“The Zombie Apocalypses” by Ed Oviedo

 English as a second language

“The Zombie Apocalypses” by Ed Oviedo

            In this modern era, tools to get information as software, videos, audiobooks, are just one click away, yet there is also a lot of des-information to be controlled, so the key word is to be selective with the information we are collecting in order not to be lost in the translation.

            People trying to learn English as a Second Language are equally scared as characters in zombie movies when a dead curse is determinate to eat you alive, despite all the resources available, there is still too much to process, adding to this also the number one Internal Enemy of all phobias “Public Speaking”.

            This situation is remarkable the same fear and suspension when watching zombie’s movies, fear is clearly spotted in the speaker’s eye in both characters’ emotions and feelings have as a result the most common action which is running away from a face to face confrontation in order to live one more day.  

            As in apocalyptic world where everything looks chaotic, when in every moment you could be facing possible death or a painful transformation running away will just give you one more breath maybe around the corner the challenge keeps awaiting.

            For English Students goes in the same way they hold to resist a bit more the responsibility to overcome their fear to the language, nevertheless running will be useless in this modern world, English language has taken over as standard business language and bridge between cultures worldwide just because its simplicity to engage basic communication.

The Cure

Weakness can be spotted in the most innocent and simply way, learners just need to put away the distraction and the answer will be just right in from.

First Step: Embracing the Fear.

Understand there is no way out and decide to move forward to produce basic communication step by step defeating one zombie at the time avoiding exposing yourself to an herb of information which could literally eat you alive. 

 

            Second Step: Use the weapons you have.

            To defend yourself everything in your hands is a potential weapon to win this battle. In this case words, in the basic stage do not pay attention to your pronunciation nor the amount of words in your arsenal, whatever is in your knowledge must be used to build up trust in the language.

 

            Third Step: Practice your technique

            Killing a zombie is not an easy task but it is proved is not impossible, now that some confidence in using English as a weapon has been built, what remains is to clean the technique and get familiar with environment and increase your arsenal.

            In a zombie world people is tested and pushed under survivor mode, in the same way English it is not our first language we need to do whatever to survive but only practice will help our failures and mispronunciation to be soon enough cleared.

 

            Four Step: Camouflage

            In World War Z a disease was the answer to walk around zombies without been notice. In the Walking dead was the smell of zombies.

In English communication imitation will be your best allied, by imitating native speakers would be easier to understand the production of certain sounds and ways to deliver a message in the most accurate way.

Fifth Step: Survive

Once basic skills are acquired is time to hit the road and test yourself in the battlefield, is proved in zombie world that staying in one place too long will provide safety for a limited short time. “Moving is life” try to have contact with ESL speaker, native, anyone who share the passion for the language. It could be frustrating in the beginning due to the limited resources, but this experience will make you grow, not only to survive, but to learn how to live in this new world.