Using this Course

implement for optimum results

Download the Manuscript

The manuscript contains the drills and grammar notes. Feel free to read the grammar notes prior to working through the audio drills. Often, one can figure out the grammar intuitively working with the drills without reading the notes.

Work the audio drills prior to reading the drills. If you read first, you will sound out the words (in your head and verbally) according to the English pronunciation. Hearing the text first will allow you to more accurately sound out the words.

For the most difficult drills, feel free to read the text along with the audio. The goal is to be able to do all the drills without the aid of the text.

Speak

The drills are built around tutor stimulus followed by a student response. Speak when prompted!

Mimic the Pronunciation

Actors sometimes play parts where they speak with an accent - say, an American actor must play the part of a Frenchman. They practice by repeating recorded audio of persons speaking with the target accent. In this way, they master the accent. Also, the brain - without conscious effort - will imitate the accent of those around us. That is why we speak with the accent of our family and friends. In using our courses, attempt to match the speaker's pronunciation. Your accent will become much closer to the authentic spoken language. You will be easily understood by native speakers.

Learn the Vocabulary

The first sections of the modules are dedicated to learning the vocabulary necessary for working through the drills. If you find you cannot understand the meaning of the words used in the drills, go back and work on the vocabulary drills.

Review

It is expected that you will have to repeat the drills three to eight times for mastery. Move to the next grammar section when you can do a certain percentage of drills correctly; aim for 90% on the easy drills and 70% on the difficult drills.

Pacing

We must approach language learning like running a marathon. Pace yourself. When you feel tired, do less or simply listen without responding. When you feel strong, do more. We suggest you work the drills for ten to thirty minutes a day, five to six days a week.

For High School and University Students

To keep pace with your class syllabus, we suggest performing the dialogue, vocabulary, lexical and learning drills; do the practice and mastering drills as time allows. Just doing those will guarantee an 'A' in the course.

For young Learners

For younger language learners, the more difficult drills may simply be too much. Feel free to skip those, and return to the more difficult drills later.

Assistance with challenging Drills

There is no short-cut to learning to speak a foreign language. Getting to a functional speaking level requires practice, repetition, and the acceptance that work is required. We have developed this course with these truths in mind. In our course, you will undoubtedly encounter drills that are difficult. In order to tackle these difficult drills, you might:

  • Review the preceding drills and make sure you can do those easily & accurately
  • Repeat the tutor stimulus instead of trying to answer the stimulus
  • Respond with only part of the answer instead of the full answer
  • Perform the drill while reading the transcript
  • Write out the drill

Don't get hung up on a single drill. Even if you skip the most difficult drills, your speaking competency will improve greatly.