{"body":{"post":{"id":"5g4a1p202u07174i0u5e","createdAt":"2022-12-30T15:30:06.662Z","updatedAt":"2022-12-30T16:07:02.663Z","title":"My English Learning Journey","content":"---\n\nmindmap-plugin: basic\n\n---\n\n# The Process that I have been going through\n\n## Learning Journey\n- ### Why I started to learn English and How I have been doing?\n   - In August 2018, I just wanted to read English contents better.\n   - From September 2019 I set a long-term goal of 1500 hours of English listening because I wanted to have better English listening skills.\n      - I started listening a lot of podcasts. I usually listened podcast and sometimes watched YouTube. I also listened audio books.\n   - From Febraury 2020, I decided to practice speaking English. My focus changed to practice of speaking, but I didn't have money to spend online lessons via Zoom like a Ringle or Cambly, so I have been doing by myself. ^5400f226-c3fb-997a\n      - At first, I read aloud whole grammar book six times for three months, but I thought that this method doesn't work, so I quit.\n         - And yet, you know, basic grammar rule is important, and I have been familiar with it after reading aloud the grammar book.\n      - In Sempterber 2020, I joined habit challenge hosted by KakaoTalk for 100 days. I was member of imitating English speaker(aka shadowing) challenge, and I achieved the goal.\n      - After that, I practice speaking infrequently, but In April 2021, I finished transcribing English grammar in Use that I started in 2019. \n      - In 29 September 2021, I talked with an ESL learner from India for 4 minutes on RealLife English app.\n         - Actually, it was my first conversation with abroad friend. It was fun, so I used to have a conversation on the app.\n         - But I started to feel my limits of speaking skill soon. I tried to continue a conversation, but It was not easy, and there was also a time limit of eight minutes. Although if I was fluent, I couldn't have a deep conversation, so I quit. \n      - From November 2021 to Februry 2022, I focused memorizing a transcript like BBC Idea. \n      - From February to May, I talked with Jay, who is the husband of my wife's friend, fifteen times on What's app\n         - He is a really generous, so when I talked with him, I felt relaxed.\n         - He loves various kinds of music, and one day he played acoustic guitar on the screen. I felt that he is enjoying his playing.\n         - In October, we met finally in my home. Jay and his wife visited my home, and we had a great time for two days.\n      - Nowadays, I try to read and listen more, write more, and speak more as possible as I can.\n      - <u>If I could live like someone who's bilingual, the method that I use doesn't matter. </u>  \n- ### What is personal meaning of learning English nowadays?\n   - As I mentioned, I just started to read English books becasue I wanted to read faster than I did.\n   - But after 18 months later, I wanted to communicate with other who use English in theire first or second language.\n   - I often felt upset because I felt like my English level doesn't improve.\n   - I know that in learning journey, there is always wax and wane, so I don't mind my English skills seem like doesn't improve.\n      - Furthermore learning English makes me feel more alive.\n      - and it gives me feeling of control and mastery. So if uncertain situation makes me anxious I concentrate my routine of English learning so that keep my mental health.\n- ### What do I want to do if I were fluent in English?\n   - #### Podcast\n       - I want to be a host of my own podcast. I want to introduce self-development books or psychological books using my podcast channel.\n          - Those books share theme that related to the formation and persistency of healthy habits.\n          - If there are people who interested in my podcast, discussing about the books will be fun.\n          - I am going to start in Janunary 2023. Maybe I will publish an episode biweekly.\n          - To make this project possible, at least, I have to write 7000 characters during two week that enables me to talk about the topic that I choose for 5 minutes.\n          - If I choose to talk freely for 5 minutes for an episode, I will definitely fail. But if I read a script that I made, it is not an impossible task.\n          - As long as I make a specific plan, I think I could continue to publish a podcast episode biweekly as I have been publishing my blog articles.\n             - To make a routine that related to launch a podcast and build episodes, I think of a specific plan.\n                - First, I have to find a topic that I want to cover.\n                    - It would be a book (especially an English book), articles, or other podcast episodes that I want to curate.\n                    - Whatever it would be, I try to choose theme in terms of self-development (that includes time-management, motivation, habit formation, learning a language, and etc.) and how to keep one's mental-health.\n                - After that, I need to summarize and also write about the topic that I choose through adding my opinions for a few days.\n                - Finally, I am going to record video with the outline which on a mindmap program.\n                - At first, I just only thought about audio podcast, but nowadays I have changed my mind. Maybe YouTube will be the best option.\n                    - Maybe I could publish an episode through both channels.\n                - A pilot episode will be released in January and Febraury, then I will upload an episode biweekly regularly from March. \n   - #### Living abroad with my family\n       - And I want to live abroad with my family for about a year.\n          - I hope that my kids learn they could live everywhere.\n   - #### Writing a book about how to speak fluent in English\n      - Finally, Writing a book about how to speak fluent in English also will be fun. I think learning English is one of the effective methods of self-care. So I want to show that how I use learning English as a mental health care.\n## What problem I have faced during speaking practice and how I have been overcoming this challenge\n- Though I practiced every day, I didn't feel that I was growing about my speaking skill. \n- I was never feeling like comfortable and confident about the way I spoke English.\n- Even I understand in English well, when it's time to speak, I feel weird, or even blocked, so I was frustrated a lot. \n- But I had my own data of speaking practice, so when I felt bad during practicing, I just went on to practice and take note what I had practiced.\n- As build up my practice data, I am less frustrated and could have a little hope.\n- I know that there is no clear end point about learning English. I just walk through all the way to the next level of speaking. \n- So I have to lighten up and just feel every moment that I experience.\n\n## Learning English enables you cope with uncertainty \n- If someone doesn't feel interested about English, he couldn't keep going learning English.\n   - But that means, if you can be fun when you learn English, you can make consistency in learning English,\n   - And positive emotion relieves anxiety in an uncertain situation.\n      - This is what I want to talk about. Learning English in a fun way relieves worry and fear in uncertainty.\n- Also, keep doing the routine make you feel more confident about your coping skill.\n- Moreover, as I mentioned, the routine itself as a ritual gave you mastery that enable you to cope.\n\n# The Contents that I have enjoyed\n\n## The Best Non-fiction Books\n- ### Building a Second Brain\n    - Tiago Forte, the author of the book, is a well-known instructor of productivity. \n   - This year he published a book called Building a Second Brain. \n   - This book covers how to connect ideas so that you build your own knowledge system that enables you to prevent from information overloading and most of all, create something valuable.\n   - The main idea of the book is simple.\n       - First, capture and distill what you think important or valuable information on note app.\n       - Second, organize the information which you captured.\n       - Third, use right information that you organize to solve your problem which you faced.\n          - At this point, you can connect ideas and find a better solution. \n   - He explains this process in an easy way with a persuasive tone of voice.\n   - In self-development or productivity realm, Tiago Forte's message has been echoing and inspiring many people that include me.\n   - Though I had been using this kind of method that inspired by Zettelkasten, I aware how important make this method to part of my everyday life after finishing the book.\n   - I have been collecting memos, and connecting them regularly last one year. \n   - Building a second brain isn't easy, but worth it enough, because It promote me to create.\n       - Actually, I wrote about 60 essays during last one year. I was productive and creative than any time.\n       - I think building your second brain makes you more creative as I was.\n- ### Four Thousand Weeks\n  - This book was published last year and I read this book from January to June in 2022. \n   - It was not easy to read, but meaningful to me.\n   - Time-management is the key to success, but I have been always distracted by a smartphone or any other things.\n   - Life is too short, but you and I are easily distracted, and as a result, are wasted time. \n   - Oliver Burkeman, the author of the book, suggests how we solve this dilemma.\n      - First, set the priorities, and do the tasks on the priorities.\n         - You couldn't do everything. Focus on that which matters most.\n      - Second, limit the number of projects. If you are saying \"it's three\", you don't add fourth project until one of them has been completed.\n      - Third, of course, you have to say \"no\" to others so that limit the number of projects.\n         - Where you need to focus is matter, but it's also important that decide what you are not going to do.\n      - Fourth, learn to live with the inconveniences. \n         - Every meaningful thing relates to inconveniences, and usually it takes time for a long period.\n         - If you choose to conveniences to save time, you couldn't make meaningful things.\n         - For example, writing letters to someone is a better way to express your heart than email.\n   - This book makes me view my everyday life more widen perspectives and urge to choose what matter most.\n   - At many times, I still tend to focus what actually doesn't matter to me, but at least I try to focus only two things, writing and learning English, in a long-term view.    \n- ### Can I read English books faster than before?\n   - I wanted to read faster, but I couldn't faster. I read slightly faster than before, but I don't mind these days.\n   - Reading speed depends on background knowledge. \n      - If you have a lot of background knowledge, you read faster than usual and If you don't, you read slower than usual.\n   - Nowadays, I think that reading speed doesn't matter. The more important point is that how you think and write about the topic that you read.\n   - I still frequently use Papago or Google translation, but reading English material is my core habit in everyday life, and I love it. \n   - If you want to fluent in English, in my opinion, reading is the most important part, especially when you are at the beginer's level. \n      - So, don't care about reading speed, and just read more frequently.\n\n## The Best Podcasts\n- ### Culips\n    - Culips is a world famous ESL podcast. \n    - Since 2009, they have published lots of episodes.\n    - Nowadays, the main host name is Andrew bates. \n        - He is from Canada and he works for the university in South Korea as an English language instructor. \n        - One or two years ago, he got married with Korean and now live in Seoul.\n        - In my opinions, he is humble and I love his thoughtful attitude in the way he speaks.\n    - From beginner to intermediate level of speaking, Culips is helpful. Hosts speak clearly and slowly, so I listen to this podcast when I clean my home or commute.\n    - They provide study guides and interactive transcripts. These are not free, but you can download a free sample.\n    - I recommend Jeremy's English Tips of Culips. He does not involve Culips at this point, but there are some episodes that guide us to many interesting topics in related to learning English.  \n- ### RealLife English\n    - This podcast is also widely known as a top podcast of ESL.\n    - There are more than 300 episodes. \n    - I think, they know how many times English learners faced obstacles and feel frustrated or upset by oneself every moment when practice English.  \n        - For example\n            - > ...When other people don't understand them. And I think they, they get frustrated because obviously, as you mentioned, you feel embarrassed, you feel, you know, like you're not doing enough, but this is part of the process. - [Real Life English episode 278](https://reallifeglobal.com/rlep278-i-didnt-understand-you/)  10분 56초 지점.\n    - They also have been learning their target language in a long period, so they know exactly how does that feeling, and it gives me feel comfort when I feel frustrated. Since I could think 'that's the way it is.', I was able to accept the truth more easily.\n    - If you download the RealLife English app, you can view an interactive transcript of every episode. Plus, you can communicate in English with another person who uses this app.\n        - Of course, however, user's manner is different. Some people are good, others are bad, so alert with curiosity. \n- ### Speaking of Psychology\n    - If you want to have some psychological toolkit for better living, this podcast is for you.\n    - This podcast is supported from American Psychological Association(APA).\n    - Well-known professor of psychology gives you the latest knowledge in terms of psychology.   \n    - [In recent episode](https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/learn-better), John Dunlosky who is professor of psychology addresses how to learn better. \n        - Some interesting topic was in this episode, I mean, John suggests that whether you're longhand or typing, that's not matters. \n        - The more important thing for retention is spaced retrieval. That means, you have to relearn your study material regularly for better retention.\n    - [In the other episode](https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/time#:~:text=So%2C%20once%20you,the%20social%20comparison.), Cassie Holmes, who is professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management addresses about time and happiness.\n        - She said that, don't follow extrinsic motivation too much, instead follow your intrinsic values, because by doing so, you don't need to compare yourself to others. That means, making time for your valuable activities gives you more fulfillment.\n    - This podcast also gives you free transcripts. So you could read while listening an episode.\n- ### Hidden Brain\n    - This podcast is the best in psychology realm.\n    - It started from NPR in 2015 , but one or two years ago, the team that lead by [Shankar Vedantam](https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/hidden-brain) decided to open their own broadcast company, Hidden Brain Media.\n    - The CEO and also host Shankar Vedantam usually have a conversation with interviewee in a calm and very logical way. I love the way he talks.\n    - This podcast addresses many interesting psychological topic like [a better way to worry](https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/a-better-way-to-worry/) or [how mindsets affect our response to stress](https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/reframing-your-reality-part-1/)\n    - I recommend one episode. This episode title is [Both Things Can Be True](https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/both-things-can-be-true/).\n        - Can you forgive someone who swindles money out of you. Of course not.\n        - But what if the fraud saved you from a desperate situation. \n        - Every person has a color of white, black, and grey. I mean, some aspects of personality are good, but other aspects are not. \n        - This episode addressed the ambivalence. \n        - Interviewee who talk with host forgave the fraud, but I'm not sure, if I were in at the situation whether I could forgive.\n        - This episode was touching my mind. Maybe you are too.\n- ### NPR Life Kit\n    - Last recommendation is NPR Life Kit. This podcast addresses broad life hack from sleep to saving money to parenting and more.\n    - A length of every episode is about 15 to 20 minutes.\n    - At the end of an episode, host wraps up with some takeaways, so if you didn't understand some points, you are going to have a chance to understand.\n    - They also give us transcripts, but some episodes don't have a transcript.\n    - In 2022 I usually have been listening this podcast and note useful ideas on my note-app when I listen this podcast.\n    - The one episode that I want to talk is [It's OK to not be passionate about your job : Life Kit : NPR](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1076978534)\n        - Being passionate in job is good, but if there is no increasing in pay and owner gradually want us to work more, passion becomes a poison, and maybe going to follow by burn-out.\n        - Don't put all your eggs in one basket. \n        - Think about \"how can we deliberately invest time and energy and attention in cultivation our passion\" in another space that brings us joy.\n        - This message is echoing with in my mind. I agree with that 100 percent.\n        - Learning English and writing is the space that brings me joy and excitement. So I also put my passion in those two baskets. \n\n# Three key habits in learning journey\n\nRecently, I read Long Game which is written by Dorie Clark. She suggests that in a long journey to achieve your big goal, there are three key habits which allows to keep our persistency.\n\n## Independence\n- We need to have our own values. It is like a compass. When we feel frustrated because it looks like there is no progress, one's own values allows to keep going our own way though.\n- If we don't have values or strong opinions in language learning, we will be confused easily by what other people say.\n    - One day I woke up 5am in the morning. At that time my wife had woke up. She told me 'Why you wake up so early?'. I said 'I have to finish a daily practice of yesterday early because I didn't finish my daily practice yesterday'. She said 'You are a crazy man.'\n    - I laughed and started to practice speaking English.\n    - The point is that if we believe the way is the right way, we don't have to care other's opinion. \n\n## Curiosity\n- As same as I mentioned, having a curiosity of one's own lifestyle is the key to build one's own practice that be optimized to oneself.\n- I mean, noticing how you choose to spend free time and understanding whom and what you feel fascinating.\n- In my case, I love listening podcast in my free time and I feel fascinating when I write about a book after I read a book.\n    - So I think of launching podcast which introduces an English book or article that include theme about self-development or mental health.\n    - Through this kind of method, I can maximize English input and output in a more active way. \n- The point is to make an own optimized method in related to learning English.\n\n## Resilience\n- Along the way of developing one's own method, we will be faced several fails inevitably. \n    - Some method will work, and others not.\n- We feel frustrated when we can't find a good method for us.\n- But a method that works at some point will doesn't work at another point in your learning journey.\n- So we need to find a more appropriate method in every stage of our own language development.\n- We have to try various methods until it works.\n- If it didn't work, try something else.\n- That is the meaning of resilience and it enables to keep you on the track.\n\nAnd this is my experience and learning last five years. I didn't achieve level of speaking that I wanted, but I learned how to live in English and I have a hope that someday I will be [living English](https://share.snipd.com/snip/b21605e3-c62e-47ef-a29c-02dad1f4597e).\n\nI'm really looking forward to my speaking skills near future.\n\nThank you for watching and I hope that this video motivates you to learn English every day. \n\nAnd please correct me if I'm wrong.\n\nBye for now."}}}