Open your study book on the page… Exercise 2…. write down…. place the missing words…

Aren’t you bored yet? Well, I am!

Before I started using coaching principles in my work I was a classic type teacher, working for an evening language school, following the program and feeling soo disappointed with the fact that my students aren’t learning. It felt like waste of time, theirs and mine.

Let’s be honest: our standard teaching approach is not brain-friendly!

First thing I need to mention talking about brain-friendly learning is that everyone’s brain is unique, “there are no 2 brains alike” as I learned in my Neurolanguage coaching® studies.

So why are we still trying to teach people in one and only way? We should be embracing everyone’s unique learning journey.

Another important thing we need to remember talking about brain-friendly learning is that our brains never stop developing. Scientists believed for a long time that our brains grow as we are children but when we become adults the brain development stops. Luckily this has been proved wrong! Our brains change and develop throughout our lives and this process is called neuroplasticity.

If you want to make your language learning brain-friendly follow the steps:

1. Observe. Ask yourself what works for you and – very important! – what you enjoy. Someone would love to spend hours writing their thoughts in English down as a practice but another will easily learn from hands-on experiences like watching cooking videos and following the instructions.

2. Be creative. You don’t need a teacher to tell you that you are doing something right to wrong, there are plenty of online resources, try something and see if you are getting the results. Be confident twisting and transforming the learning activities so that they suit your needs and your goals .

3. Help your brain. Find out how to help your brain build neural connections, use mnemonics, learn while jogging or dancing, use colors or art in general, apply mindfulness – you’ll never regret doing it!

4. Set goals. I’m not a huge fan of planning myself, so if you are anything like me, I get it, it might be bothersome, but my point is – you need to understand why you are doing what you are doing. If planning and breaking your goals into achievable steps sounds like the most irritating thing ever, visualize, imagine the process and the outcome that you want and then continuously take steps forward. Oh, btw, remember to thank yourself for those steps, its a must attitude for success.

5. Make mistakes. What’s really really annoying about standard teaching is that it focuses on mistakes like it’s a bad thing. Adapt ‘growth mindset’, remind yourself that your mistakes are the necessary steps to your goals.

By adopting a brain-friendly approach to learning, you can make the process enjoyable, effective, and tailored to your unique needs. Remember, your brain is capable of incredible change and growth throughout your life, so take advantage of that neuroplasticity!

If you’re looking for personalized language coaching that applies these principles and helps you reach your goals faster, don’t hesitate to reach out to me for a consultation! Together, we can create a learning journey that is both stimulating and rewarding.