WHY You Feel Like Your English Isnt Improving Teacher Tiffani
American idioms English expressions
American slang English phrasal verbs I’m
sure that you’ve studied all of these
books or at least some books related to
English phrases English expressions
English vocabulary and the list goes on
but I’m also very sure that you feel
like your English is not improving and
it gets a little bit annoying right one
of my students two weeks ago told me the
exact same thing he said TIFF I’m
studying so hard but I still feel like
I’m not improving and as I listened to
him I realized many students just like
him have the exact same complaint but I
don’t want you to worry because today I
have seven different things you can do
to stop feeling like your English is not
improving now before I tell you those
seven things you know I need you to do
something for me my goal is to help 1
billion students that’s right around the
world gain confidence in their English
speaking ability but I need you to do
something for me I need you to like
share and subscribe because when you do
that it tells YouTube that wait a minute
this video can help many other students
so I need you to like share subscribe
here we go come on like share subscribe
one more time I said like subscribe
I’d really appreciate it I’m teacher
Tiffany let’s jump right in
[Music]
all right to get started we are gonna
look at these three letters F R and s
now the first thing is feelings second
the reasons and third the solutions so
basically what we’re going to do is
we’re gonna look at the feelings that
you are having related to not improving
in English then we’re gonna look at the
reasons behind those feelings and
finally the solutions oh how I love
solutions so let’s look at the first
reason or the first feeling connected to
that reason here we go first you feel
like you’re not able to understand
something you hear or see on TV now
think about it you’ve watched a lot of
American television programs or English
movies and you feel a little bit
confused you don’t feel good even though
you can understand my videos why can’t
you understand the movies or the
television programs now here’s the
reason why you feel this way
because you want to enjoy and understand
real English in other words you don’t
want your English to sound like book
English man I’ve had so many students
tell me this he’s a teacher I’ve been to
lots of English Institute’s I’ve studied
with lots of teachers but it seems like
when I hear another English speaker a
native English speaker speaking English
I have no idea what they’re saying or
when they use slang or other expressions
I don’t understand because they’re using
real English well don’t worry I told you
I got a solution for you don’t even
worry about it here we go here’s the
solution to this issue first I want you
to get a notebook or a journal then I
want you to write down real English now
again I said real English refers to
those expressions or vocabulary words or
concepts that you are made aware of when
you watch English television programs or
watch English movies or
when you hear teachers like myself or
other amazing English teachers on
YouTube say something that you’ve never
heard before those phrases those
expressions those vocabulary words are
real English so write them down in your
notebook now after you write them down I
want you to also use a picture a sketch
or a specific note remember I said your
brain always needs a trigger so write
something down draw a little simple
picture next to the word that you can
remember when you see something later so
for example let’s say for example I’m
gonna get a piece of piece of paper real
quick got my little note right here
let’s say for example I learned a new
expression now I’m gonna do it
actually right now let’s say I learned
the new expression mmm let my hair down
now let my hair down just means to relax
and stop being so uptight so let my hair
down think about the facial expression
when you are able to relax okay
so in order for me to remember this
expression let my hair down so maybe
I’ll draw a picture of a woman right and
she has a big smile on her face right
and maybe my sketch can you see it can
you see it I just did it real quick but
again it doesn’t have to be a perfect
sketch I just did a circle real quick
and a big smile with someone’s eyes
closed right so again the sketch right
here real quick in my notebook would
look like that
so whenever I think of let my hair down
I would remember that ah the sketch of
that woman looking so happy and relaxed
that’s what I want you to do alright so
again this first feeling you have the
solution is to write down real English
and connect it with sketches or drawings
alright okay now next we have seen other
students speak English better than you
now I’ve know that you have experienced
this I experienced that when I was
studying Korean I’d hear someone
now speaking perfect Korean there was a
student and I’d say man they’re really
good why can’t I speak like them and it
would kind of bother me a little bit
here’s the reason the reason why you may
experience this is because you admire
their ability to speak English well but
you really want to speak English like
them one day you really want to be like
them you want to sound really good when
you speak in English you want to sound
confident so here’s what you need to do
alright here’s the solution first write
three things you admire for example I
remember some students that spoke Korean
better than me
I admired their ability to express
themselves without being nervous
I admired their ability to speak
fluently like their pace was very good
there were no pauses when they spoke and
third I admired their whole composure
but they were able to be composed no
matter what the situation was I really
admired that alright so again write
three things you admire right why you
admire them and then add them to your
goals remember I said you always need to
have goals why do you want to do
something write your goals down this is
gonna help you focus on your goals
instead of that person all right so
that’s number two now number three is
also something that many students
complain about getting overwhelmed by
the amount of English you have to learn
you have to learn a lot right and
sometimes you look at the entire amount
and you get overwhelmed but what’s the
reason why do you get so overwhelmed you
see it’s because instead of focusing on
the tasks you have to do for the day you
start to look at everything you must
memorize and learn so for example if you
have an exam right you have to study ten
chapters now the exam is in two months
if you focus on ten chapters every day
you won’t pass the exam but if you break
it down into small parts and only focus
on what’s important for that specific
day then eventually you will accomplish
your goal so that
what happens you need to focus on your
tasks for the day and not the big
picture all right so how do you do this
I got you first look at your long term
goals for example if you want to
memorize a thousand vocabulary words
okay
1,000 vocabulary words is your long term
goal then divide them into twelve months
now you probably remember me giving you
this formula in a previous lesson
several months ago break down your goals
into small parts break them down first
into twelve months then after you do
that what I want you to do is divide
those into four weeks that’s right there
are four weeks in a month and I want you
to break down your goals into small
parts then you will know what to focus
on for each specific week and it will
help you stop being stressed all right
now number four let’s move on to number
four here we go you feel nervous
whenever you speak in English it’s kind
of like you can’t find the words to say
because you get so nervous and that
makes you feel like your English is not
improving so what’s the reason why do
you get nervous you actually still focus
on what other people think about you in
other words you think they might laugh
at you now listen to me I want you to
pay attention right now
I completely understand what you are
going through when I was studying Korean
I got so nervous when I would speak in
front of certain people now it was my
close friend I was okay but if it was
someone I thought may look at me and
laugh if I made a mistake I would
suddenly not be able to speak so I
completely understand but I also have a
solution and I promise it will help you
so if you feel nervous when you go to
speak in English here’s what you need to
do find the root cause is it a specific
person is it something dealing with the
way your voice sounds find the root
cause then what you need to do is
analyze the situation all right
when you get nervous stop and think why
am i nervous right now is it the person
I’m speaking to is it because I don’t
know a lot about this subject what’s
causing you to feel nervous
I almost said me because again I
remember when I used to feel nervous but
again find the cause then analyze the
situation then you need to write some
specific ideas figure out how you can
overcome that feeling in that moment for
example I used to feel nervous and I
remember one specific person whenever I
spoke to her I would get nervous because
I felt like she was judging my ability
now she’s my friend but again it was in
my mind so whenever I would start
speaking to her in the back of my mind
I’d say ah she doesn’t think I can speak
Korean well she thinks I’m gonna make a
mistake so I had to get that thought out
of my head because she never said
anything but I just felt like that when
I spoke in front of her so I had to
analyze the situation and then figure
out a way to actually stop that thought
from coming into my mind you can do the
same thing all right okay now let’s move
on to our next one number five number
five is discouraged when you make
mistakes as you speak in English
listen I know it gets very very
difficult to speak properly in English
but as soon as you make a mistake you
feel dejected hey brand-new word for you
dejected just means discouraged and not
having any hope or sad dejected you feel
I made another mistake I’m not good so
so why are you feeling that way why do
you feel dejected or discouraged when
you make a mistake here’s the reason you
seek perfection but sometimes you forget
the importance of the process never
forget the process I’ve mentioned to you
all before as I watch my niece my niece
is three years old as I watch her
learning the English language man she
makes so many mistakes but it’s the
process that every child has to go
through they make mistakes
then somehow their brain helps them
correct the mistakes as they hear other
individuals speak properly so she
doesn’t get discouraged when she makes
mistakes because her goal is to get her
point across so again it happens to us
we get discouraged a bit when we make
mistakes we feel dejected but I have a
solution don’t worry here’s the solution
first I need you to record a short video
clip that’s right record a short video
clip of yourself what I want you to do
is find your mistakes that’s right I’m
telling you to look for your mistakes I
want you to take your phone take
whatever camera you have record yourself
and then watch it again you will
recognize your mistakes find them then I
want you to do this I need you to
correct your mistakes there is power in
correcting your own mistakes remember
you’re looking at yourself so there’s
something that happens in your brain
it’s like a connection is made like oh
we said this last time but we don’t need
to say this next time let’s correct it
and do this but you need to record a
video of yourself doing it so you can
watch your facial expressions you can
watch how you say certain words man is
it gonna help you so much it’s helped so
many of my students alright so number
six here we go now the next one is
frustrated about always thinking in your
own language men this is something I
hear almost every week teacher how can I
think in English I’m always thinking in
my mother tongue or my mother language
what’s the reason why do you get
frustrated because you haven’t learned
how to properly organize your thoughts
and ideas in English now remember
there’s something that happens in the
brain of someone who speaks English
because as an American growing up we
were taught how to think so my thoughts
in English are organized in a different
way from when I think in Korean because
I learned how to think in English you
need to do the same thing but don’t
worry that’s my job I’m here to help you
learn how to think
English so you can stop being frustrated
and stop feeling like you’re not
improving alright first you need to
practice the five W’s rule remember who
what when where and why at a
conversation with my students last night
about when to use up three details or
three examples and when to use the five
W’s who what when where and why you can
practice on your own you can get
pictures and try to think creatively ah
who is this person what are they doing
where are they why are they there you
can practice and train your brain to
think in that way even when you’re by
yourself now that’s the five W’s rule or
you can use the three details rule which
I mentioned that I spoke to my students
about last night I love the three
details rule alright because it’s
basically saying no matter what the
topic is you need to be able to give
three details about that topic it will
help you a lot now the final one right
here is practice the example rule this
is when you’re looking for stories like
story time think about it why do you
like story time so much why do you enjoy
the stories I tell you about my personal
life at the end of each lesson if you
haven’t seen the story time videos come
on man you gotta wait to the end alright
well think about it
it connects you to me right it’s
something that happens when someone
tells you a story and gives you an
experience or an example you need to
figure out how to do that pick a topic
and think of a story a personal story or
something you’ve heard that can connect
to the topic you are training your brain
to think in that way and I guarantee the
more you practice the easier it will
become for you
alright now let’s look at the next the
next thing you’re struggling with I mean
the next thing that causes you anxiety
is as you focus on a destination and not
the journey this right here happens a
lot it’s the tendency to focus on hey I
want to be here and forgetting that it’s
a journey and not a destination but I
understand you know we talked about
focusing on goals but English even
though you have English goals
have to realize it’s a journey now
what’s the reason here’s the reason
right here
you forgot the joy of learning something
new and exploring everything about it
like a child that’s right think about
children they’d love to learn something
new but as adults sometimes as we learn
a second language over some of you a
third or a fourth language we forget the
joy that is supposed to be attached to
our journey we get so focused on on
books and writing notes and making sure
everything is correct that our brain
doesn’t get an opportunity to enjoy the
process so how can you do this how can
you enjoy the process oh I’m so glad you
asked let me show you right here first
figure out what you enjoy
there’s something about English you
enjoy what is it find it out and write
it down then I want you to write the
experiences connected to those things or
connected to that one thing that brings
you joy right an experience you had
maybe with me when you first came to see
my videos or for those of you who have
actually met me in person how did you
feel when you met me in person if you
were my student in Korea how did you
feel right those experiences down and
then think about when you first used a
vocabulary word properly or an
expression when you’re speaking to
another native English speaker that
feeling of accomplishment right that
experience down now after you write it
down I want you to write future
experiences you are awesome you are
amazing and you are going to have so
many more experiences related to English
focus on those experiences because they
are a part of your journey and the
future experiences will make your
journey even better so here’s the deal I
know that sometimes you feel like your
English is not improving don’t get
discouraged
don’t be dejected instead pick yourself
up put a smile on your face realize that
you are amazing you’re listening to me
and you
understand what I’m saying that’s a huge
accomplishment realize it’s a journey
don’t judge yourself based on others
abilities
write down the things that you enjoy
write down the real English expressions
and words you learned follow this lesson
follow the tips I gave you and I promise
you will start to enjoy your journey and
realize that you are improving now I do
have one other thing that I want to tell
you about I actually did an interview
with another English teacher this is at
our and this is part of part 2 we had a
great conversation about a 30-minute
conversation and she talked about her
own students and how they experienced
this this problem of not feeling like
they were improving and she gives a lot
of tips and gives her advice as well the
conversation was so much fun so again if
you want to see part 2 remember it’s
available for all of my Academy students
you can join by clicking this link right
here let’s jump right in calm the link
is right in the description or you can
type it in your url remember part 2
always gives you some extra information
and extra boost to encourage you alright
so thank you so much guys I’m so happy
that you watched it’s lesson and I hope
it encourages you and helps you know
that you are improving every single day
all right well I am so happy that you
were here remember to always speak
English and I will catch you next week
[Music]
oh yeah it’s story time
hey I said it stop stop stop stop
story time y’all like the little DJ move
right there alright so today’s story you
know what I may have told you all this
story but I’m gonna tell it again
because I really like it if you haven’t
heard it I think you’re gonna enjoy it
so I love my family I love my family so
much and I actually had a nephew
unfortunately he passed away we’re okay
you know God blessed with my other niece
and we’ve been showering her with love
but so my nephew he man he was my guy so
there’s something that might never used
to do that really even to this day
thinking about it makes me laugh so when
he was little him and my other niece
right when they were about 2 or 3 I used
to always play with them and I say I’m
gonna spank you right so spanking is
just on your butt like that but I do it
playfully like if they do something I
said Oh auntie TIFF is gonna get you I’m
sorry you’re in trouble and they just
laugh and run around the house because
they wanted me to chase them like a game
so I would chase them pick them up
tickled them and then spank them not for
real they would be laughing the whole
time this is something we did in the
house whenever I had to babysit so one
day I had to go to the store and my
nephew was with me again he called me
auntie TIFF so he was about 3 or 4 years
old this time so we’re in the store and
he’s walking next to me so I’m looking
for something on the shelf and he says
auntie TIFF and he’s behind me so I
didn’t look and I said yes baby what’s
up
he’s on teat if I said ok my skin I call
him munchkin so I put down whatever I
was holding and I turned to look at him
and he was bent over like his his butt
was toward me and he was bent over I
said what is this kid doing now we’re in
a public place he’s bent over and as
soon as he realizes I turn around he
looks at me and says spank man now I
burst out laughing but I say
Bradon his name was Braden I said braid
and don’t say that don’t say that now
the reason I told him to have to say
that was because for example in America
you know you can’t spank children in
public or they think it’s abuse but he
didn’t know what he was saying because
again it was a game for us I would play
I would chase them around the house and
I would spank them very lightly and they
would start laughing so he just thought
auntie TIFF I want you to play that game
with me today even though we’re in the
store he just kept saying Oh
my spec so needless to say he just
laughed when he realized that I was
getting frustrated or flustered not
freshly I was like much Ken don’t do
that don’t do that he just laughed and
kept saying oh who spank me spank me
auntie tip spank me everything was fine
but whenever I think about him and I
think about that story it makes me laugh
so hard
children are so innocent and sometimes
they don’t know what they’re saying so
you know I’m sure you guys have really
good memories of family and friends so
you guys can put some of your memories
in the comment section but yes that
story makes me smile every time that
little boy woo he was so much fun and he
was a joy to our family so alright guys
I hope you enjoyed that story I will
talk to you next week