Improving your speaking skills in English can feel like a daunting task, especially when preparing for the CELPIP exam.

I’ve spent years sticking to scripted, well planned episodes for this podcast, but I’ve realized that this comfort zone has kept me from growing. I’ve decided to challenge myself by ditching the script and embracing a more spontaneous approach.

By using bullet points instead and committing to shorter episodes, I’m aiming to reduce my workload while also modeling a crucial lesson: stepping out of your comfort zone is essential for growth.

As I work my way through this new style, I encourage you to reflect on your own habits. If speaking English makes you nervous, you might be avoiding it altogether. Let’s change that together. This month, I invite you to engage in one short, spontaneous conversation in English each day.

By practicing these small interactions, you’ll gradually build confidence and improve your skills while also learning to embrace the imperfect nature of real conversations. Remember, confidence in speaking comes from practice, not from textbooks or classes. Let’s take this challenge on together and see how we can grow! Are you in?

Takeaways:

• Improving your English speaking skills, particularly for the CELPIP exam, requires stepping out of your comfort zone.
• Engaging in spontaneous conversations, even for short durations, builds confidence and fluency in speaking.
• Avoiding opportunities to speak English due to fear can limit your progress and language learning.
• Setting achievable goals, like daily 5 minute conversations, can significantly improve your English proficiency over time.
• Don't be afraid of mistakes while speaking! They will help you develop a confident, natural speaking style.

Life can throw some serious curveballs at us, and sometimes it feels like we’re running on empty. I just had a wild night dealing with car troubles, helping my son jump-start his dead battery, only to find my own vehicle signalling trouble shortly after.

It got me thinking about those warning signs we often ignore in our lives—just like I ignored the alarm on my dashboard. I realized that burnout can sneak up on us when we least expect it, and it’s crucial to pay attention to those early indicators before we stall completely. In this episode, I dive into some of the signs of burnout, share personal experiences about a time I burnt out as well as a far more serious example of a colleague who burnt out and could not return to work.

Listen to hear some practical ways to recharge and find balance before you reach a breaking point. So, let’s chat about how to keep our emotional batteries charged and avoid those dead ends.

Takeaways:

• It's crucial to pay attention to the warning signs in our lives, much like we would with a car's dashboard indicators. Ignoring them can lead to serious consequences.
• Experiencing burnout often looks like exhaustion and disengagement from activities we used to enjoy, signalling that something needs to change in our routine.
• Reducing unnecessary pressures in our lives can be a huge help for your mental health, allowing you to recharge and focus.
• Finding simple activities that can uplift your spirit, like walking or spending time with loved ones, can be incredibly helpful for combating feelings of burnout and exhaustion.

If you are getting some of these warning signals in your life, what are you going to do about them?

Ignoring them won't make them go away! I hope you'll find an activity that helps you recharge, and that you're able to reduce the load you are carrying, and if needed: that you find someone you can talk to about this.

Struggling with speaking skills? You’re definitely not alone, and that’s where we kick things off. I dive into the common frustrations we face when trying to express ourselves in English, especially when nerves kick in or when we feel our vocabulary isn’t quite up to par. I share how to shake things up and move beyond those surface-level conversations we often get stuck in, which is what will really help you build your fluency skills in English.

Deeper, more engaging conversations challenge us to use (and learn!) new words and phrases which is exactly what you need to have happening often if you want to see your speaking and vocabulary skills improve.

Takeaways:

• Practice your English daily, but ensure that your conversations go beyond surface-level exchanges. Aim for deeper discussions that challenge your vocabulary and fluency.
• If you're feeling stuck in your English speaking, take a moment to identify the types of practice you engage in every day. Are they meaningful or just routine?
• Don't let nerves hold you back from speaking. Embrace opportunities to express yourself, even if it feels uncomfortable at first, and push through your comfort zone.
• Develop a vocabulary journal to track new words and phrases. Write them down and commit to using them in conversation multiple times to reinforce your learning.
• Challenge yourself to initiate conversations on topics you usually avoid. This pattern interruption can help you break free from predictable dialogue and foster growth in your language skills.
• Recognize that making mistakes is a part of learning. Every time you struggle to find the right word, you're identifying areas for improvement and growth in your vocabulary.