Doing English With Julian Northbrook

Have you ever feel like you're disadvantaged?   Like other people have a better life?   Like life isn't fair?   Here's some advice for you:   Life INS'T fair.   It never was. And it never will be. So forget about it, get off your arse, and DO something.   Whining won't help.   In this week's podcast episode I tell you a story about the year I spent working in a bacon factory.   The job was horrible.   But I learned a valuable life lesson.   Something you'd never learn in school or at an elite job.   And this week I share that lesson with you   Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4frt7ArMpN0

Films are great. I love watching films. But is watching films a good way to improve your English? Good question. Between the middle of November and the middle of December I watched a Japanese film every day for a whole month. 30 films. About 60 hours of watching in Japanese. In this week's Podcast episode I'll tell you everything I learned…. Why watching films is good... And why watching films is not good. Links and things mentioned - Doing English Daily Newsletter http://doingenglishNEWSLETTER.com - Doing English+ http://www.doingenglishPLUS.com/ The Doing English Weekly Rant is a podcast for intermediate and advanced English learners who feel stuck and unable to progress.

Merry Christmas!   In this week's podcast episode I'd planned to talk about what I learned from watching a Japanese film every day for an entire month...   But then I remembered --   Today is Christmas!!   I'm not a very festive person to be honest… but whatever.   Let's talk about some cultural differences between the way Christmas is celebrated in Japan and the UK.   Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0S3h99TeUk&feature=youtu.be

In this week's Podcast Episode:   * All about the Tokyo Event, and why you should come.   * The difference between western films and Japanese films (and why that matters for your English).   * About my two favourite films.   Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt6YmuC3g4Y   The Tokyo Event: http://doingenglish.com/event

A mistake most intermediate and advanced English learners make:  they understand the words, they ignore it as "too easy".   Big, big mistake (and one that is holding you back).   What should you do to improve your English? What should you be focusing on? That's what we discuss in this week's Podcast episode.   Links and things mentioned   - Video Version https://youtu.be/ogN40qq1mhE   - Doing English Daily Newsletter http://doingenglishNEWSLETTER.com   - Doing English+ http://www.doingenglishPLUS.com/

On Sunday 27th November I ran my first competitive race (the Tokyo Seaside Marathon — a 20km). I learnt several important lessons that are very useful for people learning English to.   Links and things mentioned   - Video Version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV23MW_-eF4   - Doing English Daily Newsletter http://doingenglishNEWSLETTER.com   - Doing English+ http://www.doingenglishPLUS.com/

Quick! Run! The Zombies are coming!! No, wait… the zombies are "going". This is episode 41 of the Doing English podcast — enjoy! Links and things mentioned   - Video Version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrScXhq47t0   - Doing English Daily Newsletter http://doingenglishNEWSLETTER.com   - Doing English+ http://www.doingenglishPLUS.com/

Question: What is something you've always wanted to learn just for the sake of learning? Links and things mentioned - Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfMFa8ywQeE - Two Step Speaking: http://twostepspeaking.com - The Doing English Daily Newsletter: http://doingenglish.com

An interview with Julian Part 3   This is part 3 of an interview I did for a polish website.   http://doingenglish.com

This is part 2 of an interview I did for a polish website.   http://doingenglish.com

This week's podcast is a little different.   This is part 1 of an interview I did for a polish website. Part 2 is coming next week, then part 3 in two week's from now.   http://doingenglish.com

The Love Vein   Ever wondred why people wear wedding rings?   More than 2,000 years ago Greek physicians believed that the ring finger (the one people wear a wedding ring on) was connected to the heart by a special "Love Vein". So logically, people started to "bind" that finger in marriage.   Obviously we now know that such a vein doesn't exist...   … but still we follow the custom of wearing a "binding" wedding ring.   This is fine when it comes to customs and traditions.   But for you English?   Not so much.   You can also get a free transcript for this episode (and other free resources) by helping me out with my research.   More information on this after signing up for the Doing English Emails, which you can do here:   http://doingenglish.com

Your current position doesn't mean anything — it's all about the actions you take from now.   Other people better at English than you?   They're probably not as good as you think, so stop worrying about it and get on with improving your own English.   That's the lesson in this week's podcast.   For more on this — and a story that demonstrates the point nicely check out this week's episode.   You can also get a free transcript for this episode (and other free resources) by helping me out with my research.   More information on this after signing up for the Doing English Emails, which you can do here:   http://doingenglish.com

Whether you like it or not...   … appearance matters.   Funny example of this. My youngest son had a really cute haircut. His teachers at school called him things like, "little angel" and nobody could ever believe he did anything bad. But then he got head lice.   So I shaved his head.   And the way people started to treat him… changed.   In this podcast episode I tell you this story, and give you a few tips for improving your English based on it.

Are you learning English every day? Recently a new member joined Doing English PLUS and said that she was frustrated with her progress. Another member replied, talking about the importance of routine. "When you work out your learning routine you'll soon see the results," she said. Nothing could be truer. And guess what? That's exactly what we discuss in this week's Podcast episode. You can get a transcript for this episode by signing top at: http://doingenglish.com

DEWJ32 —  "It's YOUR fault I can't speak English!!"   Get the transcript for this episode by signing up at:   http://doingenglish.com   (It's free, but I ask you to help with a research study)   The modern world is plagued by a disease worse than cancer and AIDS put together: Passing the blame.   "It's not me."   "I'm a victim."   "The government is to blame."   Boo-hoo, wah wah wah.   We all have choices. How you use those choices is up to you, but once you make a choice? You've made it. No going back.    In this week's Podcast we talk about how this relates to learning English...   … and how you can make mastering the language much, much easier for yourself.   Cheers,   Julian

In this week's episode:   - We discuss the topic of "chunking" and "formulaic language" — why are they important, and how can you use them to speak better English? - Question Answered: "I have a pretty vast vocabulary, but it feels so hard to express my thoughts and emotions. Sometimes I'm frustrated that I can't the correct words, the correct phrases." - Will learning more words help you speak better English? - John Firth said: "You shall know a word by the company it keeps" — what does this mean? - How to truly understand the meaning of a word. - Why does "plastic surgery" sound natural, but "plastic operation" sounds weird? - How can you sound more natural? More fluent? Get better pronunciation? ("chunking")   Want to learn more about chunking?   Start with: http://TwoStepSpeaking.com   Doing English Film: http://DoingEnglish.com/FILM

http://doingenglish.com/youtube   Here's a quick lesson in confidence, for you.   Many of the things which worry and upset us are actually NOTHING to do with us. We think it's because we're not good enough, or because we did something stupid… but really it's something else. I give you a good example of this in this week's episode.   Doing English YouTube channel: http://doingenglish.com/youtube   Doing English Film: http://doingenglish.com/FILM

This week I answer the question, "Does accent even matter?" and discuss pronunciation and accent. Watch the Doing English FILM: http://doingenglish.com/FILM

TRANSCRIPT ▶︎　http://doingenglish.com/podcast/ep28/ In this week's episode of the Doing English Podcast: - An important language-learning insight from a cold-hearted Amazonian tribesman - Why if you want to be good at English… you'd better try to understand culture - And a must read-book! If you haven't already, take a moment to subscribe on iTunes, rate and review the show.