As part of starting 2010 on the right note, ask yourself why you are studying English. How you answer this question may help you become a more motivated, autonomous student.
Why are you studying English? When I meet new people at parties, conferences, events, cafes, and bars, many tell me they are learning English. Yet when I ask them why, they don’t always have a clear reason.
Having a competent level of English is a necessary requirement for many companies in non-English speaking countries, and is naturally requested of foreign employees in the UK, USA and Australia, among others. Many people learn English because that’s what is expected of them, and what they hope will help them get ahead. The paradox, however, is that even though students and clients recognise that English can help open doors for them at work, they don’t feel they are studying the language for themselves.
That somehow ‘work’ is separate from their true identity: they don’t ‘own’ their learning.
I’ve seen two broad groups of students in my eleven years’ of living and teaching in Europe:
1) The “not so enthusiastic” learner:
This is someone taking lessons to fulfil some exterior or ‘outside’ motivation. Maybe their company has told them they must get a Cambridge exam. Maybe they need English to be able to attend an international conference. Quite often once they reach their desired goal for English, they no longer take classes, as they were doing English for their company (as they saw it).
2) The “I’m doing this for me” learner:
This is someone who is genuinely motivated internally or intrinsically to get better at English, and to use their English to help them improve their lifestyle.
Adopting an “it’s for me” mindset
Traditionally, there has been a division between work (the things we ‘have to do’) and our free time activities (the things we choose to do).
Ultimately English classes are an investment in you. Getting better at English may well help your company, but when you start to see learning English as something for you, it makes you more passionate about learning, and gets you thinking of how English can improve your life.
I can understand it if some people are reading this and saying “of course I am doing this for me.” Making the ‘switch’ seems easy, but in fact it’s a major shift in your mindset (this word ‘mindset’ basically refers to your attitude or mentality, your beliefs).
Let me give you a personal example. When I was working for a different company, I too divided my time between ‘work’ and ‘leisure’. Now I am working for my own company, and this means I have been doing a lot of research and training, reading books, and attending different seminars on my own. On the one hand, I believe it will help me provide a better product to my clients in Prague, and on the other hand, it has been for my own learning which will definitely help me in my future career decisions and plans.
This is how I would like to encourage you to think about your English. Students who see English as an investment in themselves usually:
- take responsibility for their own learning, which means they have a more productive dialogue with their teacher;
- help the teacher plan a better, more learner-centred programme;
- are internally-motivated and do extra activities on their own, and essentially become more autonomous.
“I’m doing this for me.” It takes time to have this full realisation. But when you do, I am absolutely positive that your English will improve and that the opportunities available to you in your life will increase!
To your learning,
David Sweetnam
English Teacher and Trainer
Engage sro Prague
IČO 28400852
DIČ CZ28400852
Contact:
For English language training in Prague please contact: david (at) engage.cz
For feedback on Get Into English please contact: david (at) getintoenglish.com
Get into English websites (format Adobe PDF) – I got the idea originally as my own students were interested in seeing ‘real English in action’, and I also wanted to find more sources of English writing for myself.