“All words, in every language, are metaphors.” ― Marshall McLuhan
An important step to better your communication in any language is to be able to think abstractly and to translate this into words. I believe to master a language every aspect of it should be practiced and explored. Abstract thinking is a crucial one.

All words are metaphors. Words represent abstract concepts such as emotions, objects, or places. Improving our ability to describe abstract things such as visual themes, musical emotions, and interpretation in music videos, will help our English develop to a new level. 

Creativity is essential to the world. How we articulate our concept is crucial to how people visualize it. More adjectives and detailed comparisons in your arsenal allow quicker understanding and explanation of ideas. 

“You may have experienced a flow state at some point — that sense of fluidity between your body and mind, where you are totally absorbed by and deeply focused on something, beyond the point of distraction. Time feels like it has slowed down. Your senses are heightened. You are at one with the task at hand, as action and awareness sync to create an effortless momentum. Some people describe this feeling as being “in the zone.” This is the flow state and it’s accessible to everyone, whether you’re engaged in a physical activity, a creative pursuit, or even a simple day-to-day task”

― Headspace


My teaching method concentrates on achieving this flow state. This comes from my experience as a primary school teacher and a Spanish learner.  I have developed a style of teaching which keeps the student in a state of flow. This is accomplished mainly by visual cues whether in free conversation or with focused verb tenses.

My ‘Abstract and Creative Thinking in English’ six-part lesson series consists of analyzing music videos and short films individually or watching them sequentially to compare their content. Visual cues combined with focused language will help you practice talking faster.

The main focus will be to practice and explore description, interpretation, themes, similarities, differences, and how the art develops from start to finish. How it makes you feel is also very important. Another technique will be real-time description/narration of what is happening in the video; again whether in free conversation or with focused verb tenses. The course is adaptable to all English ability levels.

An example of a metaphor. A sandcastle

What is a sand castle? Describe it using adjectives. How does a sand castle compare to a real castle? What does a sandcastle remind you of? How do these reminders or memories make you feel?

Further analysis will be on the sandcastle's relation to the video. This could be anything from the music, the location, and the themes to the story.  What does the cinematography contribute? Did anything else catch your attention? How does the music interact with the visuals? How are the children behaving here compared to the first video? 

Thanks for reading my first tutor column! I hope this column has piqued your interest enough to book a lesson or a trial of my ‘Abstract and Creative Thinking in English’ course. Keep an eye out for my next teacher column ;)