¿ Quieres estar con los mejores ? Do you want to join the best ones?

A finales de Agosto del pasado año (2013), me vi en la necesidad de refrescar mi inglés. Mi historia es como la de tantos españoles: 3 años de aprendizaje en la escuela y 4 de instituto con el mismo resultado que la mayoría: no puedo mantener una conversación con un nativo, ni entender las películas.

In late August 2013 I found myself forced to brush up my English. My English journey was like so many Spaniards' : 3 years in Middle School plus 4 years in High School with the same outcome as most people: I am not able to keep a conversation with a native speaker, nor understand movies. 

Me puse a buscar recursos en internet. Tengo  experiencia con la informática, y además sabía lo que estaba buscando porque tengo ciertos conocimientos filológicos y entendía por qué fracasan la mayoría de los métodos de enseñanza (sobre todo en la educación pública): están basados principalmente en la gramática.

I started surfing through the internet looking for good stuff. I was aware of what I was looking for since I have some knowledge on linguistics thus I understand why most English teaching methods fail (specially in the public education): They are focused primarily on grammar. 

Encontré a Coach Shane  por lo citado anteriormente: saber que buscaba + conocimiento en búsquedas + algo de suerte ( por qué no decirlo ). 

I found Coach Shane since I did know what I was looking for.

Si uno teclea directamente en Google o YouTube: método para aprender inglés, o cursos de inglés o algo por el estilo, no darás con los mejores. ¿ Por qué ?. Bueno, sencillamente porque, como en otros aspectos de la vida, hay mucho negocio generado alrededor de la enseñanza. Negocios que gastan grandes cantidades dinero en publicidad, y por ende, en posicionarse en los medios digitales. Pero ¿ son por ello los mejores ?. Pues en la mayoría de los casos la respuesta es... no.

If you type in at Google or YouTube something like, ''method for English learning, or, English course, you will not find the best ones. Why is that?  Well in my opinion this is because they spend a lot of money in marketing in order to position themselves in The Internet. But, are they the best? In most cases no, they are not.


En España tenemos el caso de un Tejano que ha sabido, ha entendido nuestra idiosincrasia y sabe que nos gusta mucho que nos expliquen en nuestra propia lengua. Y ha triunfado. Pero sinceramente, no parece la mejor forma de enseñar una lengua.

En otros anuncios de otros cursos de inglés para españoles se repite el  procedimiento: nativos de lengua inglesa prometiéndonos en castellano con mal acento resultados en inglés. Y vaya si funciona comercialmente.

In Spain, we have the example of a guy from Texas who has been able to figure out how to reach the Spaniards and knows how much we enjoy being tought in our own language.  

In other ads aimed to Spaniards we get English Native speakers speaking in Spanish as they guarantee us good results which from a marketing viewpoint works out fine.

El método de CoachShane es de inmersión directa: todo en inglés, como la vida real. Con una gran experiencia en la docencia, un carácter afable y un método reinventado y adaptado al S.XXI, ha conseguido, para mí y para mucha otra gente, estar entre los mejores.

Coach Shane's method gets right to the point: Every single thing in English, just like Real life. Coach Shane has a long experience teaching English,  is entertaining along with a method that fits in with the 21st century. All that in my opinion and to many other people makes Shane be among the best.

Sus canales en YouTube son una excelente herramienta para el aprendizaje del inglés. Y el reto es que se expanda, que sea conocido en escuelas de idiomas, aulas de bachiller, periódicos etc.

Además gran parte del material es gratuito.

His YouTube channels are a fantastic tool for English learning. The challenge is for it to grow and reach language Private schools, high schools, newspapers etc. Additionally those videos are for FREE

¿ Quieres estar con los mejores ?   

Do you want to join the best ones? 

28th Blog post; E-cubed spree!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bCIHLgKJnU

Ey, ¿por qué me apartas la mirada cada vez que saco a relucir el tema? Algo escondes... Todo esto empieza a oler a chamusquina... 

Hey why is that you look away from me everytime I bring it up? Hmmm... you just hide something, this starts to smell fishy~ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y2jjcFj9mM

¿Has acabado? - ¡No, solo estoy calentando! 

Are you done yet? - No, I'm just warming up! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcmzsMTflz8

Parece que te gusta discutir, ¿verdad? - No, no me gusta discutir. Y la falta de transparencia me gusta aun menos, ¿entiendes? 

It seems that you enjoy arguing, don't ya? - No, I don't. I even dislike more you lacking transparency, you follow? 

                                               https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ptmbYjbzc

Mira, no se en qué andas... pero tarde o temprano me enteraré. 

Listen, I don't know what you are up to but sooner or later  I'll find it out. 

¿ Cuántas horas se necesitan para aprender un idioma ? How long does it take to learn a language?

Es la pregunta que se hacen todos los estudiantes de una lengua. Aunque no todas las personas son iguales, sí que se puede establecer una media, como en las tablas que aparecen en las webs siguientes. Como ven, ni siquiera coinciden, pero puede ser una muestra.

That is what everyone who wants to learn a language wonders. Even though we don't have the same skills, it  might be averaged as the links down below show. 

En la web http://www.fedeablogs.net/economia/?p=10593 que está dirigida a americanos que quieren aprender otra lengua, se dice que se puede llegar a tardar hasta 600 horas.

This link is referred to Americans who want to learn a foreign language. They say it might take you 600 hours. 

Enhttp://www.bridgeenglish.cl/aprende-ingles-blog/%C2%BFcuantas-horas-necesito-para-aprender-ingles/ se dice que 200 horas por cada nivel. Como El Marco Común Europeo de Referencia para las Lenguas (MCER) establece 6 niveles, tendríamos 1200 horas para el nivel más avanzado.

According to this link it takes you about 200 hours for each level. As C.E.F.R. establishes 6 levels we would be talking about 1200 for the advanced level.

Por último, en

http://babeliaformacion.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/%C2%BFcuantas-horas-son-necesarias-para-aprender-idioma/ se dice que 1000 horas para manejarnos y 5000 para “master”.

Finally, according to this link we need about 1000 hours to get by and 5000 hours to master it. 

Con Daily English Dictation puedes hacer todas estas horas absolutamente gratis. Es un método divertido donde aprenderás no solo la lengua inglesa sino también la cultura.

Muy, pero que muy pocos profesores online o paginas webs ofrecen tantos recursos y de tanta calidad como Coach Shane.   

Thanks to Daily Dictation you can do those hours for free. It's a fun method where you will learn not only English but culture too. 

Very few on-line ESL sites gives you such top-notch English material like Coach Shane does.  

26th blog post

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU9eQbHh24E


8:27 Comienza el ejercicio a dictar. Versa sobre el Titanic. Supongo que todos hemos oido sobre el Titanic y su trágico accidente. Escucharás a un tipo hablando sobre lo que pudo ser la causa del hundimiento del Titanic. La historia no es tan dificil, pero una vez más, la dicción posiblemente no te lo pondrá nada fácil...    

Antes de todo eso tienes la respuesta del ejercicio anterior junto con la, siempre interesante, exposición de Coach Shane.

Just go straight to 8:27 if you wanna get around to the next dictation which is about The Titanic and its both tragic and well-known wreck...  It's a guy talking about what migth have been the main cause that made The Titanic sink. The sotry itself is not that tough, however the guy's pronunciation might give you a difficult time... 

Before that you have the answers for DD58 along with Coach Shane's explanation which is always pretty DAMN cool, isn't it? 

25th blog post

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAtFFaPltM8

Así que resulta que un grupo de científicos en una expedición al Antártico para estudiar el calentamiento global de Al Gore se quedan tirados (vendidos, atrapados) por el frío... ''Vaya tela'' ''Si es que...'' GO FIGURE...

It turns out that a group of scientists researching Al Gore touted Global Warming became stranded as their Antartic expedition became frozen in the sea... GO FIGURE...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KriRY799V58

Y cuando te preguntaron que opinion te merecen esos científicos, ¿qué dijiste? - Pues que son unos ilusos -  ¡Bien hecho!

And when you were asked on what you think about those scientists, what did you say? - Well I said they are suckers - Kudos to you!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW8480bsbv8

Entonces ¿vas a tirar el panfleto? - Pues claro -

Then are you going to trash the pamphlet? - What do you think? -   

Auld Lang Syne

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjifnzqgPZI

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

 

 

 

 

 

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX7AxamVJUU

 

 

Estamos en pleno invierno - al menos en el hemisferio norte - y en muchos lugares del mundo hace bastante frío a pesar del calentamiento global..''Ehem..''

Por eso algunos tienen gripe y otros simple resfriados o constipados. Y con ellos vienen ataques de estorundos o tos. Uff sí es algo no muy agradable, ¿verdad? 

 

Well, we find ourselves in the middle of winter - in the Nothern Hemisphere - and in so many places around the world it's freezing, despite global warming... ''ahem''

That's why some of us get flu or a severe cold. Additionally we go through sneeze fits and or cough fits Ugh not very nice, is it?

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foTOcrP6UqY

 

Pero a veces cuando tenemos gripe o resfriados tenemos una excusa para no ser atosigados a agobiados o ''rallados'' --- Esta última es una expresión juvenil y típica en España. No creo que en Hispanoamérica signifique algo parecido....  Podemos ser atosigados por madre, esposas, novias, padres, esposos, novios, jefes.... Ahh! ¡Deja de agobiarme! 

 

Sometimes as we're ill with flu or a cold we have a good excuse not to get nagged. We can get nagged by moms, wives, girlfriends, dads, husbands, boyfriends, bosses... Ah! Stop nagging me! Get off (of) my back!!!

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4--llNSIvKU 

 

 

Y cuando te recuperas de la gripe o del resfriado, todo vuelve a la normalidad y el atosigamiento ¡tambien! Entonces en ciertas situaciones llega un momento en el que tienes que desahogarte y liberar la frustración

 

As you get recovered from flu or a severe cold everything gets back to normal and the nagging comes back too!! Then in certain situations at some point you need to vent you need to blow off some steam

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4TDdG0sSR4