Learn English in 2021 | DON'T use this system!

it's a new year a fresh start a clean slate and you have decided that you want to learn a language now maybe this is your first time trying to learn a language or maybe you have tried and failed many times before but if you're watching this video it's because this is the year that you really want to succeed but the truth is that you probably won't because you like most other people are victims of a system a system that begins in primary school and continues through high school and then you carry that all the way through to being an adult what is this system that you are a victim of the education system and in this video i'm going to explain why you're a victim i'm going to show you how to break free and i'm also going to share my 27-page guide to learning and teaching languages [Music] [Music] i want to start by asking you a question what is mathematics now everybody will probably give a slightly different answer but nearly everybody will say that mathematics is about numbers adding dividing subtracting and especially remembering and using formulas and rules to solve equations but what would a professional mathematician say they would tell you that mathematics is art and this isn't just my opinion this is what mathematician paul halmos wrote mathematicians have very little to do with numbers mathematics is a creative art it is a creative art because mathematicians create beautiful new concepts it is a creative art because mathematicians live act and think like artists and it is a creative art because mathematicians regard it so the only reason that we don't consider mathematics to be art is because our culture doesn't recognize it as art and we are victims of the education system you see we are taught that maths is all about numbers and that maths is important and practical maths can help us to work out the interest on our bank accounts and do science and create amazing technology this is very different from other subjects like art or music which are done for expression pleasure but they're definitely not practical and important and in the same way we are taught that language is practical and important you need to learn english so that you can travel and get jobs and do business and compete in the global economy but the truth is that most people never use the maths that they learn at school and they never use the language that they learn at school maths and language are no more important or practical than art or music so why learn them and why teach them we should do it because they teach us important things about being human mathematics is about curiosity and problem solving and language is about communication curiosity is the reason that we do science and create new technologies and explore the world and communication is what makes all of those things possible people often ask me why i don't make more practical videos about grammar and vocabulary and pronunciation you know videos that will really help students to learn a language the reason i don't is because the education system has given everyone a false idea about what language is you see there's been a big problem in the perception of language ever since the first grammar book was written thousands of years ago everybody thinks that language is made up of these little bits and pieces like nouns and verbs and grammar and that explains language we can use those little bits and pieces to teach language but the truth is that those things are an achievement of language they are not what makes language work language doesn't exist because of grammar grammar exists because humans communicate and unfortunately the way that we teach and learn languages reflects this huge misperception and this makes language classes inefficient ineffective and most of all boring let me give you a specific example [Music] [Music] we use going to for past plans for things that we've already decided to do and we use will when we make the decision to do something now okay now do the exercises this is not learning this is the advanced equivalent of this there is nothing for the student to do the question has been asked and answered at the same time there is no opportunity for the students to ask or for the teacher to explain why what are the historical cultural psychological and linguistic reasons why going to means one thing and will means something completely different and how can we apply that knowledge to other parts of english the only thing that everybody knows and cares about is that this will be on the test and if you follow the rule then you get a reward a letter and number combination like a2 that is supposed to reduce the infinite complexity of human language down to some meaningless category and then that will be used against you in the future when you try to get a job or move to a different country or apply to a university it is a crime against language and during all of this nobody will bother to ask you the most important question can you communicate but do you know the saddest thing about this example is that it's not even true going to and will has nothing to do about when you make a decision to do something it's just a rule that was mindlessly passed down and regurgitated from generation to generation learning the technical details about how language works is only slightly useful for people who will go on to become professional linguists and almost completely useless for anybody who actually wants to use language to communicate the deep and important learning about language doesn't come from its complexity it comes from its simplicity look at this sentence a son goes up to his father and says hi jim there is easily an entire class of fascinating discussion and deep understanding about language that comes from looking at just this one simple sentence what does it mean to a native english speaker when they call their father by their name instead of calling them dad it's an insult what are the cultural reasons that it's insulting what are the linguistic reasons can we think of any other examples in english that use the same linguistic device was it always like that in english is it the same in all english-speaking countries what do we do in my language and wait a second why does he go up to his father ask yourself what type of language classes do you want for yourself and your children and your teachers what kind of students do we want to create do we want to kill the joy of learning i want everyone who is in a classroom right now or studying on their own to succeed i want you to succeed but to do that it requires you to do something really brave it requires you to challenge and question everything that you have been indoctrinated to believe about what learning really is but it's easy to criticize and it's much more difficult to offer real practical solutions and that's why starting from today i'm going to be sharing lots of material to help both students and teachers understand how to really learn a language and to start i have released a 27 page pdf guide to learning and teaching languages and if you want it all you need to do is sign up at the link below i am inviting you to become part of a revolution in learning and teaching this year kangaroo english is going on the offensive change is coming i'm christian this is kangaroo english and i'll see you in class you

Channel: Canguro English

Views: 67,997

Keywords: canguro english, kangaroo english, canguru english, learning english, learn english, english teacher, english grammar, grammar, linguistics, learn english 2021

Id: afHqGHDfZKA

Length: 14min 6sec (846 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 21 2021