Welcome to Motivational Monday.

Last Monday we talked about some of the advantages of group classes for language study. In today’s newsletter, I want to discuss another factor most students don’t consider - but should!

Study your classmates

You can learn a lot from your classmates in a group setting. Stronger students helping weaker students when working in pairs can be a very effective learning technique for both.

But what should you do if you consistently notice that you are the weaker student?

The answer should be obvious but very few weaker students do it. Time to take ownership and do more self-study!

Self-study has never been easier!

If there is a topic you found more difficult in class than your classmates that is your signal to put in more work between lessons. Look in your textbook to see if there are any revision-type exercises in the back.

If not, go online. Search for explanations and exercises on the topic that you were not confident in. The British Council is often a great resource. If, for example, you want to improve your knowledge of ‘the passive’ perform a search for ‘British Council passive’ on your search engine. This will bring up some explanations and exercises.

A Timely Reminder

I have taught hundreds of students across many classes. The one factor that correlates with progress is not intelligence but time! This is good news because time is within your control.

100 hours

It usually takes approximately 100 hours of study to progress by one level on the CEFR scale. A typical course will be around 1 hour a week for 40 weeks of the year taking into account holidays etc. This means that students should aim to study for around another 60 hours or just over an hour a week outside of class (for self-study you don’t have to stop for holidays!)

Or 17 Minutes a Day

Another way to think about 100 hours is just under 17 minutes per day. Remember, even small amounts of self-study each day add up to big results. Imagine the incredible progress you can make by dedicating just an hour a week to mastering a new grammar point, expanding your vocabulary, or honing your listening skills. Embrace the challenge, celebrate your achievements along the way, and watch your confidence in Business English soar!

Expression of the Day - To Take Ownership

To take ownership - assuming responsibility for an idea or problem

“The government needs to take ownership of the state of the national health service”

Do you have any Business English questions?

Please email me and I will do my best to answer them in future newsletters.

Until Wednesday - have a great day!

Iain.

www.communicateenglish.com

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