I Learned English From Below Zero
Nguyen The Anh
"I devoured this book in a single 3-hour sitting. It’s not just a method but a beacon of hope for anyone who has ever felt hopeless about learning English."
Before picking up “I Learned English From Below Zero” (Tôi Học Tiếng Anh Từ Con Số Âm), I was the typical English learner: scared to speak, notebooks full of grammar, yet silent in conversation. I bought the book mainly out of curiosity: “Can someone who started from even lower than me—from below zero—really succeed?”.
Then, one evening in 2024, I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. I read it straight through for 3 hours, completely absorbed, as if I had found a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean.
A Story of Radical Empathy
What surprised me most was the author’s authenticity. Mr. Nguyen The Anh doesn’t lecture or boast about achievements; instead, he recounts his own raw, frustrating journey of learning English the wrong way for over 10 years.
Page after page, I saw myself: writing down notes obsessively, focused on grades, yet completely useless in real conversations. This shared struggle broke down the psychological barrier of “I have no talent” that I had built up for so long.
The Key: Effortless English Method
The book doesn’t teach exam tricks but focuses on the core mindset of the Effortless English method, which I had been following for a while:
- Learn like a child: Listen – Understand – Speak first, then learn to Read – Write.
- Learn with your ears, not your eyes: Instead of staring at text, listen to Mini Stories repeatedly until they sink into your subconscious.
- Stop translating: Forget translating word-for-word from Vietnamese. Understand context and react naturally.
A “Map” Rather Than a Text Book
My favorite part is the honesty: the author doesn’t promise “fluency in 30 days.” Instead, he offers a long-term strategy so that even if you start from “below zero,” you can eventually reach the destination.
The book provides a specific roadmap, suggested materials, and how to build your own study plan. It feels more like a “journey diary + method map” than a dry textbook.
Conclusion: The greatest value this book gave me was belief. It empowered me to discard all my old, ineffective learning methods and start fresh—this time, in the right direction. If you are lost and starting from scratch, dedicate a quiet evening to read and reflect on this book.