prolog

DAY 01 Why do longer English sentences seem more difficult? _Unit
DAY 02: Do we need the "5 Forms" for English reading? _English Sentence Structure ①
DAY 03 Conjunctions are distinguished by their appearance. _Conjunction ①

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DAY 04 Adjective clauses and noun clauses are the same family _Conjunction②
DAY 05 Verses and phrases are one.
You can't think of them separately _Clause and phrase
DAY 06 What is the difference between to-infinitive and ing-infinitive? _Infinitive

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DAY 07 Reading should be done in unit order _English sentence structure ②
DAY 08 There are no separate intransitive and transitive verbs.
It's just used like that _ verb
DAY 09 Verbs Create Forms _5 Forms ①

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DAY 10 Understanding the verbs of conferral requires studying history _Format 5②
DAY11 Today, let's talk about tense and aspect. _Tense
DAY12 What is the difference between the progressive and perfect tenses?

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DAY 13 What is the difference between the future-expressing auxiliary verbs will and shall? _Auxiliary Verbs
DAY 14: What's the difference between conditional and conditional sentences? _Conditional
DAY15 What's the difference between these people and those people? _Noun

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Epilogue

From first starting English at the age of 26 to becoming a veteran translator,
English study method learned with my whole body
Melt away in a special 15-day class!

You may have had the experience of your mind going blank when faced with a long English sentence, even after learning grammar and vocabulary so well that it comes out easily.
This is an incident that occurs because the reading process and the understanding process operate separately.
The author says that studying English must begin with 'reading and understanding'.
The reason we start with reading is because the ability to read and listen is more important than the ability to write and speak.
As your reading and listening skills improve, writing and speaking will naturally follow.


The problem, however, is that reading English is not easy for beginners.
I need to learn English by reading, but the preparation process before reading is too long.
There is also too much grammar knowledge required.
Since you have to understand everything you could have naturally learned while reading a book to move on to the next step, you are likely to get tired before you even start reading.
As a result, you end up only seeing the trees and not the forest.
The "Prologue" fully reflects the author's concerns as an English learner and teacher.

"Where and how should I begin studying English? Do I start with nouns, like in 'Sungmoon Comprehensive English'? Or do I start with infinitives, like in 'Sungmoon Basic English'? I taught English in college and at academies, but it wasn't really about English, it was just about preparing for exams.
I was just busy following the textbook and making progress.
“This means that it was far from a method for truly studying English.”
-From the "Prologue"

English is a language that must be read by its structure, that is, its appearance.
Once you can picture the shape of English, the best way to study is to immediately jump into reading practice.
To this end, we have carefully designed the curriculum to help students complete their English foundation through 15 days of classes, from Day 1 to Day 15.
In each lesson, we will look at 'why' these rules came into being and how they are actually used, with abundant examples.
After each day's class, you can immediately review what you learned in 'Practice'.
One of the key features of this book is the "Reading Practice" section, which includes unfamiliar and diverse texts carefully selected by the author.
It's okay if there are words or grammar you don't know.
It would be even better if you tried to translate it yourself by referring to important words and reading points.
All English texts included in this book have a "Dad's Translation" translated by the author himself, so that you can compare them with "My Translation."

The easy explanations and gentle tone, which fit the concept of a lesson that is told step by step for the daughter, help to break down the barriers to English in her mind.
If you study every day following the gentle and friendly explanations, you will soon find yourself becoming closer to the English language.

English, how should I study it?
Solve a long-standing homework

Author Younghak Cho worked in a factory while others were studying due to family circumstances, and then passed the high school qualification exam to graduate from high school. At the age of 26, when others were graduating, he entered the English Literature Department at Hanyang University.
It was a major I chose because of the benefit of being exempt from tuition for four years.
At first, everything felt unfamiliar to me because I only studied English by memorizing vocabulary and grammar to get good grades on tests.
I knew all the words, but it was difficult to even read a single line of an English column.
At that time, with the help of a senior I knew, I opened my eyes to studying English.
I developed the habit of studying English by instilling in my mind the teaching that English should be read not by words or idioms, but by structure, that is, by appearance.
As I studied English while looking at the vast forest that is English, I became interested in it, and I went on to graduate school and completed a doctoral course.
After that, while teaching liberal arts English classes at a university for over 10 years to earn a living, I witnessed the reality that even students with excellent TOEIC and TOEFL scores struggled to translate even a simple English example sentence.
The point was that the way students had been studying was far from 'real English study'.
From then on, the question, "How should I study English?" became the author's homework.

Although her mother was a middle school English teacher and her father was a professional English translator, her English skills were below average.
But I wasn't anxious even though I had a wall with English throughout my school days.
This is because, based on the author's experience, he believes that studying is something you should do when you want to.
And my daughter, who had always hated English, finally asked me to teach her English as she was about to start working.
The 'time' has come.
Time to study English.
I readily accepted my daughter's request to solve a long-standing homework of 'If I were to write a book on English learning methods based on my experiences, I would first apply it to my children and see if it was successful.'
When I first started learning "real English" at the age of 26, and while teaching English to my daughter, I systematized the issues I felt.


'I'm a college student, but my English skills are at a middle school level...'
No problem at all
The important thing is not to miss the 'time to study'!

It is often said that 'there is a time for studying'.
This is also the reason why learning English as an adult is particularly difficult.
I don't even know how to study, and I have to fight against the endless self-doubt that comes up.
There is definitely a time for studying.
However, this ‘time’ does not mean a fixed time that passes and never returns.
The moment when you feel like you need to study on your own is 'study time'.
The author establishes himself as a witness to these words, encouraging his daughter's and the reader's will.

"Is it too late to learn English? I'm a college student, but my English skills are at a middle school level? I'm not sure.
My dad doesn't believe there are levels to English.
…I couldn't speak English at all when I was your age.
… So let’s put aside the excuse that we’re late with our studies.
Just as you walk and eventually reach your destination, if you keep going, your eyes will see and your ears will open.
“Okay, shall we begin?”
-From the text

The author's unique background lends strong persuasiveness to this encouragement.
This is because he is a veteran translator who has received much love for translating over 100 literary and humanities books, including novels by Stephen King and John le Carré, and a comrade who only reached the 'time to study' as an adult.

If you don't look at the English language as a whole, your studies will inevitably hit a wall.
In that sense, the purpose of this book is simple.
Leaving aside all the minor grammar and English vocabulary, the author aimed to provide the 'minimum preparation' for starting to study English, which he acquired through self-study.
If this book gives you the motivation to start studying English and the courage to read unfamiliar English texts, that alone is enough.
Now is the time to begin.