Hello, you seem to have lost your way?
That's right, I'm making my way to the station.
Which station do you want to go to?
I want to catch the train into the city center.
So you have to go to station 5.
Can you show me the way to get there?
It's also nearby, but it's a bit hard to find.
Can I walk there?
You can walk there.
Which direction should I go?
You go all the way down this road, turn left at the junction, then go straight for about
100 meters and you will see a post office, next is an intersection, turn right, go through
five houses, look to the left, you will see station 5.
Go left, go straight, go right, I remember, thank you very much.
You’re welcome.
Excuse me, can you speak English?
Yes, I can.
What can I help you with?
Do you know what line the train to the city center is?
Train number 156, I am also waiting for that train.
Great, do you know when the train arrives?
The train will arrive in about 10 minutes.
Thank you.
My pleasure.
By the way, are you American?
Yes, how do you know?
I hear your accent.
Where are you from?
I am from Japan.
The first time I met a Japanese person who speaks English as well as you, you also know
the American accent.
I often watch TV shows, so I can distinguish between different English accents.
Do you like TV shows?
I'm not a big fan, but I usually watch.
If so, you might be wasting your time.
My main purpose in watching is to improve my English.
That's very good.
How do you learn English?
I learn English from the Internet.
How is your learning by that method?
I learn the basics from online courses.
What about communication?
I use chat apps for English learners.
You can chat with many people all over the world.
Thanks to that, I can understand different English accents.
Do you study face-to-face with teachers via apps?
I studied a few times.
Why don't you study a lot, doesn't it work for you?
It's effective but costs a bit too much, not suitable for students like me.
How effective do you mean?
The teachers are mainly native English speakers, they have expertise and experience in teaching.
Who do you think should learn like that?
Those who have poor pronunciation, or want to test their pronunciation skills.
Will the teachers correct pronunciation errors for students?
Yes, before studying they will ask if you want them to correct your mistakes directly
when you speak or correct after your speech.
Mispronouncing words is a common mistake made by many English learners.
What are the benefits of online learning?
I can save quite a bit of money compared to traditional English learning.
Do you save much?
Overall, I enjoy cost savings of about 60% using the online program to supplement my
ongoing classes.
What's more than the cost benefit?
The best thing about homeschooling is that I can choose the right place to study, as
well as wearing the most comfortable clothes for me.
Studying at home will not have many books and materials in the library.
In return I can Google it anytime I want.
You can watch more videos and images of the topic you learn to better understand.
Moreover, I can look up the dictionary of words, grammar rules at any time in the classroom.
Today, there are many online utilities to help you learn English effectively.
Nowadays, online learning is really popular, and so is learning English on the Internet.
I went online to learn something while staying at home because of the epidemic.
Does it help you?
I have learned a lot of new knowledge, and more importantly, it helps me feel more productive
with my time and motivates me more.
This time besides English, I have to study other subjects online, it's really stressful.
Are you sad because you can't interact with people?
Yes, but at least I interact with my friends more through interactive platforms.
Today's technology is so advanced that there are many platforms designed for learning,
making learning more interesting.
I can improve all four English skills.
How did you do it?
For example, with speaking, I often invite friends to make a video call, like a face-to-face
chat.
You can record and send voice notes to your friends and classmates on messaging apps.
Listening to my own talk makes it easier for me to find mistakes.
What about listening skills?
I often watch videos or podcasts, and subtitles usually help me a lot.
Why do you need to see subtitles when listening?
Because they can help me identify new words and clarify parts of the lesson that I can't
understand.
It will also help you improve your reading skills.
Regarding my reading skills and increasing my vocabulary couldn't be easier with the
amount of articles and eBooks I can find online.
Reading English will be more difficult than your native language, so what about reading
English can be a distraction?
I often invite friends to read an article together and ask questions and someone will
answer.
Regarding writing, online learning is probably not effective, right?
On the contrary, writing articles is easily done.
You mean it's easier to type on a keyboard than to write on paper?
I can get my writing corrected in real time through apps like Grammarly.
It is also easier to send small essays or homework to teachers via email or on an online
learning platform.
My friends and I can work together on real-time articles via Google Drive.
It is true that there are countless digital tools that can help you improve your writing
skills.
But anyway, learning online also makes us further away from friends.
But you can meet new people and connect with online communities.
Online communication is easy and ubiquitous these days, but it never replaces face-to-face
interactions.
But if it's just virtually, having someone to hang out with is essential.
Group online English lessons are a great way for me to meet new people in the same boat
as me.
They are also sitting in front of screens trying to improve their English skills and
looking for an online community.
The train has arrived, do you have your tickets yet?
I have purchased it on the app, how about you?
I have a monthly ticket, let's get on board.
Hop aboard our English train and discover new sights.
What's your name?
My name is Jennifer.
What is your surname?
My last name is Banks.
Which station do you want to go to?
I want to catch the train into the city center.
Excuse me, can you speak English?
Yes, I can.
What can I help you with?
Where are you from?
I am from Japan.
Do you like TV shows?
I'm not a big fan, but I usually watch.