15/09/2021
I really love it when I see people using creative methods to help us remember spellings or aspects of a language that we might forget. It inspires me to do the same. I'll share some of my ideas with you here but for now let's appreciate the genius of this✨
08/09/2021
Today is International Literacy Day. Literacy builds life skills that help people thrive in their lives. In the UK 70% of pupils permanently excluded from school have difficulties in basic literacy skills. 25% of young offenders are said to have reading skills below those of the average 7 year old and 60% of the prison population are said to have difficulties in basic literacy skills. Becoming literate vastly improves your chances of living a successful life, increases your self esteem and really empowers you. Literacy really does change lives.✨
01/09/2021
When we're learning and we do tests to show how much we've learned, it is very easy to get so focused on the percentage we have received and lose sight of the progress we've made. I feel sad when tests are handed back to students and all I hear is 'What did you get? I got.... and then their percentage is compared to another's percentage. Then when the test is gone through in class, instead of learners looking at what mistakes they've made and why, that percentage they've received is all they can think of. Self evaluation is so necessary for us learners. It shows us what we need to do to move forward. It can be very disheartening for those who haven't received the same high result as the other learners and this focus on the end result can be detrimental to the learning process. Of course percentages are important, especially if you are preparing for exams but they are not everything and comparing our results with others can lead to lack of growth and deep unhappiness. We are all unique and learn at different rates and once we embrace that and the belief that It's the progress not the percentage that really matters, our learning experience can take on a whole new dimension all together.✨
28/08/2021
Once, one of the learners I coach showed me a book he was reading and listening to at the same time. It was a classic novel that is on the reading list of many schools and colleges. I asked him if he was enjoying the book and he said 'no, not really', so I asked him about the books he loved to read in his own language, which is Italian and his favourite genre was completely different to the one he'd been trying to enjoy. I suggested that he stop reading the book he thought he should read and start reading the one he wanted to read. When you're learning another language and you need to develop your reading skills, choose a book that really interests you. If books aren't for you get a magazine on a subject area that fascinates you and read that. Reading is a fabulous way to widen your vocabulary and great for seeing grammar in context. So if right now, you're re-reading the same chapter again because you can't get into the book you're reading, change it to one you know you'll enjoy. When you're learning a language, enjoyment is so important and makes your learning experience more productive and much more memorable✨
27/08/2021
I've learned from being a learning coach and a language learner that perhaps the biggest block to learning is our own mindset. For us to grow in our confidence and our abilities, we need a growth mindset. A growth mindset is when you as a learner believe your talents can be developed through hard work and good strategies. Those with a growth mindset achieve more than those with a fixed mindset. What mindset do you have? ✨
25/08/2021
Many years ago I started to coach a ten year old boy with his Spanish. He didn't like his Spanish class at school and after we chatted more he told me the reason why. He didn't like his Spanish teacher and when he told me that she had told him he wouldn't pass his Spanish test, I understood even more why that class was so challenging for him. I felt sad that a teacher would have said that to him instead of encouraging him, yet I was determined that together he and I would work hard and prove her wrong. When he told me that he got one of the highest grades in the class I was so proud of him and the smile on his face was just wonderful to see. The more a person keeps telling us we can't do something ; the more we need to tap into our inner strength, believe in ourselves and show them we can.✨
24/08/2021
I really love that being a learning coach and English teacher has given me so many fascinating insights into other cultures. Learning a second language really can make you feel like you've become a different person. It improves your ability to understand other people and this understanding can make you a better person as it makes you more empathetic.✨