The Power of Community: Finding Supportive Online and Offline Language Friends

Over 20 years ago, I stumbled upon (to discover something by chance) a random invitation and decided to accept it.

It was an announcement to join a secular meditation session at the Friends Meeting House in Covent Garden, back when I lived in London.

That session, together with countless others since then - so many wonderful memories to treasure! - have been profoundly transformational in my understanding of the world, and have led me to where I am today, appreciating and enjoying life deeply, even while challenges might also be there, and helping expert professionals at advanced levels become more genuinely confident and fluent in English through my ongoing English training program, designed and created based on my own experience, both as an English language teacher to adults, and as a (Brazilian) Portuguese learner as well.

As an English language teacher, I interact every day with people from all walks of life (people who have many different jobs or positions in society), and as a mindfulness practitioner, I understand the paramount importance of community-building. Practising with local and international communities online and offline, as well as guiding live sessions for my Confident English Training community members, are an integral part of what I do.



Many expert professionals at advanced English levels are looking for more opportunities to connect with others and establish authentic friendships. My English training program is based on a holistic approach to language development, that is, an integrated language skills approach, which emphasises using all four skills together in realistic and meaningful contexts, rather than practising them in isolation. In this way, you develop fluency and communication skills that you can use in real-life situations, as you become more internally open to joining English-speaking communities that discuss topics of your own choice.

To find out more (and take the opportunity to discuss your English language journey and aspirations) book a complimentary call by selecting a day and time that suits you to have a real-life conversation. If you're serious about upgrading your English, I can help.

See you soon!



 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts

Discover the Benefits of Joining a Book Club in English

Image
  The CET Book Club is starting soon! And what could be a better way of starting a Book Club in English -  for speakers of other languages at intermediate (B1) level or above -  than by reading the transformational gem,  The Art of Communicating , by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, live on zoom together? Very often, students and clients report that although they understand it very well, they feel stuck, anxious or unable to communicate in English satisfactorily, leading to a strong sense of loss of opportunity in their professional contexts. Part of the reason for this might be what I refer to as  undernourished English , that is, insufficient exposure to English through reading and listening.  The CET Book Club in English will address this directly by offering you the opportunity to develop your English language skills through the option of reading the corresponding chapter first, and then by following the transcript as you listen to one of us reading it out loud live during our weekly me
Read more

The MBA and the Eight Worldly Winds

Image
  I completed the Inner MBA over the weekend!  Well done, me! ⭐️ But wait! Don't go. Before clicking "Like" and moving on, read about how earning this Certificate is interconnected with The Eight Worldly Winds . What are The Eight Worldly Winds? According to Buddhist teachings, our human nature necessarily means that we will all experience, at one time or another, being " blown about " (that's deeply affected in the moment) by the Eight Worldly Winds (or Conditions): gain and loss status and disgrace (or success and failure) praise and censure (or praise and blame) pleasure and pain This is great news when the Winds brings gain, status/success, praise and pleasure, but not so good when they carry loss, disgrace/failure, censure/blame, or pain. We all try to find ways of reducing our distress when the winds of the world bring devastating storms of suffering to our doorstep. It is our natural instinct to protect ourselves from the pain of the four (unpleasant
Read more

La meditación - preguntas y respuestas

Image
La intención es que este blog sea el producto de una colaboración entre ustedes y yo – nosotros J - por lo que se me ocurren 5 preguntas que podrían surgir en relación a la práctica y a mi, la autora, las cuales trataré de contestar lo mejor que pueda, pero además me encantaría que en los comentarios agregues tus preguntas, e igualmente, trataré de contestarlas, y si quieres agregar algo o expresar alguna idea adicional, por favor hazlo: te escucho J ¿Cómo funciona y para qué sirve la meditación? Bueno, es importante aclarar que aunque hayan muchos beneficios, los practicantes no meditamos con ese fin, o sea que al sentarnos no hay una meta por alcanzar, sino que nos sentamos porque disfrutamos de hacerlo. Simple y sencillamente, meditamos porque nos gusta. Lo cual no significa que no resulten importantes beneficios . Al contrario, la práctica de la meditación es transformadora , y los cambios que produce son múltiples y de gran profundidad - científicamente compr
Read more