Produced By - YouTube and Language Learning: Crafting Engaging Educational Content | #80: Gideon from LetThemTalkTV

Episode Date: December 2, 2024

Gideon is an English teacher, YouTuber, and founder of LetThemTalk, a language school based in Paris. Originally from London, he moved to Paris, where he identified a gap in the language learning market and launched his school, offering courses in various languages and levels. Transitioning from a successful career as an IT consultant and systems developer, Gideon now focuses on teaching languages in more engaging and effective ways than traditional methods.  His YouTube channel, started 11 years ago, has amassed millions of views, providing valuable lessons on grammar, pronunciation, and the history of the English language. In this episode, hear Gideon’s inspiring journey from London to Paris, behind-the-scenes insights from his YouTube success, and expert tips for mastering language learning. Connect with Gideon: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZHmFjS0jiocsfZBEANGhpw https://www.patreon.com/LetThemTalkTV  Connect with Tommen: LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠  X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/TomasLoucky⁠⁠  Podcast: Links: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠  Support: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/ProducedByPodcast⁠⁠  Produced (email newsletter): ⁠⁠⁠https://produced.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠ More: Trailblazed (marketing agency): ⁠⁠https://trailblazed.digital/⁠⁠  EpiXtory (podcasting agency): https://www.epixtory.digital/   Produced (LinkedIn newsletter): ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7092551882589528065⁠⁠⁠  Produced By with Tommen is your weekly dose of inspiration where ambition meets creativity. Join us as we dive into the journeys of content creators, entrepreneurs, and other remarkable individuals who break barriers and redefine success. Each episode shares unique stories, challenges, and triumphs. From heartfelt struggles to incredible successes, these conversations will motivate you to push beyond your limits and chase your own dreams. Whether you're on a creative path or just love great stories, tune in and become part of a community that constantly strives to push the boundaries. Sit back, relax and enjoy. Connect with Tomas:X: https://x.com/TomasLoucky⁠⁠⁠Stan: https://stan.store/TommenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠Unproduced:Newsletter: https://unproduced.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unproducednotesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Ddo8ibDlLYoaP7FFLIWMore:Links: https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠⁠Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://producednewsletter.substack.com/⁠The Podcast Club: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/25420030/Tools & gear that support the show:Metricool: https://f.mtr.cool/HRJBZKRiverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/vDnDodFavikon: https://www.favikon.com?fpr=tommenRa Optics: https://ra-optics.myshopify.com/discount/TOMMEN?rfsn=8803777.591d19JamX: https://jamx.ai/podcasters-offer?ref_id=e02d48af-ef66-4e76-b804-c2e8d282a8bfSome links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you find them useful, using these links helps keep the podcast running. Thank you!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Because nobody was offering that type of thing. It was all even go through books and go through chapters in books and in a linear fashion. And that's not how people learn a language. They don't learn it like that. So I banned all textbooks. There's no books. No written exercises. It's not allowed.

It's not allowed. No. It's only 100% spoken. So it doesn't mean there's no grammar or anything like that by just trying to explain it while talking. and get them to give some examples, that type of thing, you know. And how was the... How was the reception of people? How did they find it? Well, surprisingly, that's what it was. I'm an assistant developer.

I never planned it. It was just to earn a bit of money while I was in Paris. So it just took off. So that was a big surprise. Lots of people were coming. It started off in my tiny apartment. It was full of people. We had to find a place. Oh, yeah, like inviting. Before we dive into today's episode, please hit that subscribe button. Your support helps us grow and inspire more people on their journeys. Thank you. Hello, Gideon.

Thank you for joining us today and welcome to the show. My pleasure. So, Gideon, for those who don't know, can you please introduce yourself? Okay, my name is Gideon. I'm from London, not Paris, Thomas. I will remember. I will remember. It's by my London. No, I am.

I do live in Paris though, that's true. And I teach English and I have a YouTube channel who let them talk TV. It's a little plug for it if you haven't already seen it. And I don't know what else to tell you really. My history goes back a long time. I used to work in IT for many years. in London

and yeah what else do you want to know so is IT actually something that you've been always interested in I I love ITO it was great because I studied

I studied history in sociology and there weren't many jobs when I graduated and so I needed to sort of convert and I didn't really know much about IT at the time but I had a friend who was doing it. I did that and yeah it was good career but a few years ago I moved to Paris and probably want to know why I moved to Paris. Do you want to

know that? There was my next question. Okay it was kind of an accident because I was working in IT as a system developer and had a break. I thought well I've got a break and why don't I you know go to Paris, learn some French, you know, stroll nonchantly down the boulevard, drink, dip some, you know, coffee and eat some croissant, that kind of thing. We're a beret in a stripy top. Do that for a few months. I can see it in my head, I'm just like to imagine. Yeah, exactly, exactly, all the cliches that we love.

And I was here and my, I was offered some online work. So I didn't need to come back to London. So I quite stay in Paris for a while longer. And that was like 15 years ago. And stayed there until now. Yeah, I love London. It's not that I dislike London. But I got comfortable in Paris.

I had a place to stay. And my IT work dried up. So I started teaching a bit of English. There was a big demand. my surprise a lot of people wanting lessons. Why do you are surprised? Well, it was, I mean, popular and useful language, so why not? Well, when you start from scratch, you don't know, do you?

Where you saw anything from nothing, from zero, you don't know how many people are going to be interested. It's the same with any venture. If you're teaching English, if you're opening a YouTube channel, it's always the same. There's always a risk that you're just going to have crickets. You know, you send out the message, hi, I'm here. And then nothing. So, there's always a risk.

You said you've been there for 15 years now. Yeah, I think so. Yeah, more, a bit more, maybe a bit more, yeah. Do you plan to stay there forever or any other place or back to London? Well, I mean, you know, you wake up in the morning and you think, oh, today's okay, I'll say here today. And you repeat that every morning. Thomas, you live in London.

Is it the same for you? I like it for now, but I'm not saying that I will stay here forever. I don't know, maybe I will, but at the same time, I may try something else. I don't know, maybe Paris or I don't know. Exactly. Well, you've got a place to stay. So, no.

exactly. It's like that, isn't it? And yeah, nowhere is perfect, wherever you are in the world. I love London. I'm a London. I like Paris, but there's no one's perfect. And you was thinking, well, maybe I should try somewhere else. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it makes sense.

And since you made a transition from IT to teaching, I assume you had some teaching experience already from before. How did you know that? Yes. Only a little bit. Only a little bit. Because I did after the university, I went to Madrid for a couple of years. I never thought I'd be a teacher.

It was never my plan. I just wanted to go to Madrid. I wanted to learn a bit of Spanish, live in a different place, get some, you know, worldly experience. So I did that for a couple of years. And then I came back. I worked in IT. And it was the same way as in Paris.

I never thought I'd end up teaching English. But no. We can see that you've been always interested in languages as well. I guess I didn't know that. But even working as a programmer, it is a language in a way. You're interested in sort of deciphering how the thing works and there's syntax in computer language and syntax in the real language. It's a different vocabulary. Yeah, yeah.

But I guess I have that kind of analytical brain because I like grammar. People say grammar is boring, but I was fine. I love to see how things work. I don't know. Are you one of those people that thinks grammar is boring? Grammar. Maybe it's boring with my native language, but it's not boring with... That's not true.

No, I find it more interesting. I don't want to say exciting, but interesting with foreign languages, such as with English, but with my native language, I don't find it that interesting. Okay. But I think one of the reasons why I like teaching and teaching online is because grammar has always been taught in an uninteresting way. I think that's a good point. Make it fun. Make grammar fun.

That was my message. So actually from your early experience, did you meet teachers that made it fun for you or was it boring as well? No, it was when I came to Paris, I went to some language schools and the experience was very bad, really bad. It was it was owner because, I mean, I like teaching grammar, but it's based around conversation. Because what I do is like conversation and then while we're talking, we might. sort of redo the conversation, but this time maybe look at the ground and how you can improve the communication. But in, I went, I went to just, I came to Paris and I don't have to speak French and then you go to the language school and they never teach, you never say anything.

They just say, well, okay, so exercise, exercise, you answer number 12. What is the point of this? What, what's the other? I can say a word in class. And this happened several. time but signing up to the language schools kept changing them. I don't know if you've had that experience yourself, you go to a language school and you just do exercise and you don't speak at all. I would say probably to some extent yes. I remember also when I was learning English. I was I don't want to say scared to speak English, but still it feels a bit awkward because you are a bit shy and probably insecure, but after I came to the UK, I can agree that actually the speaking is what makes you to learn the most, because you can know all the grammar, be studying, I don't know,

vocabulary and anything, but then if you don't know how to speak, then it's kind of pointless and actually speaking and immersing yourself in the language. It's the best experience and the best way how to learn. Exactly, I agree. It's about speaking and then The job of a teacher is to guide you and say, okay, you're speaking well, but maybe we can improve this bit, we can improve this bit, and to sort of raise the level. So just speaking, then it's very difficult to be completely fluent if you only speak and you don't study at all. In my opinion, something to say they can do it. Yeah, no. I mean, I didn't mean it that you just need to speak.

Of course, study as well. I understand. But if you know everything, but you are afraid. open your mouth then absolutely absolutely language is about communication so if you're opening your mouth then that's the point if you just want to read i guess so it sounds like then you found a gap in the market when you started your own teaching school i think so i think that's that is true because nobody

was offering that type of thing it was all you know even the go through through books and go through chapters in books and in a linear fashion. And that's not how people learn a language. They don't learn it like that. So I banned all textbooks. No book. No method exercises. Not allowed. Not allowed. No. It was overly 100% spoken. So that was, but it doesn't mean there's no grammar or anything like that by just trying to explain it while talking and get them to give some examples, that type of thing. you know um but and how was the book's bound how was the reception of people how did they find it well surprisingly that that's what it as i said i was i'm an a systems developer i never planned

it was just to earn a bit of money while i was in paris but it just it just took off so that was a big surprise lots of people were coming it started off in my tiny apartment of people we had to find a place. Oh yeah like inviting them to your place actually as a classroom. Exactly. I started off in my apartment. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just thought, well, just give a couple of lessons here. And it was just a lot of people were coming. Yeah. What kind of students were there, such as if they were French people who want to learn English or, you know, expats or people from abroad who wanted to improve English,

as we're living in France. Well, mostly expats because not sorry, mostly French people because we are, we're based in Paris. Paris is a very international city as is London. So I guess it was 75% French and learning English and people from other other countries are, yeah. And a bit of a mix. Can you say what were their motivations, whether it was, work from family culture or anything else? So you have different demographics. You have people who learned, a lot of people who learned English at school,

but they couldn't speak it. And this was really interesting for them, because they studied the grammar. They got it officially, but they never opened their mouth. So this was kind of liberating for them. they were coming in, they were speaking, and you have other people who had to learn it for their work. You had retired people who maybe learned English many years before

and wanted to keep on practicing. So, you know, different types of people. And as you started that, did you see it as a long-term career or long-term project, or did you still plan to come back to IT? in the beginning yeah I did plan to come back to IT because I never imagined I would carry on teaching

it was just something I was doing I needed to get some get some money to pay the rent in Paris and that was a quick and easy thing to do but there was a big demand because I like it I'm not criticizing IT I worked it it was great actually it's much easier

it's much easier to make money in IT as it's a around the English teacher, let me tell you that much. That is certainly the case. So, yeah, but I was doing it. It was interesting. I was making a lot of people.

I was in Paris. I was in Paris. And so, yeah. Do you remember the point when it switched and you knew that this is going to be something that you were going to do long term or as your career? No, I don't know if you think about it like this just I think because I started before I was doing courses you just pay each time you come and then I started offering packages for three months and six months and one year then I realized oh I can't just

stop it any time now so you realize you don't do it's just just for administrative business reasons and I open a company so when open a company you realize okay I got The commitment now cannot leave it for career. Yeah, yeah, exactly. So then how did you grow the company? Did you hire more teachers, start offering more courses, or how did it grow? Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, it, um, we're never huge.

I mean, not like the British counter, not a huge, but as a company. And we had, so a couple of teachers working as a couple of people would be. we did a bit of French. We even did a bit of Spanish for a while. It didn't work out quite so well. But the French did, so we're teaching French. We're teaching French. So, yeah.

I would have, curiosity, do you teach French as well? Me? No, you're kidding. No. No, I can. I bet you're French is on. No, no. My French is, I can get by in French.

Certainly, I can communicate well in French. but no I've got a very strong British accent I make a lot of mistakes should be better than it is so definitely

I'm sure they're there's never going to happen I'm sure the church is critical of yourself no no no Thomas you're all you're very kind I can see you're a very kind

person but what are that in other languages did you know Spanish I know Spanish as well from living Yeah, I'm sure there are more

Maybe you just don't want to tell us More languages Yeah I know Italian Oh nice I know some Italian That's not intermediate I was quite fluent in Spanish

But Italian I got to sort of intermediate level I lived in Italy for a few months Oh see you didn't want to tell us and now we see the chair on a good level of Italian. And a little bit of Japanese. Oh my God, wow. But that's more of a challenge. I study Japanese a lot, but I can hardly say anything.

So I think it is a bigger challenge. You need more time. I don't have the time. With Japanese, I can imagine. What were the motivations behind learning, whether it's Spanish, Italian or Japanese? I think, well, Spain, I lived in Spain and that was a great, I loved it, Spain. And I lived in France.

Those are those reasons I live there, but Japanese, which I should say, I don't really, you know, are very low level. But it's just interesting to, because you have to rethink completely. It's a non-Indo-European language and it just makes you think differently, literally think differently. you have to put the verb at the end of each sentence. And not even mentioning the alphabet, not one alphabet, not more alphabets, sorry. Well, yeah, two alphabets and then the characters, yeah, exactly, hugely complicated. Yeah, the alphabets you can manage. But then you could do all the Chinese characters, the kanji, yeah, which thousands of them.

You have to learn more individually. Is that something that you still keep learning? Or was like a challenge before and you've stopped or you still continue? I would like to return to. I think you need dedicate. When you're running a business or a YouTube channel, inevitably you're less time. I want to make more time for myself to spend it on projects like that. I can imagine.

Are there than any languages that you plan to learn in the future? once or if you have time. You think that's not enough? No, I think it is enough, but I'm sure that there are more. Of course, Czech is a wonderful language. This is just beautiful. I'm glad to hear that. I think I could once order a beer in Czech, but that's it.

Can you try? Do you remember? Pivo is beer, is it? Pivo? Yeah, nice. But volume, I can't remember now, something with the volume. You can say just one Pivo, so it's Yedno Pivo. Yet no Pivo. No, oh my God.

One of God. Two Pia. But, yeah, one more. Okay, yes. It was a good one. I'm glad to hear that. Yeah, no, I'm happy. I love languages, but you can't, you have to. you see on when you watch YouTube you see these hyper polyglots

that's maybe because you know 17 languages and things like that I think it's all bullshit really because I think to learn a language you can tell me really well it takes 10 years it takes 10 years of study doesn't it I mean I've been in France more than 10 years and I should be more fluent

but it takes 10 years so if you're learning many, many languages, you're going to sacrifice because you'll never be fluent in many and in the end you might be needed in quite a few but not fluent. It's better just to focus on

two or three. Your age, I think, maybe four. It's just being 10 or 12. No, I think you're doing yourself a disservice. I don't know what you think. Maybe you're a mouthful. I think it's it's a good point to what you mentioned because I came across many times as well

on YouTube. polygots who speak I don't know how many languages and I always was like wow how is this possible how do they do that it's not possible I mean I think mostly mostly bullshit

I think yeah someone's gonna tell me there might be some situations I guess there are some people who know in deep many languages but then the question is to what level to what level exactly exactly if you're reaching

B1 would you prefer to be 1 in 10 languages or C1 in two or three. Yeah, that's a good question. Yeah, so it's a sacrifice. You're going to, it's a trade off. Yeah. So then as you mentioned YouTube, I need to ask you,

how did you start or how did you discover YouTube that you're going to produce content as well? Discover, it's also an accident, really. I mean, it's all everything, you know, happens in my accident. It was just for my school I needed content. the content for the website because I thought you know SEO you know search engine optimization if you've got some content on the website it's going to be good that brings some traffic and I have more students in Paris so it did a couple of

videos and there was even debate with somebody who said no no no you shouldn't you shouldn't put it on YouTube you should because it's they're taking the people off your platform to another platform where they can advertise, so don't use YouTube. So, yeah, I know, it's not easy. So I almost didn't do it at all. So I just put it on YouTube just because it was free and I could link to it. And, yeah, I never woke up one morning.

Oh, I'm going to make YouTube. No, just a bit of content for my students and to drive traffic with school. That's all. And looking back, was it a good decision? Yeah, because I never could. then suddenly some people other people started watching the video what's going on here and people say commenting you weren't in Paris oh okay that's interesting and then i think the third video i did um was it always with prison continues

I did three grammar I did three grammar videos with a friend I think and then the fourth one I did with another friend he was he knew a bit about filming and we did one in London and it's it got 1.5 million views that was like a third or four video and

which was kind of a surprise and I thought, oh, what's going on? Yeah, and just for the context, for the viewers, the video is the most views has 4.6, which is impressive. Thank you. You know, that's the thing about YouTube. I never imagined, which is that one, I think it's a Cockney one, is that? That's one about that one is, yeah, how to speak Cochney.

Because I made that one kind of, not quite a joke, but I didn't really think anyone would be interested. in Cockney. I never thought that. I just thought, I'm from London. That'd be funny. I'll make a little video about

about Cochney and about Cochney rhyming slang, which I'm sure you know very well. By now. Yeah, I find it interesting because especially as someone who lives here when it's something London-related or English-language-related,

it's not only for me to learn, but also, you know, education and fun at the same time. So I think it's perfect content. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's the one. I don't understand why that got so popular.

But that one did, yeah. All this hard work and effort on the present, perfect continuous. Yeah. You have a hundred views. And then you make about a dialect in London, which goes around the world and people are watching it. It's like you never know. Sometimes algorithm likes you more, sometimes less.

Or it can be a mix of, I don't know, title, thumbnail, anything? Exactly. I mean, I can't say that I know the algorithm. Otherwise, every video I may have $4.6 million. I can't say that. You might know what's not going to work, but sometimes you think, oh, this is great. I think this is, this is, I've done, I've spent a month. on this video. This is great. I'm sure

people like it and you release it and you know, three people and a dog watch it. I don't know what is interesting. What does that? So it's very difficult. I think even much bigger YouTubers than I, you know, the algorithm

is still a bit mysterious. You can work out certain things. What's not going to work? What might the right direction? I agree. It's like the whole science. You know, sometimes you spend long time on it. It doesn't really pay up. Then it's something short that goes viral.

You need to come up with catchy, click-bated title and thumbnail. Well, I'm not sure. Yeah. Firstly, I think there's an element of luck. And the people don't forget it. I think there is an element of luck as well. But also click-baity. title, I don't, in my

opinion, that doesn't work because you get if you, what do you see is, I have all the stats, you have a click-based title and yeah the video's good, it will be okay, but if the video the title's good

but the video is not good, in the first 24 hours it does well and then it drops off to almost nothing because people watch it for the title and then they don't get what they were hoping for so it can actually harm the video so you've got to make sure that the title matches yeah so we need to deliver something you need to deliver yeah yeah yeah and at the

end of the day even if it's a great title if the video's not good then yeah it's it's not gonna and what what do you think about the thumb-nangs it's obviously also an important part It is important. I think for educational things, I don't know about you, because if you're looking for, for educational things, I think the title is more important on a thumbnail.

I think the entertainment, maybe you look more at the thumbnail, but education, you want to learn something. So it is important. Yeah, but I, my,

because I know it's not everything, people think out of the thumbnails, everything, but the, I told you, my fourth video, got 1.5 million views, which is not, I took it down, actually. You can't see it.

Yeah, because I cannot say that. I'm wondering what it is. No, I took it down because there was some, I'll tell you about that. I'll tell you about that in a second. But on that one, I'll tell you about that one. It's quite interesting why I took it down. But the thumbnail was a default by YouTube and it's just a fuzzy person in the streets of London looking like that. So it's a terrible thumbnail.

but he got 1.5 million views but the title was good so I think the education like you'll say oh yeah then that's more important and I've seen that before you can see bad thumbnails very very well because it's just something people are interested it that that video by the way I made in the streets of London I stopped foreigners and I asked them to pronounce really difficult words in in English like a recipe and things like that, which the spelling and the pronunciation are very different. And I've had these boards and asked them to say it. It was fun.

It was fun. I think in the end I didn't like, I felt maybe I was kind of laughing if people thought I was like laughing at the foreign people. It wasn't my intention, laughing at foreign people to make mistakes. that wasn't my intention at all it was meant to just was actually meant for my students in Paris just to help them

learn some some difficult English words were not difficult suspending difficult but in the end that's why I took it down I thought yeah maybe it seems like yeah

I'm mocking it was never my intention for doing that so I didn't want to keep it up there if you're like 1.5 million but I took it down yeah I was just about to say for the context

that the oldest the first video that you uploaded it's been 11 years from now oh has it? It's that one on the grammar one I think the difference between mustn't and don't have to oh okay yeah well again these all these videos

I did was because you hear the same mistakes in my lessons again and again so that was not for YouTube that was just for my students in Paris that one so I never imagined still up after 11 years yeah and when you make videos now is it only for YouTube or is it still for your students or for both that the great irony is that I started the YouTube channel to promote my school in Paris and my YouTube channel has kind of killed has killed my school I recently kind of closed it down

now. Okay. It's a great irony because I was spending so much time on YouTube videos. I didn't have any time to work on school, which there's a huge amount of administration, things like that. And I had to make some kind of sacrifice. So I do still do some teaching and things that I focus more on YouTube. Yeah.

Yeah. So is it basically your main work now, YouTube or your main focus? for your main focus? Not entirely. Unfortunately, I can't live exclusively by YouTube. I think a lot of people can,

but I'm not quite at that stage. It's a lot easier, by the way, just saying, or watch it YouTube to become a systems developer. Even if you're a very successful YouTube, if you're a YouTuber,

the system developer, probably in most cases, get You do better financially. You can. And now I'm spending a lot of time. Yeah, it's part of my job. Are you looking to elevate your online presents? Check out Trailblaest, our digital marketing agency.

Whether it's standing out on social media, crafting a stunning new website or developing impact visuals, Trailblazed has got your back. Visit Trailblaest.com, digital, and reach your online potentials a day. How do you then come up with the topics for YouTube videos? Well, I don't know. No, I started up. You just wake up in the morning and something comes up.

Well, okay, there's, I started off because I'm just going through all the mistakes that I learned at school and doing the grammar, doing the vocabulary. But after 200 or so videos, I was running out topics, but I cover most of the English grammar and things. So you have to start being a bit more imaginative. And either you can carry on, because before I was making exclusive content for people learning English. But now I can try to mix it. So I do a lot of things about the history of English. hopefully things are interesting both the native speakers are people fluent speakers and people learning English about the history of English words about the pronunciation history of pronunciation so

because if you're going into like the history of English I mean it's a fountain that you know never stops giving there's always yeah whereas if you're doing if you're teaching grammar after a few hundred giddy videos doing vocabulary you end up doing things like I don't know don't say happy birthday 410 ways

say happy birthday if you know these 200 English words your English is excellent and you run out yeah you probably see you probably see those type of things I did don't say this

yeah these are 50 words I say every day copy me so I was I thought I don't know I like it I think it's smart because as you said about content for example content about something from history it also makes you stand out because you can cover the topic that maybe no one has covered before or hasn't been as much as before so it's something that makes you unique Anyway, it's, it's going to find interesting as well. At the end of the day, I think you're, it's, you're going to do something that you find interesting.

Otherwise, no one else is going to be interested. You're doing things just for the algorithm. You're making videos just because, oh, I think the algorithm will like this. I think, you'll be disappointed. Yeah. It's going, you're going to go nowhere. Maybe some people do that. I'm sure they do.

But no, I just want to do things that I find interesting and hopefully other people will too. Yeah, and then I think it also makes a difference for the audience because if you enjoy it, obviously, the outcome is going to be better than if you did it just for the sake of staying consistent or for the sake of money or something. Well, exactly. I mean, I hope so. I mean, like I did one video quite recently about idioms that we've been using. for a thousand years. And I thought it was fascinating that

there are still some some expressions that haven't changed, you know, or hardly changed in hundreds of years, even a thousand years. I thought, I'd have to be fascinating this in modern English. And I thought, well, if somebody

other people like it, if I like it, then I'm sure other people like that kind of thing. It is since Middle Ages, isn't it? Yeah, that's the one. Yeah. Yeah. That's the one, yeah. Out of interest, do you remember any? Can you name some?

Oh, from that video. I think, yeah, Scott Free. That's an interesting one. Do you know that expression? No. So if you get off Scott Free, if you do something bad, Thomas, I'm looking at you.

If you do something, If you do something bad, but then you go before the judge and judge says, that's all right, you can go. We have too many people in prison. You can go. Then you get off scot-free. But you didn't punish him. Why are you letting him scot-free?

And a lot of, the English people use that expression. They don't know who's Scottish. They think it's like a Scottish person or something like that. A lot of people you ask them, what's a Scot? No, it must be some guy called Scott. it's not it's just interesting I never know well it the Scott is actually a sort of old word old I think Viking word or attacks and okay and if you had bad land you had to pay tax I couldn't remember the whole story now I think you have to pay tax on the land but if the land didn't

have any water it wasn't very good then didn't have to pay the Scott so it was not free of there was some corruption he was scot-for-y. So that's the origin. It goes back to medieval feudalism. Yeah, that's cool. I love these stories. I find these fascinating stories.

And then out of so many videos that you've made, can you remember or name some videos that you worked on and for some reason you enjoyed it or it was particularly interesting for you? And it's worth sharing? Of course, all my videos are beautiful. of worth sharing. Maybe one that depends on.

Everyone should be watching them and all your friends and all your family on a loop until the end of time. But I, some of the ones that I really like and doesn't mean that they're successful. I spent a month

it must have been a month working on a video about Shakespeare and how the influence of the language and also how it didn't influence the language. Some people claim that he did this but he didn't. And I sort of got it together and

all about Shakespeare and reading about Shakespeare and did a lot of work on it and it's beautiful but not many people watched it. I don't think that Shakespeare is something so interested in. The Was I,

video? Well, yeah, yeah, that's it. Yeah, how Shakespeare changed the English language. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was I. It was I. So in old days, you wouldn't say, it was I.

You might say, twos. Twos I. It was me. It's me. So, yeah, that was nice, but that normally people watched it. Yeah. Hopefully, after watching this, we'll manage to get more audience to watch. Billions.

More than Gangnam style. But I'm glad to see that they try consistent. Do you try to release video each week? or what's your frequency? Every two weeks? Yeah, so I should, people say I should get an editor, but I haven't done it yet. But that's what takes the time that every two weeks or so approximately I release the video. What do you use to edit?

I'm using Premiere Pro. Maybe there are other things that might look into. might look into most of it. I think Premiere Pro is maybe the best one or one of the best ones. Are you using Premiere? Yeah, I mean, primarily for the recording and some basic edits I do Riverside, the one we use. But then I, you know, do some final decent pieces in Premier Pro as well. People learn like Premier Pro, but you have to pay for it every month.

So that's the thing. But I've tried to use, I tried once to use Da Vinci Resolve. And what they don't tell you, you should watch these YouTube videos. Like, yeah, you should switch over to Da Vinci Resolve. And it just slows your computer. You need a really fast computer.

I've got quite fast computer. I just couldn't work with it. I couldn't work with it. That was the problem. Then it means that I wouldn't be able to work with it at all. No, I've got quite a fast computer. I think you need just a very powerful thing. Yeah.

I got second. I have to stop. I was trying to think there's one more good editor. Oh my God, I can remember which one was. CapCats? CapCut people are using, I think, now. Yeah, recently. It's more for TikTok and shorts.

Yeah, not anymore. No, anymore. I think that it used to be. I think that they're updated. And now, you know, it's getting pretty good. People have told me that up to professional level. I should update that's what they say. It's no longer just TikTok videos.

Yeah. And what about you and other channels? From my research, it seems like that you are only on YouTube, or am I wrong? I got banned from Instagram. Oh my God, do I? What happened? Oh, this is a thing, I got, I don't, this is actually true.

I just post things about language. Yeah, that's, nothing dodgy. No, nothing, I promise you, Thomas, you might not believe me, but I don't put any, you know, things that are dodgy. Just, I just talk about language and things. And then I got temporarily banned,

and Instagram said to me, you have to send a photo of yourself. We'll check. I said that, okay. And then they wrote back to me. Oh, sorry, we made a mistake. We made a terrible mistake. We apologize.

Your Instagram account is active again. And then it happened again. And then this, I thought, okay, what are they going to do if they're going to reinstall me? And they didn't. Because, no, you've been permanently banned. There was no right of appeal. Because what did I do?

I don't understand. I think it must be the. AI must have misunderstood something. Maybe it's done to your AI. That's the only I think, think. There's nothing risky on there. Yeah, that's a shape that someone who actually posts valuable content to teach people and help them gets a pen. So it's a shame.

Well, they say I set up a new account. I think, I also think it's good just to focus on one, especially if you're limited in time. You're a team. I don't have a team. particularly. But if you're one person, just focus on one platform. But we discussed TikTok. What about that? If you did like a short from our videos? I did. I do have a TikTok uploaded you. But again, everything is time. Again, I might need somebody. It's my fault. I should get somebody to help out.

and I'm looking into that already but I just want to focus on on one platform one platform well and that takes up so much time no I understand that that's why what's then your take on shorts on YouTube I think

YouTube are very clever they just they give people what they want as well I think they've got the YouTube short are going to be three minutes long now as well I just thought really yeah yeah not one minute anymore no I think even from this week or something you can upload shorts up for three minutes it's going to be shorts actually if it's three minutes but yeah but I I I um I that short's great but I just want to focus on what I'm

doing just want to focus on doing videos because as I said I occasionally have to repurpose content but I'm just trying to prioritize my time at the moment so it may happen yeah but I think

some people just focus on shorts and that's I think you specialize in one thing or the other I think there are lots of there are lots of channels that just do shorts and they get millions of views yeah exactly

because I think that if you manage to capture someone's attention in just one minute and it's something engaging we can really drive a lot of views with just shorts but I think if you look there's not much crossover though I think maybe it's for some people but you look at some people who have millions of views on shorts and then little bit of content

there's not many people watching and vice versa I think my case vice versa I do short nobody nobody watches it so yeah to get both I think you need really to spend a lot of time on one or the other or both if you have a team that's all yeah I can understand well then what then are some of your inspirations for example if any YouTubers that you watch to inspire you for your own content are there any oh you're lots lots of lots of YouTubers I like I like the ones I'm trying to think of a name I think of a name Yeah, we are curious.

You can name it. It will be just promotion for them if you don't speak negative. The type I like who can... You're not interested. The best ones I see are the ones who you're not that interested in the content, but you're interested in the person. I think you're on a magic formula. You know, this person is always engaging and always interesting.

and you watch it even though you're not really interested in the content itself. Maybe they make it interesting. That's the thing. And I'm trying to think of the same. No, if you don't want to, you don't have to. No, no, I can't remember. There's a guy. There's, um, I can see.

I can, you got one second. Is it? Oh. It's, um, then I'm not, not, not related to. language, not related to language. I was about to say if it's Mr. Beatt, but after what's been happening lately,

I figured it's not a good idea. I don't really watch Mr. B to be honest. Yeah, I tell you what I've been watching interesting recently is I tell you, one person

was interesting in the, I haven't watched him recently, is the guy, the cameras is at this got his name got on the guy's name what's the content like he he used to work in Hong Kong Hong Kong

he's British I think of Chinese origin but he's British and he did all these things about cameras so I went up learning about cameras watching him he's always very engaging he was very interesting person I don't have to say and some of the channel I'll be watching recently is Patrick Boyle

I just check. Yeah, on finance. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, wow. I was finding super interesting, even though it's not a subject that I'm that interested in, but it's just engaging. And also, J.J. McCulloch, you know, the...

Is it Canada? Yeah, yeah, you can. Yeah. It's just, also the words they use, the eloquence, and the way they can construct the story. I just find that's really captivating. So that's why I like, I like that. So, yes, not always.

You think it's the subject. You've got to get the subject. No, the person. Sometimes it's about the person, yeah. I find it similar with the podcasts, because, for example, we've got a guest that has been too many podcasts, but I listen to the one that is with the host that I like for some reason. Yeah.

I think it's similar. Yeah, yeah. So what do you, can I ask you? Am I allowed to, what about you? What do you listen to or watch Thomas? For example, podcasts. I really like Chris Williamson, who does Modern Wisdom. He needs lots of guests, and of course he's got the guests that are probably the biggest names that attend podcasts.

So you can see that they've been too many podcasts as well, but still I prefer to listen this one because something similar to what you said. I think that he, Chris, he's got great questions. I like him as a person. I think he makes it engaging, interesting. I'm just curious. So that's just one example of something similar to what you said. Yeah, yeah, so we agree. So I think it's initially a point you bring up.

Yeah, it's not always about the subject. Yes. It's about who you are, the sort of the charisma of, of the person. The person, yeah. And it also feels like that after some time, since you've been watching on listening to them for a while, it feels like that you've developed a relationship,

although it sounds strange because you've never seen each other, but because you've been listening to him for such a long time, it feels like you're a friend or something. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And also, you know, if you're making contact, these people are inspiring. Of course, I'm not going to talk about finance,

like Patrick Boyle or something like that. But it's, it's, quite inspiring. How can I make things better? He's doing this really well. Yeah, exactly. And what can I learn from him? What does he do that I can improve?

Yeah, you don't get a copy, but you get inspired. Everyone gets inspired. Yeah. Yeah. And one question that I'm really curious about to see what you say, because obviously there are a lot of ways how to learn languages and as the technology develops, I'm sure that you've come across

Duolingo. So what is your opinion on this? I try to learn a bit of Japanese on Duolingo. How did it go? Okay. Okay. I can't say that. I mean, doolingo, is that,

can you learn, like, I'm starting to look at a basic level, but I've never really gone deeply into it. it. Have you? Is it? For me, it works well as something that makes me to stay consistent, because I think it's made in a way that makes you engaged. Yeah. Because you've got all the competitions and friends and it looks kind of maybe with childish. So a bit playful. But it's the point that we discussed in the beginning that in the end you actually need to start speaking to people

to actually learn and mastery language. But I think this works as a good foundation. Well, I agree. I mean, what I always say, my mantra is that everything is good. If you're doing stuff to learn a language, it doesn't matter what it is. Then that's good. Whatever motivates you, you're going to find the thing that motivates you. And important things to remember, we're all different.

So what may be good. for you, maybe not for another person. So whatever works. If you're doing it, it's good. Yeah. Whatever it is. And even if people say, if it's not waste of time, I think, even if you do one lesson per day, it's still better than nothing.

Exactly. If you keep doing it every day, then in a year, you've got 365 new words, maybe. It's better than nothing, isn't it? Exactly. The truth is about language learning. People always come up with these magical, formula we can teach you in three months.

They are trying to sell you, of course, at the same time. But the truth is, at the end of day, it's about the number of hours. You've got to do your 10,000 hours. Of course, there are good strategies. I'm not saying that. You can't bring the 10,000 hours down to 50 hours. No, you need to be fluent. You just got to get in those hours.

So every hour on Duolingo counts as an hour. It's good. Every hour in the pub chatting to people is an hour. And actually, just as you mentioned, the chat in a pub, it's probably a good advice. Because I heard it from many people, even myself before. When you feel shy or insecure to speak the language, everyone, after a few beers, it kind of breaks the boundaries and you are not as afraid anymore. Yeah, but that's what you feel. think because you've had a few beers.

Is it because you're speaking better or is it the beers making you think you speak better? It's really fluent now. Well, you've had 10 pints. I mean, really? I can't even hear what you say. You can't even speak your own language. Yeah. Yeah.

But I heard it even from from others. Maybe, maybe yes. Maybe no. Yeah. Okay. And then so, as we will be. finishing soon, can you share maybe some tips and tricks for people who want to learn a language? Maybe struggle or have excuses or haven't started yet, so you can share some things.

Well, yeah, sure. I will. I mentioned it already in some ways. But what I really focus on is that you've got to find what works for you. because don't let anybody tell you this is how you need to learn the language because I'm very different

I have ADHD and I can't sit down with a grammar book for two hours or whatever but I have grammar but I mean I can't see if I'm doing exercise I can't do that and I

engaging and other people yet they do they need more structured approach and they need to follow it in that way. But everyone finds something interesting, but the important things, there are topics you need to cover. You'll need to speak.

You'll need to listen a lot. You'll need to speak a lot. Don't underestimate writing. That's important. And don't underestimate reading. I know this is the classic teacher thing of those four things. Don't underestimate those four. You'll have to do it.

But how you approach it, then it's up to you, whatever works. whatever motivates you. Yep, I think it's perfect advice. Then we discussed it already, but can you or do you want to promote yourself or your services, where can people find you and follow you? Yeah, of course.

Of course. Have you got like an hour and a half? Is that okay? A minute, a minute a half. No, as I said, you'll be glad to know I don't do, I don't have Instagram. I don't have Is it X? I do have X. I don't post on X.

But I do have I don't have TikTok. Well, not really. I do have a YouTube channel. I do have a YouTube channel. It's let them talk TV. And you should definitely be watching all of my videos on a loop.

Yeah. The whole family. The whole family. And your extended, extended family, including the newborns and the kids and all the friends, yeah. That's what you should be doing.

And your English should be perfect. Yeah, you can learn, don't say happy birthday. And some click on the titles. I don't do those. I will make sure to add everything to show notes. And then to finish it up, is there any final piece of advice

or something that you would like to share or something I should have asked you and did not? I'll just finish. Did you ask me how to learn a language? And I want to use the expression, find your mojo. I like that expression. You know that, your mojo. That's your secret power within. It's called the mojo.

Your secret power. So find your mojo. not just for learning your language but for every single. Yeah. It's a good one. So, thank you, Gideon. I really appreciate it. As I said before,

I'm someone who's been watching and following you for a long time, so it was a pleasure. I knew you as someone with impeccable taste when I got your message. So I highly recommend to people who are watching to subscribe. don't check Instagram or TikTok yet but definitely go to YouTube and want to say just a big thank you so we'll keep following and supporting and it was a pleasure so thank you very much my pleasure thank you thanks for listening to Produce by with Tomer check out show notes for all the links and don't forget to like subscribe and leave your feedback speak soon