Overcoming the Intermediate Plateau - or, The Power is Within You, Part 2

 

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 could spend the rest of our lives contemplating The 3 Jewels: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.

But for the purposes of this message, let us be reductionist and adapt The Three Jewels to mean:

1) Teacher, 2) Materials, and 3) Community

Therefore, with your perseverance, and equipped with Teacher, Materials and Community, you can become a proficient user of English.

Let us look a bit more deeply at the first Jewel, Teacher:

Whenever someone trains to become an English teacher to adults, they learn about the different roles of the teacher in the classroom. Some of these roles include:

• Controller, because the teacher is in charge of the class. She/He decides what is done, at what time, and by who
• Assessor, because a teacher must think critically, creatively, and logically. They must know how students learn, what skills they have and how they are progressing
• Manager, because the teacher plans, organises, arranges the environment to maximise efficiency, monitors progress and anticipates problems
• Resource provider, because the teacher helps students locate information, resources, materials, and equipment
• Participant, which is when the teacher participates in the class as an equal, or when the teacher takes on the role of student
• Investigator, because a teacher needs to develop a deeper understanding of what learning and thinking are, and they also need to learn the power of careful observation
• Role model, because teachers show students how to make sense of the world, and express different ideas in a peaceful way. This includes how they should act when they speak with others, and how to listen deeply to other points of view.

So that’s all quite interesting, isn’t it?

But what many of us teachers forget, is the purpose behind these roles. The reason why teachers assume these roles is to promote learner autonomy, that is, to encourage students to become their own teachers.

In other words: the Teacher is out there, but the Teacher is also within you.

No doubt you can see how you also play these roles within your own context? Think of instances in your life where you play the role of Controller, Assessor, Manager, Resource provider, Participant, Investigator and Role model. At home and at work, we all play these roles in one way or another.

What’s important is the realisation that the Teacher in you wants the learner in you to:

1) take responsibility for your own learning

2) set your own goals

3) select your own materials

4) monitor and assess your own learning through journalling or reflective practices, and

5) evaluate the effectiveness of your learning

But how can you do this when there’s so much information out there about English, so many options in the form of books, videos, podcasts, teachers and schools, for you to choose from? Where should you start, what direction should you take?

What if I told you that my signature programme is, in essence, “English in a box”? 

What if everything you need to become a proficient user of English were contained within my programme?

If you’re looking for a step-by-step roadmap, with clear instructions and live coaching about what to do and how to do it, in order to go from struggling or frustrated to becoming a confident user of real-life, standard, global English, all you need to do is set up a free consultation. No strings attached. 

During our call, I'll really want to understand where you are and where you want to go.

Are you a good fit for Confident English Training?

Book your consultation to find out.

Looking forward to diving into your goals! 🚀

P.S. ⭐️ Please share this email with anyone you know who might need it! ⭐️