Comments on: Why didn’t they teach us this sh*t at school?

By: Dominic

Dominic — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:03:22 +0000

Well, I have just bought “The Game” on Ben’s recommendation.
I too, would love to get out of teaching English one day, so my goal is to learn Spanish as quick as possible.
The funniest book I ever read was by Roald Dahl called “My Uncle Oswald” which could also be seen as a self help book if you want a great laugh.

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:52:57 +0000

Great book indeed Dominic, we read it this summer.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:49:06 +0000

After wasting a year doing 2hrs a week of spanish classes (plus 1 hr homework) and not making much process, I used this exact process to learn spanish and it helped so much. I broke it down into three skill areas – reading/writing, listening and speaking and used google to research the best way to learn each. I then set aside an hour each week for each area (3hrs total). I spend 15 mins each week reviewing last weeks progress and setting mini-goals for the next one. In speaking for example, my initial goal was to find intercambios, moved to increasing the percentage of time speaking spanish (vs english), to using certain tenses etc.

At times, especially at the start, it is difficult and the goals really help to motivate you, to see how far you have come and where you want to get to.

I think this is where the goal setting really really helps. The end aim (in my case to be fluent in spanish) can seem almost impossible when you start out, but if you know that just need to hit this weeks small goals it makes it so much easier.

Even though I’m spending the same time per week as before, my progress has easily increased ten fold.

By: Dominic

Dominic — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:27:08 +0000

Well, this self help/improvement book will change your life.
One sentence from the book, “Except every moment as if you had chosen it”. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

By: Edith

Edith — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 08:25:06 +0000

Wow Ben, that’s pretty inspirational! * thumbs up *

IMO, one of the things they DON’T encourage in most schools is out-of-the-box thinking – I went to primary school back in the 1960s, and children were not expected to think for themselves. Then, I went to a Montessori school where things were a bit different. But even here, they didn’t teach us the skills you mention. It’s very easy to get stuck in a rut and remain there forever, unless you take some initiative of your own.

By: Piet

Piet — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:01:23 +0000

Hello,

I totally agree, it’s just a nice book. Don’t take it too serious.

Greetings
http://www.vakantiereizenspanje.nl

By: Margot

Margot — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:18:45 +0000

Ben look:
38 comments, so far, in reply to this blog!
31 replys to the prior!
And they weren’t even the “provocative” kind

It’s as tho you’ve suddenly released the flood gates after having battened down the hatches for awhile.

Should make you feel good : – )

By: gary

gary — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:52:32 +0000

touché

By: Richardksa

Richardksa — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:18:58 +0000

@Gary “Maybe one entitled “The longest vacation in the world and how to blag one” would be a best seller Richard!”
And a schoolteacher should write it!!!!! Long, lazy summers chatting up pretty intercambias. (new gender specific Spanish noun I have just, I think, invented.

By: ValenciaSon

ValenciaSon — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:10:46 +0000

Where did I read that we should learn as if we will live forever and live as if we won’t?