Hey my friend!
How has this week treated you so far?
In this email:
Your quote to think about the process of language learning
Footer: all my links in one place & about me
Reading time: 3 minutes.
The cover image for all your think* emails is by photographer Aga Putra, who is based in Bali, Indonesia.
“A word after a word after a word is power.”
I’d never thought about this aspect of English as power, really, until a friend of mine, a fellow coach who works in an entirely different field, pointed this out to me during one of last summer’s heat waves.
Since then, I like to have my clients reflect upon this aspect, when improving their spoken English.
The point here is not to excel.
The point is to add a super powerful tool for life to your already rich toolbox.
Whether we like it or not,
whether we agree or disagree with its importance,
Speaking English will get your further in a global world than not speaking it.
Being multilingual will get you even further, in a global world, so see your being a non-native speaker as what it is: an asset.
And don’t let anyone bully you into seeing it otherwise. I have said this before, and I will repeat it tirelessly:
anyone who speaks and works in more than language should just be proud of themselves.
I invite you to stop dragging yourself down.
I invite you: what does the world look like when you recognise your qualities instead?
See you in the next issue, my friend!
Ways I can help you,
whenever you are ready:
Discover more about or join The Joy Luck club here. My group space to speak English, grow and bloom together… Without breaking the bank. All details are on the page: we are waiting for you! It’s a small space for now, and I am hoping it grows. If you join us now, you’ll get two benefits: being in a smaller group (which allows for a more intimate experience) and a lower price. Have I piqued your interest? :)
Flow and Bloom is my 1:1 English and French coaching programme. Want to find out if my work can serve you? Then fill in this form, and I will get back to you!
Listen to my interviews about language learning, multilingual life and solo travel as a woman here. In English, Italian and French.
Italian speaker? Listen to me on Spotify, or read my biweekly cultural bulletin.
Read past issues (and find past speaking prompts for practice) here.
About me:
My name is Paola.
I’m a trained and certified language coach, and I speak 5 languages fluently.
I believe in making language learning and cultural growth available to as many people as possible, which is why this newsletter has no paywall, and won’t ever have it.
I also believe in slow, gentle communication: we have enough stressors in our lives. Let’s make our learning space a space of peace and kindness, pushing back against notifications, social media noise & mental fog, and expectations of instant responses.
My mission is to get others to access a wider world thanks to their English — speaking a language well is so much more than just a skill you can put on a CV, it’s a door to other amazing, colourful, far away worlds! — and to help them do so joyfully, without judging themselves, and being okay with messing up. Making mistakes is part of the game!
Stop dreading English…
Make it work for you, instead.
