Introduction
“The English language is a work in progress. Have fun with it.” – Jonathan Culver
You can learn English much faster than you probably realize. This book is designed to give you the most powerful tips, tools and techniques available in the world today, so that you can learn to speak English much faster, with confidence. And most importantly, so that you really start to enjoy speaking English too! Just like a child feels incredible joy in simply expressing themselves when they first learn to speak. In this way you will find great natural pleasure in learning English, and progressing really fast.
We live in a wonderful time for any English learner. Over the last 30 years so many incredible advances have been made in cognitive neuroscience, memory techniques, and understanding of the human brain and how we learn languages. People all around the world are having the wonderful pleasure of learning to speak English fluently in months instead of years. Just imagine how good that will feel when this is you!
Unfortunately, 95% of students, English schools, English teachers and creators of English courses don’t understand these simple, powerful techniques. They still teach English in the same way as it was taught 100 years ago, turning something that should be pleasurable into a long, boring, difficult, even painful journey.
I know. I have seen it. Over many years teaching English in the UK and in eight different countries, I’ve seen so many students suffer for no reason — wasting money and time following bad advice and bad lessons with bad teachers, not progressing and therefore feeling bad about themselves, losing motivation.
It’s so sad to see, because it can be so much easier.
I’ve created this book to try and make a difference. Because I have studied thousands of students who learn slowly, and thousands of students who learn quickly. And I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t.
I also studied and tested the techniques of some of the best language learners and language teachers in the world — language masters like Michel Thomas, Benny Lewis, Daniel Tammat, Tim Ferriss, Dominic O’Brien and many more. All their most important and powerful lessons are explained here in this book, in simple, easy-to-follow steps.
If you begin to follow the tips and techniques laid out here, you will certainly increase how quickly you learn English — by 300% and more!
Just a note: the focus of this book is on how to speak English fluently as quickly as possible. I believe this is what most students of English desire, rather than memorizing grammar and spelling. If you wish to learn how to read and write English, or how to pass grammar tests, then first use these techniques so you are speaking English confidently and fluently. Then learn all the rest later.
In chapter one, you’ll discover a wonderfully refreshing way to think about the English language. A very important part of learning quickly is having the right beliefs and the right motivation, so that when you use the right techniques, they really take effect quickly.
Chapter two will teach you how to start speaking full English sentences instantly, and how you can use early wins and successes to fill yourself with confidence and the simple pleasure of communicating in English.
In chapter three you will learn the three biggest mistakes most English students make. If you avoid these three mistakes you can instantly double how quickly you learn to speak with confidence.
In chapter four you’ll learn how to begin having real conversations with a native English speaker in the next few days — how to have the confidence to do this, and how to find and choose the right English conversation partner cheaply, wherever you are in the world.
In chapter five you’ll learn the single greatest thing you can do to super-charge your English if you are visiting England, the USA or any other native English-speaking country.
Chapter six will give you effective strategies for destroying your fear of speaking English, which is probably the number one obstacle to progress for most students.
Chapter seven teaches the power of effective listening to improve your comprehension at record speeds, and how to easily find fascinating things to listen to in English all day long.
Chapter eight will show you how to use Pareto Efficiency to learn the right words first, and not waste your time with vocabulary and phrases you will never use — so that you learn the words and sentences you actually need to know to start using English in real conversation in weeks, not months or years. Plus the 100 most common words in the English language.
In chapter nine, we’ll reveal a surprisingly simple way to make sure you are focusing first on the English language you personally will use the most.
In chapter ten, you’ll learn a simple technique to instantly start using 5% to 10% of English words — the truth is you already know these words, and you’re about to find out how and why.
Chapter eleven will teach you how to learn a new word instantly and permanently by using some simple but powerful memory techniques developed by world memory champions.
In chapter twelve you’ll learn another extremely powerful way to remember words — follow and optimize the natural pattern of your brain as it remembers and forgets.
Chapter thirteen will teach you how to use flashcards like the masters do, and how you can instantly create wonderful flashcards using a free specialist online tool to double your learning speed.
In chapter fourteen, you’ll learn how to use the simple power of setting SMART goals to focus your mind on English and make it easier to progress more quickly — and the biggest mistakes students usually make with these goals and how to avoid them.
Chapter fifteen will help you prepare optimally for English tests — a method that creates the actual test conditions beforehand so that you are getting real practice.
In chapter sixteen, learn why it’s so important to choose any English course you follow with great care.
Chapter seventeen will teach you exactly how to make learning English a daily fun habit, which you can’t wait to do.
Chapter eighteen gives you the three magic questions which will make learning English pronunciation ten times faster and easier.
In chapter nineteen, you’ll learn how grammar can be fun and simple — the incredible truth behind grammar that will mean you can almost say goodbye to dense, boring grammar books.
In chapter twenty, learn the best way to read in English so that you are really absorbing vocabulary and sentence structures in a way that improves your speaking skills.
Chapter twenty-one will teach you the methods and attitude you can use to take your English from simple conversation up to the next level and real mastery.
In chapter twenty-two, we’ll cover a quick super-tip to make you sound like a native English speaker as rapidly as possible.
In chapter twenty-three, we’ll give you twenty-one of the best online tools (mostly free) for rapid English learning.
And in chapter twenty-four, we’ll cover how to recover very quickly when you have taken a break from learning English.
With all these tips and tools, you will have an incredible advantage over any other English learner. Ready to begin? Let’s start.
Chapter 1: How to Think Like an English Language Master
“What we learn with pleasure we never forget.” – Alfred Mercier
Your goal is to be able to comfortably talk English. And to get there you have to enjoy the journey. People who master languages teach themselves to enjoy the process.
The truth is learning English and simply making progress is a pleasure in itself. This means making progress in ways that mean something — forming sentences, expressing yourself and being understood. Memorizing long boring lists of verb conjugations isn’t fun.
Perhaps in the past a bad teacher, a boring textbook, or too much pressure made learning English feel unpleasant. If you find yourself getting stressed or unhappy when studying, now is the time to change that — and the key is starting afresh.
Try to read this book with an open mind. Put the strategies into practice. Notice how quickly you begin to improve, and feel good about it. The next chapter teaches exactly how to do this.
Relaxing and having fun improves your memory
If you have been learning the wrong way, you won’t be feeling very good about learning at all — and you won’t be remembering things well either. The key is to learn intelligently.
Think of any hobby you love. If it’s football, you effortlessly remember hundreds of players and facts. If it’s a card game, you remember thousands of cards. You don’t sit down to memorize — your brain remembers because it’s fun.
When you make English a simple pleasure, you tap into this power, and you will double your learning speed.
Focus on creating fun
Whenever you sit down to learn English, get comfortable. Sit in your favourite chair, have a cup of tea, relax. Don’t think about results — think of it like a slightly challenging game or puzzle.
Every sentence is a little puzzle. Every nuance you hear is a clue. Focus like you would in a game, but stay relaxed.
Break English down into bite-sized chunks
Learning English seems huge, but it’s not. Break it into small pieces — common words first, useful structures, friendly words, etc.
Native speakers use only 1,000 to 1,500 words in daily communication. Many use under 1,000. You can say almost everything you need with just 700 words, and 70% of daily English with 300 words.
Don’t avoid mistakes — try to make mistakes
English is about communicating. Communication works fine even when you make mistakes. Enjoy mistakes. Laugh at them. Keep speaking, and mistakes disappear naturally.
Adults are better at learning languages than kids
Studies show adults are better at learning grammar and structures. Children seem faster only because:
- They are forced to learn to communicate.
- They enjoy the process.
- They aren’t afraid of mistakes.
- They learn through real-life usage, not textbooks.
- They spend many hours a day learning.
Adults can progress faster with intelligent strategies — the techniques in this book will help.
Key Tips
- Focus on making English learning fun.
- Treat English like a game — focus deeply but stay relaxed.
- Use the strategies in this book to refresh your learning experience.
- Don’t avoid mistakes — embrace them.
- Adults can learn languages faster than children.
- Start by controlling the way you think and feel about English.
Chapter 2: How to Feel Great & Start Winning at English Right Now
“Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.” – Michael Jordan
Our brains naturally move toward pleasure. If something feels good, we do it more and more. So when learning English, you must make it feel good very quickly. This is easy — it depends on how you learn and how you recognize progress.
Speak full sentences from the beginning
If you want a burst of confidence each time you study, speak full English sentences right away.
Learning lists of words or grammar rules without speaking is boring — and doesn’t feel like progress. When you learn a new word, immediately use it in sentences.
Examples (even beginners can make these):
- “I want to go to the cinema because I like movies.”
- “When did you go to London?”
- “She goes to work at 9am every morning by bus and she buys coffee on the way.”
These are simple but meaningful — exactly how native speakers talk daily.
Everyday English uses simple grammar. Present simple and past simple appear hundreds of times a day. Complex tenses are rarely used.
Bruce Lee said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” English works the same — practice simple structures many times.
Celebrate early wins
Every time you sit down to study, have a short conversation or make full sentences. Repeat new words in ten or twenty sentences. This immediately feels good — because you are using real English.
If you’re alone, speak out loud anyway. If you’re in public, pretend you’re on the phone.
Stop comparing yourself to others
Comparison destroys joy. Focus only on your own journey. English is like a game — you play to enjoy, not to compare. Unless competition motivates you — then use it to push forward, not to frustrate yourself.
Key Tips
- Focus on creating full, real English sentences every time you learn a new word.
- Repeat the simplest, most useful structures many times.
- Recognize and celebrate every small success.
- Stop comparing yourself to others (unless competition motivates you positively).