Speaker A
Hey, E. What's the topic for today?
Learn how reading can improve your English faster by training your eyes and brain with techniques like smooth pursuit and sub-vocalization.
Key Takeaways
- Reading is a powerful and often overlooked method to improve English quickly.
- Controlling eye movements through smooth pursuit enhances reading focus and comprehension.
- Sub-vocalization helps internalize pronunciation and supports speaking skills.
- Selecting appropriate reading material with familiar vocabulary is essential.
- The combined techniques activate brain areas for listening, speaking, and vocabulary acquisition.
Summary
- Reading is a secret key to learning English faster, contrary to the common belief that speaking and listening are the only ways.
- The video explains the concept of 'saccades,' the natural jumping movement of our eyes, and how controlling it can improve reading.
- Smooth pursuit is introduced as a technique where you use your finger to guide your eyes smoothly along the text to improve focus.
- Sub-vocalization, or silently pronouncing words in your head while reading, helps practice speaking internally and reinforces language learning.
- Choosing reading material with at least 85% known vocabulary is crucial for effective learning.
- Reading helps with vocabulary acquisition by exposing learners to synonyms and varied word usage in context.
- The video emphasizes that reading activates brain functions related to speaking and listening, enhancing overall language skills.
- Training eye movement and reading habits can reduce confusion and improve comprehension, especially for non-native speakers.
- The three S's—smooth pursuit, sub-vocalization, and sustained focus—work together to make reading an effective language learning tool.
- Using these techniques regularly can make reading a faster and more enjoyable way to improve English.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to the secret of reading
- 00:35Common misconceptions about language learning
- 02:12Understanding saccades and eye movement
- 06:26How saccades affect reading
- 09:39Training eye movement: smooth pursuit
- 12:31Importance of vocabulary selection
- 15:20Explaining sub-vocalization
- 18:13How reading helps speaking and listening skills
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Ah... Ladies and gentlemen, today I will be presenting to you a secret not known by many people called reading.
Speaker A
And you're going to say, "What is the secret?"
Speaker A
Well, this is the key to help you learn language faster.
Speaker A
Surprising, because most people think, "Well, I should talk more, get more talking practice, and I need to get vocabulary, and I need to listen better. And I need to learn how to write!"
Speaker A
And I'm going to show you today, with the help of magical E—he's looking surprised because he doesn't want to be involved—I don't know why, you have a book!
Speaker A
How is this going to help you with this, this, and this?
Speaker A
Let's go to the board.
Speaker A
The first word I'm going to teach you is a word not many people know, but you have to understand: this is an important factor of how our eyes work.
Speaker A
So I'm going to use some language that might be really high. I'll explain it.
Speaker A
And just be patient. You're going to learn a lot about you and improve your language skills at the same time.
Speaker A
Saccades. "Saccades" is what I'm going to say.
Speaker A
It could be "saccades."
Speaker A
This is what we call the way the eye moves.
Speaker A
You see, when we look at things in nature, and this is important, because reading isn't natural.
Speaker A
There are no books in nature. There are birds, and trees, and cars.
Speaker A
Our eyes were designed to look, look, look, look, look, look, look.
Speaker A
It kept us alive, because if I just kept looking ahead, a tiger could come and eat me.
Speaker A
So, my eyes would look, look, look, look, look, but I would see everything.
Speaker A
Now, a saccade is kind of a fixation.
Speaker A
Our eyes jump, and a fixation means to stay in one place, but our eyes jump around.
Speaker A
Now, if you think about a book, a book has lines, and if you jump around, that makes it very difficult to see.
Speaker A
So, we're going to, with our understanding now of what a saccade is, we're going to learn to train that to help you with reading.
Speaker A
You know, okay, well, how does this help with language?
Speaker A
Hey, grasshopper, one step at a time.
Speaker A
Now, reading is interesting.
Speaker A
You might have noticed I mentioned vocabulary, and many students say to me, "Oh, I need vocabulary."
Speaker A
Here you go, vocabulary on the go.
Speaker A
There is one little trick that makes all of this work, so I'm going to mention it now and at the end.
Speaker A
You must pick material for this to work that you know at least 85% of the vocabulary.
Speaker A
So, don't pick up a book on physics if you don't read physics; this will not be helpful.
Speaker A
So, saccades are how our eyes move.
Speaker A
A little uncontrolled, they jump around.
Speaker A
And you may have noticed this when you're reading, sometimes you're reading and you go, "Oh, where was I?"
Speaker A
Because your eye has jumped.
Speaker A
So, the first trick I'm going to teach you, see, this is three S's, and if you want to know what the three S's are: smooth pursuit, sub-vocalization, and sustained.
Speaker A
And I will explain each one for you now.
Speaker A
Well, smooth pursuit is this.
Speaker A
Yeah, some of you are going, "What are you doing?"
Speaker A
But you followed my finger, didn't you?
Speaker A
You notice my finger did not do this; it went like this.
Speaker A
Well, if we can control the saccades, we can control how we read, and it makes it much easier for us to learn.
Speaker A
Why am I starting with this for language learning?
Speaker A
Well, you're not going to read the book, and most people don't read, to be honest, because it takes too long.
Speaker A
And now you understand if your eyes are jumping around, that makes it worse, especially if it's not your language.
Speaker A
We're going to use the idea of smooth pursuit, which is using our finger or a pencil to move across a line to help us focus.
Speaker A
That focus will actually turn our brains on so we can learn more.
Speaker A
So, the first secret I'm going to give you is use your finger for smooth pursuit to move along the line to keep you focused, so you can keep the ideas in your head.
Speaker A
That's number one.
Speaker A
And in doing this, because you stay on the line, it will help with vocabulary, because in many English sentences we do...
Speaker A
We use synonyms.
Speaker A
We'll use one word and a little later use a different word to keep your interest, so you're actually picking up on vocabulary.
Speaker A
So, smooth pursuit is your first secret to helping you with language learning.
Speaker A
So, what's the second one?
Speaker A
When you were a little child, your mummy would go like this: "The cat is on the chair."
Speaker A
And she would usually point at one word and say "the."
Speaker A
You would look at the word, she would say it, you would say it.
Speaker A
Now, you're a big, grown person.
Speaker A
Right?
Speaker A
You eat your Wheaties, you're strong and good.
Speaker A
You don't do that.
Speaker A
But you do.
Speaker A
We all do.
Speaker A
Sub-vocalization, "sub" means "under," "vocal" means "speak."
Speaker A
In science, they've done tests and they notice when people are reading, when they put electrodes, you know, things on your head,
Speaker A
they were noticing people actually making the sounds.
Speaker A
Do you remember I said this reading will help you with speaking?
Speaker A
Well, once you... This is why you need to know 85% of the language.
Speaker A
Once you're reading, you're repeating these words verbally inside with your throat box, or your throat here, and in your head.
Speaker A
Sub-vocalizing.
Speaker A
So, you're practicing speaking without speaking.
Speaker A
When we get to number three, you're going to go, "Oh my gosh, these all go together."
Speaker A
I'm like, "Yes, they do."
Speaker A
So, by reading, not speaking, you're actually getting your brain to vocalize.
Speaker A
And remember I say it would help with listening?
Speaker A
Well, who's listening to you, sweetheart?
Speaker A
Who's in your head?
Topics:English learningreading techniquessaccadessmooth pursuitsub-vocalizationlanguage acquisitionvocabulary buildingreading comprehensionengVidEnglish with James
