conversation so
so right now I'm intentionally trying
trying to be more understood so that
that you can actually you know figure
figure out what I'm saying the
the important thing is that when i
i was learning to study i began the
the same way most people do kind of
of trying to go to classes and I decided
decided to not do those anymore because
because I couldn't understand the
the teacher and I thought it was boring
boring and it was a waste of my time
time
time so
so I i began thinking like okay what
what is it I'm really after I want
want to become a fantastic Speaker
Speaker I don't really care so much
much about learning the names of a
a grammar . i want to actually use
use the language so
so in thinking about that i started
started kind of creating these fluency
fluency missions I've talked to a
a lot of people about a local grocery
grocery store I went to and I you
you know I've done a lot of different
different things like that but one
one in particular is asking people
people you know where is this you
you know i would ask people the same
same question over and over again
again
again so
so the nice thing about this technique
technique and this is one of the things
things i recommend for master English
English conversation learners whether
whether you're online or in person
person is to you find something where
where you can control the outcome
outcome of it so
so again it eliminates that fear of
of feeling nervous because you don't
don't know what somebody else will
will say d so
so you can ask where is this and they
they just tell you where it is and
and even if you don't understand everything
everything you have a you know a pretty
pretty general idea of what what the
the people are talking about so
so thinking about that i began you
you know going out and trying lots
lots of different missions i would
would go to the post office and ask
ask for this and try to mail a letter
letter and you know i would begin
begin with small kind of tasks and
and activities and missions and then
then move on to bigger things and
and then you know trying to go out
out and meet new friends in different
different places you know I would
would like when I lived in killed
killed Japan and I i just moved there
there I didn't know anyone so i went
went actually to a local community
community center and i was posting
posting like on a wall like just looking
looking for friends you know there's
there's places where you can go and
and meet new people and talk to different
different people like that but again
again those are kind of techniques
techniques that I developed but a
a lot of the actual fluency that I
I got the real practice that I used
used was when I went back to America
America
America and
and this is something that may be
be a lot of people don't know about
about me so I really want to talk
talk about that and make it clear
clear here so I lived in japan from
from maybe 2003 until about two thousand
thousand
thousand five
five or 6i think so about two and
and a half years and then I went back
back to America for another two and
and a half years before i came back
back to Japan again in 2008 but the
the the time that i was living in
in America after i returned i was
was living in seattle that
that was the time when I really started
started using all of the kind of techniques
techniques that I got in actually
actually finding more people to practice
practice so ironically my fluency
fluency got better when I was in America
America and then I was able when I
I came back in two thousand eight
eight to use the skills that i had
had developed back in America to become
become a much more confident speaker
speaker in Japan so
so the process took a while but it's
it's really interesting i was kind
kind of more nervous about you know
know going out and meeting native
native speakers out in Japan then
then I was back when i was with you
you know other kind of Japanese people
people that I was meeting out in America
America
America so
so you know maybe people are trying
trying to meet each other as well
well and it was a bit more calm and
and relaxed out there and also you
you know usually foreigners from a
a different country a bit more open-minded
open-minded and they're happy to meet
meet people so the situation is a
a little bit different but the point
point is I was not in Japan when I
I really started developing my fluency
fluency and now that I'm back you
you know I can have great conversations
conversations I went and got a nice
nice haircut today and I was having
having really great conversations
conversations with you know my barber
barber and talking with him and talking
talking with you know the lady that
that was washing my hair and you know
know lots of interesting little conversations
conversations like that that I was
was not able to do the first time
time i was living in Japan when I
I came
I came in
in 2003 so when people say to me like
like well i guess like you live in
in Japan you've got a nice situation
situation where you can go out and
and practice the two things i'll mention
mention about that the first one is
is that I know so many people other
other foreigners that live in Japan
Japan and Japanese people and and
and you know people from all over
over the world that live in America
America and other english-speaking
english-speaking countries and they
they don't speak the language they
they don't speak English so you can't
can't say that you know somebody coming
coming to another country you
you know just because I'm living in
in Japan means like well i guess i
i can speak English like where i can
can speak Japanese like it's just
just not true so
so some people are really good and
and some people are not but really
really the difference is they probably
probably got a goal and then they're
they're actually taking action that's
that's really what you have to do
do you have to go out and the really
really the the best way to do that
that is to have your really strong
strong gold the thing that you're
you're really passionate about it's
it's not about trying to pass a particular
particular test like the TOEFL or
or whatever the test is like you know
know that's a specific goal that you
you might have to do because you've
you've got to pass an exam you
you know to get into college or you
you know to get a job or something
something like that but the real thing
thing you want is having a fantastic
fantastic conversation with people
people you don't know being able to
to go to some foreign country in speaking
speaking with people in that that's
that's really what you're after so
so think about those things as you
you go out and try to practice and
and then the the second thing that's
that's really important to remember
remember about that is I kind of decided
decided what I wanted so again you've
you've got you've got the goal that
that you have for you know wanting
wanting to practice that's bigger
bigger than taking a test but in my
my mind I knew that it depended on
on me
on me so
so it had nothing to do with where
where I was living it was all like
like the kind of person I was and
and the kind of goals i had so whenever
whenever people tell me or you know
know they kind of give me the excuse
excuse like I well you live in japan
japan so you can do that i guess like
like I don't live in an english-speaking
english-speaking country so i can
can get fluent English I
I say that's that's garbage no no
no no like that do not believe that
that that is a limiting belief that
that is a it's just an idea that you
you have that's not true because i
i guarantee you there are always other
other people in your country maybe
maybe even in your city or town right
right now that can speak great English
English and they've never been to
to a foreign country so
so what's the difference it's all
all in how they think and it begins
begins with having a really fantastic
fantastic goal so
so anybody you can always ask me more
more questions i look forward to kind
kind of talking down in the comments
comments below this video and learning
learning more about people but to
to help you think about that just
just like I do for my master English
English conversation subscribers my
my members every month I give them
them a special mission homework assignment
assignment to go out in practice so
so that to kind of change the way
way they think or to practice a specific
specific ability like this month we
we got you know going out and meeting
meeting people through YouTube it's
it's a really fantastic thing next
next month students
students will be practicing a really
really cool technique I used to practice
practice their listening to a lot
lot of students that really want to
to go out it's a very simple but it's
it's a fantastic technique that helped
helped to help people be become much
much better listeners and under standards
standards of lots of different kinds
kinds of English so the thing i want
want you to do today is really imagine
imagine your goal I
I know this is not be the sexiest
sexiest most entertaining thing it's
it's not like learning some new cool
cool word or phrase in the language
language but like I tell all of my
my students if you don't master the
the basics and if you don't have a
a fantastic really strong goal that
that will pull you to where you want
want to go you're
you're wasting your time you're not
not going to become a great speaker
speaker and you will not have something
something really that you're looking
looking forward to it will pull you
you through the mistakes so
so again think about your goal of
of your special mission homework assignment
assignment for today is to really
really sit down just
just you know kind of in a quiet place
place and think about what your interests
interests are and then think about
about what it is you're actually trying
trying to get with your English be
be very specific write
write it down and then anytime you
you make a mistake or you're worried
worried about your English think about
about the power of that goal so
so decide what you want and focus
focus on that and if you focus on
on the thing you want and not the
the thing you don't want and just
just to make sure that's clear your
your your mind it doesn't understand
understand the difference between
between a good thing and a bad thing
thing
thing that's
that's an idea that you decide after
after the fact so if you think something
something is good or something is
is bad your brain doesn't care about
about that your brain only understands
understands focus so
so just like water moving down he'll
he'll water won't move uphill it doesn't
doesn't matter if it's good or bad
bad water just moves down so
so if you can give water a better
better place to go you can focus the
the energy better then you can focus
focus on the thing you want so
so don't focus on the mistake focus
focus on the fantastic thing you'll
you'll get when you finally become
become fluent that's
that's what i did and even when i
i lived in America or in japan it
it didn't matter it's
it's the same goal that's pulling
pulling me along now if you have any
any questions about this feel free
free to let me know but do post in
in the comment down below what is
is your goal like that don't just
just write one sentence that says
says I want to become a fluent speaker
speaker because it won't help you
you
you I
I really want you to take time maybe
maybe like like 10 sentences a whole
whole paragraph i want you to comment
comment
comment make
make it a really big comment it can
can be like take up all the space
space that you can use for YouTube
YouTube it's like I don't know 250
250 characters or something like that
that that you can write down in the
the comments below so
so take your time write that down
down and really think about what it
it is you want and then be make sure
sure it's something you're excited
excited about don't
don't just say you want to get fluent
fluent say i want to be surfing in
in California and talking to surfers
surfers out there and how they're
they're enjoying the sun just like
like I am today I'm out at the parts
parts lovely date but you know anything
anything like that all the things
things that you get to enjoy you know
know I'll kind of move the camera
camera around so you can see where
where i'm at right now I'm in Nagasaki
Nagasaki and I'm at one of my favorite
favorite parks will pan the camera
camera around here and you can see
see
see we've
we've got the lovely ocean we've got
got some huge boats over here and
and it's just a lovely Park there's
there's actually people you know flying
flying kites around today enjoying
enjoying the day we've got some families
families outside it's
it's just a really nice date but the
the whole reason I'm able to enjoy
enjoy all this is because I have an
an idea in my mind that's stronger
stronger
stronger it's
it's giving me something to focus
focus on more than when I make mistakes
mistakes and if you can do that you
you can get fluent anywhere in the
the world
the world well
well have a fantastic date go down
down below the comments right down
down there what you what your your
your your fantastic goal is something
something really specific and
and be sure to write here click and
and download the free guide that I've
I've created for you both the audio
audio version and the PDF so that
that you can learn lots of great techniques
techniques for going out and meeting
meeting native speakers it will help
help you with everything how to think
think where to meet people specific
specific things to say it's
it's all included in the free guide
guide have an excellent day and I