Languages with Reka

Last week, while still being on maternity leave, I had the chance to attend the 9th Neurolanguage Coaching® Conference in the beautiful Sitges and it was such an inspiring experience. 💛
My journey with Neurolanguage Coaching began in 2021, when I took my first course with Rachel Paling. Since then, I’ve attended her webinars, completed two more NLC courses, and I dreamed of meeting her in person one day.🙈 Last week, that dream finally came true and I couldn’t be more grateful. 🥹 Rachel is a truly inspiring person who sees opportunities for change in education and works to make that change happen, sharing her vision with passion. 💛🙏🏻
Attending the conference was not only a professional event for me, but also an enriching and energising experience, connecting with like-minded people from all over the world. It was a beautiful resonance between heart and min, balance of thought-provoking presentations, meaningful conversations during breaks, and space to reflect. I'm also grateful to have met Gabi (Lingoholic), with whom I've exchanged ideas for years. We met briefly last December, and this time we had the chance to talk more in depth.😊

Here are some of my personal takeaways from the conference, based on my notes😊

💫 You need to coach yourself before you can coach someone else. (Nina Svorak)
💫 Music has an incredibly powerful impact on the brain and plays an essential role in immersive learning. (Clare Crawford)
💫 “Rituals offer the possibility of transforming activities as ordinary as morning routines or household chores...” → Create rituals for learning. (Bernd Gibson)
💫 Trauma and stress can significantly impact our learners’ behaviour. As language educators, we need to recognize the signs and understand behaviours like procrastination, frustration, perfectionism, resistance, low self-esteem, fear of failure, or defensiveness. (Federica Piga)
💫 “If you’re not funny, don’t try to be funny — just HAVE FUN.” → So powerful, isn’t it?“ �
“Words are how we think, stories are how we link.” (Mark Powell) �
To be a good storyteller, all you need is a good story. So simple, yet so true. → Learn through stories, because people connect with stories — not small talk. (Mark Powell)
💫 We need to seek out micro-moments of love. (George Kokolas)
💫 The evolution of our society has had a significant impact on learning difficulties and disorders. Our learners need our support in and outside the classroom more than ever before. (Luca dei Rossi)
💫 Between school and home, we need a mental reset. For those of us who are working remotely, it becomes even more important to switch off after work. (Marjorie Rosenberg)
💫 Energy is contagious, so as educators, we need to protect and keep high our own energy.
💫The brain is hardwired to notice novelty, contrast, meaning, and emotion → Using them in our classroom is essential to keep motivation high and to maintain engagement in the learning process.
💫 If you teach online, you need to reset your learners' brains every 4–6 minutes — through music, movement, switching activities, short breaks, novelty, or quiet moments. (Patricia de Griese)

I left the conference feeling inspired, motivated, recharged and so proud to be part of this supportive community.✨ I'm really excited to put these ideas into practice once I go back to work after my maternity leave.
I'm already looking forward to the next one, especially as it will be the 10th anniversary celebration. 🥳

Hello again! 😊

After a long pause here, I wanted to pop back in and share why I’ve been quiet: I’ve been on maternity leave since June 2024, spending precious time with my little boy. 💙 These past 10 months have brought a whole new kind of learning, showing me just how deeply connection, presence, and curiosity shape our growth, at any age. 💛

I also do my best to keep my English and French skills fresh whenever I can. However, it is not that easy at all. I’ll share more about how I’m navigating the balance between mom life and language learning, and what I’ve discovered along the way.

I'm using this time not only to be present as a mom, but also to deepen my understanding of effective language learning, so when I return to coaching, I’ll be even more prepared to support my learners. I love staying connected to the Neurolanguage Coaching community and soaking up inspiration whenever I can.

Thank you for sticking around🙏🏻, I'm looking forward to reconnecting, in my own rhythm, and sharing the journey when the time feels right. 😊

❗️A little reminder for us, language educators: Today, I came across a beautiful quote that deeply resonates with my approach to language learning and teaching:

„Teachers open the door🚪, but you must enter by yourself.” (Chinese proverbe)

This weekend, I participated in a Rachel Paling's webinar on integrating coaching into language teaching. Right at the beginning, we revisited one of the most important cornerstones of efficient language learning, which cannot be overemphasized: the significant role of ownership in the learning process. 👩🏼‍💻
It's a proven fact that taking responsibility and ownership in language learning leads to greater success. 🏆 When students autonomously self-regulate, they are more likely to achieve their goals and progress faster. 🎯As language educators, we must accept that our role is to open the door and present inspiring opportunities in the language learning journey. The learner, however, is the one who must step through that door and choose their own path and goals. This self-regulating process motivates learners, helps them tackle difficulties🤹🏼‍♂️, and encourages them to seek new opportunities. This brings me back to another favorite quote:

“The one who does the work is the one who does the learning.” - T. Doyle 🌱💛👩🏼‍💻

When I attended the Neurolanguage Coaching® course three and a half years ago, I had no idea it will transform not only my professional life but also my personal life. My understanding of successful and effective language learning shifted significantly. My own journey to learning French changed for the better. I couldn't be more grateful to Rachel Paling for providing such valuable insights. She showed me how we, as language educators, can enhance our learners' language processes, regardless of their linguistic backgrounds. 😊

By taking part in the advanced Neurolanguage Coaching® course, my goal was to enhance my skills how to facilitate language learning through neuroscience principles. This course provided me with new techniques and methodologies to support my learners more effectively, and with the ability to boost their confidence. I am excited about the opportunity to integrate these new methods into my coaching practice, and to create a more personalized and impactful learning experience for my clients.⚖️🚀🏆🌱😊

Let me share with you the 10 most important insights that Neurolanguage Coaching® has brought into my life:

💡 A completely new and effective approach to language teaching and learning
💡 A wonderful community of incredibly inspiring, like-minded people who share my passion for language coaching
💡 The ability to transfer language skills more effectively
💡 Insights into how emotional triggers impact learning outcomes
💡 Understanding how our brains work to foster a more effective learning process
💡 Tailored coaching techniques that suit individual learning styles
💡 Techniques how to reduce language learning anxiety
💡 Opportunities for continuous development and personal growth
💡 Wonderful, motivated, and ambitious clients who are willing to leave their comfort zones to explore new ways of language learning with me
💡 The opportunity to go beyond my own limiting beliefs and shift my perception of what is possible in language learning — the sky is the limit when we have the right tools in our hands.✍🏻💛

Learning a new language involves many components that we often overlook.🧐 While we focus on resources, finding a good teacher or coach, motivation, and strategy, one underrated factor is quality sleep.😴 As I mentioned in a previous post, healthy food can contribute to a healthy brain, but we shouldn’t forget the impact of night rest.

In today's post, I would like to emphasize the crucial role of quality sleep in language learning. While I'm no sleep expert, I've dived into podcasts, interviews, and books on this topic. It's clear that good sleep - more than just sleeping eight hours - can significantly affect numerous aspects of our lives, including language acquisition. 💪🏻👩🏼‍💻

I used to struggle with sleep for years. 🥱Going to bed after 11 pm, I found it hard to fall asleep due to the overstimulation from my phone, scrolling through irrelevant news and messages. Even with 9-10 hours of sleep, I woke up exhausted, hitting the snooze button multiple times.😵‍💫

Here's what I changed:

✅No phone after 8 pm.📵
✅I now go to bed at 10 pm and wake up at 6 am, every single day, without hitting the snooze button. (I have even disabled this function.)
✅I read before bedtime.
✅I try to avoid eating 2 hours before going to bed (still a work in progress!)

The effects have been remarkable:

🤩No daytime fatigue.
🤩Fresh wake-ups at 6 am.
🤩Calmness, less frustration, and reduced stress throughout the day.

Let me share with you 4 ways that quality sleep can improve in your language learning:

📌Focus: Quality sleep improves your focus and concentration. It makes it easier to absorb new vocabulary and grammar.

📌Memory: During sleep, our brains consolidate memories, helping us remember language lessons.

📌Creativity: Well-rested minds are more creative.

📌Less stress: Adequate sleep reduces stress levels, and facilitates smoother language acquisition.

Remember, a good night's sleep shouldn’t be a luxury. It is a powerful tool in your language learning journey. 💡Do you sleep smart enough? What bedtime routines or habits do you find most effective? 😴🥳

Did you know that embracing a growth mindset is essential in language learning? 💡

Cultivating a growth mindset can be your superpower 💪🏻 in your language learning journey. 🚀A growth mindset empowers you to see challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement.

Recently, I have read Carol Dweck's insightful book "Mindset”. Her work helped me understand the transformative power of believing in our potential. With each page, I've embraced the idea that our abilities are not predetermined, but shaped by our dedication, thoughts, way of thinking and resilience. 🌱💪🏻

When we approach language learning with a growth mindset, we open ourselves to new experiences, embrace mistakes as part of the learning process, and we look at the mistakes as opportunities for further improvement. Once we overcome an obstacle, we become more resilient and confident in our language abilities. And that is key. 🗝

In other words, it is crucial to shift our perspective from "I can't" to "I'm learning./I CAN DO IT." 💪🏻Don’t underestimate the power of celebration of our progress, learn from setbacks, difficulties and mistakes. And believe in your capacity to master your target languages. 🥰

Why is positive feedback so essential in the language learning process? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Giving positive feedback stimulates the production of dopamine, which plays an essential role in effective and enjoyable learning. 💪🏻🏆 As educators, we need to understand that our emotions and our attitude, such as positivity, comprehension, empathy, care, attention and tolerance towards our learners, create neurochemicals that can improve their memory, creativity and also enhance their performance. To provoke this brain state where the limbic system is calm, the continuous feedback is indispensable. 🗣As a teacher or coach, we need to take the opportunity whenever we can and recognize our students’ performance and comment on it with positive feedback. Our positive statements will enhance their learning process, increase their motivation, which will help them achieve their goals faster. 🏆

Whenever possible, acknowledge and reinforce their actions such as completion of the consolidation work (homework), doing extra work, trying something new, discovering a new grammar rule, correctly applying a new grammar, or engaging in a new learning method/strategy. 🥳👏🏻

In summary, positive feedback:

💛boosts the learners’ motivation and confidence.
💛reinforces the correct language usage.
💛encourages the learners to continue practicing.
💛creates a supportive learning environment.
💛reduces the fear of making mistakes.
💛improves the learners’ communication skills.
💛enhances the relationship between teacher and students.

What is the relationship between vegetables, fruits, nuts and language learning? 🤷🏼‍♀️
…
When it comes to language learning, I often come across numerous articles on expanding vocabulary, achieving fluency in six months, the best learning methods, and ways to track our learning progress.

Lately, I've been especially interested in how I can nourish my brain beyond just intense learning.

A crucial aspect often overlooked is the impact of healthy food on our brain's ability to concentrate, learn, and remember. Having an active lifestyle and adopting a healthy diet can significantly contribute to language learning success. By consuming specific natural foods, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and protein-rich meals regularly, we can nourish our minds while learning.

While I'm not a nutritionist or diet expert, I can offer some tips on incorporating brain-boosting foods into your daily life to enhance mental performance. It's important to note that consuming an avocado and salmon every day won't magically make all the words stick 🙃(unfortunately), but it can provide your brain with the necessary energy to facilitate learning. It's definitely worth a try! 😊

Let's explore the best brain foods that can improve our mental performance during the learning process:

🥑 Avocado: Rich in fats and antioxidants, avocados support healthy blood flow, promoting optimal brain function.

🥦 Broccoli: Packed with antioxidants and vitamin K, broccoli enhances cognitive function and helps protect the brain against stress.

🍫 Dark chocolate: Contains flavonoids, caffeine, and antioxidants, contributing to improved memory, focus, and overall cognitive function.

🫐 Blueberries: High in antioxidants, blueberries have been linked to improved memory and cognitive performance.

🍳 Eggs: A source of choline, eggs aid in the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for mood and memory regulation.

🍊 Orange: Loaded with vitamin C, oranges support the prevention of mental decline and contribute to overall brain health.

🐟Salmon: is rich in omega-3, specifically DHA, which are crucial for brain health. These fats support brain cell communication and can enhance our cognitive function and memory.

Additional brain-boosting foods: almonds, spinach, pumpkin seeds, coffee, turmeric, nuts, green tea etc.

In conclusion, maintaining an overall healthy and balanced diet, and doing exercises regularly, may contribute to increased mental performance. Consider adding a few of the foods above to your diet to support your language learning journey. It's worth a shot! 😊🍎

Reminder for all of us language learners: It is perfectly fine to start speaking a language imperfectly, because "language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly," (by Kató Lomb) and "failure is the only way to grow." (by Lewis Howes) 💪🏻🏆

As you've probably noticed, I'm a big fan of quotes. 🗣 I've been collecting them in a notebook for years and reading them every single day to boost my motivation and find inspiration. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you? 💫🌈✨☺️

One of my favorite quotes in language learning comes from Terry Doyle, “The one who does the work does the learning.” It reminds me of the importance of learner autonomy in the language learning process. As educators, we often feel responsible for creating a perfect learning plan, selecting the content, providing clear instructions to learners, and telling them what to do. In such cases, learners tend to take on a passive role.

Coaching, nevertheless, adopts a learner-centered approach by taking into account the complexity of the brain and how it works.🧠 As Terry Doyle emphasizes the essence of independent learning, NLC supports the learner's autonomy throughout the entire learning process.

How does neurolanguage coaching® foster independent learning?👩🏼‍💻

📍 Setting own goals (mechanical and mastery goals).
📝 Taking an active role in creating an action plan.
🤩 Exploring intrinsic motivation to boost learning and accountability.
💛 Finding activities that align with the preferred learning style.
👩🏼‍💻 Learning outside the coaching session.
📚 Developing awareness of independent language learning.

And what are the benefits of learning independently? ✨ ️

⭐️ It arouses curiosity. ️
⭐️ It encourages learners to explore the language from a new perspective.
⭐️ Language learners have complete control over their own learning process.
⭐️ Learners take more risks.
⭐️ They aren’t afraid of making mistakes.

At the moment, I am unable to offer more NLC sessions, but I encourage all of you to reach out to any of my wonderful neurolanguage coaching colleagues.🥰 As soon as some spots become available, I will notify you. 🙏🏻😊Meanwhile, my new project is coming soon where you will have the opportunity to learn independently with a flexible and convenient way to improve the Hungarian language at your own pace while receiving professional feedback from me. 😊 Details coming soon. 🙂

And how do you learn languages on your own? Remember? „The language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly.” (Kató Lomb – Hungarian polyglot) 🥰

Have you ever heard of one of the world's first simultaneous interpreters who spoke more than 16 languages? 🤩🗣

Meet Kató Lomb (a Hungarian interpreter and translator🇭🇺), an incredible inspiration for all language learners. Her PASSION for languages allowed her to develop the ability to fluently interpret in nine languages. She worked in 16 languages most of which she learned AUTONOMOUSLY.

Let's see some of Kató Lomb's fundamental beliefs about achieving success in language learning.🏆

🗣Kató Lomb believed that a strong method is more crucial in language learning than the vague concept of innate ability.

🗣According to her, even a sentence full of mistakes “can still build bridges between people.” 🌉

🗣In her words, "a foreign language is a castle," and we must approach it from different angles to conquer it. 🏰

Which of these beliefs resonates with you the most? 🙂