Chapter 7 : Important pillars for improving English and their significant role.

So far, we have covered plenty of things regarding the fluency of English. Up to here, I have showed you different reasons and problems why people struggle in spite of spending a great deal of time, money and energy. In previous chapter we have learnt what should not be done?

Now it’s time to learn something which is very important.now, I am showing you four basic but very important tools for developing your fluency and knowledge in English. As you now understand that English is a language. You have been getting slowly but steadily that if a person wants to learn the language, he must follow the principles of the languages.

There is always a price tag to everything. Here also, fluency in English is not given to us free. It must be brought with time and work. But with so little but consistent work.

You would have to work on the steps mentioned below with consistency. As mentioned earlier that in learning English you don’t have to work hard with cramming words and structures. But of course sincere, honest effort is always required.

Here, I have given four core steps you must follow each day.

First:    listening

The first thing you need to do for  the improvement of your fluency is to do lots of listening, you know now  that until the age of 6 years and before going to school the most important tool for a child for learning language is listening.

We will follow the same pattern here. From now on, start listening as much as possible; listen to the people who speak English fluently, listen to movies in English, news channels and everything you can in English.

You see, nobody can speak Gujarati language as Gujarati people does, similarly, nobody can speak English just as the native speaker does. So if you can listen to native speaker, there is a least chance for you to make mistakes. And the best way to listen to native speaker is to listen them in movies and English channels.

If you listen regularly, you would find plenty of important expressions, structures, words and sentences which are generally used by native speakers. Gradually, you would start to speak them too.

Here are some of my recommendation of movies and channels.

Movies :

• Ice age: Part 1,2,3,4.
• Kung fu panda: Part 1, 2,૩
• Madagascar: Part 1, 2, 3,
• How to train your dragon part 1,2
• Megamind, Rango, Epic,Tangled

ઉપરની બધી જ movies animated છે અને ખૂબ જ સારી અને conversation થી ભરપૂર છે.

• Batman Part 1, 2, 3
• Iron man Part 1, 2, and 3.
• Captain America part 1, 2,3
• Thor part 1, 2,
• The avengers part 1,2
• The prestige.
• Harry potter series
• Narnia series
• Men in black 1 2 3

 Note:  As far as possible watch these movie with earphone and subtitles

Channels:

• NDTV 24*7,
• CNN
• IBN,
• BBC,
• NDTV travel and living,
• All other movies and news channel

2:  Reading

If we assume English as a computer and listening as a mother board. Then, we have to admit that reading is a processor. We know that when a child starts learning his mother tongue he would start with listening. But as he grows, this place has been taken by reading. Reading is the core tool to master any skill. You would go to any successful person in his respective field and ask him the reason of his success.he would, without any mistake, tell that reading is the key.

Reading, more reading, still more reading under expert guidance is the key to success.

Shaheed Veer Bhagat Singh used to sit in the library for hours and hours. His reading has given him knowledge and articulated speech to debate with English officers by which he could astonish even the brittish lawyers and officers.

Reading and writing letters is one of the hobbies of Mahatma Gandhi. He was a keen reader of different culture’s history, politics, sociology and different faculties

Shahrukh khan once revealed that there are more good looking boys in Mumbai than he is, but he became the super star of Bollywood without having any family back ground of films, the reason was reading.Reading has given him a sense to accept a story which was good and reject which was not.

Aamir khan once told to the news reporters that normally people have the tendency  to take the remote of a TV in their hands as soon as they get to home, while he always picks up a book. I don’t think I have to tell you about the success he has.

Chetan Bhagat- a celebrated author, Kumar Vishvas-the most acclaimed Hindi poet, jay Vasavada- famous Guajarati writer and columnist.These are the examples of the people who have achieved success due to their reading. If you look to these great people one thing they have common, they are the keen reader of their respective field. There are lots of other examples who got the success due to vast reading. That is why; importance of reading can’t be avoided.

In this book, you would be encouraged, guided and taught to become a good listener and reader of English. You should start reading now. Read as much as possible in English. Your success is the fluency in English and reading is the key, so read plenty of books in English.aim to finish at least one novel  in English in a week. Make reading a habit.

What should be read?

Certain instructions are to be followed when you start reading. Here, you have to take a very good care of what to read and what not. Generally, people believe that news papers and other literal magazines are good source for improving English.They believe it because they hear it from most of the people.

As I told you earlier that the literary words are not generally used in day to day conversation. They fit best as far as the writing is concerned but in speech they are not having much importance.

When people want to learn English they ask other people and get the advice to read news papers and by doing so they could get a good knowledge but not the fluency because most of the words and expressions are not used in speech. The words and structures are literal and formal which is having less frequency as far as the speech is concerned.In the beginning, try to avoid news papers as far as possible.after achieving fair level of fluency you can read anything.

Instead, read novels, plays, story books and other light informal magazines. In these books and magazines you would find lots of structures, expressions and words which are normally used in speech. You would soon find that you are getting familiar with these expressions which are used by educated speakers of English in their day to day Conversation.You can read any books of your own interest. Here, I have enlisted some books and magazines.

• Readers digest {magazine},
• Books of 8^th to 12^th main and supplementary
• Novels, plays and story book of your interest.

It is always the possibility that you like one author more than other or you find writing of one author easy to other. You can read anything you want. My intention is to make you read and read as much as possible.

You should develop a hobby to read. If you are not advanced enough to go with magazines and novels then start with 8^th standard book, even one can start with 5^th standard book but you have got to read. There is a chance that you have completed college but your level in English is of 5^th standard students, then you have to start with that point. You could increase your difficulty of reading gradually.

Here, I am giving the list of some of the greatest authors. You would find their novels best suit for our purpose. The style and methods of writing of these authors are awesome. You can start with any author you want.

• Earle Stanley Gardner
• Agatha Christi,
• Chetan Bhagat.
• Aesop fables
• J k rolling : Harry Potter
• Sherlok holmes
• Any author of your choice

Note: Make a habit of listening and reading English whether you understand or not, you may find some problem in comprehending the structures. Don’t worry about them, just go ahead with you reading and listening

3:  Practice.

When you listen more, when you read more, you would be exposed to lots of words, sentences, structures and expressions which are commonly used by educated speakers of English in their day to day conversation. You would see that there are bunch of good structures which would be equally helpful for you in your conversation.

To get those sentences on the tip of your tongue you have to teach your tongue to put those structures in fluent way. There is only one way by which you can teach your tongue that is “speak aloud and several times”.

You see, by speaking words and structures aloud and several times,you could give the practice to your tongue it requires. Believe it or not, this is the only way to become fluent in English.No other modern audio visual techniques can make you fluent.

In schools and colleges you have learnt so many structures and words.In classes and different books, students have been provided lots of sentences and words but never asked the students what to do with those sentences. Result is, you know all the sentences and structures, your mind does too, but not your tongue, you know lots of words and expressions, but, it is in your mind, it is not on the tip of your tongue.

See, the true fluency is only possible when your tongue knows the structures the way your mind does. Thus, by this time, you start training your tongue by speaking these words and structures aloud several times.

You must have remembered the principle we have studied in previous chapters. The principle states “speak aloud and several times” that’s what you need to do to achieve the highest level of fluency.

From now on, whenever you find a new word or sentence which you find important or interesting or you find sentences or words which are unknown to you, make a habit to write it down in your note book. Then, speak them aloud and several times.

Speak one sentence for five times.Suppose you have a collection of 100 sentences. You utter one sentence for five times. Do this practice for at least 45 minutes a day. If you keep on doing this for three months you would take it that you are already on the fluency path.

4: dictionary work

Dictionary work is equally important as far as the fluency in English is concerned. People have taken for granted the importance of dictionary.They do not use it for the sake of improvement. Although, it is the good and important tool for improving English.When you do listening and reading, you would find lots of words which are unknown to you. For that part,use a good dictionary. You can use any bilingual or monolingual dictionaries.

Remember, you are to use “English –English-Gujarati” {in case your mother tongue is Gujarati} and not “English – Gujarati” dictionary.

You have to use dictionary every now and then.Suppose you are reading certain novel or watching certain movie and find a word which sounds important to you. Then pause a movie or novel, think the meaning of that word in that context, then see the meaning in the dictionary.

Don’t try to remember the meaning of that particular word by heart, just see the meaning, understand it, try to grab it, and get out. Forget the whole thing and continue with your reading.

As far as possible don’t try to cram or remember the word because that type of attitude would hold you back from true fluency. Let it happen naturally and automatically. Soon, you would find that lots of words are being repeated and the words are remembered automatically and you are using them in your day to day conversation.

So, these are the four pillars on which the building of your fluency depends. You are to give emphasis to each section equally. You are to work on them equally.

Allocation of time:

• Listening  :    45 minutes
• Reading :    45 minutes
• Practice :    45 minutes
• Dictionary :    When and where required.