Hey there! This is TOP episode 159. How to Track Learning Language Progress?
My name’s Ola and I am an online English teacher. I believe you can eliminate your language blockade. The secret word here is consistency. There are other secret words too. That is why I record this podcast’s episodes, and each comes with a little worksheet, a one-pager to help you digest and test what you’ve practised here. You can speak English with more confidence, slay that fear and enjoy new freedoms.
Visit my website for full transcripts and worksheets to each episode. Visit my shop at teacherola.com and enjoy your journey to fluency! Happy learning!
Hello and thank you for pressing or tapping play. I’m so glad you’re here because this episode is really important. Today you’ll find out whether your goals are sensible, doable and how to track the progress!
Before we get into the lyrics. Let me tell you, I am working on my Speak English with tv series course, a programme focused on one skill only, speaking. Grab a checklist, the link is in the description and see if the course is for you.
Also! Every Thursday at 11 am I go live just for a quick chat with you. You’ll find me as teacherola.podcast. So join me on Thursday at 11:00 live on Instagram!
Visit my shop, buy a Worksheet set, and have your Worksheets in one place. They’re editable. They include a habit tracker. Check out my e-book with episode transcripts.
If you would like to join my lessons in a small group of 6 people, let me know. Write an email or catch me on Instagram. Thank’s for your patience and let’s get back to the episode.
To measure the progress we need to set goals in the first place. So, what should be your goal? Passing an exam and obtaining a certificate should not be your goal. Moving on from B2 to C1 level should not be your goal. I just sort of assume you’re here to start speaking English fluently. Beat your fear of speaking and enjoy communication. How can any certificate help you achieve that? Well, it cannot. Only you can track your progress and only you can say at some point in your language journey that ok, now I’m fluent. I speak my mind and I’m satisfied.
The so-called ‘problem’ with this perspective I presented is that it’s hard to measure. It’s actually impossible to measure it. So you gotta set yourself a different goal.
Set something more of a system. Set a system, enter the system and track your progress this way. All that goals give you is something to point toward. Goals don’t guarantee you’ll make any progress. They’re nothing. I want to speak English fluently. Ok, you’ve got your goal, but don’t stop here. Set a system. The running system is your real goal. The system gives you real, tangible, visible progress. Let me tell you the details.
I will now recommend something unpopular. Normally you are told by teachers what to do precisely. What to read, what to listen to, what words to learn. Now, I’d like you to listen to yourself. Trust your intuition. While building your system listen to your guts. Before I move on, I have to direct you to episode 76 titled: Buy a Notebook and Do THIS for 10 min a Day. It’s TOP, obviously. I wanted to mention it because it gives you a ready-made system. However, it’s not tailored to suit your personal, particular needs, because nobody can do this for you! The system I presented in episode 76 is fantastic, it’ll give you results (if you stick to it patiently) but it’s not tailored you suit your needs.
The best thing about the system put in place is that it builds a new person. You say you want to become fluent and fearless in speaking English what do you think such a person does? They speak English fluently whenever and wherever they wish. So what you should be doing? You should do it every day until you’re able to say: I speak English fluently every day, right? It’s logical. If you want to become a dancer you start dancing. You dance regularly until you are able to say I’m a dancer because I dance every day and I feel I’m good at it.
The system. Now, here’s where you gotta listen to yourself, your intuition. You cannot do everything at once. You have to pick something and stick to it until you have enough experience with this method to say that you need a change. I say it’s at least one full month. 30 days.
You can choose between:
- speak to yourself out loud every day
- do something uncomfortable, that is: speak English to a foreigner or an online tutor
- record an audio of yourself speaking English
- translate 5 sentences into English
- watch a tv series in English and make notes of useful phrases
- personalize the vocabulary from the show you’ve watched by building probable dialogues to use in the future
- stick to a learning system you have in place
- get back to that online course you bought some time ago and do it daily
These are just few ideas of things you could be doing daily to start speaking English.
Built yourself a system, built habits and track them. Track them because if you are able to say that ok, look at the habit tracker I’ve just done 30 days of speaking English out loud for 20 minutes and I’ve done my wordcards every day for 30 days. I have also left my comfort zone twice this month and I spoke English with someone. Be it an online tutor, a phone call, a language exchange, or a tourist you met on the town. Well, what does it sound like? Because to me, it sounds like somebody has met his or her goal! I love it!
If you have a system in place it will inevitably drive you towards fluency. It has to. There’s no magic solution. No magic wand. If you do something long enough, patiently, and consistently, you see the results. End of story. Nobody can do it for you, but you can. And I believe you will.
And the feeling that comes after a month of solid work toward your goal, it’s hard to describe. You will feel fulfilled, you’ll feel that you can do it, and it’ll boost your confidence. When you see the progress you see the results and you are driven to go on. You’ll be unstoppable. You go to that job interview in English or visit your kids who live in the UK or travel abroad on your own in no time.
As you know, each episode includes this practical part where you speak English out loud. Let’s do it now, listen and repeat:
How can any certificate help you achieve that?
It’s actually impossible to measure it.
Goals don’t guarantee you’ll make any progress.
The running system is your real goal.
Trust your intuition.
It’s not tailored to suit your personal, particular needs, because nobody can do this for you!
You cannot do everything at once.
You have to pick something and stick to it until you have enough experience
If you have a system in place it will inevitably drive you towards fluency.
If you do something long enough, patiently, and consistently, you see the results.
When you see the progress you see the results and you are driven to go on.
Amazing! Now, go to your inbox and get the worksheet to test yourself. Translate the sentences into English. Each episode is a practical and free class.
If you aren’t a member of TOPeople download the worksheet from teacherola.com/159. By doing that you’ll become a member and receive my weakly newsletter.
If you find this episode useful, tell your friends about my podcast. Thank you so much for doing so! Please rate this podcast wherever you listen, be it Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcast or YouTube. Thanks again! I’ll see you next Wednesday! Happy learning. Take care! Stay fearless and say it out loud! Bye!