If you struggle with English conversation and find yourself getting embarrassed because you can't express yourself well or don't know what to say...
.... your day is about to get better.
There's nothing worse than finding yourself in an English conversation and, because you don't know what to say, just nodding and say nothing but, "Yes, yes... yes...".
The confused look on people's faces when you fail to communicate well in English...
Being asked, “Could you say that again?” multiple times....
Thinking back over your conversations again and again, hours or even days afterwards... wishing you'd said things differently.
Look, not being able to speak well in conversation will destroy your confidence. But it goes further than this. Not being able to speak clearly in conversation can also directly affect your ability to perform well in your work.
... you are at the limit of your ability to communicate that skill.
Over the years I've consistently found this to be true.
The biggest breakthroughs in my life have almost all come as a result of having conversations with the right people.
A great example of this is a research project I did in 2015. The project got presented at the prestigious AAAL conference in Chicago, and later was published by the #1 ranked journal for Applied Linguistics.
But that project almost never happened. I needed a school to participate in the research, and even after a whole year of contacting schools I couldn't get anyone interested...
Then I got chatting to someone at a conference, and one week later got permission to research at his school.
Research. Jobs. Business. Day to day life.
It's all the same.
"Someone who is diligent, but shy, may go unappreciated,” says Psychology Today, going on to say if you want to get ahead in your job you need to prioritise social events that give you a chance to meet and talk with people.
It's not just about feeling better...
... but DOING better in life, too.
Recently someone asked on Quora:
"How do native speakers truly feel when speaking with non-native English speakers?"
More than 100 people responded, and the majority were quite positive. Many people commented they enjoy talking with people from different cultures and hearing about different ways of life...
BUT ー many of the same responders also said it's important your English conversation is good enough to have a good conversation.
People said they feel frustrated when you speak very slowly and spend a lot of time forming your sentences because it makes it hard to enjoy the conversation.
Many others said they feel embarrassed to ask you to repeat something you've said when they don't understand your English.
Others said they feel the conversation can be too shallowーyou lack understanding of the subtitles of English conversationーand many others said they get tired trying to keep their English simple and worry you don't understand them.
Another important thing that came out of those Quora answers is this: people don’t like to be used for “practise”. They want to have real, engaging, two-way conversations with you.
People who truly master the art of conversation are masters of the English language. But that goes beyond the simple words, phrases and expressions of the language.
Being advanced in conversation means being able to use the English you have really, really well. Yes, keep learning more. No problem with doing that. But always remember knowing what to DO with language to get the things you want to do done is much, much more important than just learning more.
That means understanding the dynamics of a conversation (the things you do to keep the conversation moving, and moving in the right way).
Do you have interesting things to say?
Value to add?
Do you know how to make a conversation flow without becoming silent and awkward?
Do you know how to open a conversion well?
Or indeed, end it well?
Do you know how to make what you're saying interesting and easy to understand for the listener?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, read on.
Small Talk Superhero - The 36 Secrets to Advanced English Conversation dives deep into what it means to become an advanced English conversationalist.
You can't get good at speaking English in conversation just by watching the videos or reading the manual.
Small Talk Superhero is what I call a "Task Focus" course.
You've actually got to practise what you learn in real-world conversation. This is why I've added exercises and tasks to complete for each of the 36 points.
It's hard work.
You'll need to step out of your comfort zone.
But do the work and you'll have a skill that will stay with you for life.
This isn't a course that claims to teach you English conversation... but actually just teaches you a load of grammar rules and words that you'll never be able to use.
Small Talk Superhero is about execution.
Learning how native speakers really use their language in conversation... then mastering it yourself with highly-targeted practise exercises (don't worry ー you can do these in secret and nobody needs know you're doing it).
The process is simple, but devastatingly effective, because it actually gets you doing things in your conversations.
The problem with the way most people practise is that it's fake ー you learn with a teacher or speak with a conversation partner, but then that's all you can do.
Fake practise doesn't work.
It's like learning to fight by punching a pillow at home... then getting beaten up on the street in a real fight.
If you want to master conversation...
... you've got to practise in REAL conversation.
Look, I'm not going to lie: this course is hard work.
If you do the work, you'll transform your English conversation. You will speak with confidence with people, whether in business, at events or in every day social situations. You'll never be stuck with nothing to say, or left stood feeling stupid and embarrassed about your English.
But it is hard work.
And it's hard, uncomfortable work. Extraordinary results don't come from mundane methods. You're going to have to step outside of your comfort zone, and I've got no intention of listening to excuses.
Yes, most people see a boost in their proficiency just from watching the training videos. But long-term results come from applying using the exercises I give you.
And I demand you do the work.
For that reason there are strictly no refunds on the course. I only want people who are serious about mastering the art of advanced English conversation to join: so if you're not sure, don't.
Any questions, email me: julain@www.doingenglish.com .
Copyright 2019, Northbrook Languages Ltd.