I keep a notebook for English the way other people keep a scrapbook. Some pages are vocabulary lists, some are answers to questions I have been asked in class, and some are small pieces of my life that happen to arrive in English. The result is not a tidy textbook. It is closer to a map of what I notice, what I want, and what I am still trying to say.
The P&G lesson began with ordinary retail words: laundry detergent, soap operas, General Electric, and marketing practices. From there I wrote down phrasal verbs and habits of mind: to branch out with or into something, to widen one's scope, to broaden one's horizons, smooth sailing, and to incentivize. These are useful because they describe movement. A company branches out. A person widens a scope. A project is not always smooth sailing. A policy tries to incentivize behavior. I also copied two sentences that felt worth keeping: But for your kind help, my oral English would not hit a higher level. and We should shield children from unhealthy information on the Internet and implement some measures to combat uncivilized behavior. The first is gratitude with a conditional edge. The second is the language of responsibility: shield, implement, combat. And sometimes, after all the grammar, all I want to say is simple.
Retirement came up as a discussion question: at what age would I like to retire? My answer was early. Life is short, and I would rather spend more time doing what I want. I want to branch out into things I have never done. I am much of a car fanatic, and my dream car is the Jeep Wrangler. When I retire, I would like to buy one and take a self-driving tour. But the vitally crucial point is financial independence before retirement. Without that, early retirement is only a daydream.
Then the question turned to my grandparents. Both are farmers, and they could retire after my parents' wedding. They have their own house in the countryside, where they plant trees and flowers in the yard and play with dogs. They have much peace of mind. Their favorite thing is joining in public square dancing. When I retire, I want to travel around the world. A relaxing life would be a dream come true. The first important thing I want to accomplish before I retire is to have a house in my hometown.
I was also asked what goal I want to reach before retirement. My teacher taught me a lot when I was an undergraduate, so when I become a professor I hope to share my positive energy with my students. I hope they become more diligent and useful to society. I want to give them all of my knowledge so that they can surpass me. In free discussion, I admitted that the picture I had described was more ideal than practical. In the present day, everyone needs money to live. We need enough money to buy cars and apartments. When I retire, maybe I should help my kids take care of grandchildren. The worst thing would be postponing retirement so that I can continue working to earn more money for a better standard of living.
The Costco lesson supplied another cluster of business words: retailer, originally, resist, wholesale prices, wholesaler, hand over fist, profit margins, house brand, overhead costs, primary source of earnings, lean operation, high customer retention, an extremely loyal customer base, individual people, efficiently, put money in decorating, membership fee, in bulk, the bulk of, bulk up, fitness, and one of the hottest trends in retail. I liked how these words fit together. A retailer resists something. A house brand competes with national brands. Overhead costs and lean operation belong to the same conversation. High customer retention and a loyal customer base sound like praise. Membership fees can be a primary source of earnings. People buy in bulk, spend the bulk of their time on something, or bulk up at the gym. The phrase give birth to my dream also stayed with me, because it makes an ambition sound like something alive.
That lesson also gave me a grammar note. Considering can replace because in some sentences, and seeing, thinking, and being can do similar work. Considering how old I am, I really want to continue with my studies after I get my master's degree. The sentence is not only about age. It is about a decision made in the light of age. I also wrote down two merge examples: If these two companies merge, the market will be a monopoly. and Individuality and uniqueness are merged and blurred. The first is market structure; the second is identity. English often lets the same verb travel between those two worlds.
My professor is a demanding boss. Group members in my laboratory do not have summer vacations or weekends. This summer, my professor commanded us to go to a small city to do engineering design. Our main job was to design water supply projects for the city and the surrounding suburbs further from downtown. The work was practical, but the schedule was not gentle.
Friendship was another set of questions. How did I meet my best friends? It depends on the situation. When I was a seven-year-old boy, my parents brought me to another city because they hoped I could go to a good school and get a better education. My whole childhood was spent in school. Most of my life is still spent in school. I have met many close and worthy friends throughout middle school and university.
Do friends bring happiness? How do we get along? For me, the most important factor in making friends is whether we have the same values. Only then do we have the same topics to communicate about. If I have a conflict with a friend, I think there are huge differences between boys and girls. Boys do not usually give each other the silent treatment. I can agree to disagree and adjust my attitudes. We should be loyal and honest with our best friends. If arguments get in the way of friendship, the easiest way is to drink alcohol. On the question of money and friendship, I think it is difficult. Money is powerful, and we can use it to do a host of things. Every individual person needs money to live. To my mind, we should be generous to our friends, but the first crucial point is that friends must be trustworthy.
Health insurance added a more technical vocabulary: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze plans; coverage; advantageous; out-of-pocket costs; deductibles; co-insurance; roughly speaking; pre-existing conditions; in the long run; take advantage of; dependents; and premium. These words are not abstract. They decide what someone pays, what is covered, and who is included. Roughly speaking, a plan may look advantageous in the long run, but a premium, a deductible, or a pre-existing condition can change the calculation. Dependents matter. Coverage matters. The language of insurance is the language of risk made specific.
Summer vacation was not a vacation. My professors ordered us to go to another city to work on an engineering design project. We used computers and special software to design water supply pipelines. My work hours were 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. It really made me exhausted. That is the plain version. The more accurate version is that the summer became a long corridor of screens, pipes, and deadlines.
Communicating with a teenager is its own vocabulary lesson: rebellious, rebellion, secretive, defensive, put yourself in her shoes, nip this in the bud, try a softer touch, act out, heavy-handed, individuality, and talk back. The words describe a small ecosystem of tension. A teenager may be secretive or defensive. A parent may be heavy-handed. If a problem is caught early, someone may try to nip it in the bud. A softer touch may work better than a lecture. The point is not to win. The point is to keep communication alive.
The Disney lesson mixed entertainment words with life words: economical and economic, amusement park and theme park, general public, insecure and unsecure, a keen interest in, a big break, cultural icon, ups and downs, and privately. I am interested in playing basketball; I am captivated by basketball. The second sentence has more heat. Economical means good value; economic means related to the economy. An amusement park and a theme park are not quite the same. The general public is a broad audience. Insecure describes a person; unsecure describes something not encrypted or not safe. A big break is a really important opportunity to improve the current situation. A cultural icon is larger than a celebrity. After some ups and downs following a success, a person may speak privately about what changed.
I started using a language-learning app two months ago to improve my English. I was captivated by it because I could use it to improve my listening and speaking. My ability to listen and speak is extremely limited, so I hope to learn more oral expressions and make my pronunciation more authentic. As a postgraduate student at an institute, I need to use Google to search for English papers when I want to research a direction, so English is also a research tool. Privately, I have a keen interest in English because it is a global language. In my opinion, I am young and this world is big. I want to see more of it, and I think English can broaden my horizons.
Am I an introvert or an extrovert? When I was seven, my parents brought me to a city far from my hometown because they wanted me to go to a good school and get a better education. From that year, I returned home monthly and lived in my school's dormitory. Life during that period was extremely difficult because I was always withdrawn and self-contained. I did not like communicating with my classmates or teachers. However, I thought I should change because I did not want my roommates to think I was an aloof and indifferent person. I started to force myself to interact with my classmates gradually. When I became a teenager, I was much of an extrovert. I was able to adapt to all sorts of strange situations. In my spare time, I preferred being with classmates or friends and having fun together. In that process, I reaped the benefits from my friends; they gave me positive traits.
Every personality has advantages and disadvantages, and it depends on the situation. In strange situations, I am always an introvert. I know that is bad for social interaction, so I sometimes force myself to become an extrovert. To my mind, everyone likes an outgoing person. If you have a sense of humor, it helps strangers relax, and you can communicate with them more easily. The people who talk to you will leave a great impression on you.
Would I rather be friends with an introvert or an extrovert? When I was a sophomore, I had a classmate from Ghana, a small country in Africa. Despite different languages and cultures, all of my classmates liked to interact with him. The vitally key point was that he always kept smiling and was humorous. In our class, he was a social butterfly. The weather in summer was very hot, and I did not like to go out where there was no AC. But he always said, The summer is gorgeous, let's go out and soak it up while we can! At that moment, I could begin to understand why he was so dark-skinned. If I could change any personality trait, which would I change? That is difficult. If a certain trait makes my friends and family feel bad, I think I should study how to remove it.
Stress is a familiar subject. As a postgraduate student, I have a demanding professor. He always commands me to do arduous work almost every day. I barely have any leisure time left in my daily life. Second, in my research group I am surrounded by a great many high-achieving co-workers. I am much of a perfectionist, so I used to get frustrated when I felt I was not meeting my standards. I have completed one year of my studies and still have two years to go. When I get my master's degree, I want to continue my study. I want to study overseas for a Ph.D. My dream countries are Japan and Germany. So I need to spend more time doing research experiments and studying spoken English.
When I am stressed, my life in the lab can feel boring. Sometimes it really makes me stir-crazy. I always toss and turn restlessly. When I feel stressed out, I choose to jog with my close friends. I can rejuvenate or refresh after doing some exercise, leaving me happier and more energized. More importantly, some scientists suggest that socializing and exercising can really boost your mood, so people can reap the benefits from it. If we always have stress in daily life, it will take a toll on our mental and physical health. Watching movies or listening to music is a good way to make me relax. It can give me peace of mind. If I have enough time, going to the gym or jogging with close friends can make me get rid of pressure. When you feel stressed out, you should not turn a blind eye to it, because it really takes a toll on your mental and physical health. The first thing you should do is learn how to address the pressures of work and life. For me, the best way to relax is by listening to music or watching movies. I had read the news that some scientists suggested socializing and exercising can really boost your mood, so people can reap the benefits from it.
Livestreaming e-commerce brought another set of phrases. Absolutely, definitely, and undoubtedly can stand in for yes with different shades of confidence. A powerhouse company is a giant. Future global marketing strategies are plans for the next market. To turn a blind eye to something is to ignore it. Transaction volume is the amount of buying and selling. People in China will choose to buy tons of stuff on November 11th, so the transaction volume in China on that day is huge. However, Americans always do that on Black Friday. To engage with is close to interact with. This app is useful for improving our spoken English because we can engage with other people to practice listening and speaking. A crossroads is a literal intersection or a life decision. When I get my master's degree, I think I am at a crossroads. I can choose to continue on to further education and become a Ph.D. in my major. On the other hand, I can choose to find a decent job at some powerhouse companies. My gut tells me I should spend more time relaxing and practicing. Safety first. Hit me up if you want to attend.
The oat milk trend gave me a few precise words: the broader public, threshold, and milk as a verb. The broader public means people beyond the early adopters. A threshold is a starting point. To milk something is to extract as much as possible from it, as in milking connections or milking a trend.
Beijing is a charming and multifaceted city. There are many iconic foods, such as Beijing roast duck. Moreover, it has tons of famous universities, such as Peking University. A history buff is a big fan of history. The CBD is the Central Business District. Fondly means with deep affection. China is at the cutting edge of high-speed railway and infrastructure development, which will be a major contributor to the country's future in the long run. To cross paths with someone is to meet by chance. In a heartbeat means without hesitation. In my opinion, Beijing is a charming and multifaceted city. There are many iconic foods, such as Beijing roast duck. Moreover, it has tons of famous universities, such as Peking University. China is at the cutting edge of high-speed railway and infrastructure development, which will be a major contributor to the country's future in the long run.
Kobe Bryant was the greatest basketball player of his generation. He passed away in a helicopter crash. The news was tragic and devastating. He was an absolute icon, the best shooting guard for the Lakers, and unrivaled on the court. I still remember his three consecutive championships. So much drama! He is so famous, not only on-court but off-court as well. He has certainly left us with quite a legacy. Every fan of Kobe knows the Mamba mentality: always striving to be your best. He was gritty, and grit is courage and perseverance. He was a Renaissance man, multitalented beyond basketball. Given enough time, he would be able to accomplish much more too. In a heartbeat, fans would watch him play again. About sport, I am not much of a fanatic, but I know what he meant to people. Given enough training and time, I believe that my spoken English can hit an even higher level. Every year my professor can earn tons of money by milking his connections with his students.
Jack Welch was associated with General Electric, or GE. His management style and innovative leadership were notable. He focused on growth, market value, and shareholder value. Most notably, people describe his recipe for success. It comes down to single-minded passion. He became a symbol of modern capitalism. Some people have mixed feelings about him. All in all, his reputation is complicated. No doubt he knew how to hone or sharpen an organization. He could also be ruthless, or heartless, in retrospect.
The grammar note that stayed with me was the what-clause used for emphasis. What the boys are doing is taking Chris to the beach. What the new students have done is taken their seats in the classroom. What he needs to do is get a new battery for his computer. When we want to emphasize an action, the verb describing that action often matches the tense of the verb in the what-clause. That is a small mechanical rule, but it changes the weight of a sentence. It puts the action in the spotlight.
This notebook is not finished. It keeps collecting words from brand stories, insurance plans, lab schedules, friendships, and cities. Some entries are grammar. Some are confessions. Some are just phrases I want to be able to use without thinking. The point is not to memorize a perfect list. The point is to keep the language moving, from a page into a conversation, and from a conversation into a life.