Hello Reader,

There really is nothing better than getting into a conversation with a small group of people. It is one of THE best ways around to help you get ready for the CELPIP and build your English skills in general at the same time.

Yesterday at work, for example, there were about 6 people sitting at the same table where I was, enjoying a hot coffee and chatting about everything from the census that is going on in Canada right now, the weather (because always something to talk about there, right?), a nest of birds that was discovered in one of the big pots of flowers in front of our building, and then a topic I'd never EVER expect to get into: why seagulls are fat here in British Columbia where I live, but seem much thinner out in Nova Scotia - on Canada's east coast.

After we stopped laughing about it, I marvelled at how incredibly random the topic was, and that everyone had something to say about it!

The overall opinion why west coast seagulls are fatter, in case you are wondering, is because the weather is warmer out here. There's far less snow, so seagulls find it easier to find food. In Nova Scotia, the weather is much colder and there's A LOT more snow. Harder to survive.

Makes sense right?

The point of this little story?

You need more random.

When you get into a conversation with a small group of people, you NEVER know what kind of things you'll talk about.

That randomness is perfect practice for your CELPIP!

You'll have little to no time to think about what to say on topics that you can rarely predict.

Most people struggle with this very thing on the exam. Random topics. Little prep time.

And if that is your biggest challenge, then my encouragement for you is to throw yourself into more conversations like the one I was just describing.

The more frequently you do it, the easier it will be for you to do well on your test day.

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In case you missed it, this week a new podcast episode dropped: Build Your English Skills for the CELPIP: Small Talk Secrets for Introverts​

Here's what you'll get out of the episode:

• Encouragement to Increase your daily English practice frequency over lengthy sessions.
• That you need to work with your introvertedness - it's not a mistake! Small conversations can be just as impactful as large ones.
• How you can use props like photos or personal items to spark conversations and build language skills.
• And how to see everyday interactions as opportunities to practice English without overwhelming pressure.
• Remember, confidence grows with frequent, low-pressure English usage, even in brief exchanges.

Brought to you by:

This podcast and newsletter was brought to you by the CELPIP Success School, THE MOST introvert friendly place on the internet to get ready for your CELPIP exam - and one of the best ways to start getting your frequency up with daily speaking task assignments that you can easily do in as little as 5 minutes. To learn more and get started, come right here. ​

Have an excellent week!

Aaron