Why Conventional Methods Don't Work

You are a good person – kind, caring, friendly, smart, fun – and you want a better life. You want access to better careers, better opportunities, and more international friendships with fun and interesting people.

You know that becoming fluent in English is one of the keys you need to open these doors of opportunity.

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You have tried learning English in all the usual conventional ways. You have taken classes in school. You have bought books. You have tried using apps.

Nothing really worked for you.

If you think about it, you realize that these things didn’t work for you because they weren’t interesting, compelling, or fun enough for you to stick with for very long.

What’s worse is that all the conventional ways of learning English insist that you to learn about fragments of English – English broken into little pieces like individual phonics sounds and isolated grammar points.

As a result, you have to try to remember linguistics rules and translate in your head as you write and speak. Your English is sounds broken. It makes you feel unhappy and embarrassed.

It’s frustrating, but it’s not your fault.

As a smart, interesting, intelligent person, you simply need a smart, interesting, intelligent way to build a holistic Mental Model of how English actually works. Having a Mental Model of English means that English comes out of your brain, naturally, easily, and correctly, without having to think about it.

What is a Mental Model of English?

Think of a blueprint for a house. The more lines you have drawn, the more accurately you can build your house.

Think of a machine. The more pieces you have installed, the more complicated things your machine can do.

Think of a thermostat. When the thermostat is set to a certain temperature, the heater or air conditioning will match that temperature. Your mental model of English is like a thermostat set to "correct English." As you build  your mental model of English, your speaking and writing abilities will more closely match correct English.

Every time you feed your brain authentic, holistic, comprehensible input – the raw materials of English – your brain will develop your Mental Model of English. This Mental Model is the machine that allows you to understand, read, write, and speak English naturally, easily, and correctly. Your brain has already built a Mental Model of your first language. Your brilliant brain can do it again.

Click for Part 2: How to Develop Your Mental Model of English