Amigos Ingleses – Podcast episode 82

Episode shownotes:

– Phillip and Isabel introduce themselves to the audience.
– Isabel shares 2 interesting facts about Phillip that most people don’t know about.
– Will Isabel and Phillip sing at the end of the episode?
– Phillip shares a rather embarrassing fact about Isabel’s driving skills.
– Phillip describes one of Isabel’s talents.
– David’s driving skills are not the best either…
– Isabel describes how hard it is to drive a Spanish car in England.
– When and how did Amigos Ingleses start? What’s the story behind it?
– The first content they produced was audio, their podcast “Diálogos en inglés”.
– They first met in Madrid in 2008 and no, it’s not what you think of the typical student-teacher story!
– Isabel describes her relationship with the English language, how it all started.
– Isabel’s ideal country is 50% Spain, 50% England.
– When Isabel moved to England, she faced a hard truth a lot of Spanish speakers struggle with: the English you are taught is not the same English native speakers use.
– Isabel had a very demanding and challenging job when she was in England, answering the phone at a hotel.
– Isabel tells a hilarious story about misspelling a customer’s surname.
– Never say “good night” when you greet someone in the evening!
– Phillip explains why it is really important to step out of your comfort zone when learning a language.
– They explain why their motto is “Life’s too short for boring lessons” and how a lot of people associate “education” with something strict or boring.
– A very common issue among Spanish speakers is feeling ashamed of pronouncing English correctly.
– What is the main pain point that their students struggle with?
– “Entiendo el inglés pero no puedo hablar“, a youtube video they made to address one of those difficult points for students.
– Why it is important to keep the motto “better done than perfect” in mind when speaking English.
– How did David learn to speak English?
– David describes a very awkward moment a lot of English students have been through.
– Phillip talks about his experience learning Spanish: how he got interested in learning Spanish, what resources he used at first, etc.
– Phillip and Isabel tried to speak each other’s language 24/7 but they end up mixing both languages!
– Phillip explains why he hit a plateau (a point where he didn’t have too much pressure to use Spanish) and relaxed a bit. He is taking up learning Spanish again now.
– What resources does Phillip use to learn Spanish these days? He used Michel Thomas’ method, Notes in Spanish and now that he’s got a better level, he can enjoy listening to or watching content that he is interested in, in Spanish (self-help, online businesses, etc).
– Phillip uses a flashcard app like Anki or Quizlet to write down every single new word he hears.
– He also watches some Youtube channels like Spanish with Vicente.
– David speaks about the importance of having a “real” reason to use the language actively in order to memorise it and make it natural. He asks Phillip and Isabel what they think about it.
– Phillip and Isabel encourage their students to speak and write to natives speakers, not only watch their videos or listen to podcasts.
– Phillip uses a comparison with learning to play the piano. You cannot play the piano well only by watching videos about piano players, listening to piano songs or reading about music theory. You need to “use” a piano a lot until you get good at it.
– David mentions a common problem with some students: you cannot think of a language as Mathematics, trying to “understand” the rules, exceptions, etc 100%.
– If learning a language is like playing tennis, “speaking” is like playing a match. It is fun and important, but you need to work on your technique for the following matches or you will always play at the same level.
– David asks them about motivation and how to be consistent.
– Isabel recommends having clear language goals and keeping a strict schedule if you are sitting an exam. Try to study/learn in the morning, that is usually the most productive time.
– Try to make the process fun and enjoyable if you are learning with no pressue of exams or work reasons. For example, watching films and TV series. Isabel says a friend of hers is watching “Aquí no hay quien viva” to practise Spanish!
– They speak about their favourite films. Isabel has a very dark secret!
– Phillip mentions “making a habit” as fundamental when it comes to motivation. You need to try to keep the habit until it becomes natural.
– If you’re taking an exam, Phillip says you can try to add some “fun” activities and resources in your breaks, instead of just studying away!
– David talks about online education and asks Phillip and Isabel what they think about the different methodologies we now have nowadays, pros and cons of learning offline and online, etc.
– Are Phillip and Isabel taking any online courses themselves?
– The three of them (Phillip, Isabel and David) think they should spend more time outdoors!
– You can get their book, “Born to speak British” now!