Make English A Part Of Your Life

Speaker A: 00:00:00

I think one of the biggest challenges you and I face each day revolves not so much around working harder, but in making sure that the work we are doing is actually moving us toward the things we say matter.

Because you're listening to this podcast, it's safe to say that preparing for the CELPIP and improving your English is one of the things that matters to you. Most of my podcasts are between 10 and 20 minutes long.

My goal today is to talk with you about one of the most important mindsets you need to be developing that will help you think differently about the way you spend the remaining hours of your day.

That can literally transform the way you build your English and CELPIP skills and all without adding more to your already full plate and and packed schedule. Would you like to find out how? Then sit back, relax, and enjoy today's episode. Well, hello there and welcome to the Speak English Fearlessly Podcast.

This is the podcast for motivated English learners who want to speak English fearlessly and learn practical tips and strategies to conquer the CELPIP exam.

I also love to feature encouraging interviews with regular people, people just like you, who are working towards becoming fluent in English so we can learn from their experiences together. Who am I? My name is Aaron Nelson and I've been an English teacher for over 17 years.

I'm a certified CELPIP trainer and I now help students prepare for the CELPIP exam through online classes.

This week at work, one of the seniors I served dropped by my office and asked if he could lend me a book to read because he wanted to talk about it with me. I smiled as I took the book from his outstretched hand. I've been thinking a lot about this, he said, and I'd like to chat about it with you.

Do you think you'll be able to read it? My immediate mental response was, no way do I have time to read this. My schedule is packed right now. But I knew it mattered to him, so I nodded.

Sure, I said. I'll read it and we'll get together. He thanked me and hobbled off.

I looked down at the book and my smile faded as I thought, how on earth am I going to read this thing? I literally don't have extra time right now. And then the thought hit don't add to your busy plate. Make this book part of what you're doing already.

I happened to have a free trial of audible and thought, well, I wonder if the book is available as an audiobook. And sure enough, it was. I quickly downloaded it to my phone. This would be the way I could tackle the book every time I drive or walk to work.

I bring podcasts with me. I think of my car and walks like time in a mobile university. I love it. And sure enough, listening to the audiobook did the trick.

I made it through in a week. The Secret I made it part of what I was doing already. I only listened to it when I was driving or walking.

I wasn't adding driving or walking to my life. I was already doing it. But I found a way to make that book a part of it. And that's exactly what I want to challenge you with today.

I know you have packed schedules too. You work full time or multiple part time jobs.

You come home at the end of a crazy busy day to try and spend time with your loved ones, prepare meals, clean your house, and just try to rest before you have to get up and do it all over again. Trying to fit English and Celpip prep into that mix can feel absolutely impossible. Exhausting.

But at the same time, you know you need to get that practice in somehow. Today, my friend, I want to encourage you to stop trying to add more to your plate. I bet you don't have any more room anyway.

Instead, here's what I challenge you to do. Think about the things you do each day. Are there spaces that would allow you to pull English or Celpip practice into what you're already doing?

Think about your commute times. What are you listening to? Think about your coffee and lunch breaks. Who are you eating with? Here's a hint.

If you're not purposefully sitting and talking with English speakers while you eat and enjoy a coffee or a a tea, you're missing a massive opportunity that could help you improve your fluency, listening vocabulary, quick thinking skills, and self confidence all at the same time, and all while you're on break. This is one of the scariest but most effective workouts you can give yourself, but it can deliver the fastest results to those who do it often.

So please don't overlook it. How about what you like to watch on TV or Netflix? For example, my wife and I are deep into a Spanish TV show we watched when we first met.

It's 100% in Spanish with no subtitles.

What I've Found Doing this together has not only been fun, but it's also given us more opportunities to speak together in Spanish as we talk about the episode after. I've also found a bunch of new words and expressions that I'm now trying to add to my own vocabulary.

The same can happen for you if you have other people in your home who are practicing English use the shows or the movies you watch as opportunities to practice together. Not only by watching what you watch in English, but then also talking about it together after. Keep it light hearted and have fun.

That's the mindset shift I want to encourage you to make. What are you doing now that you can make happen in English instead of trying to add something else to your plate?

The shift in thinking you don't have to be in a classroom or in front of a grammar textbook to practice your English effectively. Effective practice can happen anywhere and anytime and best of all, it can be a part of what you're doing already. Now it's over to you.

Think about your day to day activities. Where can you bring English into what you're doing already? Okay, I want to have a quick progress check with you.

Remember in my previous episode where I was chatting with you about the Entrepreneur article I had found that talked about taking time to write down your accomplishments from the last week you're working on now and one or two innovative ideas you'll try in the next week? Have you tried that out yet? If you haven't, what's stopping you? My friend?

The objective with this is to help you first and foremost notice your progress.

I bet you're accomplishing way more than you think with your English skills and your celpit prep and taking a few minutes each week to look back at what you actually did while using your English can be a huge source of encouragement for you.

Please try can also help you remain focused on keeping practice a part of your day to day routine and challenge you to always be reaching out of your comfort zone a little to try something new. This exercise doesn't have to take long.

I bet you'd be able to do it in 10 or 15 minutes, but the benefits that you'll get out of it can go a real long way. This week I did mine and I noticed that I did try the innovative idea that I had written last week. This is helping me.

I hope that you'll give it a try too. Well, that's it for this week's episode. Thank you so much for listening.

I hope that it has helped you and that you will return again next Tuesday for the next episode. Have a great week.