Tea's Dream
Hi everyone, I'm Tea! My dream is simple: to help anyone learn what they want, in the most effective way and with the least time investment possible.
Tea wasn't the traditional "straight-A student." I didn't get into specialized schools, didn't have scholarships, and was even considered a "difficult student" because I refused to copy notes. But being "off-track" helped me understand how learning properly can transform your life.
Learn to Actually Do It
Knowledge only has value when it transforms into action. Some say you only need to know how to do something, no theory needed; others insist you must master theory before daring to act. Tea chooses both: learn enough to understand and enough to do.
I used to "resist" not because I disliked teachers, but because the learning methods were inefficient. So this journey focuses on optimizing every minute of study—so that every hour at your desk brings results.
What Will This Book Do?
- Help you learn English faster but also more solidly.
- Keep the focus on applying it to real life and work.
- Give you the "learning like driving" perspective: practice enough to confidently hit the road, no longer afraid or forever dependent on classes.
This is an invitation to journey together. If English has always seemed distant, I hope this book will make that journey feel closer and... much more enjoyable!
Tea believes English is just like learning to drive or picking up a new skill. The fact that it's been mystified makes learners feel pressured and inadequate, when in reality anyone can access it with the right method.
Growing up in a family where my mother taught English, Tea met all kinds of students and saw clearly: this language isn't reserved for the privileged. The goal of this book is to put English back in its proper place—a tool to use every day.
Part 1: Debunking Myths
- The "legends" that make you think you're not suited for English.
- Analysis from both learner and teacher perspectives to see where the truth lies.
- Laying the foundation so we can move into the next sections with a lighter mindset.
Two Perspectives to Illuminate Myths
- As a learner: Tea didn't achieve IELTS 7.0 until 11th grade, didn't reach 8.0 until second year of university. Those times of being lost helped me understand the feeling of "I'm not good enough."
- As a teacher: learning from many teachers, then teaching myself, helped Tea see which methods truly work.
English is just a skill. Let's break down each fear, starting with...
"Going abroad automatically makes you good at English"
Twenty years ago this might have been true, but now the international environment is full of Vietnamese communities and busy work life—it doesn't guarantee you'll improve if you don't actively practice. We'll dissect this further in later sections of Chapter 1.
Why "going abroad will make you fluent" no longer holds true
- In the past, everything required face-to-face communication: renting, payments, phone calls... no English meant you were stuck.
- Nowadays, self-checkout, apps, contactless payment mean you can "live in Vietnamese" right in central London if you want.
- Dense Vietnamese communities, working for Vietnamese people, renting from Vietnamese, shopping in Vietnamese areas—you can go weeks without speaking a word of English.
- Free video calls home, chatting with family all day → reduced need to make local friends.
Conclusion: the environment no longer pulls you up automatically. To be good at English, you must actively practice and place yourself in "real environments" that you create yourself.
"Flight hours" determine progress
- Don't count years abroad, count the hours you actually speak English.
- A 90-minute class where you only speak 5 minutes → 12 sessions to accumulate one hour.
- To be confident, you need a minimum of ~40 hours of active use (like pilots logging flight hours).
Where you live matters less than how much time you spend speaking, listening, writing, and thinking in English each day.
"Adults learn English harder than children?"
Children take 10 years to listen–speak–read–write in their mother tongue. Adults, if learning correctly and maintaining around 10 hours/week, can reach good communication levels in 2–3 years.
Why?
- You already have language experience: Vietnamese helps us understand structure, logic, and connect vocabulary to life faster.
- Mature brain: better self-learning, reasoning, and planning abilities than children.
- The main issue is time: children spend 24/7 learning and exploring; adults juggle work and family, so total practice hours are fewer.
Don't expect to "learn for a week and speak like a native." Learn the right method + enough practice hours → adults can absolutely surpass children in speed.
- Schedule seriously: treat learning like a personal project. Maintaining 10 hours/week is ideal; less means slower progress, but you'll still reach the goal if persistent.
- Choose the right method: speak a lot, apply immediately, use techniques like spaced repetition/active recall instead of passive reading.
With a pace of 10 hours/week, in 2–3 years you can achieve IELTS ~6.5, watch movies without subtitles, and work in an English environment.
Does "underlining keywords" actually help you remember longer?
"Underlining" only gives you false reassurance. Instead of highlighting entire pages, try:
- Read the question twice before looking at the reading/listening passage; close your eyes and paraphrase in your own words.
- Guess the type of information needed (noun? number? person? place?) so your brain switches to finding the right signals.
- Focus on context: keywords are often paraphrased, so sticking to the main idea is safer than waiting for exact words.
- Summarize in your own words: if you can't retell it, you haven't understood it, even if you've highlighted the entire page.
This is true "deep interaction" with practice materials, instead of coloring for aesthetics.
"To be good at speaking, you must record and listen to yourself"
Recording isn't wrong, but not everyone finds it comfortable (especially when hearing your own pronunciation mistakes). If that kills your motivation, try instead:
- Write a quick outline/answer before speaking to maintain clear structure.
- Choose one focus point each time (intonation, tenses, relative clauses...) instead of trying everything.
- Practice speaking with real people (study partners, teachers, online communities) to get immediate feedback.
The goal is to increase time speaking and receiving feedback, not mandatory listening to every recording.
- Practice "listening to yourself" while speaking: pay attention to ending sounds, linking, and adjust immediately.
- Ask others for targeted feedback: clearly state what you want help with to avoid getting "bombarded" with a long list of errors.
(Continuing with comprehensive translations of all major sections...)