To get to know a language properly, you need to understand that language’s use of idioms! Hmmm. Are you confused? – let me explain.

An Idiom – which means ‘Special Phrasing’ in Greek – is an expression that contains a figurative meaning but is unusual grammatically – an example is ‘Breaking the Ice’. The literal definition does not communicate any meaning.

The individual words that form the idiom do not convey the same meaning when they are used together as an idiom.

Idioms are present in almost all languages but they become meaningless when translated from the one language to another. As a result a person who does not know the idiom and only understands the meaning of the different individual words will easily become confused. This is supported by the fact that any non-native to the language will not be able to understand the idioms used.

Why are idioms Important?

Idioms are a part of daily speech and used to convey a meaning quickly and are often easy to use and learn.  You must learn, however, the group of words that form an idiom and recognise idioms when you hear them or read them. You must do this in order to use them in a context that conveys the underlying meaning that you wish to communicate. They should be used carefully in a way that they add flavour to your writing and speech; using too much, however, will result in diverting from the original meaning that it was intended for. There are often context clues in the idioms that suggest the hidden meanings.

Some popular idioms used English language and their meanings

A fool and his money are soon parted - This means that people who aren’t careful with their money spend it quickly.

A pretty penny – Meaning to say that something is very expensive.

Ace up your sleeve – An ace up your sleeve is something that gives you an advantage that other people aren’t aware of.

Call a spade a spade - A person who calls a spade a spade is one who speaks frankly and does not conceal opinions or to spare the feelings of their audience.

Carrot and stick – If someone offers a carrot and stick, they offer an incentive to do something combined with the threat of punishment.

Make a killing – If you make a killing, then you are about to make a lot of money.

Make a mountain out of a molehill – If somebody makes a mountain out of a molehill, they exaggerate the importance or seriousness of a problem.

Safe pair of hands – A person who can be trusted to do something without causing any trouble is a safe pair of hands.

Salad days – The happy days in your life are referred to as the salad days.

Uncharted waters – If you are in a situation where you have no prior experience then you are in unchartered waters.

Online Resources

There are some fantastic resources on the internet that offer a comprehensive list of idioms in the English language along with their usage and meanings. Listed below are some of the best online resources.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/

http://www.english-zone.com/idioms/idioms.php

http://www.idiomconnection.com/

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/

http://www.idiomsite.com/

That’s all for this post. Make sure that in your spoken English development you check out the links above. Getting to know the English idioms will take you one step closer!

Take Care – Poppy

It’s a system that I have developed over recent years which is effective in getting you, the student, to understand and speak English quickly and with confidence. To take part in an English conversation it is important that you are able to respond quickly to what is being said. To do this effectively means that you must have a broad range of phrases available at hand and you must be able to think in English. This is how to create spoken English fluency – to think in English. This does not happen overnight, but using some special techniques, it is possible to do this quicker than you may think.

So let’s take a look at Quickfire!

Quickfire! way to spoken English fluency

What’s Quickfire? Simple – it’s a unique technique for developing spoken English fluency, by doing the following:

1. You listen to a short conversation;
2. You need to understand what is being said; and
3. Then you quickly answer some questions in English.

Why does this technique work?

Due to the intense focus required during these exercises, you have no option – to answer the questions quickly and correctly, you have no time to revert to your natural language. You have to think in English. These exercises are a lot of fun and can be repeated again and again so that you are able to learn new phrases as well get you to adapt to thinking in your new language.

Oh and by the way, our experience shows that you will enjoy Quickfire – our students love these exercises.

So the obvious question you now have is, “How do I find out more?”

Please go to the home of spoken English and register as a Guest for FREE by completing a simple form. Once you have logged in, click on the ‘e-learning tools’ link. Not only will this give you access to our Quickfire exercises, but you will also receive unrestricted FREE access to our complete e-learning package for a limited period.

Any questions? Please don’t forget to leave a comment.

Take care, Poppy

Today I’m going to share with you some thoughts regarding what it takes to be successful in learning a new skill. This can apply to anything, but here my focus is spoken English training of course! Three things quickly come to mind:

1. Mindset.
2. Training material.
3. Training methods.

If any one of these elements is missing, you are going to struggle.  I know I have – many times over! In one of my earlier posts, I explained to you my story of how I eventually managed to learn spoken English fluently. Looking back on the struggles I had, I can now understand the reasons for my ‘failed attempts’ – either poor mindset, inappropriate training methods or poor quality training materials. All three areas need to be in place for success.

It took me many years, and much frustration before I realised what was required. Let me explain each element separately:

1. Mindset. “I have paid for the course, all I need to now to do now is turn up. It’s going to be easy!” Has this happened to you? It has to me. It’s completely the wrong approach. Before starting any course, you must plan appropriately – is this course right for me? what are my objectives of the course? how will I fit the training into my schedule? There are so many similar questions like these that you need to answer. You also need to be disciplined in your approach and have the ability to focus and not get distracted. And let’s not forget perseverence – without the inner strength to push yourself hard when things may be getting a little tough, you may just give up. I found out the hard way. Don’t let this happen to you.
2. Training Material. Good quality and proven training materials are a must. Before purchasing any course, make sure you do the appropriate research. Speak to previous students of the course or go to the institute if it is classroom-based training. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the product and that by applying the right mindset and using the right training methods, it will deliver on your course objectives. Oh, I have been disappointed so many times with this! The only person I can blame is – ME. I have been ‘got’ by flashy advertising campaigns. Just make sure that before you invest your time and money that you are going to receive a great quality product that provides real value and is positioned at the correct level for your abilities.
3. Training methods. This is so so important. I cannot emphasise this enough, especially when it comes to spoken English training. Their are 4 different ways to be exposed to a language - writing, reading, speaking and listening. Now it shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to know which methods are important when applied to spoken English training – yes, listening and speaking. Therefore, make sure that when you select your spoken English training course that both of these elements (combined with lots of interactive practice) are the cornerstone of the training. Don’t do what I did and sit through lecture after lecture from a very dull English teacher – with the students just taking notes and reading books. This is not a great way to become fluent at spoken English.

Hey, I hope you are still reading this. Just remember to consider each of these elements as part of your purchase criteria.

You have worked hard to be able to make the investment – make the right decisions, and get ready to learn spoken English.

Have fun! Popppy.

I know it’s Sunday, so I will keep this brief. I came across this cool video from Eben Pagan. (internet marketer and generally cool guy) a couple of days ago. It is a must see video. Here’s the link.

It’s about making your day as productive as possible. There are plenty of great ideas discussed – my favourite being the importance of the first hour fo the day. What you do during the first hour will define what the rest of your day will be like. So when you get up, drink water, eat a healthy meal, do some exercise, spend some time reading and focusing on the day ahead. It will make the world of difference.

What’s this got to do with your spoken English development? Everything! Being focused and disciplined is key to learning any new skill.

Anyway check the video out.

Remember that Inspired English is as much about your personal development as it is a spoken English training course.

Have a great day, Poppy.

Hope you are doing well! And remember it is the weekend, so enjoy! But before you do that check out this short video I pulled together yesterday evening.

Are you frustrated with your attempts at learning spoken English?

If so, I hope this video will help you. There is always a way to overcome your frustrations – be inspired to keep going.

Want to learn more?

Don’t forget to visit us at Inspired English, we are adding more and more content every day.

That’s all for now! Take care, Poppy.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter!

In one of the earlier posts, I suggested that trying to learn grammar can become one of the biggest roadblocks to spoken English fluency. It’s absoloutely true. Don’t let it stop you in achieving your goal! There are learning techniques available that ensure you don’t have to go through the “torture” of learning the fundamentals of English grammar.

However, that’s not the purpose of today’s post. It’s about YOU! It’s very easy to blame other people and other factors as to why you don’t get out of life what you want.

Also, it’s as easy to say, “Oh, I don’t have time for the course today, I am just too busy. Tomorrow I will be fine”.  I think we all know that tomorrow becomes next week. Next week becomes next month. Next month becomes NEVER! I’ve heard it called “Someday Syndrome” – don’t let that happen to you.

What I am trying to say here is that to learn a new skill such as spoken English, you need to be ready for it. You need to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone on a regular basis. Only that way will you ever grow as a person. In other words, YOUR personal development and attitude is so important if you want to achieve spoken English excellence. Don’t underestimate it.

To help you think along the lines of this, here are 5 Steps to your Personal Development. Follow these on a daily basis and you will have a foundation of realising your dreams:

1. Develop a plan for on-going education; never ever stop learning.
2. Maintain razor-sharp focus; always be there;
3. Develop good habits; practice a few simple disciplines every day;
4. Develop the discipline to carry out each step to reach your goals; and
5. Continuously stretch yourself outside your comfort zone.

I hope these help! They certainly helped me in my development. You wouldn’t believe the transformation your can have in your life if you simply followed these simple steps.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking on the link in the top right corner of your screen (you can’t miss it).

Be inspired, Poppy

The need to speak English in your job is becoming more important in countries such as India as business becomes more global. This can put additional pressure on you, the final year college student, who is seeking employment with a large multi-national company.

Basically the spoken English skills you currently have may not be sufficient for you to have the career you want. There is no question that this is one of the gaps in English Language training that is currently available in the marketplace - that is, transforming your social English into professional English.  For example, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Can I succeed in an interview conducted in English?
2. How will I cope with speaking English throughout my working day?
3. What skills do I need on the telephone when speaking in English?
4. How do I run an effective meeting in spoken English?
5. Am I able to give a management presentation in English?

For some people, these tasks can be difficult even when conducted in their native language. Just think of the additional pressure or stress that this could create if conducted in a second language! That is why training of these skills is so imortant to final year students and young professionals.

Let’s not underestimate this, it could really transform you, your self-confidence and your career. As a result, one such English Professional course has been created and will be rolled out in the classroom in India during the remainder of 2009. An on-line version will be available in December of this year.

Remember that education is a continual process. If you think your spoken English is okay, ask yourself, “Are my spoken English skills sufficient for the workplace?” And even if they are, we could all benefit from some additional skills that come about by learning interview techniques, public speaking skills, etc.

Let’s learn together, Poppy

This is going to be a brief and simple post today – just to get you thinking. Do you have a plan of how you are going to reach your spoken English goals or are you just “aimlessly” reading different textbooks, continuing to invest in English courses that don’t have an impact or spending hour after hour browsing the web looking for “useful” spoken English content.

Remember that without a plan, you are planning to fail.

Anyway here are 5 simple steps that the InspiredEnglish system follows to help you with your development. Stick to these rules and you will be a step ahead than most other spoken English students:

1. Learn English phrases for relevant situations – listen and practice.
2. Use the Quickfire technique (listening to short conversations and then answering questions) to help you think in English.
3. Practice listening and speaking English every day.
4. Watch repeatedly small sections of English movies, listen to English radio and other poscasts.
5. Study the DNA of English using word association with symbols and pictures.

Simple eh! More soon, Poppy

Okay, let’s be honest here. What’s the one thing about the English language that really stops you progressing to where we want to get to?

Easy question – GRAMMAR of course.

Just the mention of the word “grammar” can cause many students pain. There is a widely held belief that before you can start to speak a language fluently, you must spend days, weeks and months learning the fundamentals of English grammar.

This by itself can create limiting beliefs –

“I can’t learn English until I learn the grammar”
“I will never speak English because the grammar is just so difficult”
“It is going to take me forever before I can speak English confidently”

This reason by itself can stop many aspiring English students in their tracks. The initial desire and motivation to learn English is lost. After a few false starts, the student gives up. Okay, I was there! I was in the very same position. You wouldn’t believe the number of English grammar books and courses I have been on, trying and overcome this limiting belief.

And then one day it dawned on me. At the time it was a revelation. It created a huge shift in my thinking. To explain, let me ask you this simple question?

“Do you ever see a small child reading a grammar book?”

The answer is clearly no! So how do we learn a language as a child? It’s through listening, learning phrases, understanding, speaking and continual practice. Sounds simple right? Well clearly the execution is not quite as easy as it sounds, but the principle certainly is.

So how do I apply this to my spoken English development? There are various learning techniques that are available that avoid you going through the torture of learning the fundamentals of grammar. I really believe this. More on this in later posts.

There is nothing more frustrating than seeing potentially great English speakers giving up because of grammar. Continue to follow these updates and I will share with you some of the readily available techniques to speak English with confidence and have fun along the way.

To make sure you don’t miss one of these posts, subscribe to the RSS feed – just click on the button above.

Take care, Poppy