Author: Ken Xiao – ESL educator, YouTuber, and language hacker who learned English as a second language himself. Founder of the "Fluent For Free" movement, helping millions master conversational English.
Key Insights:
This actionable guide cuts through traditional language learning with:
The 3-Step "Shadowing" Method:
Listen & Repeat: Mimic native speakers' rhythm (e.g., Netflix shows)
Overlap Speech: Talk with recordings to master flow
Record & Compare: Fix pronunciation gaps
Vocabulary Hacks:
Focus on 1,200 high-frequency words (covers 90% of conversations)
"Chunk Learning": Memorize phrases, not isolated words
Grammar Simplified:
Tenses Made Easy: "Yesterday I eat" → "Yesterday I ate" visual timelines