Garlic and Olive oil. That’s it. Best of all – the solution totally worked, and quickly. {Link to remedy here.}

So what does dealing with an ear infection and learning English have in common? I’m glad you asked!

I LEARNED with a purpose:  to solve a problem for my kids. I needed what I was learning to fix a real problem I was facing.

I have a question for you: How specific are you being with what you are learning in English?

Compare!

“I’m learning English” and “I’m learning how to use the Present Perfect to talk about my computer programing work experience for my resume.”

Notice any difference between these two statements?

The second statement is a very specific, targeted solution to a problem or challenge. The first statement is a very GENERAL statement. (Sadly, I hear it said all the time!)

Change Challenge!

Stop telling yourself and others that you are ‘Learning English.’  Especially focus on what you say to yourself. You should NOT be learning English.

Start focusing on specific, very important or useful things you need to do in English. What specific problem can you solve NOW with what you are learning?

3 Vital Next Steps:

1. Write the specific problem you want to solve.  (Ideas: I need to call a coworker, but she only speaks English. How can you start the conversation? How can you quickly explain your problem? How do you thank them for their help, and how do you say goodbye?)  There! Specific problems to solve. Write your problem down.

2. Find the solution.  Think! Where can you find the solution? Google works great! (Try googling: “How to start a phone conversation in english” – When I did it, I had 94, 200,000 results. I bet you 5 bucks you will find a cool opening!)

What! You’re not a Google fan? Well, how about you ask someone. Your supervisor. A coworker. Your – wait for it – ENGLISH teacher!  Be really specific with what you are looking for, then ask.  (Bonus tools: a mini notebook to write what they say. What about a mini voice recorder?)

Another possibility for you is to look in your English course book if you are taking classes. Very often you can find useful phrases or expressions in special sections of each unit.

The secret: only take what you need. Nothing more. Nothing less.

3. Use it.  I used my garlic/olive oil ingredients immediately. If you don’t use what you learn you will forget it.  But if you quickly use what you learn in a real situation, you’ll turn your learning on turbo.

In summary: Write it. Find it. Use it.

What are you doing to solve specific problems with your English?

Go ahead: think about it a bit.

A few of my habits: 

1. I drink coffee every morning to wake up, and I usually take it with me to work.

2. I leave home without eating breakfast in the morning, because I don’t have enough time.

3. I make my bed before I leave for work.

4. If I get an ‘e-mail beep’ on my Blackberry, I check it almost instantly.

5. I watch TV and movies in English.

What about you?

Let’s focus on some strategic habits. And yes, I know I’ve been talking a lot about habits lately, but I think they matter. A lot.

Know what? You should focus on your habits too, if you want to see your English skills improve faster. To help you focus on your habits, I’d like to invite you to join me on a journey to explore what those habits are.

The funny thing about habits is that they often work so quietly, we don’t even know they are there. We just follow them.

Truth: some habits are helpful.

Truth: some habits work against you.

Truth: there are habits involved in learning to speak English. Do you know what they are?

Truth: there are some habits that fight against you as you try to learn English. Do you know what they are?

To succeed, you NEED to know what those good and bad habits are, and I want to help you do it. How? The 30 day challenge.

The 30 day challenge: Ingredients!

Ready to do some ‘power work’ on your English skills? Here’s what you’ll need to join the challenge:

1. A notebook or journal and something to write with. (Paper based tools would be best because you can take them anywhere.)

2. A little self-discipline. (Not too much…not yet.)

3. The desire to make things happen with your English.

Got it? Then keep reading….your challenge awaits!

Join the 30 Day Challenge!

1. Keep a Journal. For the next 30 days, I want you to keep a journal. Feel free to do it in English or Spanish. (Or whatever language your comfortable with. But you get bonus points for keeping it in English.)

2. What to write: Once a week, write a paragraph about the opportunities you took part in  during the week to speak, read, write, or listen to something in English.

3. Look at what you wrote in #2, and then notice if those opportunities were initiated by you (you started it on purpose) or if someone or something required you to do it. (Maybe a conference call that you HAD to attend, etc.)

4. JOIN us, and make this experience a social one. How?  Leave a comment. Say: “I’m in!”

Talk About it! Join Our first Conversation Club of 2013!

That’s right! Our conversation club is coming back – are you ready to join in? Our first session will be Wednesday, March 6th – 8:30pm Mexico City time.

Theme: About the 30 day challenge – what you’ve discovered so far with your journalling if you started. If you haven’t started, we’ll help you GET started. (And how 2013 has been treating you so far! We have some catching up to do!)

Wrapping Up

To join the challenge, just comment below, or show up for the conversation club on Google+ {https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cv5r3n9okhc1kdh6qgvdlhb10ec }

“Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.”
- King Solomon (Proverbs 4:26)

Have you ever discovered that you are doing things in your life out of momentum? It is just the way you have always done it! A routine. A habit. Or worse: we feel we HAVE to do what we do.

The problem: it is easy to forget strategic WHY thinking about what we do. Why are you working where you work? Is it just for the money? Is it because you feel you were BORN to do what you do?

Thinking about your English classes: why are you doing what you are doing? Is it working for you, or are you just showing up to class to keep your boss/supervisor happy?

Go ahead…think about it for a while. Why are you in your English class? Why are you studying English the way you are studying it right now?

Next question: is what you are doing, and HOW you are doing it going to take you where you want to go? What King Solomon was saying was this: the destinations we get to in life happen a little each day. They start with the direction of our feet!

If you don’t like where you’re going, YOU are the only one who can change direction.

How to Change Direction

If you are not happy with where your English studies are taking you, you can and should do something about it.

Some thoughts to consider:

• Study Abroad: if you have an intermediate or above level of English, studying abraod (as the infographic suggests) is a great idea.

• TV Shows: One of my personal favorites. Why? You’re doing something you like! That’s important. When you do something you enjoy, you will likely CONTINUE to do it. (And that’s a big part of making progress in your English.)

• Comics: What a cool idea! If you like comics of any kind, you can find one to help you develop your English skills. Because comics are intensely visual – they have lots of pictures – I think they could be a great way to help you develop vocabulary, and pick up common expressions in English. Try it!  

I thought this infographic about how people learn English could give you some ‘direction change’ inspiration:

“So to identify the keystone habits in your life, look for those patterns that give you numerous, small senses of victory; places where momentum can start to build.”- Charles Duhigg

What is one little thing you could do today that would bring you a quick win as you work on your English? Not ‘learn the entire language.’  Not write a book in English. Not understand an entire conference call in English. Nope.

One. Little. Thing. A quick victory.  Think about it for a second. What could you do today that would be quick, but that would give you a feeling of victory as you move toward your English learning goals? (Assuming you have them.)

Why does this matter to you?

It all comes down to one word: momentum. What do you think would happen if you had more of it helping you along in your English studies? What if momentum were actually pushing you forward, instead of working against you?

That raises an interesting question for me: what kind of momentum do you have in your English studies right now? Is it positive or negative?

How To Create Positive Momentum

Use a Checklist. I love using checklists. My planner is filled with them, and I feel great when I cross one of them off – DONE.  Why don’t you consider building a checklist each day for English practice?  Things to inclue to give you ‘mini-victories:’

• Write an English e-mail to a coworker in less than 8 minutes.
• Agree with an English speaking coworker to eat lunch together today. Only speak English during the meal.
• Read 1 page a day of an interesting English book. (For work or play.)

When you accomplish one of these, check it off. Notice how you feel! (Repeat.)

Work with your teacher. If you work with an English teacher, try to stop seeing them as a ‘class only resource.’ Work with them. Try asking your teacher: “What is one thing I can do today to help me improve?” Listen. Write down their idea, then act on it.

Look for fast, easy to execute actions/activities that you can do each day to help you practice English. Build momentum.

How are you building your momentum today?

Look at this picture for a minute and think: what does this room have in common with learning English?

Go ahead. Look, and think about it.

Now I have another question for you: look at picture #1 and picture #2 below. Which one do you think best describes how you feel about learning English…

Picture #1

Or picture #2

If you thought picture #1, the one with the bored skeleton, looked most like your English learning experience, keep reading. This post is exactly for you.

If you thought picture #2 was most like your experience, that’s great! Keep reading though – you may pick up some ideas to help you jump even higher!

Boredom Is Your Enemy

If you want to do anything for a long time, you have to love it. You have to enjoy it. Learning English, as you’ve already noticed, takes a long time. That means you should try to be having fun while you do it.

Frequent Problems and a Solution

Situation 1: “My English class is soo boring I would rather file my company’s tax statements from 2012.” 

Ouch. That’s boring! If you are going to English class, and you feel it is getting boring you need to do something about it!  A big mistake is to remain silent, and just ‘suffer.’

Instead, try this:

• Talk with your Teacher. Most English teachers I know LOVE what they do. More importantly, they love helping you learn. If you feel bored, try to tell them nicely. You could say something like this: “Could I talk to you after class?”   (Very important: don’t do this ‘live’ in front of everyone. Wait until after class. ) Then say something like: “I know you work really hard to give us great classes, but I’ve been feeling a little bored with __________ activity. Could we try something different? ”  - Hint: what if you came with a suggestion all ready to go?

• Switch location. Don’t sit with the usual group of people. If you can, try sitting with people who seem to be doing really well in the class.

• Listen actively. I have a student who takes endless notes about what we do in each class. She is on top of EVERYTHING, because she’s always trying to focus on what we’re talking about in class. If she likes an idea, she writes it. If she hears a new word, she writes it. Get the idea?

• Listen like you’ll need to teach it later. 

Your boss asks you to participate in an English conference call with your team.

“Do I have to say anything?” You ask nervously.

Your boss: “Just listen and speak if you want to add something to the conversation.”

During the call, you feel nervous. You feel your mouth dryer than normal. Your hands are sweating, and you can’t stop worrying: “What if someone asks me a question?” Or, “If I need to speak, what if I forget everything I know about English. I’ll sound like a fool.”

That negative little voice inside your head has been yelling at you all day.

During the call, you could understand most of what was happening. There were even a few things  you didn’t agree with. Worse: your area got some extra tasks that you KNOW someone else should be doing – but you preferred to stay quiet rather than risk making a mistake.

Instead, you sat in silence. You disagreed – but never said anything, and now it’s too late.

Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be your story.

3 Ways You Can Beat Fear

1. Go to the Worst Result. Imagine the worst possible result you could have. Maybe even write it down. Worst case: You get asked a question, but your brain freezes so bad you can’t remember how to say your name. Everyone stops. Everyone looks RIGHT. AT. YOU.

Can you imagine that? Now fast forward 10 minutes. What happens after that terrible experience? Did you fall over dead? Did your heart stop beating? No. You survived. Imagining the worst case scenario, and seeing that you could survive if it happened, can be a helpful way to face your fear. THIS WILL NOT KILL YOU.

2. Imagine Success. Shut your inner critic up by imagining a positive scenario. You DO get asked a question, but you confidently reply in English.  Imagine yourself expressing your ideas carefully. Slowly, and correctly. Can you hear your correct response? Can you see what you’re wearing? Can you see who is in the room with you? Be as realistic as possible, and use your imagination to create a positive experience in your mind. This works. I’ve done it.

3. Be afraid, but act anyway. It’s ok to feel nervous or afraid about using a language that is not your first language.You need to tell yourself that AND believe it.  Everyone feels this fear. (You’re not alone.)  But the secret is that not everyone lets that fear STOP them.

Feel the fear, but act anyway.  That’s being brave. Do you have kids? Try watching them do things. Today, for example, I watched my 6 year old son make his first telephone call to a friend from school. He was really nervous.

His strategy? He picked up the phone and called his friend so fast he didn’t give himself time to think. You should have seen his eyes get bigger when someone answered, “Hello?”

He was terrified! Mommy had to give him some help: “Say hello!”

My son said “Hello.” And then was quiet for a second. And then he remembered who he wanted to talk to….and off went the conversation.

He was scared, but he acted anyway.

How can you do this the next time you need to use English at work? Can you imagine surviving the worst case scenario? Better yet, can you imagine a successful result the next time you speak English?

Your homework: Pick one of these ideas and try it. (You get bonus points if you try all three.) Then tell me what happened in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

Other Use: You can also use ‘will’ when you want to make a spontaneous offer or a promise to do something.

Example: You see someone drop a book on the floor. You can say: “I will get that for you.”  Or if your friend needs a ride home from work, you could say: “I will take you home tonight, if you want.”  

Promise: I promise I will meet you tonight.

Application

Look at these pictures, and see if you can create a sentence about them with ‘will.’ Remember: you’re not completely sure about the action.

I will buy a bike this year.

The shoe repair man will be open on Monday.

Example:  I see that it is cloudy outside. Yesterday it rained. Last night it rained. So, I can safely say that today it is going to rain too. All the evidence (pruebas) suggests that I am right.

If you like to think in percentages: going to is 100% sure. (It’s based on evidence.)

 Application:

Look at these pictures, and see if you can write down a sentence about each one using ‘going to.’ Remember: ‘going to’ is something that you are 100% sure about.

Need some help?
{Firefighters/put out/ fire  

You could say something like: The firefighters are going to put out the fire.
The firefighters are going to use water.
The fire is going to be hot.

Need some help? Try using the word: Crash. 

Not sure what to say? How about something like:
The car is going to crash.
The repairs are going to be expensive.

Bonus: Native English speakers tend to use ‘going to’ and ‘will’ for the same purposes: to talk about the future.

Focus is needs to be one of my keywords this year. Yesterday, while reading one of my favorite bloggers, I realized something about focus.

Here’s the post: Why Bloggers Fail by Derek Halpern.

The lesson I got smacked in the forehead with? While a few of the failure points resonated strongly with me, the bit that got me the most was the homework. In a nutshell, if you wanted a successful blog to link to you, what blog would that be?

At first the question didn’t mean much to me. And then…’bing!’ It got me. Focus. Why would an already successful blog link to you, or shout out to you if you weren’t of value to the audience of that blog? They wouldn’t.

And that’s when I realized what I’ve not been doing here on my own site: 1) Not promoting my work. (Failure point mentioned by Halpern.) 2) I haven’t been following bloggers who blog to the audience I want to reach. I used to do this like 5 years ago, and the blog I ran then seemed to have more traction. But I’m not out there following today.

If you’re not out there connecting with other like-minded teachers (if you’re a teacher), you’ll quickly find yourself talking into a paper bag on your blog. An echo chamber. It’s just my voice.

Focus. I want to blog about teaching, and teaching with heroic purpose. To do that, I need to be connecting with other teachers who feel the same way.

What’s in this for you?

Who are you connecting with to help you teach? Let your focus be partially about building connections with other passionate teachers out there.

Just a thought…

I have students who constantly ask me for non time intensive ways they can work on their English on their own, and News In Levels  seems to be a great option for you to consider sharing with your students.

Why I like it:

1. The articles are short. (Even level 3.)

2. There is often a related video to go with it.

3. There are a few easy to follow learning tips for students to use.

4. Vocabulary building: difficult words come with mini definitions right in the article. (No dictionary required.)

But the biggest reason I like the site? It’s simple. And simple can be beautiful!

Hope you and your students enjoy!

Have you found any cool ESL teaching resources?