Unique English Course Speak real English. Часть 2

That’s the end of the vocabulary lesson for “The Japanese Farmer” Okay. See for the mini-story.

Unit 1. The mini-story lesson

Hi, this is Alex. And this is the mini-story lesson for “The Japanese Farmer”. By the way, my friends, how are you doing today? I hope that you are doing well. The mini-story lesson is the lesson where I ask a lot of funny, easy and stupid questions and answer them. You are listening and answering the questions when you are ready. Are you ready? Are you ready? Let’s rock it! It means let’s do it, but do it with energy and enthusiasm.

One early morning, a farmer heard a knock on the door. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you that the story is going to be in the past tense. Okay, let’s start it again.

One early morning, a farmer heard a knock on the door. When he answered the door, he saw all of his animals standing on their heads on the porch. The farmer immediately understood that something had happened.

How did the farmer understand that something had happened? Come on, you know the story so you can answer it. I know.

Because the animals were standing on their heads and they were looking unhappy, upset and even angry.

“What’s happened?” the farmer asked. Right?

Yes, exactly. That was what the farmer asked them. “What’s happened?”

One of the oldest and the wisest donkeys said, “On behalf of the animals, I want to say that there is a big problem, Tatsuki.” By the way, the farmer’s name was Tatsuki.

“A big problem? What’s the problem? Tatsuki wondered.

What was the problem?

The problem was that the animals did not know English.

“Tatsuki, you understand English. You read in English and speak English, but not we. We do not understand English. We do not speak English. We need to know English. Do you think it is fair?” the donkey said.

It means that the animals believe that it is not right, not good or not just for them not to speak English.

“Why do you need English?” Tatsuki asked.

And what did the animals say? Right. “You don’t understand, Tatsuki. We need English to watch YouTube videos, to read American and English books and, of course, to talk with other animals from different countries”.

Why did the animals need English?

They needed English to watch YouTube videos, to read books in English and, of course, to talk with other animals from different countries in the world.

Did the farmer agree with the animals?

Yes, he did. He said, “Okay. Fair enough! (It means I agree.) I know English, but I can’t teach you English. So I can’t help you”.

Did Tatsuki know English?

Yes, he did. Tatsuki the farmer knew English very well. He could understand English. He could speak English. English was not a problem for him.

What was the problem for Tatsuki?

The problem was that he couldn’t teach English. Yes, he knew English, but he couldn’t teach his animals English.

That’s why he said, “Sorry, I can’t help you.” Right?

Yes, that’s right. He was sorry for not being able to help his animals.

Did his animals give up?

No, of course, not. They asked, “Maybe you know someone who can?”

Did the farmer know anyone who could help the animals?

Well, first he said, “Search me!”

He said that?

Yes, he said, “Search me!”

What does it mean “Search me!”?

It means “I do not know”. When someone asks you a question and you don’t know the answer to the question, you say “search me!” Wow! Interesting! I love it. Search me! I don’t know. That’s cool. English is really full of surprises.

Okay. Getting back to the story. But then Tatsuki remembered Alex, the English teacher.

Oh, that’s great! What did he say?

And he went, “Wait, wait, I know. If there is anyone who can help you, it is Alex. Alex can teach you to understand to read and to speak true, real and excellent English.”

Were the animals happy with Tatsuki’s answer?

Happy? Happy is not the word. All the animals were elated.

“But”, said the farmer.

“But?” asked the animals. My God! There is always a “but”.

“But I have lost his telephone number somewhere. So I can’t call him. Sorry, guys.”

What did the farmer do with Alex’s telephone number?

He lost it. The farmer lost the telephone number somewhere.

Whose telephone number did the farmer lose?

Alex’s. The farmer lost Alex’s telephone number.

Did the farmer know where he had lost Alex’s telephone number?

No, he didn’t know that. He didn’t know where he had lost his telephone number.

The farmer said that he had lost Alex’s telephone number somewhere.

What happened then?

Immediately, the wisest donkey came up with an idea! “We must find it. How about doing a big search on the farm? I am sure, we will find it.”

“That’s a great idea!” Tatsuki says. Remember?

What did the wisest donkey come up with?

An idea. The wisest donkey came up with an idea.

Did the wisest donkey suggest an idea?

Yes, exactly. He suggested an idea.

Did the wisest donkey produce an idea?

Yes, he did. An idea came to his head and he produced an idea. He came up with an idea.

Who came up with an idea?

The wisest donkey did. The wisest donkey came up with an idea.

What idea did he come up with?

He came up with an idea of doing a big search on the farm.

What exactly did the wisest donkey say?

He said, “We must find it. How about doing a big search on the farm? I am sure we will find it.”

Did the wisest donkey say, “How about forgetting his idea of finding Alex’s telephone number?”

No, he didn’t say that. On the contrary, he asked “How about looking for Alex’s telephone number?” “How about doing a big reach?” In other words, let’s go and look for the telephone number everywhere.

I see. Did the animals do what the wisest donkey suggested they do?

Yes, they did. And not only the animals. For three days and three nights, the farmer and the animals searched everywhere. And finally, a young pig found a small, dirty and crumpled piece of paper with Alex’s telephone number on it.

For how long did the farmer and the animals search everywhere?

For three days and three nights they searched everywhere.

Who searched everywhere for three days and three nights?

Right! The farmer and the animals did. They all searched everywhere.

Did they finally find what they were searching for?

Yes, they did. They finally found Alex’s telephone number.

Who finally found Alex’s telephone number? Remember?

A young pig finally found Alex’s telephone number. By the way, it was on a small, dirty and crumpled piece of paper.

Crumpled piece of paper? What does “crumpled” mean?

Here “crumpled” means old and not looking nice and fresh. So the piece of paper that the young pig found was old and it didn’t look nice and fresh. It was a small, dirty and crumpled piece of paper.

I see. Thank you.

My pleasure. Let’s get back to the story.

The farmer immediately called Alex. He asked him to come and teach his animals English. But Alex couldn’t come.

Why?

Because Alex was far away.

Where was Alex?

In Russia. Alex didn’t live in Japan anymore. Now he lives in Russia. But Alex said, “I cannot come to you, but you can buy my books, my English courses. And if you do the courses, I promise, you will understand English. You will read in English better and, of course, you will speak true, real and excellent English”.

Will the animals understand English if they buy Alex’s English courses?

Yes, they will.

Will the animals read in English better if they buy Alex’s books?

Yes, they will. And not only.

Will the animals speak true, real and excellent English?

Yes, they will. But they will only speak true, real and excellent English if they do the courses. The farmer and the animals were very happy and very excited.

This is the end of the mini-story lesson for “The Japanese Farmer”. Listen to this lesson and answer the questions. Do it every day for seven days and I promise you will speak English better than you are doing now. See you soon, and have a great day!

Unit 2. “A Little Girl”

Hello, this is Alex. Hope, you are having a nice day today. Welcome to our next lesson, to our next story called “A Little Girl”. Let’s get started.

There was a little, beautiful and kind girl. Her name was Amelia. She loved doing two things very much. She loved reading fairy tales, and she loved dreaming a lot. Every day Amelia read one fairy tale. Every day Amelia dreamed a lot. From reading fairy tales she learned about a magic wand. Because Amelia was a big dreamer, she began to dream of having a magic wand. Every day she imagined herself having a magic wand.

Amelia often said, “I wish I had a magic wand. If only I had a magic wand, I would be the happiest girl in the world. And I would help less fortunate people to be happier.”

One fine day, Amelia was helping her grandmother in the garden. The sun was shining bright. The birds were singing beautifully. The flowers were in bloom. The day was gorgeous.

Suddenly, Amelia saw a little, beautiful and rare bird with something in her beak. In a flash, the bird landed on the ground next to Amelia.

“This is a magic wand. It is for you, Amelia”, said the bird. “Take care of it. Protect it well and use it properly.” Then the bird flew away.

Amelia was very much excited. She gladly accepted the gift.

Amelia decided to go to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In school, Amelia learned how to take care of her magic wand. She learned how to protect the magic wand well. She learned how to use the magic wand properly. She learned quickly. Of course, Amelia made mistakes. But because she was a diligent student, she was a success.

After four years in the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Amelia became a master of her magic wand. Her dream came true. She became a real magician. She became a fantastic wizard. Amelia helped a lot of people to become happier and luckier. She was fulfilled.

This is the end of the story called “A Little Girl”. As always listen to this story every day. Listen and enjoy. And, of course, dream big. Believe in what you imagine is possible for you, like Amelia did. And your dream will certainly come true. Next is your vocabulary lesson. See you there!

Unit 2. The vocabulary lesson

Hi, this is Alex again and this is the vocabulary lesson for “A Little Girl”

And of course, I am going to focus on the words “a magic wand”

What is a magic wand? A magic wand is a small stick used by magicians and fairies who perform tricks and magic. It also has the meaning of a quick and easy solution to a problem. Of course, you are well aware of that there is no magic wand to start speaking English better. You cannot just wave a magic wand and immediately start speaking true, real and excellent English. No. You have to work hard to speak true, real and excellent English. It’s obvious. But let’s get back to the story.

Next we have the expression “I wish I had something”

We use this phrase to express wanting something that you don’t have. It is when you want to have something or to do something, but you cannot have it because you don’t have enough money to buy it or you don’t have enough experience or knowledge to do it. In other words, you feel sorry for not having something that you would like to have or you would like to change in this or that situation. In our story, Amelia says, “I wish I had a magic wand.” She wants to have a magic wand, but she doesn’t have it. She expresses her regret at not having a magic wand. She would like her present situation to be different.

In this lesson we also have another phrase which is “if only”

In the story Amelia says, “If only I had a magic wand, I would be the happiest girl in the world”

Here “if only” is simply another way of saying “I wish”. The difference between these two phrases is very small. You can use them both interchangeably. But if you really want to know the difference I will tell you. We use “if only I had” or “if only I knew”, and so on when we become more emotional and want to show that we would very much like the situation to be different. In other words, “if only” is stronger than “I wish”.

In the story you see that Amelia says first, “I wish I had a magic wand”, but then she becomes more emotional and she says, “If only I had a magic wand, I would be the happiest girl in the world.” I think you get the idea, right?

And, of course, we are going to find out the reason Amelia really wants to have that magic wand. We can see it from the next sentence which is “I would help less fortunate people to be happier”. It is good to wish to be happier. This is what Amelia does by saying that. But she not only wants to be happier than she is now, she also wants to help other people to be less fortunate. She wants people to be happier too. What does “less fortunate people” mean? Less comes from “little” when we compare something to something.”

Less fortunate people are the people who are not as lucky or happy as others. Some people can be more fortunate than others by simply having better health or by being born in a wealthy family or by getting into luck. So Amelia wants to help those people who are not that happy, not that lucky, and not as bright as those who are. This is her dream. This is what she would like to change, if she had a magic wand. I think you get the idea, right?

We move on and we have the expression “to be in bloom”

Usually we say like that when we talk about a plant or a tree that has flowers on it. In the story you can see that the weather is gorgeous. It is probably spring time and the plants have flowers on them. They are in bloom. It is the period when flowers open. For example, the roses (are) in bloom.

Next we see the word “rare”

Here “rare” means not happening very often. So it doesn’t happen very often to see a bird like that. A rare bird is a bird you don’t see very often because it is difficult to find. Amelia sees a little, beautiful and unusual, unique bird, a bird which is difficult to find, a rare bird.

In this lesson we also have the expression “in a flash”

Well, actually, it is an idiom. It means very quickly or immediately. It can also mean suddenly. Suddenly, immediately, very quickly, the bird lands on the ground next to Amelia. In a flash, the bird lands on the ground next to Amelia.

From the story, you know that the rare bird gives Amelia a magic wand as a gift. Amelia is very happy about the gift, but she doesn’t know what to do with it. She decides to go the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

And now let me explain to you what the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry means. The School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a special school of magic. Witchcraft is the activity of performing magic to harm other people. Witches usually use evil powers to bring bad things to people’s lives. Wizardry is the activity of performing magic to help people. Wizards use good powers to help people to live better. So the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry teaches Amelia how to use the evil and good powers using her magic wand.

Our next word-combination is “a diligent student”

A diligent student is a student who works hard with care and effort. So Amelia works very hard with care and effort. Yes, she makes mistake, like any of us, right? But she continues to study hard performing magic. She puts all her time, energy and love into doing it. And she is a success, which actually means she is successful.

And our next expression for today is “to become a master of something”

When someone becomes a master of something, it means that he or she is very skilled in a particular job or activity. So Amelia becomes very skilled at performing magic. She stops making mistakes and she does magic extremely well. She is a master of her magic wand. She knows everything about it. She knows how to use it, how to protect it and how to take care of it. She is a master of her magic wand. And by the way, it is not an easy thing to do. You really have to know and practice a lot. It is like when you practice English. You put all your time, all your energy and all your love into learning English. That is why you become better and better at English and one day, I am sure, you will become a master of English. And when you become a master of English, you will definitely be fulfilled. It means you will be happy and proud of yourself that what you have done, what you have achieved is good not only for you but also for other people.

And on this note, let me finish this fantastic vocabulary lesson. I want you to be fulfilled with what you do. It is one of the most important things to do in life, I believe.

Okay, see you for the mini-story lesson. Bye-bye.

Unit 2. The mini-story lesson

Hello, this is Alex. I am super excited that you continue learning English with me. Welcome to our mini-story for “A Little Girl” As you know I am going to ask the story. I am going to ask a lot of studio, crazy and funny questions. And I am going to give answers to all my questions. So here we go.

There was a little, beautiful and kind girl. Her name was Amelia. She loved doing two things very much. She loved reading fairy tales, and she loved dreaming a lot. Every day Amelia read one fairy tale. Every day Amelia dreamed a lot. From reading fairy tales she learned about a magic wand. Because Amelia was a big dreamer, she began to dream of having a magic wand. Every day she imagined herself having a magic wand.

How many things did Amelia love doing?

Two. She loved doing two things.

What were they? What were the two things Amelia loved doing?

Reading and dreaming. Amelia loved reading and dreaming.

Did Amelia love reading and dreaming a little or a lot?

A lot. Very much. She loved reading and dreaming a lot.

What kind of books did Amelia love reading?

Fairy tales. She loved reading fairy tales.

Okay. What was the second thing Amelia loved doing? Was it dancing?

No, it was not dancing.

No? Each girl loves dancing.

Yes, but not Amelia. She didn’t love dancing. What she really loved was dreaming. And she did it a lot.

Do you remember what Amelia learned about from reading fairy tales?

Yes, I do. She learned about a magic wand.

Oh, interesting. A magic wand. It would be great to have one, wouldn’t it?

Yes, it would be great.

What did Amelia begin to do after learning about a magic wand?

She began to dream of having a magic wand. Every day she imagined herself having a magic wand.

What did Amelia imagine herself doing?

She imagined herself having a magic wand.

Amelia often said, “I wish I had a magic wand. If only I had a magic wand, I would be the happiest girl in the world. And I would help less fortunate people to be happier.”

Did Amelia have a magic wand?

No, she didn’t have it.

Did Amelia want to have a magic wand?

Yes, she wanted to have it very much.

How do you know that?

I know that because Amelia often said that.

What exactly did Amelia say about having a magic wand?”

“I wish I had a magic wand. If only I had a magic wand, I would be the happiest girl in the world. And I would help less fortunate people to be happier.” That’s what she said.

Would her life be happier if she had a magic wand?

Yes, exactly. It would be happier. Amelia’s life would be happier if she had a magic wand.

What would Amelia do, if she had a magic wand?

She would help less fortunate people to be happier.

What kind of people would Amelia help, if only she had a magic wand?

Less fortunate people. She would help less fortunate people, if only she had a magic wand.

One day, Amelia was helping her grandmother in the garden. The sun was shining bright. The birds were singing beautifully. The flowers were in bloom. The day was gorgeous. Suddenly, Amelia saw a little, beautiful and rare bird with something in her beak. In a flash, the bird landed on the ground next to Amelia.

“This is a magic wand. It is for you, Amelia”, said the bird. “Take care of it. Protect it well and use it properly”, said the bird. Amelia was very much excited. She gladly accepted the gift.

Wow! Unbelievable. This is the power of dream at work. That’s how it works. Okay.

What did Amelia see when working in the garden?

She saw a little, beautiful and rare bird when working in the garden.

Did Amelia see a bird like that before?

Well, actually, yes, she did, but not very often. I would say, she saw the bird like that, but it was very rarely.

Amelia saw the rare bird with something in her beak? Right?

Yes, that’s right.

What was it? A cigarette?

No, it was a cigarette. She was holding a magic wand.

Did the bird land on the ground next to Amelia very slowly or very quickly?

Very quickly. In a flash. The rare bird landed on the ground next to Amelia in a flash.

When the bird landed on the ground next to Amelia, what did she do?

She began to talk to Amelia.

Oh, yes, of course. It is not a surprise. All the little, beautiful and rare birds always talk to people. Okay. What did the bird say to Amelia?

The bird said, “This is a magic wand. And it is for you, Amelia”

Are you kidding me?

No, I am not. This is exactly what the bird said to Amelia.

Who did the bird say it to?

To Amelia. The bird said it to Amelia.

What else did the bird say to Amelia?

She said, “Take care of it. Protect it well and use it properly.”

What did the rare bird want Amelia to do with the magic wand?

She wanted her to take care of it. She wanted her to protect it well. And she wanted her to use it properly.

Did Amelia accept the gift?

Yes, she did. She gladly accepted the gift.

What did Amelia accept gladly?

The gift, the magic wand that the rare bird gave to her. Amelia gladly accepted the gift.

Did Amelia accept the gift with pleasure, happily?

Yes, exactly. She accepted the gift with pleasure, happily. She gladly accepted the gift.

Did Amelia know how to use the magic wand?

No, she didn’t. Amelia had no idea how to use the magic wand.

What did Amelia decide to do next?

Next, Amelia decided to go to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Where did she decide to go to?

To the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Next Amelia decided to go to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

What did Amelia learn in the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

In school, Amelia learned how to take care of her magic wand. She learned how to protect the magic wand well. She learned how to use the magic wand properly.