how do you remember that?

I have a good memory.

You can test me. I’m choosing the subject, though.

What I remember are things that are important to me: language teaching skills, coaching techniques, people’s names, my own name, where I live…

Important stuff.

That’s how our memory works. It loves the things we love. The more we think about something, the more likely we’ll remember it.

It’s how we create habits.

‘Practice makes perfect’ is an idiom for a reason.

So, when you’re practicing new expressions or grammar, associate it with something that’s important to you. It could be describing places you’ve visited to practice descriptive adjectives; how to make the best tiramisu for passives or who is winning the F1 world championship for present perfect.

These work for me. What works for you?

Take a bite

We all like a quick fix and finding the easiest way to do something.

We just want an easy life.

When I’m learning something, I know that consistency is key. But the idea of sitting down for an hour or two and following a course puts me off so much that I avoid doing anything.

Worst. Student. Ever.

The key IS consistency. Small bites of consistency. Mere morsels. Crumbs!

It’s almost a learning starvation diet.

5 - 7 minutes every day. If I commit to that, I know I can get it done.

So, what is your magic number? What fills up your learning plate?

If you’re interested in bite-sized lessons, you might be interested in our upcoming Happy Half Hour! More information to come.

Mind your Metaphor

We all see and experience the world in different ways depending on our experiences and our environment. It makes sense that we would also interpret language differently.

When we learn to speak it’s usually in the same language as our parent or guardian. Most of us have a monolingual upbringing and may learn another language at school. We learn by listening to and watching others as well as pointing and asking questions.

Say a word, see a thing.

Book.

Easy.

But do you mean a book, the book or to book?

Even with just one word we can all have a different understanding because of what is in our head or our environment at that moment.

And what if your throw the book at someone? Is that going to hurt? This expression may mean different things to different people. It’s all open to interpretation. If I throw the book at someone, I’m punishing them severely for breaking the rules. Does this mean they are no longer welcome in my space? Does it mean they are never welcome back or is the punishment temporary?

It’ll depend on you.

My advice would be to be certain that the person you’re speaking to understands your interpretation of the expression so there is no confusion at a later date. Try and clarify or use plain language and always mind your metaphors.

Take A Breath

Standing in front of a group of people to present an idea, project or even just tell a story can be terrifying. When we’re scared we can have a physiological reaction such as going blank, having a pounding heart or a dry throat or just wanting to run away.

This is our fight, flight or freeze reaction which some call an amygdala hijack. It’s a survival mechanism that is as old as our brain and helped us survive in dangerous situations.

A lion may not be lurking in the bushes but when we feel fear, our brain still reacts as though it is. Our fear today comes from something as simple as a door slam to a public talk to a job interview or presentation. These are the lions lurking.

So, what can we do calm our amygdala? Simple: take a breath. This is a proven technique to calm your nervous system and allow time for your neocortex to come online and stop your amygdala from taking control.

So, next time you’re feeling the fear, breathe.

Knowing What to Say (And when to say it)

There are times that the perfect thing to say just pops into our head at the perfect moment. It’s like the muses have placed the words in our head and nodded sagely as you act like an oracle and bestow these morsels of wisdom on to your lucky listener.

The reason it feels like this is that the perfect thing coming to mind at the perfect time is so rare that it feels like divine intervention.

So, how do some people seem to know what to say and when to say it all the time?

Listening.

When you are listening fully to another person, you hear what is needed in that moment. There can be no internal monologue or thinking up a witty quip; it’s just you being 100% present for the other person.

Knowing the perfect thing to say isn’t about what’s in your head, it’s about what’s in theirs. When you connect wholehearted with a person, you will always know what to say and when to say it.