The first topic is the main focus of the blog. The second supports the first by covering sub-topics such as motivation, self-efficacy, grit, procrastination, and deliberate practice to make you an efficient and resilient learner because picking English Language Skills can be a long haul.

1. How to Improve English Language Skills?

This is the main focus of the blog.

The content on English Language Skills comes from my experience as a learner of the language, my experience of developing curriculum on communication skills for an institute awarding professional undergrad and grad degrees, training the faculty members of the institute across its multiple campuses, teaching communication skills to students at the same institute, my observations of absolute beginners at Freedom English Academy (a non-profit organization) as an advisor, and what research and best practices say.

Observing students and others learning the ropes of spoken English reveals why some don’t speak enough, the main reason for not improving. Lack of confidence, hesitation, peer pressure, and fear of making mistakes are the most common inhibitors that stop people from speaking enough and hence getting better. I’ve also come across plenty of learners who naively wonder why they can’t speak well even though they can read, write, and listen English comfortably.

Sometimes to help my own learning and sometimes to address the struggles of students, I’ve come up with efficient and lasting solutions to learn different components of English. For example, on the vocabulary front, I worked backwards from the desired output of recalling words in a flash while speaking (remember, while speaking, unlike in writing, you’ve to recall appropriate words instantaneously) to nail down few exercises that build active vocabulary. Another scientific method I tried with strong results to boot was spaced repetition. Yet another was crawl method which I practiced to improve my written English – and to some extent spoken English – fast.

The posts on English Language Skills are quite comprehensive (some of them are 4,000+ words), well-researched, and full of examples. In many of the posts, you’ll see nuances and details you’ll struggle to find elsewhere.

2. Why Only Few Succeed Big?

We used to think that the universe is made of planets, stars, asteroids, comets, black holes, and other heavenly bodies. But the latest scientific discoveries tell us that these heavenly bodies constitute just 5 percent of the universe. The rest of the universe is mysterious, invisible matter called dark matter (25 percent) and dark energy (70 percent). The dark acts as glue, but we don’t see it.

When we look deep into the reasons behind outsized success of few, we often see a similar dark glue. The glue here comprises of number of small and big things – some straightforward (hard work and perseverance), some nuanced (deliberate practice and self-efficacy). In posts under this topic, you’ll find a modest attempt to unravel some of this dark glue.

Are these posts my opinions?

No.

They’re backed by research, commonsense, observations, and plenty of examples and case studies. I hope the posts covered under this topic will help you not only in becoming a better learner of English language (which can be daunting for many), but also in other spheres of your life.

Some of the notable posts covered in this topic are:

Why Are Some People More Intelligent, Smarter?

Didn’t Get Admission in Good College? It’s Less Important Than You Think

You can access other posts on this topic here.