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#348 Little Women – Learn Grammar in Context

Resources:

  • Audio MP3 (right-click to save the audio)
  • FULL-TEXT PDF (right-click to save the TEXT)

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Transcript:

Today, I want to tell you about a book that I really love—Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott.
To be honest, it’s one of my all-time favorite stories.
It’s warm, emotional, and full of life. I’ve listened to the audiobook version, and what makes it extra special is that it’s a full-cast recording. That means each character has a different voice. It’s not just one person reading the book—it sounds more like a movie. And it really brings the story to life.

And every year, I watch the 1994 movie adaptation. Yes, the one with Winona Ryder as Jo. It’s my favorite version. I know there’s a newer one, but the 1994 film just feels cozy and nostalgic. I never get tired of it. It has that warm, comforting feeling that makes you want to slow down and dream a little.

This lovely novel tells the story of four sisters navigating the challenges of adolescence and adulthood during the American Civil War. We’ll explore their unique personalities, personal struggles, and the values the story highlights—such as perseverance, growth, and the strength of family bonds.

“Little Women” follows the lives of four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March.

They live with their devoted mother, Marmee, while their father serves in the war. Although the family doesn’t have much money, their home is full of love, creativity, and moral lessons.
               Each sister is distinctly different:
        Jo is bold, intelligent, and determined to become a successful writer.
Meg, the eldest, is mature and dreams of romance and domestic life.
Beth is gentle, selfless, and deeply compassionate.
Amy is artistic, ambitious, and concerned with status and beauty.

The novel follows their journey as they grow up, face personal and family hardships, and pursue their dreams. As they mature, each sister must make difficult choices and confront the realities of life, love, and identity.

A key theme is personal development. The sisters’ dreams evolve as they encounter success, failure, love, and loss. But through it all, their strong bond as sisters gives them strength, comfort, and a deep sense of connection.

But don’t worry—you don’t need to read the whole book today. I’ll tell you a short story based on Jo’s dream of becoming a writer. And after that, I’ll tell you the same story again—but in a different verb tense. This is what we call a Point of View Story, and it’s one of the best ways to practice English without thinking about grammar rules.

Point of View-Story 📖
(Learn Grammar)

Now, let’s practice with a Point of View Story.
I will tell you the same story, but in different points of view. This will help you practice grammar in a natural way.

🕰️ Past Tense

Jo was a girl with a wild imagination.

She loved writing stories—funny stories, strange stories, even scary stories with ghosts, goblins, and magical hats.

Every morning, she made herself a big cup of tea, grabbed her pen, and sat by the window at her tiny desk.

She wrote and wrote until her hand got tired. But she didn’t mind. She loved every second.

Jo dreamed of becoming a famous writer. She imagined people lining up outside bookstores to buy her books. She imagined signing autographs and hearing people say, “Wow, Jo March is amazing!”

But there was a problem…

The publishers said “No.”
One said, “Too strange.”
Another said, “Too long.”
And one even wrote back, “Too many goblins!”

Jo felt disappointed—but only for about five minutes.

Then she stood up, stretched, and said,
“No one can stop me. Not even a thousand goblins!”

So she kept writing.

She wrote under her bed.
She wrote on the stairs.

And then one rainy afternoon…
She opened a letter.

Her eyes got big. She screamed, “YES!”

A magazine wanted to publish her story!

She jumped, she danced, and she almost stepped on her cat, Whiskers.

She ran to her sisters and shouted, “They said yes!”

Her sisters hugged her, clapped, and made hot cocoa to celebrate.

That night, Jo fell asleep with ink on her hands and a story in her heart.

🔮 Future Tense

Now let’s tell the same story again—but in the future tense. Everything will stay the same, but we’ll talk about it as if it’s going to happen.

Let’s begin…

Jo will be a girl with a wild imagination.

She will love writing stories—funny stories, strange stories, and scary stories with ghosts, goblins, and magical hats.

Every morning, she will make a big cup of tea, grab her pen, and sit at her tiny desk near the window.

She will write and write until her hand gets tired—but she won’t mind. She will enjoy every second.

Jo will dream of becoming a famous writer. She will imagine long lines at bookstores and people asking for her autograph.

But there will be a problem…

The publishers will say “No.”
One will say, “Too strange.”
Another will say, “Too long.”
And one will say, “Too many goblins!”

Jo will feel disappointed—but only for five minutes.

Then she will stand up, stretch, and say,
“No one will stop me—not even a thousand goblins!”

So she will keep writing.

She will write under the bed.
She will write on the stairs.

And then, one rainy afternoon…

She will open a letter.

Her eyes will get big. She will scream, “YES!”

A magazine will want to publish her story!

She will jump, dance, and almost step on her cat.

She will run to her sisters and shout, “They said yes!”

Her sisters will hug her and make hot cocoa to celebrate.

That night, Jo will fall asleep with ink on her hands and a story in her heart.

REVIEW

Let’s stop for a second and think:

We told the same story twice, right?

  • First, in the past tense (Jo did all those things).
  • Then, in the future tense (Jo will do all those things).

Everything else stayed the same.

Same words, same ideas—but the verb tense changed.

That’s what a Point of View Story does.

It trains your brain to understand grammar without studying rules. You learn by listening, by repeating, and by imagining the story in different time frames.

And the best part?
You don’t need to memorize anything. Just listen to the story again and again—and you’ll start thinking in English naturally.

If you want to practice more, get my
Premium Courses:
👉 SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/courses 

Transcript:

Hi! I’m Georgiana, and I’m so happy to be back with a new episode of the Speak English Now podcast—the podcast that helps you speak English fluently, with no grammar and no textbooks.

Today, I want to talk to you about something really simple—but very important.
Be patient with yourself.

This episode has three short parts:

  1. Why learning takes time
  2. How to stop being too hard on yourself
  3. A small mindset shift that can help you feel better

Before we get started, don’t forget to get the transcript at SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/podcast.
And if you enjoy this episode, please share it with a friend. That would really help me. Thanks!

This week, I’ve been working on my website, and now it runs much faster!
I also added a cool new tool — a fluency quiz.
You can take the quiz to find out your English level.

I invite you to visit SpeakEnglishPodcast.com and try my new fluency test.
It’s quick, fun, and helpful!

Let’s get started!

Part 1: Learning Takes Time

Let me share a little secret with you… When I started learning Spanish, it wasn’t easy at all.

Even though I now speak several languages, I remember how difficult it was at the beginning. I felt nervous, I made many mistakes, and I didn’t feel confident. And one thing was especially hard for me: speaking.

Even if I understood what people were saying, it was still difficult to speak. Speaking is always the hardest part when learning a language. And guess what? I still make mistakes sometimes—and that’s okay.

Many of you want fast results. You want to speak English perfectly in one month.
You want to feel confident right away.

But the truth is—real learning takes time.
It takes practice. It takes repetition. And it takes patience.

You don’t need to understand everything today.
You don’t have to speak perfectly right now.

Give yourself time.
You’re doing better than you think.
And remember—this is not a race. It’s a journey.

🧠 Part 2: Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself

I’ve worked with so many students who felt bad about their progress.
And I understand. I’ve felt that way too.

Sometimes, we expect too much from ourselves. We think:

  • “I should be better by now.”
  • “Why am I still struggling?”

But these thoughts don’t help. They make us feel tired and frustrated.

Here’s something I’ve learned:

  • You don’t need to be perfect.
  • You don’t need to compare yourself to others.
  • And you don’t have to say yes to everything.

It’s okay to say:

  • “I need a break.”
  • “I’m learning.”
  • “I’ll try again tomorrow.”

Even saying “no” can be part of self-care.
When you respect your limits, you take care of your energy.

💡 Part 3: A New Way to Talk to Yourself

Think about how you talk to a good friend.
You’re probably kind. You say things like:

  • “It’s okay.”
  • “You’re doing your best.”

Now think about how you talk to yourself.

Sometimes we say things like:

  • “I’m not good enough.”
  • “I always mess up.”

Would you say those things to your best friend? No.

Try changing the voice in your head. Say:

  • “I’m doing my best.”
  • “I’m improving.”
  • “This is part of the process.”

Small changes like these can make a big difference.

😊 Final Thoughts

You don’t have to rush. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to feel strong every single day.

Just be patient with your English.
Be patient with your progress.
And most of all—be patient with yourself.

I’ve been there too. You’re not alone.

Now, let’s practice with a mini-story.

Mini-Story 📖
(Practice your speaking)

I’ll tell you a short story, then I’ll ask you questions.
After each question, you’ll answer out loud. Then I’ll confirm the correct answer. This helps you think in English and improve your speaking.

Many people want to learn English very fast.

Do many people want to learn slowly?
No. Many people don’t want to learn slowly. They want to learn fast.

What do people want to do quickly?
Learn English. People want to learn English very quickly.

Is it easy to learn English very fast?
No. It’s not easy. Learning English takes time.

Learning takes time, practice, and repetition.

Does learning take one day?
No. Learning doesn’t take just one day. It takes time, practice, and repetition.

What does learning take?
Time, practice, and repetition. Learning takes all three.

Some people feel bad because they make mistakes.

Do some people feel happy when they make mistakes?
No. They don’t feel happy. They feel bad.

Why do they feel bad?
Because they make mistakes. Some people feel bad when they make mistakes.

But mistakes are normal. Mistakes help you learn.

Are mistakes bad for learning?
No. Mistakes are not bad. Mistakes help you learn.

What helps you learn?
Mistakes. Making mistakes helps you learn.

Some students compare themselves to others.

Do some students compare themselves to others?
Yes. Some students do that.

Is it helpful to compare yourself to others?
No. It’s not helpful. Comparing yourself to others doesn’t help.

Everyone learns at their own speed.

Does everyone learn at the same speed?
No. Everyone learns at their own speed.

What does everyone have?
Their own speed. Everyone learns at their own speed.

You don’t have to be perfect to learn English. You can say: “I’m learning. I’ll try again tomorrow.”

Do you have to be perfect to learn English?
No. You don’t have to be perfect to learn English.

Can you say, “I’ll never learn”?
No! Don’t say that. Say, “I’m learning. I’ll try again tomorrow.”

What can you say instead?
“I’m learning. I’ll try again tomorrow.” That’s what you can say.


Being patient helps you grow.

What helps you grow?
Being patient. Patience helps you grow.

Does rushing help you grow?
No. Rushing doesn’t help. Being patient helps you grow.

Let me tell you about Mia.

Mia has been learning English for a few months. She studies every day. But Mia wants more. She wants to improve faster.

What does Mia want to do?
She wants to improve her English faster.

One day, Mia says: “I want to speak English fluently, so I’m going to Canada!”

What does Mia say?
She says she wants to go to Canada.
Why?
Because she believes it will help her become fluent faster.

Does Mia think going to Canada will help her learn?
Yes! She thinks it will help a lot.

So, Mia packs her suitcase and books a flight.

What does Mia do?
She packs her suitcase and books a flight to Canada.

Does she go by car?
No! She flies. She takes a long flight to Canada.

When Mia arrives in Canada, she feels excited — and cold!

How does she feel?
Excited… and cold! Canada is very cold!

Does Mia like cold weather?
Not really. She prefers warm weather.

But Mia says: “I’m here to learn English, so I’ll do my best.”

What does she say?
“I’m here to learn English, so I’ll do my best.”

The next day, Mia goes to a café and orders coffee in English.

Where does she go?
To a café.

Does she order tea?
No. No. She orders coffee! She orders coffee in English.

Is Mia confident?
Not really. She’s nervous, but she speaks anyway.

Why is she nervous?
Because she’s speaking English in a real conversation.
Does she make mistakes?
Yes, she makes a few mistakes.

Does she stop speaking?
No! She doesn’t stop. She keeps going.

What helps her improve?
Speaking, listening, and making mistakes every day.

After two weeks, Mia understands more English.

Is she fluent now?
Not yet, but she’s making great progress.

What does Mia learn in Canada? Skiing?
No, no! Mia doesn’t learn skiing. She learns that fluency takes time, practice, and patience.

What does Mia say now?
“I’m learning. I’ll try again tomorrow!”

All right. That’s the end of the story. Listen to this mini-story many times to improve your speaking! See you in the next lesson!

If you want to practice more, get my
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👉 SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/courses 

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