This is an all ears English podcast, episode 15 20, what has shaped you how to describe primitive people and events in English?

Welcome to the All Ears English podcast downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts. Linda McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York Radio Girl coming to you from Colorado and New York City as a a who or what has made you what you are today.

In this episode, we give you a key conversation skill in English to talk about your own life and therefore help others open up about who they are. In English.

Hey, Michelle, how's everything going today? Hey, Lindsay, I'm good, I'm good. Are you a fan of the Star Wars movies?

Oh my gosh, I know I watch them as a kid, but I didn't follow them as like a fan throughout life.

You know, I know Princess Leia and, you know, they're I don't know the other names, but I sort of know the icons.

Right. But not really. What about you, Michelle? Not really. But Dan is.

So sometimes I'll have to watch something with him. I mean, I appreciate them for being, like, amazing.

And, you know, they're so appreciated and beloved in our culture. So I appreciate them for that. But I don't know a lot about it. I've seen things here and there, but I didn't grow up like a huge fan or anything. I think part of it is if you grew up with it, then it's like a big deal to you. But if it's not part of your childhood, it might be harder to get into. I don't know.

Yeah, I totally agree with you on that one.

Michelle, there are a lot of people that are crazy about Star Wars, even into like being adults like 40s, 50s, like they just they keep going with it. Yeah, for sure. It's not just for kids. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, definitely. Oh yeah. For sure. So we have a question today and it's of it's involving a word that that's a character from Star Wars. I actually don't, I don't know if it's just if it started out as a word from Star Wars or maybe if it comes from somewhere else, I don't know. But we're going to get into it. Definitely makes me think of Star Wars.

Can you read the question for us and say, OK, this is a question from Nelson from Brazil. So shout out to our listener Nelson then. So he says, I really appreciate your show.

It's fun and informative and even gives me a good bit of energy to take my mornings to the next level. I love that. I'd really like to know why and how we can express the life experiences that we have had that have shaped our personality and our view of life.

Do you guys consider yourself a veteran or a Yoda or in something? Let me know. Really appreciate you guys hug from Brazil. Romario. OK, awesome. I would to that Rio someday, but.

Oh me too. Oh my gosh. Me too. That's on my that's high on my list. So that's your life experiences. Yes. I would love to. Got to got traveling again. All right. Awesome. So we are going to get into this and I love it. So Yoda is is a character in Star Wars. He's like that little green guy and you always see like these baby Yoda things.

And I don't know. But that's not what we're going to be talking about completely. So we're going to talk about that is there for a second. And then we're going to get into the other part of the question, which I really, really love. I'm excited for this episode.

But before we do that, guys, if you want to really find out about your level in English, we got you covered, right, Lindsay?

Yeah, we've got you covered. Exactly. So, guys, you can take a simple two minute English quiz. And the way to do that is to come over to all ears, English dot com, which is our website to our home page and click the blue button that says Free English quiz. It's right next to our photo. There's a photo of me and Michelle right there. And then you look to the left and you see a button that says Free English quick.

So guys, I want to encourage you to come over and do that, right. Michelle, what a cool way to find out your level. Absolutely.

I love it, too. Yes. Yes. Really cool. Really quick. Really fun. So awesome. So let's get into the question.

So, yeah, he mentions Yoda, right. So Yoda and Star Wars. Have you ever heard people say to be a Yoda in something?

I guess so, yeah. I'm not super familiar with this way. This analogy, this idea. I mean, who was Yoda in Star Wars like? Well, don't ask me that question.

I don't even know. OK, but I don't know. I think I think one of the things with Yoda that he's like really wise or old or I don't know.

But I've I have heard it. I've heard it before a little bit. Used to talk about somebody who may be like an expert. When I first read that, I read this. I mean, maybe I'm totally wrong, but that's how I hear it. Like somebody who knows a lot about something. Yeah. So, yeah, that's how that like so I might hear somebody say something like, oh, I'm a total Yoda when it comes to knitting or something like that.

So yeah, I'm not quite sure how to use it in this way, but that's, that's how I, if I have heard it.

That's how I've heard it. Yeah. That makes sense. And it makes sense with the students question too with Nelson's question. Right. So he said do you guys consider yourself a Yoda in something, a veteran, a veteran or a Yoda in something? So that makes sense. So this idea of an expert, kind of a like a guru type of thing.

Right, right. Right, right, right. Right, exactly. I mean, yeah, when you say veteran, what what does that mean? I mean, obviously that's somebody who's, you know, been maybe fought in a war or something like that in the military. But what else? I mean, it's not just about that. It can be used in other ways.

Yeah. I mean, often we see this in any area of life where we have newbies or rookies. And then you have like veterans. Right. The veterans in this area, it could be in any skill, any hobby, any club or group. There's always veterans and there's rookies or newbies.

Yeah, it's funny because. Do you hear that? You pronounce this word differently, which one that I say veteran and you say veteran, veteran, veteran. Yeah, guys, there are some words we can pronounce differently and both are correct.

Exactly. Exactly right. So it's just sometimes it's funny. I know we always love talking about that stuff, like how we speak a little bit differently. And when you find a word or something's different, you're like, oh, that's funny. You know, it's kind of a connection point, actually. Yeah, for sure.

Guys, we've done other episodes on that. So come back to our blog and look up pronunciation. Go explore our other episodes before. Yes, exactly.

So you might say something like, you know, oh, he's a veteran of this place. He'll show you the ropes. Right. So like the opposite. Like you said, the opposite of a newbie.

Yeah. Show you the ropes, by the way.

I love that medium. What does that what exactly? I guess our listeners can understand what that means by listening to it, right? Yeah.

It's basically it will show you how things are done, the procedures, things that we do. Right. That's show you the ropes. So that's definitely a good one, guys.

Yeah. And is it just about being an expert, Michelle, or is it about something else?

Oh, well, it's also I mean, when I think of a Yoda, I think about, you know, experience living life, really living through something specific. Right. So, I mean, I guess an expert could be I mean, an expert veteran could be with that as well. Right. So it can be used in many different ways. But this got me thinking about like Lindsay. What's the difference between smart and why is this huge?

Hugely different.

I mean, actually, we talk about this a lot when I study Buddhism because I study meditation and and Buddhism and they talk a lot about this in here because our culture has this ridiculous, like almost worshipping of intelligence, but not wisdom.

And I think that's a huge mistake. So the difference is you could be very smart and very intelligent. You can have an IQ of 200000, but you could also not be very wise, like not making smart life decisions.

Wisdom comes from mostly from experience about life. And then intelligence is just IQ, just book either bookmarks or street smarts. But you could also be unwise and intelligent. Yeah.

Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Yeah. Good explanation. So yeah, I mean we've done other episodes on talking about being an expert, so one of them is eleven eighty six. Are you an English connoisseur or find out today. So listen to 11, 86 and Lindsay. What's the other one.

So I love this one guys. It's twelve ninety one. How to be the Queen of Banter in English. So you want to you know, if you're in our iOS app or our soon to come our Android app, guys, you can find that in the search bar very easily by typing in twelve 91.

Awesome. So, yeah.

Lindsey, are you a Yoda or a veteran of anything?

I would never call myself a Yoda of any other, but I mean I guess in the sense that we have been online for a long time now since 2013 and there are so many new online English English teachers coming up.

I think we're kind of veterans in that area, maybe moving into that that range, I suppose. What do you think, Michelle?

I mean, I would like to think so. Yeah, but like so yeah. For all us English for sure. Maybe in the online space. Online education.

Yeah, probably. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. Awesome. Love it. So yeah guys today we are going to also talk about these phrases to express what our listener was asking. He mentioned the life experiences that we that shaped our personality and our view of life. Right. So he said, right. Why and how can we express. Right. So why, why should we express it? How something has shaped us? I mean, I think it helps people connect, right.

To be vulnerable, to share why you got to the place where you are, right?

Oh, yeah. For our listeners guys, this is a connection skill. Right. You need to be able to tell the person where you're coming from, not just your stance on something, but how you learned that, like why you know that now, OK, otherwise people won't put as much weight on it.

Exactly. Exactly. So, yeah. So now let's talk about how to do it right to to talk about these experiences. So the first one is X made me who I am or X is a huge part of who I am. Right. So I say X, that means the experience. So for the person or something. So I could say, oh, my mom made me who I am or my time abroad made me who I am.

So something made me who I am. Right. Or is a huge part of who I am.

I love that you have that.

And you know, this is interesting, Michelle, because I feel like this might be quite cultural, wanting to share this in cultures that are maybe less about me. Right. The individual I mean, in the U.S., we're all about me, right. All about who we are as people. We think we're so solid, solidly independent. But other cultures may not want to emphasize this quite as much, but know who you're talking with. You're talking with a native speaker, an English speaker from the West.

They may be interested in knowing this more. And it's not bad to share these parts of yourself. Right, right, right, exactly, exactly. Yeah, I mean, Lindsay, what made you who you are? Oh my gosh, it's so hard to pin down this, right? Because there are so many experience, I guess. Oh, yeah. My family being like a strong, healthy family and my parents supporting me. My tennis probably made me a huge part of who I am in terms of my work ethic, because when I was a kid between the ages of like 12 and 18, I played a ton of tennis.

And even in college we would go to tournaments around New England and I would have to I would practice every day for hours. I worked really, really hard at my tennis. So that showed me how to have a work ethic. I guess, about you, Michelle. What made you who you are?

Yeah, I mean, I would also say my family for sure. And I guess my example is kind of I mean, like my time abroad, you know, traveling has made me who I am. Also, I suppose my experience with performing and things like that, I like just getting in front of people doing music and, you know, also very much shapes who I am, I think. Yeah. Awesome.

I love it so much. Other bunch of ways to say this. I'm not sure if we'll be able to teach all of them. We have quite a few here.

Yeah, we do, yeah. What if we teach like one or two more. What do you think. All right.

Well one of them I already used actually I just said it and I realized that saying X shaped me. So like my experience volunteering abroad really shaped me. Right? Yeah.

That that's a good one, Michelle. That's very common. Very common. So, you know, my experience traveling through South America with a backpack shaped me.

Yeah, that's simple. And again, using the word to shape as a verb, right, Michelle?

Exactly. Exactly. Hey, guys, want to know your level in English?

Take your English fluency quiz, answer seven questions that we've created and get your English fluency score. Just come back to our site and find the button called Free English Quiz. So come back to all ears. English dot com. Look on the home page where it says Free English quiz. Click on that button and take your quiz now. See you there.

OK, let's do a couple more.

Let's say how about this? I am where I am today because yeah, also very common.

So an example guys. I am where I am today because I worked hard and looked at every challenge as an opportunity. Right. So guys write these down. I mean, these three I feel like just these three, Michelle, are perfect. We don't want to give to make this kind of a complex topic. Right.

It's kind of long winded in a sense. So I am where I am today because I worked hard and looked at every challenge as an opportunity. What would you say there for yourself, Michelle?

I am where I am today because another example, I am where I am today because because of a lot of random events. Yeah, that's the other part. We've talked about that on other.

Yeah, we talked about that a lot. I mean, I those points I mean and I mean that's what I would really say.

I am where I am today because of lot, because the stars aligned in many, many ways. I know.

I mean meeting your partner. Right. Meaning your husband like I don't know, maybe you went to a party that you I know for my mom and my parents, my mom was sick. She didn't want to go back in 1978 or seventy seven in Boston. Her roommate dragged her out. She was sick. She didn't want to go, but she met my dad there.

And, you know, it was just a random decision to go out that night. Yeah. So there's a lot of randomness in the universe too. Yeah.

Oh yeah, exactly. So when you talk about these experiences. Right. You kind of have to think, is it like the is it the decision you made?

Is it the decision that was kind of made for you by the world? And it's kind of interesting to grapple with those two ideas, like how much are we in control? I love that.

How much are we in control? I love that. Do we have a quick roleplay here, Michelle?

We do. We might be using some of the ones we didn't cover, but let's just do it and then we'll just quickly explain it. Yeah, yeah. I think it'll be good. OK, so we're going to use a few here. So here we are reminiscing after running into each other after ten years of not seeing each other.

OK, cool. So how have you been? Oh, I'm good. Oh, I have to tell you, Lindsay, I wouldn't be at my current job if you hadn't encouraged me all those years ago to pursue my dream.

Wow. I'm so happy to hear that. It was really our teacher, Mr. Smith, who made me who I am. He was the one who told me to encourage, you know.

Well, I can tell you his class was certainly a life altering experience. I agree.

That class definitely shaped me. Oh, very cool. OK, so, yeah, guys, you're going to hear a few that we didn't necessarily go through the beginning. But let's go through them now, Michelle.

Yes, exactly. So the first one. Yes.

So I said I wouldn't be at my current job if you hadn't encouraged me all those years ago, blah, blah, blah.

Right. So yeah, it's saying that you are responsible for this and guys were using the past perfect.

Here. Right. So. So getting into different grammar forms. Oh, yeah, I'm sure that we've done an episode on the past perfect format and talking about regrets or if something had been different. So come back to our blog, all in English dot com and go to the grammar section to learn about that. OK, the next one, I said, wow, I'm so happy to hear that. It was really our teacher, Mr. Smith, who made me who I am.

Yeah. OK, so something made you who you are. Right.

Right, right. And then this one, this is a good we'll call this a bonus for today. I said his class was a life altering experience. This is a way to say like an experience that changed your life life altering. So that's a good bonus for today.

Yeah, that's a good one. And don't use it lightly. Guys, this is a one that really is reserved for seriously life altering experiences, maybe two or three in your entire life.

A person you made a decision, you made a job, you took or whatever it is. OK, and the last one, I agree that class definitely shaped me. And we did show our listeners that one, right, Michel?

Yes, we did. We did. We did. Yeah.

So, I mean, these are all really, really useful to talk about these life experiences, to connect with people, right, Lindsay?

Yeah, I think so. I think so, Michel. I mean, do you have any one specific in your life who shaped you or anyone specific?

You said your family, but is there any one specific person who shaped you?

I would say I mean I mean, it's hard to choose my mom or my dad, although I if I can say my parents, I mean, they certainly like I it's funny to know, like in now, even things recently, there are things where I can point to like, oh like I'm like this because my mom I'm like this because of my dad and values.

They instilled in me values of honesty and you know, and hard work and even, you know, some of the things that are always so good being anxious and things like the good with the bad.

Right. Exactly. You know, so sometimes sometimes if there's like a negative trait, my mom will be like, oh, you got that from me, you know? So, yeah, like I mean, Lindsay, what about you?

Well, you start to see your parents flaws as you get older, for sure. Yeah, I would say my dad shaped me and wanting to be an entrepreneur. I've shared this on the show before for sure.

But my dad really like he built his business throughout my entire life. I watched him do it. I watched him take massive risk and to enjoy reap the benefits of that risk. And, you know, I for some reason, I just got really enticed with the idea of doing something that's very hard and like having this massive challenge in your life and you just go for it anyways.

You put everything on the line. I don't know why he really shaped me in that way. I would. That's awesome.

Oh, that's so sweet. Well, you should play this episode for your dad because I'm sure he'd, like, cry if he heard this. Probably he's crying. A lot of reflection going on. All right. What's the takeaway for. All right. So I do have a takeaway.

It is so it's so important to be able to talk about yourself in your journey in order to connect with other it it's not just about sharing because you're sharing yourself. Right. Maybe you are sharing something to make somebody feel better about where they are, or maybe you're trying to encourage them if they're feeling discouraged. Right. So there's a lot of reasons that you would be talking about your experiences and how they shaped you. So think about how this applies to you and your conversations.

But this was a great conversation.

I mean, a great question. And it really allows us to think about ourselves, learn about ourselves and continue to grow. That's a good point, Michel.

If you think about the art of conversation, guys, in the art of connection, I know that's what you want, right? That's why you listen to all the English that sometimes it's more of a pivot point or an example you want to share before getting the other person to share something important about themselves. So it's not always it's not like you can only use these if you want to be the center of the conversation. Right. It's not all about you.

Sometimes it's about sharing something about you to get someone else to open up about themselves.

I love it. Oh, this is so much fun.

Lindsy. Yeah, but before we go, we want to remind you to get your English quiz, your free English quiz, go to all areas, English dotcom and then you will seek free English quiz. Click on that and it'll take you there. Exactly.

Guys, we will see you at that simple quiz. It takes about just a few minutes, about two minutes having questions and then you get your English fluency score.

So cool. So cool.

OK, Michelle, this has been great and I will talk to you very soon. All right. Bye, Lindsey. Bye.

Thanks for listening to all ears English, would you like to know your English level, take our two minute quiz. Go to all ears, English dot com forward slash fluency score. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit. Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.