Smart English Coach

This episode contains the recording of a workshop I gave on 7 strategies for English fluency. These are the same strategies that I teach inside the English Fluency Breakthrough program, and they will help you to reduce hesitation in English by 30% - 40%, and to increase your vocabulary by up to 40%. Get all the details of the English Fluency Breakthrough program here: English Fluency Breakthrough...

Why do lots of motivated people stop learning English? In this episode, I share the story of a student who went from shy to confident in three months - and how this progress helped him to create 'momentum' in his English. This episode is for you if you feel that studying English is like a task, rather than something to enjoy! Send us Fan Mail Subscribe to the podcast Never miss an episod...

How can you become more confident when you speak English? In this episode, guest Elena Mutonono talks about how to make language learning sustainable, and why it's so important to practise speaking. Find out why traditional English classes and activities don't always help to improve speaking, and why 'voice chat programs' are a great way to get more fluent and confident. Elena...

3 days, 6 English teachers, people from more than 25 countries... the Professional English Summit was dedicated to helping you get ahead in your career. Even though the talks were on different aspects of professional English, the same themes came up again and again. In this episode, I share the five insights that I hope will inspire you and your professional English journey. Send us Fan Mail Subsc...

In this episode, guest speaker Lindsay McMahon explains why our goal in learning a language should be to connect with people - rather than to be perfect. She talks about the best ways to deal with mistakes in English, and also shares her three strategies for success in English and in our careers. Lindsay is speaking at the Professional English Summit (April 23 - 25) where she'll explain how t...

Job interviews are very stressful - especially if English isn't your first language. But there are ways to make the most of your multilingual abilities. In this episode, guest Kristine Knutter talks about the importance of mindset in your interview, and shares some strategies for showing your unique strengths as a speaker of more than one language. (You'll also learn which accents are co...

Why is it that you can understand what you read in English very well - but you can't easily understand what you hear? In this episode, guest Lucy Tilney talks about the connection between listening, pronunciation and memory, and shares her strategies for understanding fast spoken English. Lucy is speaking at the Professional English Summit (April 23 - 25) where she'll share many more ide...

In this episode, guest speaker Craig Wealand explains how to give a good presentation in English - and the biggest mistakes to avoid. He shares some ways to present both in person and online so that your audience stay interested in what you're saying. Craig is speaking at the Professional English Summit (April 23 - 25) where he'll share many more ideas to give a great presentation in Eng...

In this episode, guest speaker Hannah Yurk explains how to speak confidently in English meetings. She shares some ways to reframe the way you think about your English so that you feel less anxious in meetings. She also has some great tips for preparing for meetings so that you can increase your confidence. Hannah Yurk is speaking at the Professional English Summit (April 23 - 25) where she'll...

In this episode, guest speaker Maurice Jeths explains how to create a presentation in English where your ideas flow logically, and where you can connect with your audience. He shares some ideas to help you present with confidence and fluency, so that even the 'Question and Answer' section of your presentation is easy and comfortable for you! Maurice Jeths is speaking at the Professional...

Speaking English can be so much more than doing a classroom exercise. Imagine how it feels when people want to find out more about you, when they listen to you and encourage you. That's the power of curiosity and connection. These two things bring people together and create ways for easier and more satisfying conversations. In this podcast episode, I talk about a recent lesson in the English...

‘Netflix is not your teacher!’ I hear this comment a lot, but is it true? Can Netflix help you learn English? In this episode, I talk about three times when Netflix is a great choice. But rather than just watching or listening passively, choose an activity that will really improve your English. Get my suggestions for three types of learning activities you can do with Netflix. Vocabulary in this ep...

Confidence in your English is the start of a better life. This sounds like a very strong statement, but I've seen people who are confident in their English go on to make huge changes in other areas of their life. In this episode, I share two reasons why confidence in your English is so important and I show you, step-by-step, how being confident when you speak can lead you to the life you want...

When I ask people about their biggest problem in English, they almost always say that it's fluency. But what's surprising is that even people with a high level of English say that they don't feel fluent. In this episode, I talk about why fluency is a problem, and I also share five strategies that I use with my students. Link in episode In March I'm starting my new group program...

Learning English has its 'ups and downs', and it can sometimes be difficult to feel 'empowered', or 'in control' of the language learning process. This can make you feel demotivated. In this episode, I share three strategies that can make you feel more in control, so that learning English is enjoyable, rather than frustrating. Link in this episode In March, I'm s...

Learning English is different from learning other skills, and you'll have both 'ups' and 'downs' as you learn. It can be frustrating to feel you aren't always making progress, and in this episode I share my thoughts on why you experience 'downs' and what you can do about it. Links in this episode You are not alone when you learn English! Join The English Flu...

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Smart English Coach podcast! This episode is for you if you're an introvert and a naturally shy person. How can you get fluent in English if you prefer to be on your own, rather than with other people? I share some useful strategies to help you build your fluency in ways that feel comfortable to you. (If you're an extrovert, you might find these ideas...

How do you choose which activities to do in English, or which teachers to follow, when there's so much choice? This is a really good question to ask, so that you can avoid confusion and overwhelm. In this episode, discover the four questions you can ask yourself in order to choose what to study. Your answers to these questions will help you to stay motivated and they'll also help you to...

Maurice Jeths speaks seven languages, so he knows the best methods for learning languages quickly. In this episode, find out - his top five methods for fluency, and - how personalised feedback can help you move up levels Maurice uses personalised feedback in his voice chat programs, to help people feel motivated by making rapid progress. Find out more about how Maurice can help you here: Informati...

We often criticise ourselves for not being 'good enough', but self-criticism can destroy confidence. So in this episode I share my 'C.R.A.P' method to reduce self-criticism and frustration with your English. Yes - you read that correctly! Self-criticism is so damaging, that it deserves the 'crap' word! I share four steps you can take to restore your confidence in your...

If you had to choose between fluency and accuracy in English, which would you choose? Speaking without hesitation, or speaking without mistakes? Many people would probably choose fluency - but it's a little more complicated than that! In this episode, I share my ideas on - the 'deeper' reasons why fluency is often the main goal - why some mistakes are more important than others - tw...

Inspiration is a really positive emotion for learning English as it can motivate you and give you a goal. In this episode, I share some ways that you can use inspiration to make progress in English. It's a short episode, which was 'inspired' by a comment by a student! Vocabulary role-model = someone who provides a 'model' for you to follow reverse engineering = when you wo...

Jason Levine (also known as "Fluency MC") combines learning English with rap, and his English 'shows' in schools help students become more confident and more fluent in English. In this episode, he shares why he started writing songs to help English students in New York with the TOEFL test. Find out: - how rhythm and rhyme can help you to learn English (and why our brains love m...

In this episode, special guest Craig Wealand (from inglespodcast.com ) shares six ways of getting more fluent in English. Craig is a very experienced English teacher that you might remember from the Advanced English Summit in April. Craig's six fluency tips range from 'paid' to 'free',  and in this episode you'll find out: - a surprising way to get English conversatio...

Do you have a gameplan (strategy) for improving your English? In this episode, I share a simple - but very effective - 'gameplan' that I heard about from a student recently. It was effective, because it brought spectacular results in quite a short period of time. If you don't have a gameplan for English, I also give you a five-step plan to create your own! Send us Fan Mail Subscribe...