Lê Cường's Blog

Never study a single, individual word. Never.

When you find a new word, always write down The Phrase it is in. Always. When you review, always review all of the phrase,.. not the word.

 Collect phrases.
Your speaking and grammar will improve 4-5 times faster. Always write the complete phrase.
Never again study a single word. Never write a single word in your notebook.

Learn Phrases Only


RULE 2: Don’t Study Grammar

Rule 2: A Story From Angelina

“My name is Angelina and I’m a student from Paraguay. When I started learning with A.J., I couldn’t speak any English. I had studied English grammar many years, but I couldn’t speak.

The first day with A.J.’s Effortless English I thought I would study grammar. However, he surprised me because he never taught grammar rules. 

Instead, he told a story. He told it many times, in a strange way. He constantly asked questions, and I answered the questions. The questions were super-easy.
Honestly, I was a little confused. I thought he was kind of a crazy teacher I thought I needed to learn more grammar.

I continued with Effortless English and then, after only two weeks, something amazing happened. My speaking improved! My friends asked me, ‘How are you improving so quickly?’

I realized that A.J. was quite clever, and the stories and questions and articles were teaching me to speak English, without studying grammar rules. Wow!”

Angelina is a great student. She learned extra fast because she listened to Effortless English 5 hours a day. However, you can improve with just one hour a day.

You can get the same results… but you must follow Rule 2.
“I began Effortless English 5 months ago. I work with General Electric as a contractor. Well, I went to Atlanta, GA, USA last November (a whole month!) for training purposes. I was very surprised because I realized that the method works. I felt confident and relaxed all the time. During the meetings I could understand 90% of the conversation. When I spoke, the words came out automatically.” Vicente Gonzalez, Mexico

Angelina quickly improved speaking– when she stopped studying grammar. This is your second rule.


Right now. Stop. Put away your grammar books and textbooks. Grammar rules teach you to think about English, you want to speak automatically– without thinking!

With Effortless English, you learn English without grammar study. Your speaking improves quickly. You succeed. You speak English naturally.

So Rule 2 is: Don’t Study Grammar! 


RULE 3: The Most Important Rule– Listen First

Rule 3: A Story
Humberto is from Venezuela. He moved to Canada a few years ago. He studied English in Venezuela for many years– mostly grammar. In fact, Humberto learned English with his eyes- by reading textbooks, by studying grammar books, by remembering word lists. He thought his English was good. But when he came to Canada he was surprised and shocked– he couldn’t understand anyone! He joined an English school in Canada. He went to school everyday. What did they teach him? More textbooks, more grammar books, more word lists!

After 12 months of school, Humberto was angry and frustrated. The school cost over $10,000 for one year– but he still could not speak English. He didn’t know what to do.

He said:
“I couldn’t believe it A.J. After one year, I still couldn’t speak English. I told the teacher, ‘this is a waste of time’. I was very upset.
Thank God I found a better way. Now I can speak English. I understand native speakers. I talk to Canadians every day. I feel confident. I can’t believe I wasted so much time with schools… and so much money too!”
“I really want to thank you very much for the great method you have given to me. It works very well. Since I have started, I have made a huge improvement, as it becomes easy for me to write this kind of email without thinking or translating. I work about one hour each day by listening to your lessons again and again through my mp3 device. Its simple but really terrific.”
Frederic Achour, France

What is the rule that Humberto found? Simple. The rule is listening.

You must listen to UNDERSTANDABLE English. You must listen to English EVERYDAY. Don’t read textbooks. Listen to English.
 Its simple. That is the key to your English success. Stop reading textbooks. Start listening everyday.

Learn With Your Ears, Not Your Eyes

In most schools, you learn English with your eyes. You read textbooks. You study grammar rules.
Effortless English is a listening system. You learn English with your ears, not your eyes. You listen 1-3 hours every day.
Your speaking improves quickly. You speak English easily– just like Humberto.
Spend most of your study time listening- that is the key to great speaking.


RULE 4: Slow, Deep English Learning Is Best

Rule 4: An English Success Story

Hyun, a student from Korea, said:
“I’m a very serious student. When studying English in Korea, I memorized 50,000 English words for a big test. Fifty Thousand!
My problem was– I couldn’t USE them. I could pass an English test. But I could not understand native speakers.
With Effortless English, I learned to instantly understand English. I learned how to automatically use vocabulary. After 6 months, I could speak easily. I didn’t need to think.
Thanks so much!”

Hyun learned a lot of words in a short time. Her learning was short and shallow. That’s why she quickly forgot the words. That’s why she could not use them.

The secret to speaking easily is to learn every word & phrase DEEPLY.
Its not enough to know a definition. Its not enough to remember for a test. You must put the word deep into your brain.

To speak English easily, you must repeat each lesson many times.

You must learn English deeply.
Learn deeply, speak easily.
Learn deeply, speak easily.


How do you learn deeply? Easy– just repeat all lessons or listening many times. For example, if you have an audio book, listen to the first chapter 30 times before you go to the second chapter. You could listen to the first chapter 3 times each day, for 10 days.

Understanding Native Speakers
“My English is now much improved because of you, and also my understanding of native speakers is much better than before. So I would like to say thank you very very much!!”


RULE 5: Use Point Of View Mini-Stories

Rule 5: A Story
Miyuki did very well on grammar tests. She knew all of the grammar rules. She knew English verbs. But Miyuki had a problem. She couldn’t USE the grammar in a real conversation. She could explain the past tense, but when speaking, she would say “Yesterday I GO to school”. Miyuki was confused. How could her grammar tests be so good, but her speaking so bad? Miyuki said:
“Before Effortless English, I knew all the grammar rules, but I couldn’t speak correctly. I couldn’t feel English grammar. After using Point of View stories, I feel it and use it correctly.Now my grammar is great when I speak. I never think about it, I just automatically use correct grammar. Thank you A.J.!”

Miyuki learned this grammar naturally. She never studied grammar rules. How did she do it?

First she listened to a short story in the present tense. She listened to it everyday.
Then, she listened to the exact SAME story– but this time it started with “10 years ago….” She learned to “feel” the past tense by listening to this story.

Next, I gave her the exact same story. This time, it started with “Since 2004…” Miyuki learned to FEEL the perfect tenses by listening to this story.

Finally, I gave her the exact same story… beginning with “Next year”. She learned to FEEL the future tense simply by listening to this story.

Thanks A Lot. I Can’t Believe I Found The Solution To My Problems. Thanks From The Bottom Of My Heart!
 –Eman Awad 

I call these stories “Point Of View Mini-Stories”. They are the most powerful way to learn and use English grammar automatically.

Use Point of View Stories for Automatic Grammar
Use Point of View Stories for Automatic Grammar

You must learn grammar by listening to real English. The best way is to listen to the same story… told in different times (points of view): Past, Perfect, Present, Future.
How do you do this? Easy!

Find a story or article in the present tense. Then ask your native speaker tutor to write it again in the Past, with Perfect tenses, and in the Future. Finally, ask him to read and record these stories for you.
Then you can listen to story with many different kinds of grammar. You don’t need to know the grammar rules. Just listen to the Point of View stories and you will improve grammar automatically!
You can also find Point of View lessons and use them to learn grammar automatically.
It is powerful. It is simple. It is successful. You will succeed. You will use correct grammar naturally and automatically.


RULE 6: Only Use Real English Lessons & Materials

This is the secret to English grammar.

“Hi AJ. I want to tell you that I really really benefited from Effortless English. Everyday I meet my American teacher and I can really communicate with him. I really don’t know how to thank you!!!!”
 –Shimo Abbas


How To Understand Native Speakers

Megdelio studied English for 5 years in Venezuela. Teachers said he was an advanced student.
When he came to the USA he felt good. He was excited to meet Americans. He was ready. He wrote:
“One day I tried to talk to an American woman and everything changed. The woman started talking– and I couldn’t understand her. Not at all!



Her pronunciation was totally different than the textbook tapes and CDs I listened to. She used idioms, slang, and many casual phrases.

I was totally confused. That’s when I realized I needed to learn real English!”

You Must Learn Real English

I taught Megdelio to learn with real English materials– learning the English we use everyday in conversations, books, movies, TV shows, comic books, audio books, articles, newspapers, magazines, and podcasts.

Stop Learning Textbook English

If you want to understand native speakers, you must stop learning English from textbook tapes and CDs.
To learn real English, you must listen to English that native speakers listen to. You must watch what they watch. You must read what they read.

Listen only to real English
Listen only to real English
Listen only to real English

How do you learn Real English? It’s easy. Stop using textbooks. Instead, listen only to real English movies, TV shows, audio books, audio articles, stories, and talk radio shows. Use real English materials.
After 6 months of real English, Megdelio could speak easily. He could understand real English from real native speakers. You will too.
“I’m very glad to get Effortless English Lessons. I was probably like many of your students - good at tests but hopeless at speaking. I wish I had known your method earlier!”
–Barbara Sitko

You learn real English if you want to understand native speakers and speak easily. Use real magazines, audio articles, TV shows, movies, radio talk shows, and audio books.

Learn Real English, Not Textbook English
Learn Real English, Not Textbook English


Rule 7: An English Success Story

Emi, a Japanese woman, had a problem. Her speaking was SLOW. She could not answer questions quickly.
Emi listened to many English tapes and CDs. She listened. She repeated what the speaker said.

Emi emailed me. I recommended “Listen & Answer” lessons. I told her not to use “listen and repeat”.
I told her to use “Listen & Answer” Mini-Stories.

I told her that “listen and repeat” is not enough– when you repeat, you only copy the speaker. But when you hear a question and you ANSWER it– you must think in English.

After using listen & ANSWER lessons for just 4 months, her speaking was fast, easy, and automatic.
Emi was excited. She wrote:

“The lessons are FANTASTIC! I love them. My speaking is so much faster now. I understand quickly and I can now speak English without thinking. I can’t believe it!”

RULE 7: Listen and Answer, not Listen and Repeat
Use Listen & Answer Mini-Story Lessons
Use Listen & Answer Mini-Story Lessons

In each Mini-Story Lesson, a speaker tells a short simple story. He also asks a lot of easy questions. Every time you hear a question, you pause and answer it.
You learn to answer questions quickly– without thinking. Your English becomes automatic.

How can you use Listen & Answer Stories? Easy! Find a native speaker tutor. Ask him to use this method: Ask him to tell a story… and to constantly ask you easy questions about it. This will teach you to think quickly in English!
You can also find Listen & Answer lessons. They will teach you to think quickly in English.

Your technique is really mind blowing and working for me nicely. Fantastic! Once more thanks a lot!