Get our IELTS CHEAT SHEET HERE: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Most people think that forgiveness is weakness but today we’ll challenge your perspective with an awesome quote! Do you have any enemies? Do you have any “frenemies”? Here is today’s quote for a Deep Thoughts Thursday: “Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them so much.” – Oscar Wilde What does this quote mean? This quote is somewhat “cheeky” and it says that if we want to annoy our enemies even more, we can forgive them. Also, the quote is telling us that it’s better for us to forgive. It helps us lead healthier lives. When you have an enemy you carry a lot of negative energy around and it takes up space in your body and in your brain. According to Mayoclinic.org, the benefits of forgiveness include: * Stronger immune system * Less anxiety * Lower blood pressure A few great vocabulary words from today’s episode: * Frenemy: “Friend” + “enemy”= someone that you care about and you are there for them but you can’t get along with them on an everyday basis and many things about that person bother you. * To hold a grudge: You keep thinking about something that someone did to you, you hold on to your anger. You don’t move on. Do you have someone to forgive? What is holding you back from forgiving that person? Share your experience in the comments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get our FREE IELTS CHEAT SHEET: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Come back to allearsenglish.com/300 and let us know what you are working on. This is our 300th episode! We are happy to be able to continue All Ears English for our amazing listeners! Today let’s talk about how All Ears English got started, what we do to publish each episode, and what it means for you if you want to put your creative vision out into the world! Today we’ll talk about: * The idea: Lindsay was feeling frustrated with what she had seen in the ESL field. English learning didn’t seem to be working for many students. She was also listening to podcasts at the time and she felt an intuitive voice saying that maybe it was time to start a podcast so she found a partner to work with and got started. If you aren’t hearing any voices in your heart of mind about your creative project, look at what’s needed in the world and go out and investigate that idea. * The background research: We tried our best to avoid “analysis paralysis.” We did a little bit of research to see that other people were doing this and that people were downloading these types of podcasts. When you get started on your creative vision, don’t let “research” hold you back because it may be a form of procrastination. Research is a way of staying safe and not taking the risk of launching. * Production/recording: We kept in mind Seth Godin’s philosophy of “the dip.” We hit a dip in our first three months of producing this project. All Ears English almost failed. We couldn’t get the audio right. There was a learning curve, especially with the technology. We had to throw out an entire day of work because it wasn’t good enough. If you are creating something, you are going to hit a dip. You need to keep pushing beyond the dip because in the long run you will be happy that you did. * Editing: Quality is king. This may sound contradictory to “Connection NOT Perfection” but it’s not because we consider our work to be art. We don’t seek perfection but we do seek the highest possible quality that we can reach. Remember, people want to see that you are human. You make mistakes and it’s fine but quality also matters. Find a balance. When you put out your vision keep this in mind. * Publishing: This is the crucial moment. You have finished your project and now it’s time to show your “art” to the world. In this moment a lot of people don’t publish or they don’t “ship” because they get scared. Why is it scary? It’s scary because you are vulnerable at this time and anyone can come and criticize what you have done. Reid Hoffman says, “If you aren’t embarrassed by the first version of your product then you have launched too late.” * Rinse and repeat: Four times per week we publish episodes. You need to put your work out into the world on a regular basis, not just once. This builds up a sense of resilience and self confidence. No matter what you’re working on, there is always going to be someone who doesn’t like your work but that doesn’t matter. ** Get a chance to meet with Lindsay on Skype for 15 minutes! If we get 300 comments we will choose one person to meet with Lindsay on Skype and practice English. What are YOU working on? What is your creative art or vision that you are putting out into the world? Answer these questions: 1) What are you working on? 2) What challenges have you had? 3) What have you learned? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come back to our blog and leave a comment. Did you bring up one of these topics on a first date? What happened? Tell us your story: http://www.allearsenglish.com/299 Get our free IELTS Chat Sheet at http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Jessica is the author of Hopeful Disasters where she explores dating in New York City. She is also an ESL teacher in New York City. Check out her blog here! When you meet someone for the first time in English, whether it’s a date or just a first-time meeting with a friend or colleague, there are certain topics that you should NEVER discuss. Today you’ll find out what they are with our favorite AEE dating consultant, Jessica Coyle. A few weeks ago we talked about what four things you SHOULD talk about on a first date in English or at a first meeting but today we’ll show you what you should avoid. 4 Topics to AVOID on a first date or first meeting in English: * Politics: You can casually mention your political interests but don’t get drawn into a political debate or discussion. Jessica calls this “quicksand” because you can start to sink and you’ll get stuck and you won’t be able to get out of it. It’s better to bring up this topic once you already know someone well and after you know their triggers well. * Age: You should definitely avoid asking the person their exact age. Also, this means that you should not ask people about their timeline in terms of when they want to get married or have kids. It’s too direct and too intense for a first date or first conversation. You might terrify the person if start asking these questions too early. * Religion: You probably have a rough idea of your date’s religion and it will be important later but it’s too personal to get into during a first date. It’s ok to share your own religion if you want to but don’t ask the person directly what their religion is. * Education: This is tricky. Jessica says that the goal in not asking this question is to avoid coming off as arrogant or judgmental. If you ask the person where they went to school or how many degrees they have, it will be clear that you are fishing for information regarding their intelligence or social status. You might make the other person feel bad if you ask this question. Try to figure out if there is an intellectual connection instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come back to allearsenglish.com/298 and leave us your comments! Get your free IELTS Cheat Sheet at: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation What is the difference between “come” and “go” in English? This is a big mistake that a lot of English learners make! Are you making this mistake? Let’s stop it today. Today you’ll get a simple strategy to use when you choose between “come” and “go.” Here is the trick to remember “come” versus “go”: Where is the speaker? If the speaker is in the place that he is talking about, he says “why don’t you come to New York?” In this case, the speaker is in New York. If he says, “I plan to go to Boston” then he is not in Boston. Keep it simple! Stick to this rule and it will clear up your confusion every time. Phrasal verbs with “come” and “go”: * To come around: To visit (at someone’s home) or to get better, to return to normal. Here is an example, “You are in an argument with a friend now but I hope your friend comes around.” * To come to: To regain awareness and consciousness after fainting or after passing out. “In hot yoga, if you faint and then you come to, everyone will be standing over you and staring.” * To go through: To deal with something, to struggle with something that is hard, maybe a break up, a divorce, a hard time financially. “Are you going through anything difficult these days?” * To go into: To enter something, to start to talk about something, an idea, a topic. “Today we went into a lot of great topics.” Write a sample sentence below to show us that you understood today’s episode! We hope to read your example soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come back and tell us how you want to apply this quote in your life: http://www.allearsenglish.com/297 What is the difference between being original and imitating? What will get you further in life? Today is a Deep Thoughts Thursday so we have a quote: “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” -Herman Melville What does this mean for English learners? Don’t follow a formula. Be creative with your words. Don’t focus too much on being perfect. Get creative with your tone of voice. Learn different ways to say different things. Check out this episode about the Zone of Genius. Where does this quote resonate with you? Let us know in the comments. We want to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you feel like you never get a chance to speak English? Even when you attend an English class or work with an English tutor do you leave the class feeling like you haven’t spoken at all? If so, then you are not alone. A lot of students feels this way. Today we have a guest, Jason Newnum, who is an American English teacher. He teaches on the italki platform and he is available for lessons now! Jason has a special class called “Student Speaks, Teacher Listens.” Why did Jason create this class? Jason created this class because when he took Spanish classes he noticed that he was not getting much speaking practice at all. He felt discouraged and didn’t get much better. He realized that the same problem was happening with English students. Jason wants to solve this problem. Why is Jason’s class different? * He makes sure that students talk more, about 80% of the time * He feels comfortable being quiet, he doesn’t get nervous like other teachers do sometimes when they are nervous so he doesn’t fill that space with meaningless chatter A typical class with Jason: * He asks you what’s new with you * He gives you a short article or video clip and asks for your opinion * He asks great follow-up questions- directly related to YOU and YOUR experiences * He writes out your mistakes in the Skype chat box so that you have a record of your mistakes Jason’s Bio: Jason Newnum teaches English as a second language, in Bariloche, Argentina, and lives there with his family. Although he received his university degree in Spanish and now lives in a Spanish speaking country, his Argentine wife speaks English and Spanish equally. So it’s difficult to force himself to practice Spanish, when it’s easier to speak English with his wife. So he understands the frustrations of having to force ourselves to practice a foreign language everyday. Do you have this problem with your English class? Are you planning to try Jason’s class? If so, let us know when you are going to get started with Jason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come have a conversation with Lindsay and Michelle in the comments section of our blog! Come back to: http://www.allearsenglish.com/295 Get your free IELTS Cheat Sheet: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation Today you’ll get six ways to check on someone’s progress in a non-pushy way in English! Do you ever want to get the status of someone’s progress on a project or an assignment but do you get confused about how to ask without making the person feel pressured? Today you’ll find out how to do it successfully in English. Ways to check on progress: * “How’s it going? I look forward to receiving the files.” * “Any updates? * ” How are things progressing?” * “How are things moving forward?” * “How are things going?” * “Do you need any feedback on anything?” * “Do you want me to check your work?” Slightly more direct ways to check on progress: * “What’s your timeline?” * “How’s your timeline looking?” * “I just wanted to check in. When do you think you’ll be able to get that done?” What other phrases do you use when you want to check on someone’s progress? Let us know in the comments below. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come back to our blog and have a conversation with us! Go to http://www.allearsenglish.com/294 Get your FREE IELTS Cheat Sheet: http://www.allearsenglish.com/evaluation April Fool’s Day is coming up later this week. Are you ready for it? How do you celebrate April Fool’s Day in your culture? Today you’ll learn what many Americans do on April Fool’s Day and you’ll get a few new vocabulary words for this day. It’s common to play jokes on friends and colleagues at work or at college in the United States. It’s especially common in colleges because students live together with their friends in dormitories. Vocabulary for April Fool’s Day: * Gullible: To trust people and believe things that people say, even if those things are not true. * Practical Joke: A joke that you play on someone (not a spoken joke). You act out this kind of joke. * A prank: A practical joke, a joke that is acted out * Gag gift: A silly gift that is not meant to be serious but is meant to be a joke What should you do if someone plays a joke on you? Don’t take it too seriously. Laugh at it. Have a good time. Leave a message in the comments. How do you celebrate April Fool’s Day? Let us know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come back to our site and let's have a conversation about this episode in the comments section: http://allearsenglish.com/aee-293-how-to-learn-english-the-way-a-child-learns-to-walk/ Today is a Deep Thoughts Thursday and we have an inspiring quote for you! Let’s talk about success. Here is the quote: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” -Winston Churchill We can apply this quote to a lot of different aspects of our lives like learning English, dating, and our career paths. We have to keep going and take on new challenges with a positive attitude even if we have failed many times in the past. Try to avoid feeling bitter when you take on a challenge and try again. What do you think about this quote? Do you keep your heart open and stay enthusiastic when you try again with something? Leave us a comment below and let’s discuss it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Come back to our site and talk about fashion with us! http://allearsenglish.com/how-to-talk-about-fashion-in-english What is your fashion style? Would you like to be able to talk about fashion in English in a more sophisticated way? Today you’ll get to expand your English fashion vocabulary in this episode with Lindsay and Michelle. Fashion Vocabulary: 1) Umbrella term= Bag * Purse * Backpack * Satchel * Handbag * Pocketbook * Evening bag * Clutch * Wristlet 2) Umbrella term= Shoes * Sneakers * Tennis shoes * Walking shoes * Boots * Hiking boots * Heels * Flats * Sandals * Birkenstocks 3) Umbrella term= Shirt * T-shirt * Blouse * Tank Top (Spaghetti straps, sleeveless) * Sweater * Sweatshirt * Hoodie (hooded sweatshirt) 4) Umbrella term= Jacket * Coat (heavier than a jacket) * Ski jacket * Leather jacket * Peacoat What do you think? How do you know when someone is fashionable? What is your fashion style? Share it with us in the comments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you use a lot of English slang in your everyday conversations with natives? In today’s episode you’ll find out how to use the words “crazy” and “insane” as slang words in conversations. How to use the word “crazy” in a slang form: * “I know someone who’s totally crazy because he still hitchhikes.” * It was crazy for us to hitchhike. Those were my crazy days.” * “Are you crazy about your boyfriend?” * “What is the craziest thing you have ever done?” The slang words “crazy” and “insane” mean wild and out of control. They could also mean unexpected or out of control. The words are also used a lot in song lyrics, especially love songs. If you use these words in a literal way to describe someone who is mentally ill it is rude. Instead you could say that they are “mentally disabled” or “mentally handicapped” or “mentally challenged.” Have you ever tried using these slang words in your English conversations? Share your questions with us in the comments below. Let’s talk! Come back to allearsenglish.com/291 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you busy? In your home culture, is it considered “cool” to be busy? In American culture everyone is busy and it’s almost in style to be busy. We think that’s crazy! Today we are going to give our opinion on this article from the Washington Post called Exhaustion Is Not a Status Symbol. In American culture, especially in large cities like New York and Boston, things move fast and we often define ourselves based on the things that we do. We also measure our worth based on what we achieve. We end up valuing perfectionism and accomplishing things over just living. Americans don’t take much time off for vacation while in other cultures people take much more vacation time. How do we know that this is a problem? People in the US always say: * “I’ve been crazy busy.” * “I have so much going on.” What can we do about this? * Avoid checking emails every three minutes * When you complete a task, sit back and reflect, get feedback (this was a suggestion from the article) * Take more vacation time What do you think? Is being busy considered cool in your culture? Let us know in the comments. Come back to http://www.allearsenglish.com/290 to have a conversation with Lindsay and Michelle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices