Are you beating a dead horse? (This is an idiom)

Howdy and hello to all you readers out there!

Let's get right to the point.

Are you beating a dead horse when you study? This is an idiom that means you keep doing the same thing again and again even thought it does not help or change anything. Usually, this action can be very frustrating.

When you begin to read or watch something, then discover that it is very hard and that you don't really understand, what do you do? Do you keep reading or watching the same way you started? Do you just get frustrated? Do you continue to read or watch and not understand? Do you feel like your English skills are terrible? Do you give up?

Wait! Why are you doing this?! 

There are many strategies to help you understand difficult material.

Here is an example. Let's imagine you are learning to play the piano. Maybe a song is very difficult for you. If you ask your teacher for help to play better, what does your teacher do? Do they tell you to keep playing it the same way? Nope. They do not. Well, the good teachers do not.

They will give you strategies. For example, they might tell you to play slower or to play the song in small pieces and only play the whole thing when you are comfortable. Good advice, teacher!

So, what can you do when a text or video is difficult for you. Well, challenging yourself is a good idea, so here are some tips:

1) Stop beating a dead horse.

2) Read the title of the story or video. You can then guess what it will be about.

3) Read the summary (if there is one). This will help you prepare your brain with the context (main idea). YouTube videos almost always have a summary.

4) Use subtitles (if it is a video). YouTube and TED usually have many languages to choose from. Maybe you could try using English subtitles first. If this is too hard, then use your first language.

5) Just relax and read or watch the material. I know. You think that if you don't understand most words then you are failing. Don't think that! If you understand only about 50% of the material, you will still understand the main context and idea. This is a great start!

6) Read or watch the material in small pieces. Maybe only read for 5 minutes, then take a break. Your brain is working really hard, so let it rest. Just like exercise, you can't run a marathon the first time you exercise. You must strengthen your brain.

There you are. Now you can read or watch difficult material and stay calm and relaxed. 

If you are scared of higher level material, we can fix that!

Take care and stay motivated. If you need any help, just comment below or send me an email. Also, you could follow this blog. Followers keep me motivated too!

Matthew
englishispersonal@gmail.com