Happy New Year!! Hi Students, I am writing to wish you all a wonderfully successful 2016! I am excited to continue to support you in your English language learning journey in 2016. I recorded a short audio message for you. In the audio message, I read the Aesop Fable “The Tortoise & the Hare”. The […] Read more »
Podcast Episode 54 – Talent is Overrated
Hi Students! If you have gone through my “7 Strategies for English Fluency” course and/or you have listened to some of my podcasts, then you probably know by now that one of my areas of interest is personal achievement and success. I am especially interested in how people learn and achieve mastery. As an English coach (teacher/tutor), […] Read more »
Seattle Seahawks Do it Again – Never Give Up!
Wow! I wasn’t even watching the game and I was feeling the excitement! The Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers were playing a playoff game today, to see who would get to go to the Super Bowl. (If you don’t know what I am talking about, listen to podcast episode #18 about American Football). […] Read more »
Podcast Episode 50 – Goals or no goals?
It’s that time of year again – time to make your New Year’s Resolutions and set some goals for the new year – or is it? In this episode, I talk about the pros and cons of making New Year’s Resolutions and setting goals. I talk a little about both sides of the debate: how you can […] Read more »
Teaching Children to Have a Growth Mindset with Stories
If you have listened to my free email course “7 Strategies for English Fluency” then you are already familiar with the importance of having a growth mindset. In Strategy #3, I give you a short introduction to the work of Carol Dweck (Stanford University) and her book “Mindset“. I explain the difference between having a […] Read more »
How To Be a Successful Self-Directed Learner
One of the amazing things about the internet these days is that you can learn practically anything online. Whether you are interested in perfecting your coding skills, learning how to knit a hat, baking the perfect apple pie, or becoming an excellent English speaker, you can likely find a website, a video, a program or […] Read more »
What will you commit to in 2014?
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a great 2013 and I wish you all tremendous success in 2014 – in all areas of your life! As you know, New Year’s Day is often a time for reflection and planning ahead. This is a time when we look back at the last 12 […] Read more »
Do you have grit?
Who is successful, and why? This is the question that researcher Angela Lee Duckworth wanted to find out. The answer: grit. Grit: having passion and perseverance for long-term goals. The ability to keep working on something, even if you face obstacles or experience difficulties. Her research goes along with the research by Carol Dweck about […] Read more »
Epic Concentration
When you are learning anything, concentration is important. To concentrate means to direct one’s thoughts or attention. Sometimes, it can be difficult to concentrate, because of noise, interruptions, distractions, and the chatter in your own mind. To learn English well, you must learn to concentrate, to pay attention, and to focus. Fifteen minutes of focused […] Read more »
Do you have the determination of this mouse?
This video has been making the rounds on Facebook and elsewhere and I thought I’d share it with you all here on the English Fluency Now blog, as I think it is relevant to the process of learning a language. In language learning, persistence is essential and leads to success over time. If at first […] Read more »