Firstly, if you want to practise key vocabulary and read this article using the Duocards app (where you can tap on a word you don’t understand and it will show you the meaning), you need to join my email list. I will share these links there. Join here.
Vital words for understanding
tend to – usually do something or behave in a certain way
stuff – general things, often vague or hard to define
lack – not having something important or needed
crave – strongly want or desire something
nature – the way someone is naturally wired or behaves
chase – go after something you want
deficiencies – things you’re not good at or that are missing
to be hard on yourself – to criticise or push yourself too much
doubting – feeling unsure or uncertain about yourself
resilience – the ability to keep going despite difficulties
curiosity – the desire to learn or understand more
suffer – to experience difficulty or emotional pain
strength – inner power to handle challenges
whispering – speaking very quietly, often from nervousness
tense – feeling anxious or under pressure
comprehension – understanding what you hear or read
fluency – speaking or understanding smoothly and easily
sweaty – anxious or nervous, physically or emotionally
spot – to notice something
anterior cingulate cortex – brain area involved in noticing and correcting mistakes
glimpse – a quick insight or brief look
then – referring to a time in the past
What’s on my mind today
Most learners can name all the things they’re bad at. But ask them what they’re good at — and you’ll hear silence. Maybe we all tend to do that in various aspects of our lives, not only with learning — you know, seeing only the bad stuff. The stuff we lack, the things we don’t have (and wish we had), all those missing components we believe would make us happy. Entirely happy.
Let me stop here for a sec to think about this: is it even possible to be entirely happy? Is there ever a point in life when you can honestly say: there’s nothing else I want, nothing else I crave, nothing more to learn or do? I’ve never had that feeling. I guess it’s in our nature to chase things — and if you’re reading this, you’re a chaser. You’re constantly looking for something to do, to see, to learn, to get, to gain, to improve. And you’re very well aware of your deficiencies. You tend to be hard on yourself and expect a lot. I attract these people.
Let me say this clearly — you’re already better than you think.
Every time you show up to a session — tired, busy, or doubting yourself — that’s resilience. You keep trying. You could give up, but you don’t. Every time you open your homework and do it, and then get curious and open another video or article — that’s curiosity. Every time you look up a word you don’t understand and complain about not remembering it in our session — that’s learning.
All these things are not regular. They’re not something everyone does. You’re special. You push yourself. You suffer — and yet overlook the courage and enormous strength you show me every day. This doesn’t show up in a vocabulary test — but it’s the foundation of real progress.
I still remember a client who joined our first session almost whispering. She was afraid to say anything wrong — visibly tense. After a few weeks of work, she began sending me voice messages about her day. Not perfect ones — but real, brave, thoughtful ones. She started asking follow-up questions, laughing, even correcting herself mid-sentence. That kind of shift isn’t just language improvement — it’s growth.
You know that you understand more than you can say, and for some reason, that bothers you. This is the one thing I cannot really wrap my head around because I don’t share this frustration. But many of you say it’s uncomfortable. As a teacher who knows a bit about how languages are learned — and the neuroscience behind it — let me tell you: it’s a good sign. You need to understand more than you say. It’s natural. Comprehension is the first step to fluency.Fluency doesn’t begin with speaking. It begins with understanding.
Do you remember your first English session? How did you feel? Nervous? Stupid? Sweaty? Tired? Embarrassed?
I felt joy.
Joy because you just participated in — and survived — a real conversation in a foreign language. You may not have had perfect grammar, but you communicated. You used gestures, context, tone, and the words you had at that point to get your message across. That’s real language use — messy, human, and powerful.
Now think about how often you can spot your own mistakes — not just the ones we discuss at the end of our sessions. Think about those moments when you’re unsure whether what you’ve just said was right or not. When you think, “Hmm, that sounds weird,” or when you realise seconds later that you said something wrong — and you try to fix it, even if you’re not sure how. This shows growth.You’re developing that internal radar that leads to fluency. That’s not failure — that’s awareness.
🧠 In fact, neuroscience supports this. When you notice and reflect on your own errors, your brain activates the anterior cingulate cortex — the same region responsible for detecting and correcting conflict. That means every time you stop and think, “Wait, was that right?” you’re actually rewiring your brain for more accurate language use.
Let me give you a glimpse into what I see:
- You worry about misusing one word — I see you’ve used five others correctly.
- You’re frustrated by your grammar — I see how well you listen, and how much you care.
- You beat yourself up for forgetting the “-s” in third person — I notice how you understood my sarcasm and reacted with a smile.
- You feel stupid for not getting the grammar just right — I see you trusting yourself enough to even try.
And my favourite moment? When you ask a question. Any question. Because I know that question took thought, effort, planning, and courage. That’s when I’m proudest.
So, to slowly wrap it up:
Try to shift your focus just a little.
Instead of asking, What am I bad at? ask:
What do I already do well — and how can I build on that?
Don’t focus on what’s wrong. Focus on what’s strong and can grow stronger.
Think back a year:
- What couldn’t you do then that you can do now?
- How did you feel then? And how do you feel now?
- What got you here?
Find the one positive habit that made a difference — and repeat it.
You’re not behind.
You’re building.
You’re not broken.
You’re becoming.
If you could see yourself through my eyes for just five minutes, you’d never doubt your progress again.
🎯 Your challenge this week:
Write down 3 things you already do well in English — even the tiny ones.
Then ask yourself: how can I build on these?
Share yours in the comments or DM me — I’d love to celebrate with you. 💬✨