English Out There

Episode 8 just published! Listen to Judy Thompson, Caroline Swinton and Jason continue to explore the reasons why doesn't deliver on its promises and how this is linked to the out dated and, frankly, systemically ineffective global education paradigm which still exists in a completely different world for which it was originally created. https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/languagesoutthereLatest

English Out There - Exploding the Myth of ELT English Out There explodes the myth of English language teaching (ELT) that the global education industry would rather you didn't know about. English Out There is a hugely effective way to learn to speak English. Listen to me, Jason West, and top EOT teacher Caroline Swinton based in Italy (see her....

Are we all educationally indoctrinated to our detriment and is context crucial to learning to speak English? Listen to what Jason and Caroline think.

Exploding The Myth of ELT - Educational Indoctrination & Learning Context So, after a week away due to some 'field activities' by Jason, Caroline and Jason discuss learners conventional perceptions of what an English language course is and what they perceive as the level of indoctrination suffered by many many learners around the world and how this affects their progress....

[Update: it seems to have 'stuck' second time around...ugh!]

Facebook why is an educational podcast shared from a large well established podcasting platform (Podomatic) against your 'Community Standards'? Please explain.

Of course I'm not expecting a response I'm just rather miffed that the investment of time and energy (and knowledge) you implore us all to contribute to your platform, supposedly in the greater good, is clearly something you are incapable of explaining coherently.

Plus, for Pete's sake stop the massive messaging spam which totally negates any effective contact via Page related private messaging.

This is becoming a big problem and it will bite you in the server backside at some point in the not too distant future.

My podcast keeps being blocked...let's see if it just the EOT page affected. Here goes...

Exploding The Myth of ELT - Patterns and English Language Learning "Pattern Transfer = Language" - Listen to Caroline Swinton, Judy Thompson and Jason West discuss patterns in English language teaching and learning and how you can use the human brain's natural language acquisition ability to dramatically improve the speaking and writing ability of your students. Th...

It has happened again!

It seems our latest podcast is too hot to handle for Facebook! You can find it on Podomatic.

This 'struck a chord'. I think it is probably referring to the USA insurance based health system which is very expensive. However, it also made me think of other commercial enterprises which offer paid help to solve a problem. Notably, in my mind anyway, conventional which all learners are sold on the basis that the methods and materials they invest in will help them to speak English.

If you aren't sure what I'm on about listen to the podcast: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/languagesoutthere/episodes/2024-07-19T04_48_03-07_00

Episode 4 of the podcast...why not have a listen?

Exploding The Myth of ELT - Episode 4 - Practice, Misunderstanding, Coping an... In this episode Caroline brings up the big issue of English learners not understanding language during speaking practice and how she, Judy Thompson and her "English is Crazy" book, and others, approach it and try to fix it. Jason has his own slightly different slant on the problem and, in....

Episode 2 - Exploding the Myth of - How to Practise Speaking Effectively

Listen to Caroline and Jason discuss how to support learners to practise their English speaking skills super effectively.

Exploding The Myth of ELT - Episode 2 - How to Practise Speaking English Effe... Millions upon millions of dedicated English learners around the world are spending hours and hours of their lives desperately trying to practise speaking English and failing to do it in an effective way. This is not some glib off-the-cuff remark it is a fact. Look at this Facebook group, specificall...

Have a listen to the first episode of my new podcast with Caroline Swinton who helps learners to finally speak English comfortably using the English Out There method. It was fun! Lots more to come.

Exploding The Myth of ELT - Episode 1 NEW PROGRAMME - Listen to Caroline Swinton (experienced English teacher and professional interpreter and translator of Italian) and Jason West (creator of EOT) begin their discussion around what they feel is the myth of ELT which has been prompted by their considerable experience of using the Englis...

I just found a very old hard drive that still works....it contains lots of docs and images from years ago and there's a lot of EOT stuff on there. This is a rather remarkable post from 2010 by a lady who obviously didn't appreciate (or indeed understand) what we were about. Love her use of caps! :-)

Just stumbled upon this... from 2013...well worth a watch if you want to get the low down on imperialism. Its extremely illuminating. Prof. Phillipson says he's been censored because his research is critical of the ELT establishment. It just serves to support my view that the ELT hegemony is...when you think about the relationship between the billions made over many decades and the lack of efficacy, plus the cultural damage and coercion which has simultaneously been meted out... probably one of the biggest hidden frauds in the history of humanity. A very big claim, but just look at the facts.

Prof. Robert Phillipson talks about linguistic imperialism and ELT Prof. Robert Phillipson talks about linguistic imperialism and ELTFurther details http://www.tesolacademic.org/keynotesnew.htm #846150677

It really works! I've helped a number of business people overcome their fear of meetings in English. And it's quick!

Ti serve l'inglese per gli incontri di lavoro? Te la cavi con l'inglese tecnico ma la conversazione in inglese durante un pranzo informale con i clienti paradossalmente è più difficile? Questa è l'esperienza di Alberto, che con English Out There ha trovato il metodo giusto per migliorare il suo inglese velocemente. Per info - Caroline Swinton tel/whatsapp 329-6312163

We are doing something right...!

English Language Facilitator: il mio contributo questa settimana durante un corso interattivo, tenuto online per una società internazionale. Tutti partecipavano da paesi, compreso l'Italia, dove l'inglese è una seconda lingua. Nonostante i diversi livelli di inglese dei partecipanti, il loro contributo, per quanto riguarda l'inglese, è stato perfettamente funzionale.
Quando sai l'inglese puoi parlare con tutto il mondo, per lavoro e in vacanza. Le porte si spalancano e le possibilità si moltiplicano. Per imparare velocemente ci vuole un metodo efficace come English Out There e qualcuno, in questo caso sono io, con cui fare delle lezioni su misura e concentrarsi su quello che è importante per te.
Per info: Caroline Swinton tel/whatsapp 329-6312163

Just going through some old content in my cloud folders...this slide is in a presentation I used in 2013. Think about it...it's obvious when you look at this way. And this is why AI chatbots are storming at the moment. But the bots, like all bots, need the right prompts and although the apps now available have lots of practice conversation prompts they are light and don't go deep, unlike EOT learning content which prepares you comprehensively before you speak and gives you questions to ask that require you to use the language you have just self-studied. It's deep, it's detailed and it builds your vocab, gets you thinking in English and makes speaking practice considerably more effective :-)

This was Bernd in his second EOT speaking practice session... followed by his twelfth. Have a listen. Say what you hear below. 🙂

2018_Bernd_B040618_A021018_session2_to_session12.mp3

Spookily similar to Swansea University, where I studied.

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
__________________________________________
(Book: Maya Angelou Poems https://amzn.to/3sdava7 )

Oh yeah...

Some advice from physics laureate Frank Wilczek to kick off 2024.
Credit: Nobel Prize