Hello Reader, What do you think about this? Creating is more powerful than consuming. "When you find things to create, then you actually feel satisfied... when we create, we feel alive." - Gabe Bult I watched and heard this video by Gabe Bult a week or so ago, and it's been rolling around in my head ever since then. Have you ever had that happen to you? You hear or watch something and it sticks to your mind? That's what happened with Gabe's video. I totally agree with him: Consuming things...
4 days ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, The short and sweet answer: you can be almost sure you'll get a 7 on the CELPIP BEFORE you actually take it. Keep reading to find out how! Have you been feeling stressed or anxious about getting a CLB 7 on the CELPIP? You're not alone. I recently saw a post from someone on Reddit saying they were "so stressed out" about needing that score for their post-graduation work permit. Everything, literally, was riding on them getting that 7. That's a lot of pressure, isn't it? And I bet...
8 days ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, "No plan survives contact with the enemy." - Helmuth von Moltke the Elder. How's that for a dramatic opening? This week I had a resident come to my office to ask if she could talk with me. She was going through a hard time, and needed someone to listen. I said a silent prayer as I welcomed her in and got her a chair. I'll just ask her questions, and let her talk. That was my simple plan. Well. Not Bad Season 2 GIF by Paramount+ The conversation DID NOT go that way. At all! It...
11 days ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, I'm so sorry for two emails today. I realized I had some mistakes, and wanted to fix them. (Working on your English? You'll make plenty of mistakes too! Do what I'm doing right now - correct and try again! 😁) --- I bet you've noticed it. I know I have. Darkness. Have you noticed it's getting darker sooner now? And darker in the morning when you get up to head to work? I've noticed it. And then...the cold. Have you noticed that happening yet? Dang. The cold is coming. The dark is...
25 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Writer and speaker John Maxwell once said, "You'll never find the right answers if you're asking the wrong questions." And I've got a great frequently asked 'wrong question' to share with you today: "How long should I practice for the CELPIP before I take it?" And another popular one: "How long is long enough to practice my English for?" The answer? It's not about how long you need or should be practicing. It's how frequently are you practicing? Frequency matters FAR MORE than...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Well, this is embarrassing! My email sent with the wrong info in it, so I'm resending to fix it. (I'm so sorry for the duplicate message today - here is the right one.) Getting stuck at any score on the CELPIP can be a mighty tough situation to be in, because stuck usually means you've had multiple attempts at breaking free, but they didn't work. Worse? What if your reading, writing, and listening scores were all high, and it was all because of your speaking results that you...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, One of the worst things you can do is fall for the idea that you have to have flawless English before you use it. Obvious? Of course you can't wait for flawless English in order to speak. I think you know that. (Right?) But do you ever feel stuck like this? "I don't want to make a mistake. The last one I made was so embarrassing that I never want to feel that way again." Sound familiar? I've felt those embarrassing moments, too. I've completely blanked out - froze - in front of...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, One of the easiest ways to do better on many of the CELPIP speaking tasks, is to simply remember: you've done this before! You've likely given someone advice before, right? (That's task 1.) You've likely shared a story about something that happened to you before. (That's task 2.) I could go on. The point: don't let the CELPIP freak you out because it's a big language exam. (And I know...I know...it is a big language exam that has a lot riding on it!) But remember this: you've...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, If I could tell you anything about learning how to speak English, it would be this: Fear never really goes away. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of forgetting what to say in English right in the middle of big presentation, or an important conversation. Fear of grammar flops. Fear of looking and feeling like a fool in front of someone else. Yep. It never really goes away. This is especially true if you're an introvert like me. Even in English, my first language, I am usually in a...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read