223 How to avoid frustration while learning English

Today:

• I'm going to reflect on the frustration that some English learners may experience.
• In part 2, you'll practice with a point of view story: you'll meet James and Jane and their adventures!

Welcome to Speak English Now podcast, with your host, Georgiana. The podcast that will help you speak English fluently with no grammar and no textbooks.

Hi, I am Georgiana, your English teacher and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak English fluently.

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Oh, by the way, remember that you can check out the transcript, on my website:

speakenglishpodcast.com/podcast

Okay, let's get started!

Learning to speak English is not as simple as studying for a couple of days. Can you imagine? In one month, we could learn 15 new languages, or 14 if we are lazy :)

If your goal is to become fluent, it takes some time. For example, my Fluency course has 20 units. And you have to dedicate a minimum of one week per unit. However, I assure you that if you follow the instructions, your fluency will improve dramatically by the end of the course.

During the learning process, some students lose patience and become frustrated. They all have an initial phase of high motivation due to the novelty and transition to a plateau phase that leads to frustration when they do not see steady improvement.

It is common for frustrated learners to blame themselves, saying things like: 

"I am not good at learning languages", 

"As an adult it is almost impossible to learn", 

"I don't have the memory to remember all this vocabulary", 

"I make a fool of myself when I speak.”

This kind of mindset is dangerous because it affects motivation, and the chances of giving up are very high.

Other students blame the method. For example, they say to themselves, "This method is useless", or  “I am wasting my time", "This is pointless", etc. 

They buy many courses in the hope that the latest one will be the definitive one, the one that works.

And I am not against discontinuing an English course if the method is not effective. I don't want to give away names, but large companies are more concerned about perceived value than real value, and some of these systems are very superficial. In other words, they do not allow you to learn in an effective and lasting way.

You may already know this, but my system is specifically focused on speech development. 

My premium courses are based on repeated listening to audios. To give the brain time to assimilate and consolidate the lessons, you must repeat the audios on different days.

In addition, the courses feature question-and-answer exercises that help the student to speak from day one. 

So I believe the key to avoiding frustration is not to focus on results, but on learning time. 

Imagine you are in Unit 8 of the Fluency Course. Instead of evaluating your progress because you haven't finished yet, which is also very subjective, simply keep track of the number of hours you spend. You can, for example, use a spreadsheet and write down the time you are listening on a weekly basis.

This way, you take the pressure off yourself and focus on what really matters and what you can control: the time spent.

And if you are not convinced of your progress, you can listen to an earlier lesson, for example, unit 2 or 3. You'll find that they seem easier than before. This means you are making progress, but as I said, the most important thing is to accumulate hours of listening.

Also, keep in mind that our brain needs quite a few days to assimilate new patterns, sounds, words and expressions. 

Think about how you learned your native language. Studies indicate that when we are young, we spend about two years listening to our parents before we can articulate sentences. This is called the "silent period" because the brain is learning and assimilating. Imagine a young child thinking, "Wow, I can't articulate words, so I will cover my ears so I won't listen."

And finally, don't forget to enjoy yourself! Take listening to the lessons more as a game than an obligation. I try to make the content fun, entertaining, and a bit absurd in the course lessons. I do this so that it won't be boring, and you can remember better.

In short, focus more on what you can control: the time you spend listening to the lessons, and try to enjoy the stories with slightly crazy characters.

I hope this helps you on your way to fluency in English.

You can check out the transcript, on my website: speakenglishpodcast.com/podcast

If you want to know how to speak English using the proper techniques, visit SpeakEnglishPodcast.com and subscribe to my mailing list. I will send you my 5-day video course, so you can learn how to speak English fluently once and for all! And it's completely free.