Improving English takes effort and a plan. John McGory’s new book provides a unique strategy: using yinyang to improve English.
The key to yinyang is accepting balance. Good English or bad English are not two things but one. An excellent English speaker realizes the importance of both sides of a feeling, thought, or emotion.
“Take the use of mobile phone technology as an example.
The technological world engulfs all. Step into a Starbucks or McDonalds anywhere in the world and what do you see? Twenty people intently staring at mobile devices.
Some believe talking is so 20th century, an outdated form of communication.
A balanced life incorporating yinyang accepts conversation. Family, work, friends, and school requires us to talk to others so even the technology addicted along with the quiet and shy must come out from behind their phones sooner or later.
Westerville, Ohio resident John McGory understands the global impact of mobile technology on spoken communication. He has spent the last six years teaching English to college freshmen at Jianghan University in Wuhan, China.
“New Chinese students’ basic speaking skills started to decline while addiction to their phones increased. They need remedial help, I thought so do a lot of other people,” McGory said.
To combat the decline in speaking skills, he just released a book, Seeking Balance: The ultimate English-speaking guide for the shy, foreign, or frustrated.
“Much of the world has lost its balance when it comes to speaking. People rip others on hidden Twitter feeds but lose their jobs when speaking the same ideas in public. A thoughtful and honest speaker balances technology use, emotions, and ideas when communicating.”
To help speakers gain footing McGory believes in using yinyang to improve English.
“A struggling speaker’s balance wavers when conflicting emotions, such as nervousness versus calm or positive versus negative, collide. Yinyang teaches opposite forces are not in conflict but are complementary, interconnected, and interdependent. Yinyang treats nervous and calm as one.”
The book walks readers through ten common speaking situations with suggestions, model conversations, and ideas for improvement when dealing with emotions. Other chapters cover the importance of body language, talking strategies, a personal talking improvement plan, and 365 talking tips.
“I’ve taught oral English for six years at a 25,000-student university. My belief is most conversations fall apart because people wonder, ‘What do I say?’ or ‘How can I talk when I’m this nervous?’ This book’s focus on yinyang looks to help people answer these questions,” said McGory.
The author, a longtime central Ohio resident, says the self-help book eyes helping speakers improve relations with friends and family. He says the book contains numerous ways for parents, grandparents, or friends to build a conversation with the shy, foreign, or frustrated.
“Poor speaking skills hurt relationships. Personal connections lose balance when one person talks and the other doesn’t. Seeking Balance gives people a working guide to find common conversation ground by using yinyang to improve English.”
The book can be found on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble (print), Barnes and Noble (digital), iTunes,and KOBO.