A Curiosity-Based Thinking approach to learning English
Eight Curiosity Questions and Actions to kick off any English learning experience to enhance learning with wonder using Curiosity-Based Thinking
1. What if all the words in the English language were only three letters long?
Action 1:
Create your own three-letter words and see if your classmates can guess what they mean.
Action 2:
Write simple sentences or even a short story using only three-letter words.
2. What if animals could talk in English?
Action 1:
Brainstorm what different animals might say if they could talk.
For example, a cow might say "Moo, I'd like a salad please" at a restaurant.
Action 2:
Try acting out conversations between animals in English.
3. What if all objects in the world had to be described using only adjectives that start with the letter "b"?
Action 1:
Brainstorm a list of objects and then come up with descriptive words that start with "b" to describe them.
For example, a tree might be "big", "brown", and "bendy".
4. What if everyone in the world had to speak English with a different accent every day?
Action 1:
Try speaking with different accents and see if classmates can guess where the accent is from.
Action 2:
Try playing a game where you have to imitate different accents.
5. What if the English alphabet had 50 letters instead of 26?
Action 1:
Brainstorm what some of the extra letters might be and how they might be pronounced.
Action 2:
Try writing simple words or sentences using the extra letters.
6. What if there were no silent letters in English?
Action 1:
Try saying words with silent letters out loud and see if anyone can guess what the word is.
Action 2:
Play a game where everyone has to say words with silent letters as quickly as possible.
7. What if nouns could only be described using verbs?
Action 1:
Brainstorm a list of nouns and then come up with verbs to describe them.
For example, a table might be "supporting", "holding", or "holding up".
8. What if everyone had to speak English backward?
Action 1:
Try saying simple phrases backward and see if others can guess what they are.
Action 2:
Play a game where everyone must say words backward as quickly as possible.
Curious why more curiosity is great for whatever you are doing?
Curiosity is a bio-hack. As Dr. Huberman points out, the act of getting curious releases dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine simultaneously to produce a unique effect on the human body and brain. Learning how to harness and leverage this “hack” gives you a tremendous advantage in getting more done in whatever you are doing and finding greater satisfaction in what comes from it.
Curiosity can be so many things, it is easy to get lost in its power and potential. To simplify things here's a quick list of just some of what we know curiosity can do. Enjoy and stay curious!
Curious people are less anxious
Curious people are less timid
Curious people are not as defensive during initial counters with strangers
Curious people have less aggressive actions to perceived triggers
Curious people have improved conflict resolution skills
Curious people have enhanced motivation to put themselves in another's shoes
Curious people have less attachment to their own ideas
Curious people have an increased interest in others' ideas
Curious people are more likely to receive social support at work
Curious people are more effective at building connections at work
Curious people are more effective at building trust at work
Curious people are more committed to their teams at work
Curious people discover more innovative solutions that increase one's sense of meaningfulness at work
Be sure to follow along with What If Curiosity as I will dive deeper with more specific examples and actions for how you can take a Curiosity-Based Thinking approach to learn, get, and enjoy more out of all you do.
Stay curious!
Matt
Let's chat to maximize the power of your curiosity!
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