ROBERT
由 Robert English Coach**Host (Robert):** Hello everyone 👋, and welcome to today’s episode of *Robert English Coach Podcast*. Hoy vamos a escuchar una historia muy especial: **mi propia historia**. I will share how I arrived in the United States at the end of the 80’s, without knowing any English, and how those experiences shaped me into the English teacher I am today in Costa Rica. At the same time, we will learn and practice English grammar step by step. 🚀 --- ## Part 1 – Arriving in the U.S. 🇺🇸 **Robert (narrating):** I arrived in Los Angeles in the late 80’s. *(Past Simple)* 👉 En español: *Llegué a Los Ángeles a finales de los años 80.* I didn’t speak English at all. *(Past Simple, negative)* 👉 *No hablaba inglés para nada.* I remember my first day at Jordan Junior High School in La Habra, California. I was nervous, and I felt lost. *(Past Simple + Past Continuous)* 👉 *Estaba nervioso y me sentía perdido.* But then, my teacher, Ms. Shawn, helped me every day. *(Past Simple)* 👉 *Pero luego mi profesora, Ms. Shawn, me ayudaba todos los días.* **Grammar Note 📝** * *Past Simple*: acciones terminadas en el pasado → *I arrived, I didn’t speak, she helped.* * *Past Continuous*: acciones en progreso en el pasado → *I was nervous, I was feeling lost.* --- ## Part 2 – Learning English with Ms. Shawn 📚 **Robert (narrating):** Ms. Shawn always encouraged me. *(Past Simple)* 👉 *Ms. Shawn siempre me animaba.* She would say: “Robert, you can do it!” *(Would for past habits)* 👉 *Ella decía: “¡Robert, tú puedes hacerlo!”* If I hadn’t had her support, I might have given up. *(Third Conditional + Past Modal)* 👉 *Si no hubiera tenido su apoyo, quizá me habría rendido.* **Grammar Note 📝** * *Would*: para hábitos en el pasado. * *Third Conditional*: *If + Past Perfect → would have / might have*. --- ## Part 3 – First Experiences in the U.S. 🎬🎢 **Robert (narrating):** One of my best memories was in the early 90’s, when I went to Disneyland. *(Past Simple)* 👉 *Uno de mis mejores recuerdos fue a principios de los 90, cuando fui a Disneylandia.* I watched Michael Jackson’s 3D movie, *Captain EO*. *(Past Simple)* 👉 *Vi la película 3D de Michael Jackson, Captain EO.* It was the most exciting movie I had ever seen. *(Past Perfect + Superlative)* 👉 *Fue la película más emocionante que había visto en mi vida.* Later, I visited Universal Studios. I even sat and spoke with KITT, the car from *Knight Rider*! *(Past Simple + Past Continuous)* 👉 *Incluso me senté y hablé con KITT, el auto de El Auto Fantástico.* That experience was greater than anything I had imagined. *(Comparative + Past Perfect)* 👉 *Esa experiencia fue más grande que cualquier cosa que había imaginado.* --- ## Part 4 – Influence on My Life 🌎 **Robert (reflecting):** Those moments changed my life. *(Past Simple)* 👉 *Esos momentos cambiaron mi vida.* I realized that English was not only important—it was the key to connect with the world. *(Past Simple)* 👉 *Me di cuenta de que el inglés no solo era importante—era la llave para conectarse con el mundo.* If I hadn’t learned English, I wouldn’t be teaching today in Costa Rica. *(Third Conditional)* 👉 *Si no hubiera aprendido inglés, hoy no estaría enseñando en Costa Rica.* Now, after more than three decades, I have been teaching English online. *(Present Perfect Continuous)* 👉 *Ahora, después de más de tres décadas, he estado enseñando inglés en línea.* My classes are more interactive than the ones I had back then. *(Comparative)* 👉 *Mis clases son más interactivas que las que yo tenía en ese tiempo.* I feel happier as a teacher today than ever before. *(Superlative)* 👉 *Me siento más feliz como profesor hoy que nunca antes.* --- ## Part 5 – Recap and Motivation ✨ **Robert (teaching):** So, what did we practice today? ✅ Past Simple → *I arrived, I watched* ✅ Past Continuous → *I was feeling lost* ✅ Past Perfect → *I had ever seen* ✅ Comparatives → *greater than, more interactive* ✅ Superlatives → *the most exciting, the happiest* ✅ Conditionals → *If I hadn’t learned English…* ✅ Past Modals → *might have given up* **Robert (closing):** And here’s the lesson, my friends: Learning English changed my life, and it can change yours too. 🌟 Just like Ms. Shawn believed in me, I believe in you. Keep practicing, never give up, and remember: **English opens doors!** 🚪✨