How I spent QUARANTINE – English practice
I wrote this last year (2020) – and now some places (Tokyo included) have extended the state of emergency. How about where you live?
extend means: to make something longer or larger
I thought I would share this post again, I hope it can be helpful for everyone.
How I spent QUARANTINE – helpful resources – Learn what I did with my free time, and improve your English!
Being in quarantine means having lots of free time for many of us. Suddenly having lots of free time can make us bored, even stressed.
If we look at the situation from a positive place, we can take away the stress and discover all the benefits that come with FREE time.
FREE is a good thing. If we focus on what we can do, not on what we can’t do, we can discover many amazing ways to use our free time.
This was the first question I asked myself. I kept my mind open, and I found lots of great answers.
I sat down and made a list. In 10 minutes, I had 23 TO DO items.
- Make more English YouTube videos
- Write more great English blog posts
- Exercise
- Stretch
- Improve these skills
- Japanese
- Typing
- PowerPoint
- Build English study tools
- Courses
- Quizzes
- more
- Reach out to
- Family in Canada
- Past students
- Friends in Japan
- Friends in Canada
- Read a new book or re-read an old book
- Watch something inspiring
- Relax and meditate
- Try and make healthy and delicious meals
- Be creative – use what you have
- Prepare for the time after the quarantine
I will break down exactly what I did from this list, but this is my list and it will look very different from your lists!
I just want to share what I did to show you what is possible if you stay positive. What anyone can do if they focus their time. If I can do it, anyone can do it!
My first 2 ideas are about making more English study tools for all of you 😊
Building new English study tools
Videos
Since things slowed down for me in March, I have published a new English video almost every week. I find videos very helpful for learning language, and my goal is to create helpful videos that people will enjoy.
I also publish 4 private videos as part of my online course.
Online courses
5 Simple Tips
I finished my first Online English course using my free time during the lock down in Tokyo. This course contains 5 units that many English students face when they are learning English.
You can download a free sample of Chapter 3 from this course and learn the difference between It looks and It looks like. Learn the grammar and then try the interactive quiz.
Click the button that says FREE PREVIEW on the first page and sign up for your free course sample. The course link is here.
Verb course
Master English verb grammar with a DIFFERENT kind of Digital Study Guide.
WAS $25 – NOW $15
Learn MORE
Blog
It’s very important for people to be able to read high quality English blog posts to learn and study from their homes.
Finding English grammar and other study topics to write about is fun for me. Especially if I can see how they will help people studying English as a second language. I really hope you are enjoying them too!
Next on my quarantine to do, exercise!
Exercise (During Quarantine-before and after!)
This free time has also helped me to get in better shape. I have been exercising every day.
Exercise has many benefits. Of course, being strong and healthy is amazing, but exercise has positive effects on our mind and attitude too.
When you exercise your brain releases chemicals called endorphins. These chemicals reduce feelings of pain, and cause a positive feeling in your body. The positive feelings include excitement and happiness. We can all use more feelings of happiness in our lives!
endorphin [noun] (biology)
a hormone produced in the brain that reduces the feeling of pain
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
Exercise helps us sleep and reduces our stress. Looking healthy and feeling better also improves our confidence.
The next items on my quarantine To Do list are improving some skills that will help me in my life.
Study
I chose 3 areas that I want to improve.
First is my Japanese study. I spend time every day to listen to natural Japanese, using YouTube, TV and of course my family in Japan.
Second is typing. I type a lot on my computer, but I’m not very fast! I feel like now is the perfect time to improve my typing skills, because I have the time. (And I found some free online typing training too.)
The third thing for me is improving my skills with a computer software called PowerPoint. Do you know this software? I just started using this software last year to help me make English training tools. (PowerPoint is a kind of presentation software. I use it to make blog images, English PDFs, and even videos!)
There is more to do, and more I have done but this post is getting long! Let me share some helpful links that can help you make the most of your FREE time.
Do you want MORE English? Get it HERE by joining the WorldEnglishBlog Newsletter family. Or click the image below.
Helpful videos and links during quarantine (and after!)
On May 5th Japan’s quarantine has been extended for another month. Maybe your country’s quarantine has been relaxed or maybe it has also been extended. Remember the study and fitness tips linked in this post are great anytime.
- Listen to my Natural English Listening QUARANTINE audio
Study
Some links to English study resources that I have put together. Everything course or collection is FREE.
English listening
In this blog, you will get access to my best posts with podcasts, embedded audio and videos. This collection is full of natural English spoken by a native speaker.
Improve your English listening skills FAST – Real AUDIO
World English Blog on YouTube
Check out all my latest English videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/stinson808/videos
Subscribe to World English Blog on YouTube here: LINK
Exercise links
Group #1
These links are exercise videos that I use myself. Some of these videos do not use simple English. I just wanted to share what I am doing to keep healthy and happy. In group #2 you will find other videos that use simple English and describe a more basic exercise.
I started doing this workout a long time ago. This is a great way to build your arms, chest and shoulders. I don’t do this exact workout now, but push ups are always a basic part of my exercises.
This is a video that I like. It explains how to do a correct squat, but the guy talks a bit fast. (Slower explanation in group #2.)
This is a simple exercise that I sometimes do before I go to bed. The language is easy to understand and this is a great exercise for everyone.
I just added this workout to my schedule. I do this on my “break” days. Days that I don’t exercise another body part. (Chest, back, arms or legs) After this workout my stomach muscles are so tired!
This is a good guide to working your arms. Lately I have been using an elastic exercise band for my biceps and triceps.
Group #2
These videos teach some of the same basics as the videos above. The English is a little easier to understand.
I have also included some videos for people who want to be fit and healthy, but are not interested in building muscle. Also, some suggested search tips to help you find the best fitness videos for you!
Yoga (10 minute Morning Yoga for Beginners)
Search terms
What kind of exercises would you like to do? Of course you could look for videos in your own language too!
If you try in English this could be a good chance to practice while you exercise! Here are some of the things I ask YouTube to find.
- Home workout
- Home workout no equipment
- Body weight exercises (This means you use your body weight, no extra weights or machines.)
- Stretch at home
- Get fit at home
- (Exercise name) at home
- Beginner workout
- Beginner Body weight workout
- Beginner yoga (etc.)
Good luck to everyone during this difficult time. Take care of yourself and remember to take care of your family, friends, and communities.
Thanks always for reading my posts!
- Spring Clean Your English & Boost Vocabulary & Listening Skills!Spring has sprung, and it’s time to freshen up your English skills along with your home! This post is your ultimate guide to mastering essential… Read more: Spring Clean Your English & Boost Vocabulary & Listening Skills!
- Learn English from TV – A complete guide (3 Tips)Learn English from TV shows 3 Tips for Learning English from TV Tip #1 – Choose a small piece of video. Tip #2 – Watch… Read more: Learn English from TV – A complete guide (3 Tips)
- 120 Idioms About MONEY (Common Financial Idioms)120 Money Idioms Native speakers love to use idioms in conversation. Using idioms will help you sound more like a native speaker too. In this… Read more: 120 Idioms About MONEY (Common Financial Idioms)
- English Spring vocabulary (10 New words + PDF download)Spring has arrived! (This is a natural way to say “It’s now Spring!”) Now is the perfect time to learn some English Spring vocabulary. In today’s blog post let’s practice some words we use when Spring arrives.
- Stop Confusing “Across” and “Through” – 14 Clear examples (free PDF)Some of my students ask me to explain the difference between across and through. The meanings are similar and they can even sometimes be used… Read more: Stop Confusing “Across” and “Through” – 14 Clear examples (free PDF)
