Episodes
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We often criticise ourselves for not being 'good enough', but self-criticism can destroy confidence. So in this episode I share my 'C.R.A.P' method to reduce self-criticism and frustration with your English.
Yes - you read that correctly! Self-criticism is so damaging, that it deserves the 'crap' word!
I share four steps you can take to restore your confidence in your English and to enjoy your achievements.
Vocabulary notes
Give yourself some leeway = room for free movement
Cut yourself some slack = forgive yourself for mistakesSend us a text
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If you had to choose between fluency and accuracy in English, which would you choose? Speaking without hesitation, or speaking without mistakes?
Many people would probably choose fluency - but it's a little more complicated than that!
In this episode, I share my ideas on
- the 'deeper' reasons why fluency is often the main goal
- why some mistakes are more important than others
- two things you can do if you can't correct your mistakes
Vocabulary notes
dig deeper = find the deeper reasons for something
filter out = not hear / ignore
iron out = eliminateSend us a text
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Missing episodes?
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Inspiration is a really positive emotion for learning English as it can motivate you and give you a goal.
In this episode, I share some ways that you can use inspiration to make progress in English. It's a short episode, which was 'inspired' by a comment by a student!
Vocabulary
role-model = someone who provides a 'model' for you to follow
reverse engineering = when you work backwards from a resultSend us a text
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Jason Levine (also known as "Fluency MC") combines learning English with rap, and his English 'shows' in schools help students become more confident and more fluent in English.
In this episode, he shares why he started writing songs to help English students in New York with the TOEFL test.
Find out:
- how rhythm and rhyme can help you to learn English (and why our brains love music so much!)
- why rap is one of the best music types for learning English
- why you don't need to be able to sing!
As a special bonus, Jason also demonstrates part of his song "Get A Life". How many collocations with "get" did you hear?
Find out more about Jason here:
Jason's YouTube channel
Get A Life
Jason is also giving a talk at the English Fluency Summit - a free online event. Get your invitation here (and make sure you come to Jason's talk!)
English Fluency SummitSend us a text
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In this episode, special guest Craig Wealand (from inglespodcast.com) shares six ways of getting more fluent in English. Craig is a very experienced English teacher that you might remember from the Advanced English Summit in April.
Craig's six fluency tips range from 'paid' to 'free', and in this episode you'll find out:
- a surprising way to get English conversation practice
- three ways to make sure an English course is right for you
- three free - but super effective - ways to get more fluent in English
But there's more!
Craig is one of the speakers at the new English Fluency Summit in September this year. He'll be giving 12 tips for English fluency - don't miss his talk!
The English Fluency Summit is completely free, and you can get your access here:
The English Fluency Summit
See you there!Send us a text
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Do you have a gameplan (strategy) for improving your English?
In this episode, I share a simple - but very effective - 'gameplan' that I heard about from a student recently.It was effective, because it brought spectacular results in quite a short period of time.
If you don't have a gameplan for English, I also give you a five-step plan to create your own!
Send us a text
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If you have a big goal in English, it's a good idea to divide it into smaller steps. But there's something else you can do, so that you feel inspired and motivated at each step. This extra tool for goal-setting is called "coaching circles", and it's extremely powerful.
In this episode find out:
- what 'coaching circles' are, and why they're so good for helping you make progress in English without stress
- how to use them for writing an English CV
- how they can help you build your confidence step by step
More resources from the episode
If you'd like more resources for writing a CV, check out my ebook and course:
How To Write A CV - ebook on Amazon. (Get 10% free as a sample)
English For Your Career - a complete guide & self-study course for writing a CV, plus bonus chapter with powerful verbsSend us a text
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Why should you choose self-study English courses over 'classroom' textbooks or online resources?
In this podcast, I share three reasons why self-study courses can be a great option if you're learning English on your own.
There's actually a fourth reason why it's a really good time to invest in your English this week!
Check out the link below to get my special 50% discount!
https://smartenglishcoach.com/offerSend us a text
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Journalling is an amazingly effective, free way to improve all areas of your English. It helps not just with vocabulary and writing, but also with your speaking skills and confidence.
In this episode, Sarah Morgan shares her best tips for using journalling. Find out:
- what journalling is
- how she used it to build confidence
- how to start journalling - and to keep going at it
Sarah is going to show you exactly how you can use it at the 'Relax Into Your English' digital retreat (19 and 20 July). You can join for free here:
Relax Into Your English
Get in touch with Sarah! Sarah regularly shares tips on journalling in English and on confidence.
Sarah's website
Sarah's InstagramSend us a text
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How can you improve your English almost instantly? Anna Connelly, from the Confident Business English podcast shows us three simple ideas with a huge impact!
In this episode, find out:
- three ways to improve your English quickly
- how these ways help you to 'automate' and simplify your English where possible
- how these ways help you to have more professional and effective conversations
In fact, these three ideas are so good that I asked Anna for a bonus fourth tip!
Links in this episode
Make sure you listen to Anna's podcast. She gives lots of useful advice and strategies, especially if you use English at work.
Confident Business English Podcast
Get 11 English quick wins from Anna to increase your confidence and speaking. (It's completely free!)
11 Business English Quick WinsSend us a text
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How do you become a successful English speaker? At school you learnt grammar rules and vocabulary, but to keep making progress, how you feel about English is important.
In this episode, I talk about three emotions that will help you learn English successfully. The episode is based on what I see my students doing, and on my own experience of learning languages.
You'll find out:
- the emotions that help you learn, and
- examples of how to use them to your advantageSend us a text
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When there's so much advice and so many strategies for learning English, which do you choose? How can you avoid confusion and overwhelm so that you can follow the right learning path for you?
In this episode, I share the strategy of one student who has created a clear focus for English learning. I look at:
- how you can create your own focus
- how to choose learning activities that match your focus
- how to 'measure' your results
I hope you enjoy hearing about my student - and that his story will help you feel more in control of your English learning!Send us a text
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Short, fun and motivating 'challenges' can help you improve your English fluency quickly.
They're great if you don't have many opportunities to speak in English, or if you don't have much confidence. They're even better when you can get expert feedback on your speaking, so you know exactly where your English is already good, and the areas to focus on.
In this episode, I share the 3 things that work really well in speaking challenges, and the details of the Summer Fluency Challenge in June 2024.
Get all the details here:
Summer Fluency ChallengeSend us a text
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What can you do to avoid stopping your English study? How can you keep going so that you get all the benefits of an advanced level of English?
In this episode, I talk about the five main reasons why you stop learning English, and three things that you can do to keep going.
Link in this episode
Get the 30-Day Study Guide when you join the Advanced English Membership!Send us a text
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If you feel that your English isn't good enough, or that you can't do your job as well as an English native speaker, this episode is for you! I show you why you might have 'Imposter Syndrome', why it can stop your progress in English - and four things you can do to deal with it.
Link in this episode
Episode 66 of the Smart English Coach podcast - How to beat imposter syndrome to speak confidentlySend us a text
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Is English more difficult to understand than other languages?
This was one of the questions I asked Tree Blackmore. We talked about:
- the reasons why listening is difficult - particularly in English
- why English vocabulary makes listening difficult
- some activities and ideas for improving listening and understanding (including one related to pronunciation)This podcast was recorded on Zoom, so the audio quality isn't as high as usual. But if you find listening difficult, the ideas in this episode will be really helpful for you!
Link
The Advanced English Summit - the world's first online event especially for people who want to get to advanced English level. It runs from Wednesday 17th April to Friday 19th April, with 10 talks by different teachers.Send us a text
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In this episode, listen to Luke Thompson (host of Luke's English Podcast) talk about how to really learn vocabulary - and not just stare at word lists.
We talk about the importance of learning vocabulary for advanced level, the mistakes to avoid when you try to learn vocabulary, and the tools and resources you can use to make it easier.
We're both great fans of dictionaries, and Luke also suggests some really useful ones which will increase your synonyms and phrases.
Luke is going to speak at the Advanced English Summit, and you can go to his talk - for free!
Get your invitation from the link below:
Advanced English Summit
Make sure you listen to Luke's podcast. It's probably the biggest and most popular podcast for English learners - and you'll learn a lot of new vocabulary there. Here's the link:
Luke's English PodcastSend us a text
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If you use English for your work, "disfluencies" in English are something you should avoid.
In this episode, I interview Craig Wealand, an English teacher and podcaster, who specialises in fluency, disfluency and advanced communication skills.
Craig explains how disfluencies stop you from sounding professional, and gives several examples of what they are.
If you want to find out how to avoid making them, come along to Craig's session at the Advanced English Summit.
The link to join (it's free!) is here:
Advanced English Summit
What is the Advanced English Summit?
It's a 3-day event especially for intermediate level English learners who want to get to advanced English level.
Come along to 10 different sessions (on speaking, listening, grammar, writing, vocabulary AND exam skills.) All the speakers are professional English teachers, coaches and podcasters.
It's completely free and live on Zoom.
Advanced English SummitSend us a text
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A simple, but very powerful thing when you learn English is finding happiness from it - because this will help you get quicker results.
It isn't just because feeling happy gives you more motivation. There are other benefits that you get when you enjoy speaking or using English.In this episode, discover:
- the three extra benefits of feeling happy when you learn English
- three practical ways you can find this happiness
I also share my story of feeling happy when I speak Italian - the inspiration for this episode!
Links in this episode
The English Fluency Club - a place to meet and speak to other professionals from around the world
My contact page - let me know how I can help you!Send us a text
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To choose the right English learning activities, there's one question you need to ask yourself first.
Your answer will help you to avoid spending hours on the wrong activities, and not making the progress you want.
Your answer will also help you to create the best learning plan for you, and to develop the right habits which will get you to your goals more quickly.
So, what is this question?
Listen to the podcast to find out! (And to get some example strategies that you can follow.)
Link in this episode
The English Fluency Club helps you to become more confident in English. Try it out and you WILL see and feel a difference in your English!Send us a text
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