A Terrorist Goes to Starbucks: Learn English with a Crime Story

By Rod K. Rogers

When an ISIS terrorist threatens to kill everybody in a Starbucks coffee shop, a fearful young woman with a gun surprises herself and the terrorist. And her life is changed forever. 

 

Why should you read this story to improve your English? Because reading for pleasure is the fastest way to become fluent in English. Language learning research tells us you will learn new vocabulary words ten to twenty times faster by reading, than by formally studying vocabulary. It also tells us that in order to maximize the power of reading for learning English, what you read should have two key characteristics. First, it should be fascinating. A Terrorist Goes to Starbucks was written to capture attention and thrill the reader. Second, what you read should be easy. The simple definitions of the vocabulary in the story make it easy to understand. 

 

A Terrorist Goes to Starbucks is about three pages long, containing only 1,000 words, and is repeated several times, each time with fewer definitions. Chapter one, for readers with native level English, has no definitions. Chapter two, for beginners, has definitions for almost all the words in the story. Chapter three, for intermediate readers, has fewer definitions. And chapter four, for advanced readers, only defines the most difficult words or expressions. When a word is bolded, that means that there is a definition for it just below the paragraph(s). If you don't know the meaning, you can quickly look down at the definition and continue reading. 

 

Please read the story as quickly as possible to enjoy it as much as possible. The goal is not to study English words, but to absorb English vocabulary and grammar by reading for pleasure. You should read the story over and over until you do not need to look at any of the definitions. In this way, depending on your level, you will learn from 10 to 300 new words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leaderskills International, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393078524

Rod K. Rogers

Dr. Rod K. Rogers is the Owner and Principal consultant for AMI Church Consulting, a church capital fundraising company (www.AbundantGiving.com). He is also the creator of The Dynamic Giving System™—a church annual giving program—and author of the book Pastor Driven Stewardship: 10 Steps to Lead Your Church to Biblical Giving. Rod K. Rogers has served as a youth minister in the USA and Portugal, as the founding and senior pastor of churches in Denver, Colorado, and Costa Rica, as Bible Teacher on the radio program The Nourishing Word, and as Visiting Lecturer of Pastoral Theology at New Geneva Theological Seminary, Colorado Springs, Colorado. In forty years of Bible teaching and pastoral ministry, Rod’s goal has always been to bring the fruit of biblical and theological scholarship to the person in the “pew.” Much of what he teaches is at the Bible College and seminary level. That doesn’t mean “dry.” It means interesting, thought provoking, and life-changing! Rod has a diploma from Moody Bible Institute, a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from John Brown University, a Master of Theology degree in Old Testament and Semitic Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from New Geneva Theological Seminary.  

Book preview

A TERRORIST GOES TO STARBUCKS

Learn English with a Crime Story

by

Rod K. Rogers

Definitions

by  

Rod K. Rogers and Stephen K. Rogers

©2021 Rod K. Rogers

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission in writing from Rod K. Rogers, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review to be distributed in a magazine, newspaper, or Online article.

Introduction

The Power of Reading

Reading for pleasure is the fastest way to become fluent in English.

Language learning research tells us you will learn new vocabulary words ten to twenty times faster by reading, than by formally studying vocabulary. It also tells us that the best way to master English grammar is by reading, not by studying hard.

How We Really Learn Languages

As a matter of fact, over forty years of language research reveals that nobody has ever become fluent in any language by painful grammar and vocabulary study.[1] That’s why you don’t speak English as well as you would like. That’s why you are frustrated and discouraged!

Like almost everyone else, you are probably using traditional, outdated methods that don’t work. You are using textbooks, going to classes, taking online courses, reading books, and using apps based on the mistaken belief that you can consciously learn English the same way that you learn math or chemistry or history. Linguists refer to this as the Skill-Building method.[2]

If traditional methods don’t work, how can you learn English? Here is the simple, but profound answer: You acquire English by understanding messages. As you expose yourself to understandable English reading and listening, your brain unconsciously absorbs grammar and vocabulary. This unconscious process is called language acquisition.[3]

Linguists refer to this as the Comprehensible Input method. Comprehensible means understandable. Input refers to information that is inserted or put into something or someone (like code into a computer or a story into your brain). The comprehensible input method says you acquire English when you understand messages in English–when you understand what you hear and read.

And, while listening is important, research tells us that reading is the fastest and most effective way to get enough comprehensible input to become fluent in English.

How to Get the Most Benefit from Reading

In order to maximize the power of reading for learning English, research tells us that what you read should have two key characteristics:

1. It should be fascinating.

The research says you will absorb English much more quickly and efficiently when you read things that fascinate you. So, if you love mysteries, read mysteries. If you love romance novels, read romance novels. If you love online blogs on the latest electronic devices, read those blogs.

What you read should be so interesting to you that you never want to stop reading. So interesting that you forget you are reading in English. So interesting that you read as fast as possible.

One mistake my English students make is to read articles or books that they don’t love. They read technical manuals or the news or business articles or books written for English learners. As a result, they get bored and frustrated and they don’t read enough.

I created this book to provide you with a crime thriller that I hope you will find fascinating.

2. It should be easy.

Research also tells us that in order to get the most benefit from your reading you need to understand at least 98% of the words in a text. What you read should be just slightly more advanced than your current level.

Most English learners read material that is too advanced. So, make sure you choose texts that are easy for you to understand. In some cases this means you may need to read children’s books.

I created this book to give you an entertaining and easy way to learn English by reading a short story. I originally wrote A Terrorist Goes to Starbucks for native English speakers using natural American vocabulary. So, it’s an authentic English story. But, with the simple definitions included within the text beneath each paragraph, you should be able to enjoy the story without much difficulty.

How to Use This Book

The story A Terrorist Goes to Starbucks is about three pages long, containing only 1,000 words, and is repeated