Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions  

1.     Why shouldn ’t I just learn English phrases from a book, or from t.v. programs?

-I think that learning phrases is fine.  I would never suggest using my method exclusively.  My method is more focused on putting the grammar into your mind so that you can generate 1000 ’s of sentences, rather than trying to remember the ones you studied in a phrase book.

When you use my system you have to keep in mind WHY we are doing the drills.  This is the reason:  Once you have the grammar in your mind, then and only then, can you become creative with English.  The exercises are the fastest way to get there.

Listen:  By the time most students have memorized 100 phrases, students of English Master Academy can already make thousands, because we learn grammar through speaking, not memorization.

2.     Why do you use the same words throughout the whole lesson?

-That is a very good question. I am glad you asked. This is the reason: The focus on my lessons is not so much about new vocabulary as it is about putting grammar into your mind. We use simple words and phrases to help you learn the grammar more quickly. We are not trying to “overload ”your mind with unnecessary information and confuse you with $1000 dollar words. 

3.     What if I don ’t like the words you use in the lessons?  What can I do?

-Again, every lesson I make is fully scaleable (upgradeable).  Meaning, the charts contain the structure I want you to master.  The words are not important.   What I want you to always do after learning the structure is to the substitute my words for the words you are currently studying. 

I would encourage you to use the Gold List Method to memorize words to the long term memory (which can be found on my site and on the authors webpage). 

Every lesson has many charts by which you can integrate all your new vocabulary and practice until you can use the new words in real sentences. 

4.     Why do you say, “You should never divorce new vocabulary with their use in sentences? ”

-Good question.  Most people study vocabulary, but can ’t use the vocabulary in a sentence.  The people who can use the new vocabulary in sentences retain it in their long term memory.  The people who study only lists know the information generally for a week or two and then forget. 

5.     What advantage do you believe your method has over language schools and traditional English instruction?

-I ’ll answer that with a question.  Why can you speak your native language with ease and without having to think?  …Because you have the language structure already in your brain.   

I am merely trying to solve a problem that most schools do not have the time or resources to address.  English Master Academy approaches language learning differently.  Rather than studying rules, through exercises we transfer the grammar to your brain.  After this happens, you'll only be limited by the vocabulary you know.  The grammar will flow automatically.

Languages are not primarily learned through a thorough knowledge of grammar rules. A child has to go to school to learn the rules of grammar, but has no problem whatsoever speaking correctly.  The child has an intuitive understanding of grammar through practice, not by rote memorization. 

Don ’t get me wrong, I believe in grammar.  This is exactly why the grammar is incorporated into my charts, so that my students learn it intuitively, rather than clutter their minds with rules that don ’t help them when they go to speak. 

How can I say I know the grammar of a language if I can ’t speak the language in a grammatically correct way?  That is what my program aims to fix. 

6.     A lot of the first lessons seem pretty basic, when are we going to get to the “real stuff ”?

-Good question.  The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of English learners don ’t do the basics correctly.  I want my students to fully master the basics until they are automatic speech patterns.  This is not some fill-in-the-blank homework assignment that you get 100% on, but can ’t say in the real world. 

What we are doing at English Master Academy is building a grand structure.  First we start with the foundations.  The mansion or the palace comes later.  Every lesson will build on the one before. 

7.     Who should invest in these courses?

-These courses are very labor intensive.  In other words, you will need to work hard.  Everything is explained in videos, so knowing what to do is not a problem.  I would say a very good elementary school English student could start with these lessons.  A middle school student and above would be more appropriate. 

You have to have a lot of motivation, too.  The system only works to the extent that you apply yourself to the lessons.  With my system we are not trying to win a race or cross the finish line in the shortest time possible.  We want to master the lesson.

Let me say one more thing:  Who should not invest in these courses is someone looking for FUN FUN ENGLISH which is nothing more than a marketing ploy to suck $1000's of dollars out of parent's wallets while their children's English level has only minimally improved.

8.     How do I know that I am finished with a lesson?

-Very Simple.  You are finished with a lesson when you can speak without thinking.  That means that you will have to take the charts with you and practice a lot.  Will it be worth it?  Absolutely. 

9.     Why do you do everything with charts?  We never did charts at the language school or in my language books.

-The charts, in my opinion are language learning TNT (dynamite).  All the grammar you need to know is already in the chart.  By practicing with it you are learning the grammar intuitively, not by studying rules.   

As I said before, the charts are scaleable (upgradeable).  You can change the vocabulary to meet your specific needs (especially with a collocation dictionary).  With the charts you have a never ending lesson in your hands. 

Here is my goal for you:  To eliminate all the grammatical obstacles that stand in your way one by one.  What ’s left after that?  Only vocabulary (which you can practice with the charts). 

10. Should I quit my language school and throw away my grammar books if I study with you?

-Absolutely not.  I encourage going to language schools and studying grammar books.  They all have an important function.  English Master Academy is just filling in some of the gaps in your English education.  If you look on my site you will find links to sites other than my own that I absolutely love and find useful. 

11. What kind of books do I need when I study with you?

1. You will need a dictionary.  2. It would not hurt to have a grammar book of English in your language.  If there is something in the lesson you don ’t understand, you can look it up in the grammar book. 3. For young learners a picture dictionary would be great. 4. For advanced learners, you need to buy a collocation dictionary (like Collins Co-build).  We will be using one after I develop the more advanced sections of the course.  “The better the tools, the easier your learning experience will be! ” 

12. “But Shawn, I already know this stuff! ”

-That depends upon what you mean by “know ”.  For me “to know ”means “to speak. ” 

Not only “to speak ”but “to speak ”effortlessly and without mistakes. 

13.Shawn, why do you call the charts “English Speaking Buddy? ”  

-There are two answers to that question

1. There is a science of human achievement called NLP, developed by Bandler and Grinder which shows that one ’s mental state or one ’s attitude has a direct correlation to performance.  Of course this is not original to them.  They have just refined it.

That being true, it is not helpful for you to think to yourself:  “Oh I have to study some boring grammar now. ”  That will negatively impact your learning.   

It would be better to think of the charts as friends that are helping you become better and better at English.  

2. The reason why I call them English Buddy is because most language learners don't have a native English speaker living in their room at home.  With the charts, you can make and answer questions for hours. 

Not only that, you can be sure that the grammar is correct, because the grammar is built into the charts.  You are not limited to whatever is on a language tape.  With the English Master Academy charts you can make hundreds of questions and answers from just one chart.

14. How do I know whether I am doing the lesson right? 

Simple.  If your mind is not completely tired after you study, you probably are not practicing correctly.  This will make your mind very tired.  Remember, we are not studying grammar rules.  We are speaking and speaking (using the charts to correct mistakes) until the speech naturally and automatically flows.  If you are not practicing this way, the system will not work.

15. What if I can't understand what you are saying on the instructional videos.?

Please don't worry about that.  If you understand the words in the chart, you should be fine.  If you only follow the little green arrow in the video, you will understand all you need to know.  Remember, everything I do is based upon the charts.  If you understand how to practice with the charts, that is all you really need.

16. How long does it take before I can do the audio exercise?

You should only do the audio exercises when you have practiced the charts a lot.  That means that you have mastered the material.  The audio practice is more of a test than it is practice.  Please don't rush through the lessons.  We are not running a race.

I named my site English Master Academy for a reason.  I want you to master English.  I want you to become fluent in English.  That only comes after you practice a lot.  Most people don't want to work hard, so most people should stay away from this course, unless they want to work hard.

17.  The videos have a slight buzz sound, why?

Actually, this is because I selected medium quality for the website, because I have so many videos per lesson and am trying to keep the costs down for my customers.