Mindfulness Reflections

  In a classroom, when the teacher asks, "What kind of word is this?", it is not uncommon for there to be a gap, a moment of silence, before learners are able to stop their thoughts, take a closer look and recognise language form. An analogy: imagine walking past or being within a beautiful building. You admire its beauty, but you might also wonder what its different parts are made of and how it was put together. When it comes to language, if we want to become more fluent and confident, we must also stop, examine and ask ourselves: what is this made of and how is it put together?  The part of speech we call nouns are like the bricks, stones, wood or steel of construction. They are commonly the subject or the object of the communication, so in  this week's video , we're reviewing nouns: what they are, how they work in English and why it is important to know. The question of looking deeply isn't for everyone, but for those of you looking for mo...

  In this week's video I've put together some of the most common English sayings we'd use at home when I was growing up. Here's one thing you can do after watching: go to the comments section on YouTube, post a public comment and I'll answer you there! I'd love to hear from you, and taking just a few minutes to write and upload your thoughts is only one way of using English in your day-to-day, busy life for a purpose that is practical and particular to you. There are countless other ways. Using creative and personalised ideas to practise and expand your English skills can be so enjoyable, especially when you have a step by step roadmap to guide and teach you exactly how to proceed to bring clarity and deeper understanding to the way you learn . Now is the time to find out more, by deciding to schedule a call to speak about your needs and goals: what are your English aspirations? Let's make them happen together. See you on Zoom! #usefulenglishproverbs #lear...

  You might remember I recently sent out an invitation for you to "Ask Me Anything!"? It has been great fun reading all your enquiries and wonderful to know you'd like to learn more about me and what I do. So, as promised, here's this week's video with all the answers. I really hope you like it and if you do, give me a thumbs up on YouTube, subscribe to the channel and if you have any further questions, comments, suggestions, ideas, or you'd just like to say hello, do get in touch, I'd love to hear from you!

Good things come to those who wait. Have you heard this expression? In today's day and age, with technology, AI and the illusion of instant gratification, we might be misled into thinking that we can achieve great things quickly if we just try harder, work longer hours, and do more. The fact is that our long-term objectives cannot be realised in the short-term, but this does not mean we shouldn't have long-term objectives! In  this week's video , I speak with Karina, who joined my Confident English Training program well over a year ago, and has recently been offered to teach a postgraduate course in Sociology of Law  in English  to international students at a prestigious European institute later this year. Karina shares her reflections on how the many elements within the program, especially the mindfulness practices, support her as she continues to develop her English skills and what this exciting opportunity means to her, personally and prof...

  One of the key features of my English training program is the way it invites you to go deeper and explore abstraction and contemplation in English, instead of just functional language. When we think of function, it's our intellectual, thinking mind that tells us how to express the idea in English. This is of course very useful. But our intellectual mind is also critical and judgemental, so if we want to truly become confident and fluent in English, it's helpful to go deeper and ground ourselves in practices that bring calm and relaxation to our agitated lifestyles that prevent us from focusing and concentrating with ease and joy. Regardless of our religion, most of us here in the West are familiar with common Christian prayers, and engaging with familiar material is another very useful way of gaining confidence in English. For these and other reasons, we look at one of the most iconic Christian prayers in English in this week's video . Have you ever prayed in English? Hav...