There are two ways to watch and learn from this video. 1) Watch my Watch With English Teacher video. NO SUBTITLES (You're a C1 learner now – you can do it!). 2) Watch the original video + optional subtitles + use the vocabulary guide below. Original video: My Morning Routine (Live to 120+) ACCENT - USA VOCABULARY GUIDE - 28 Items 1) walk you through 00:23 Definition: To explain a process step by step. Example: She walked the team through the new onboarding system. 2) health markers 00:33 Definition: Measurable indicators used to assess health. Example: Blood pressure and cholesterol are common health markers. 3) efficacy 00:48 Definition: The ability to produce the intended result. Example: The study questioned the efficacy of the treatment. 4) dietary protocol 01:06 Definition: A structured, rule-based eating plan. Example: He follows a strict dietary protocol for medical reasons. 5) circadian rhythm 01:31 Definition: The body’s internal 24-hour sleep–wake cycle. Example: Jet lag disrupts your circadian rhythm. 6) borderline 01:46 Definition: Very close to an acceptable or critical limit. Example: His iron levels were borderline but not dangerous. 7) visceral fat 02:03 Definition: Fat stored around internal organs. Example: High visceral fat increases health risks. 8) complexion 02:20 Definition: The natural appearance and condition of the skin. Example: Regular sleep improved her complexion. 9) self-reflective 03:23 Definition: Engaging in thoughtful examination of oneself. Example: His talk was unusually self-reflective. 10) rejuvenate 03:36 Definition: To restore something to a younger or healthier state. Example: The treatment aims to rejuvenate ageing cells. 11) assessment 03:45 Definition: A careful evaluation or judgement. Example: The doctor completed a full assessment. 12) implement 03:48 Definition: To put a plan or decision into action. Example: The company implemented the new policy immediately.

I casually open my inbox early this Sunday afternoon, when amongst the usual promotions and updates from software I’ve long since forgotten I downloaded, one email makes me sit up and set my tea down on the table with a loud clack. Sunday 25th Jan, 12.31: Victor – What do you think about retake classes? “Victor? Jeez, I haven’t spoken to him since the summer!” This is classic Victor. For the next 20 minutes we exchange a rapid barrage of emails, by the end of which we have booked his classes for the next week. All 5.5 hours of them! You see, the first time Victor contacted me, he was in a similar tight spot. Tasked with teaching a university course in English at short notice, he found himself woefully underprepared and massively under pressure. This is what I like to call a BSEE – Big Scary English Emergency. It’s the best motivator known to humankind for starting English classes. And this time, Victor found himself in a similarly dramatic predicament. About halfway through his 3-hour private class on Wednesday (which was a surprisingly comfortable experience for both of us), I realised we had something in common. Victor and I both like to do our speaking practice in bursts of high intensity. Don’t get me wrong. Both Victor and I can be very consistent in attending weekly classes. But when we have the time, we both love to turn up the intensity. Back in the summer of 2016, when I was trying to go from zero Portuguese speaking experience to conversational, I did up to 5 hours of conversation a week. It was a mix of classes with teachers and language exchanges with a lovely guy from Rio de Janeiro. And more recently, after 15 years without speaking Mandarin Chinese, I’ve slowly increased my practice from 2 hours a week in September to 4-6 hours a week today. I think I must like the adrenaline. Or the rapid progress. I’m not sure. But I’ve seen both approaches work well for learners. Marta, for example, was a student of mine and an incredibly busy HR manager. Every week, same day, same time, she came to her 1-hour conversation class without fail. Eventually, she completed well over 100 hours this way. It was only when she gave birth to her first baby that this schedule finally became unmanageable.

For some, learning English is a serious matter. But try telling that to Gema and Ion. It’s a cold and grey Wednesday afternoon, but the moment Gema joins my Google Meet it is obvious today is not a day for negativity. She bounces in wearing a big beaming smile and a neon blue wig, and I’m instantly in a better mood. “Did you remember our plan for today?” she asks, pointing at my rather drab grey jumper. “Oh no! Sorry, I forgot!” You see, last week we discovered that the 3rd week in January is the most depressing week of the year, at least according to the article we read. “Screw that!” we both decided. So instead of letting the winter blues take control, we hatched a plan to dress up in our craziest, most colourful clothes this week in an attempt to cheer ourselves up. But we would say nothing to Ion. “I just want to see his reaction,” said Gema, with a mischievous glint in her eye. I quickly run to my wardrobe and grab the most colourful thing in there – a multicoloured snood – and stick it on my head. Seconds later Ion joins us. He isn’t usually lost for words, but I think we managed it this time. Five minutes later, as Ion is sharing some micronews, he suddenly stops in mid sentence and starts to laugh. I’m busy writing something in our shared Google doc, so at first, I don’t know why he’s laughing. I open the Google Meet window again and I see it. Gema’s grin is even wider now. Perched atop her head is a unicorn horn and an array of brightly coloured flowers. I’ve spoken with these English students for a combined total of over 200 hours, but THIS is the moment we discover the special filters in Google Meet. For the next half hour we explore ALL of them. After many “Oohs” and “Aaahs”, Gema finally settles on an aquatic background complete with an animated octopus resting on top of her blue wig. Ion finally settles on the pirate filter. We all agree that the black beard really suits him. I’m torn between the film noir detective and the handlebar-moustached cowboy, but it is the cowboy that wins in the end.

This is the shorter YouTube version of this Watch With English Teacher video. I've posted the one-hour, more 'teachy' version in the community too if you fancy something more substantial. 😉