The Plant Method

The Plant Method is a great way to have meaningful, authentic, and impactful language conversation lessons! No textbooks required!

The next online course starts soon, November 2, 2023, I hope you can join us!

Learn more at www.theplantmethod.com!

Remember, your teacher correcting your language errors be just like weeding the garden.

And there be some old, scary, beautiful weeds.

We invite you to join us in a journey of the heart. Tap into your authenticity and live a happier, healthier life of joy. Six lessons, six weeks, for you and a friend. (Or share with your wife, lover, boyfriend, or any significant other) more details at www.theplantmethod.com

Be a Contributor, not a Guru! (The Plant Method with Jen Hill Newsletter) "Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Henry Van D**e

After a long winter of hibernation, spring has arrived and so has my first newsletter! I hope you enjoy reading it. Please share and subscribe!

Be a Contributor, not a Guru! (The Plant Method with Jen Hill Newsletter) "Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Henry Van D**e

Našly jsme houby! (We found mushrooms!)

Test your use of English for this popular Czech activity by choosing either A or B in the sentences below!! (One answer is correct, the other is incorrect)

Czech people often A) pick up mushrooms or B) go mushrooming in the autumn. Some people are so A) skilled or B) handy at finding mushrooms, they collect entire baskets of them!

There are groups of people A) in or B) on Facebook that will help you identify your mushrooms. If you send them a picture, they can tell you if the mushroom is A) poisoned or B) poisonous.

My amazing partner made vegan dršťková polévka from this mushroom she collected from the tree. Believe me, using hlíva (this type of mushroom) is A) tastier or B) more tasty than tripe!

..

Ready to check your answers? B, A, B, B, A!

There is something bright and luminous inside each of us. Our lives are a rich tapestry, full of experiences and interests and characters.

We all have this radiance, this beauty. We all have something to share with the world.

So hold on to what is luminous and bright in yourself, and in others, and in life itself, in spite of all challenges.

There is only one you. So take time today to see your own radiance. You don't need language for this. Some things don't need language at all.

How often do you review the notes from your last language lesson?

This is my review from my lesson on Monday. It's not perfect, I've made mistakes, but I'm learning my target language! (Words that are underlined)

Try to return to your notes two or three days after the lesson for maximum learning!

(And if you can use colored markers and draw pictures, it's even funner!)

What are you interested in?

Use it to learn a new language!

I love reading tarot cards, so I picked up a Czech language deck as soon as I arrived and started reading Czech descriptions of the cards. I translated a lot, but a lot of those words stuck with me!

What are you passionate about? Just become passionate in a new language!

My beautiful assistant, Fifi, is taking a nap while I teach an 8:30 am group lesson.

My dear friends, colleagues, current and former students of geekStarter and current and former students of English, I'm so pleased to announce the launch of my own educational small business, The Plant Method!

I came to the Czech Republic in 2015, eager to learn a new vocation and to experience a new language and culture. In the seven years since then, I have taught thousands of hours of English lessons, and mentored and observed hundreds of teachers. As time passed, I realised that there was another way to teach and learn languages, a way that was focused on conversation, where learners used their own life experience and interests to produce rich language, and teachers supported the learners with new vocabulary and grammar. I have consolidated all my findings to produce the methodology behind The Plant Method. (More on the methodology to come!)

For now, let me simply take a note to celebrate the journey I've taken so far. From my days at college learning horticulture to my fulfilling role as a program coordinator with young scientists at AITF, from my first lessons at James Cook Languages to my online-only teaching career from a cottage in Brno, I can use everything in my past to support me in my new venture. It all reminds me of one lesson I've learned time and again...

Nothing in life is wasted. All experience can be beneficial. It's all a matter of mindset.

Please follow me as I continue this amazing journey, and learn with me as I share my passion for authentic connection with the world!

(Image - Me in front of 150ish other language teachers at the AJS Conference on Saturday, October 15, 2022, presenting my method through an interactive workshop.)