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TPR & Listen First

Welcome Effortless English members. This is the mini-story for the “TPR and Listen First” article. Let’s get started. First the basic story:

Bill is scared of heights. He hates high places. In fact, he avoids them at all cost. Bill engages in a lot of strange behavior to avoid heights. For example, he will not go upstairs. He always stays on the first floor.

So, Bill is scared of heights. He hates high places, he avoids them at all cost. It means he will do anything necessary to avoid high places, to avoid heights.

Bill engages in a lot of strange behavior. He does a lot of strange behavior. For example, he will not go upstairs. He always stays on the first floor.

Ok, one day, Bill decides to join a class for people who hate heights. The teacher tells the class, “I will cure you if you do what I tell you”. Bill is receptive to the teacher’s ideas, because he’s tired of being afraid.

So, Bill is receptive to the teacher’s ideas, it means he’s open to the ideas. He wants to hear the teacher’s ideas. He’s curious about the ideas.

Ok, on the first day of class, the teacher says, “Today we will go back to square one. We will start by climbing just 2 stairs”.

The teacher says, “Today we’ll go back to square 1”. It means back to the beginning, back to the most simple step, the first step. “We will start by climbing only 2 stairs”. This is very, very simple, right?

The next day, however, they climb 5 stairs, and the next day, they climb 20 stairs. As they climb the teacher yells, “You are strong, you can do it”.

Bill internalizes these messages, ok? Bill lets these messages, “You are strong, you can do it”, they go deep into his mind. They go deep into his heart, deep into his feeling. He believes these messages, “You can do it, you are strong”.

So, Bill feels brave. However, other students drop out of the class like flies, but Bill stays. So, other students drop out of the class like flies. They leave the class in large numbers, very quickly. So, in the beginning the class is big, a hundred students, but by the end of the class maybe only 3 or 4.

On the final day of class, Bill watches a movie about mountain climbing. The movie approximates the experience of being on a mountain.

The movie approximates the experience of being on a mountain. It’s not the same as being on a mountain, really being on a mountain. But it’s close to the experience. It’s a similar experience. Watching the movie on a big screen, he feels like, he’s on a tall mountain. But he’s not really. It approximates the experience of being on a mountain.

But Bill feels no fear during the movie, he’s not afraid watching the movie. The class worked. Bill is no longer afraid of heights. He leaves and immediately climbs Mount Everest.

Ok, back to the beginning:

Bill is scared of heights. He hates high places. In fact, he avoids them at all cost.

Does Bill avoid the tall places at all cost?

Yes, of course. He avoids them at all cost.

Will he do anything to avoid high places?

Yes, that’s right. He avoids them at all cost. He will do anything to avoid high places.

Will he avoid water at all cost?

No, no, no. He doesn’t avoid water at all cost.

What does he avoid at all cost?

Well, he avoids heights at all cost. He avoids high places at all cost. Bill engages in a lot of strange behavior to avoid heights.

Does Bill engage in strange behavior to avoid water?

No, he does not engage in strange behavior to avoid water.

Does Bill engage in strange behavior to avoid heights?

Yes, that’s right, he engages in strange behavior to avoid heights.

Does Bill engage in strange behavior to avoid dogs?

No, no, no. He doesn’t engage in strange behavior to avoid dogs.

What does he engage in strange behavior for? Why does he engage in strange behavior?

Well, he engages in strange behavior to avoid heights, because he’s afraid of heights. That’s why he engages in strange behavior.

For example, he will not go upstairs. He always stays on the first floor. One day, Bill decides to join a class, a special class for people who hate heights. The teacher tells the class, “I will cure you if you do what I tell you. I will remove your fear, if you do what I tell you. You will be healed, you will be cured.”

Bill is receptive to the teacher’s ideas, because he’s tired of being afraid.

Does Bill accept the teacher’s ideas?

Yes, yes, that’s right. He’s receptive to the ideas. He’s open the ideas, he wants to hear them.

Is Bill receptive to the teacher’s ideas about math?

Well, we don’t know, but no, probably not. Bill is not receptive to the teacher’s ideas about math, he doesn’t care about math. He’s receptive to the teacher’s ideas about high places, about how to get rid of fear.

Is Bill receptive to the teacher’s ideas because he’s stupid?

No, that’s not why, Bill’s not receptive to the teacher’s ideas because he’s stupid.

Is Bill receptive to the teacher’s ideas because he’s poor?

No, no, that’s not why, Bill’s not receptive to the teacher’s ideas because he’s poor.

Why is Bill receptive to the teacher’s ideas?

Well, he’s receptive to the teacher’s ideas; he wants to hear the teacher’s ideas because he’s tired of being afraid. He doesn’t want to be afraid any more. He’s tired of being afraid, so he’s very receptive to the teacher’s ideas.

On the first day of class, the teacher says, “Today, we will go back to square one”.

On the first day, did they do something complicated, something difficult?

No, no, no. On the first day, they went back to square one. On the first day, they did something very simple. On the first day, they started at the beginning.

On the first day, did they go back to square one?

Yes, that’s right. On the first day they went back to square one.

On day number 50, did they go back to square one?

No, no, not on day number 50. On the first day, they went back to square one. On the first day, they started again; they started at the first step. They started very simply. On the first day, they went back to square one.

How did they go back to square one? What was the first step?

Well, the first step was climbing only 2 stairs. The teacher said, “Today we will go back to square one, we will start by climbing just 2 stairs”.

The next day, they climbed 5 stairs. The next day, 20 stairs. As they climb the stairs the teacher yells, “You are strong, you can do it”. Bill internalizes these messages.

Does Bill internalize the fear?

No, he does not internalize fear.

Does Bill internalize the teacher’s sentences?

Yes, that is true. Bill internalizes the teacher’s sentences; Bill internalizes the teacher’s messages. Bill learns very deeply what the teacher is saying, he believes it very deeply. Bill internalizes these messages.

Do all the students internalize the messages?

Well, no, actually no. All the students don’t internalize the messages. Bill internalizes the messages, but other students drop out of the class like flies, right? Other students quit. In fact, many, many, many students quit.

So all students do not internalize the messages, but Bill does. Bill learns them very deeply, he believes them deeply. Bill internalizes the messages, “You are strong; you can do it”.

Bill feels brave, he feels strong. He has internalized the messages. However, other students drop out of the class like flies.

Do other students leave the class just a little bit, in small numbers?

No, no, no, no. They drop out of the class like flies. They leave in very large numbers.

Do a lot of people quit the class?

Yes, that’s correct. The students drop out of the class like flies.

Do the students drop out of the class like bugs?

No, we don’t say that in English. We say the students drop out of the class like flies.

Do teachers drop out of the class like flies?

No, not teachers. Teachers don’t drop out of the class like flies. There’s only one teacher and he does not quit. The students drop out of the class like flies.

Aright, on the final day however, Bill stays. And on the final day, Bill watches a movie about mountain climbing. The movie approximates the experience of being on a mountain.

Does the movie approximate the experience of swimming?

No, no. It doesn’t imitate, it doesn’t copy, it’s not close to swimming.

Does the movie approximate the experience of eating?

No, the movie does not approximate the experience of eating, it’s not like eating.

Does the movie approximate the experience of eating or the experience of being on a mountain?

Well, of course it’s the second one. The movie approximates the experience of being on a mountain.

Is the movie similar to being on a mountain, is it a similar feeling?

Yeah, that’s right, it is. It’s a similar feeling. The movie approximates, it gets close to, approximates the experience of being on a mountain.

Bill watches the movie, but he feels no fear. Bill is not afraid when he watches the movie. The class worked, the class was successful. Bill is no longer afraid of heights, he’s not afraid.

So what does he do?

He immediately leaves the class. He buys a plane ticket to Nepal and he climbs Mount Everest.

It’s a happy story.

Ok, one more time, quickly, just repeat some key phrases after me:

Bill is scared of heights. He hates high places. In fact, he avoids them at all cost. (pause) He avoids them at all cost. (pause)

Bill engages in a lot of strange behavior. (pause) Bill engages in a lot of strange behavior. (pause) For example, he will not go upstairs. He always stays on the first floor. But one day Bill decides to join a special class for people who hate heights.

The teacher tells the class, “I will cure you if you do what I tell you”. Bill is receptive to the teacher’s ideas. (pause) Bill is receptive to the teacher’s ideas. (pause) Good. He’s receptive because he’s tired of being afraid.

On the first day of class, the teacher says, “Today we will go back to square one. (pause) Today we will go back to square one”. (pause) Good, “We will start by climbing only 2 stairs”. But the next day they climb 5 stairs, and the next day they climb 20 stairs.

As they climb, the teacher yells, “You are strong, you can do it”. Bill internalizes these messages. (pause) Good, Bill internalizes these messages. (pause)

Ok, good, however, other students drop out of the class like flies. (pause) Good, however, other students drop out of the class like flies. (pause) Good, but Bill stays. On the final day, Bill watches a movie about mountain climbing.

The movie approximates the experience of being on a mountain. (pause) Good, the movie approximates the experience of being on a mountain. (pause)

But Bill is not afraid during the movie, he feels no fear. The class worked. Bill is no longer afraid of heights. He leaves and immediately climbs Mount Everest.

Ok, that’s great, fantastic. Listen to this mini-story lesson many times. Practice it until you understand it easily, until you can say it easily.

Pause now, tell the story yourself. Tell all of the story. Use the target vocabulary, use the new phrases. You don’t need to repeat every word, but please use the new phrases correctly.

When you finish, try our new mini-story lesson, the mini-story point of view lesson. It’s the next one. But, this one first.

Ok, see you, bye-bye.