Today I will offer a unique piece of advice on how to improve your English. Many private English tutors will tell you that it is important to practice speaking as much as possible and that means taking risks. How comfortable are you in new or different situations? To be a language learner, you must be a risk taker. Risk taking is a great way to gradually build confidence in your English skills. Keep reading for more ideas about how to take risks while learning English and some risks that you might consider taking this year.
photo credit- derekGavey
"You have to risk going too far to discover just how far you can really go"
- T.S. Eliot
How to be a risk taker- 4 Tips:
- Focus on the possibility of a positive outcome, don't focus on the chance of failure.
- Take risks one step at a time and carefully consider each risk you take.
- If you take a risk and it doesn't work out as you had expected, be curious about why it didn't work instead of being critical of yourself.
- Surround yourself with other risk takers who will support you and encourage you to move out of your comfort zone.
Risk taking means something different for everyone.
What does it mean for you?
If you have a goal to improve your English, what is the right risk to take? Below are some ideas. Can you take any of these risks this year to improve your English?
- Find a homestay with a native English speaking family in the United States.
- Accept an opportunity at work to lead a meeting in English.
- Get an internship in the United States where you can only speak English.
- Find a language exchange partner to practice English for two hours each week.
- Start a conversation in English with the person next to you on the subway or in a cafe.
- Enroll in a language class or work with a private English tutor
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