Now it’s time to put what you’ve learned in practice.
Paragraph A
Below is a paragraph from a previous episode of Plain English. When you get to this point in the video, open the tab for Paragraph A and read it from the beginning.
- Do not read it silently ahead of time
- Do not look for words you don’t know
- Do not try to understand the content before you start
In other words, for this paragraph, I want you to do everything wrong, just to see how it feels.
When you get to the right point in the video, start reading:
Though Avicci was primarily known for his albums, he was also a tireless performer. And his performances were famous. He headlined Lollapalooza in Chicago and the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, among other high-profile festivals. At his height on tour, he performed 300 shows in just two years—almost one show every-other day for two years. At one point, Avicii was the world’s sixth-highest-paid DJ, making about $19 million per year.
Paragraph B
This time, you’re going to do it right. With Paragraph B, you’re going to:
- Listen to me read it in the video
- Find words you don’t know. Look up their meanings in a dictionary.
- Start your listen-and-repeat cycle. If there’s anything you’re not confident about, listen to me say it; then you repeat it. Do this over and over until you are comfortable.
- Finally, you’ll start at the beginning and read the whole thing out loud.
There are a few potential explanations for why we have a musical peak in our lives. Younger people tend to have a wider variety of contacts—they’re meeting new people, going places, being in school, being in work, whatever—whereas older people are more set in their ways. They meet fewer new people and settle into their old habits. I think there is also a lot of nostalgia involved. People tend to settle into musical tastes they had when they were younger, and listening to the music that was popular then reminds them of those good times.
How did you do?
How did you do? How did reading Paragraph B feel, compared to Paragraph A? Let me know in the forum!
Thanks for taking this course. I’d love to know your thoughts on these tactics and I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments section.