Mindfulness Reflections

Have you done anything to prepare for the New Year yet? According to statistics, about 41% of people make New Year's resolutions, but by the end of the year,  only 9% feel they have been successful  in keeping them. Not very encouraging, is it? A much more effective strategy that I've really benefitted from over the last few years is having a sense of clarity and confidence as the New Year approaches, and I've achieved this by taking some time to carry out a few exercises to connect with my sense of purpose before the current year comes to an end. So I thought I'd share  this video with 3 simple steps  that will help you prepare and start the brand new year beautifully and strong. Let me know what you think in the comments! Let me also take this opportunity to wish you a most Happy New Year, whichever way you decide to celebrate it (or not!) and I'll see you on the next page, the new cycle, the time and space of infinite opportunity, the...

Exactly one year ago, this was my situation: I was a freelance teacher of English to adults, teaching at the British Council and a few prestigious universities, and I had private clients as well. Time was limited and I was spending most of my waking hours either teaching or planning lessons, while at the same time dreaming of building an English-learning business that would include  a clear system  to help clients  genuinely transform their language skills . For years, I had tried (and failed) to create several businesses, much like English learners try, and fail, to feel confident in English.  Anyway, long story short: all my previous attempts bombed. They failed miserably. But here's what I learnt from those experiences: They didn't bomb because they weren't good ideas containing quality material. They were all great ideas! They failed because I didn't know how to package my education, skills and understanding ...

If you're thinking about how to take your English to the next level, try these 4 'S's,  . 1. Space We're so busy most of the time that it's difficult to "find space" in our diaries to do what we want to do. But now that we're approaching the end of the year, let's look at 3 aspects of space:  physical space: if your desk is full, take some time to clear and organise it! You'll be surprised at the sense of freedom and spaciousness you'll experience when your desk is clear. mental space: before you even sit at your desk and start your computer, give yourself a few conscious in-breaths and out-breaths.  Confident  English Training  incorporates mindfulness practices to help you connect with the vastness of mental space in the service of language acquisition and use. virtual space: have you created an "English" folder on your browser yet? This is just one simple way to keep English very close by on a daily basis. 2. Sit Have y...

It's never too soon to start thinking about being generous, so I've put together my Top 5 recommendations for you to show your appreciation to yourself and others now that we're approaching the end of the year. Wait - did I say, " yourself  and others"? Yes! We often think that our nearest and dearest should come first, but in fact, it is ourselves we need to take care of  first and foremost  (most importantly). Think about this: if we are physically, mentally or emotionally unwell, we are unable to contribute and be helpful to others. So putting ourselves first is in fact an act of kindness and unselfishness, and I'll be speaking about why and how you should  invest in yourself  in number 1. But let's start at number 5 and work our way up: 5) One of the best gifts you can give anyone is something useful, and few things are as universally useful as an appealing or attractive  calendar  for the year ahead (2022). ...

As a classroom teacher of English to adults for over 20 years, I’ve seen it all! From absolute beginners who become proficient in record time, to students registering for higher and higher levels of English without having mastered the basics, resulting in a patched and fragmented English that is complicated to produce and challenging to follow. The main reason why learners find it so strenuous to become skillful and eloquent in English is due to a sense of  having no time  to learn it. This results in: a lack of consolidation of basic English grammar, such as using auxiliaries for negatives and questions, for example a lack of exposure, that is, having the misperception that attending a 2-hour class twice a week and doing the “exercises” left for homework is the correct formula for truly making progress a lack of practice, i.e., not belonging to an English-speaking community, where they can safely express themselves without feeling intimidated or judged Now -...

  The Three Jewels  - Part (i) Last week we were speaking about the importance of perseverance in language acquisition and use. One thing is to give yourself a break, to rest, to take stock, and another is to give up, to quit, or to surrender. You haven't given up, have you? This could be the perfect time to pick up where you left off ( stopped ), and embark on that coveted ( strongly desired  -  / kʌ -vɪ-tɪd /)  ascent again. In overcoming the intermediate (or upper intermediate!) plateau, we definitely need perseverance. What else do we need? The Three Jewels occurred to me because we can learn about a very small part of what they represent and then bring them with us, as a source of loyal and unfailing support, as we move courageously towards fluency and proficiency in English. You might be wondering: what are The Three Jewels?  They are ideals that come from very ancient and profound Buddhist teachings containing infinite wisdom. We ...