As English learners, we all dream of speaking English fluently and confidently, but we also know that simply dreaming about fluency won't make it a reality! So, what makes fluency come true? The answer is not plain and simple. A lot of what happens in your brain while learning is at a subconscious level, but there is certainly one thing you can do to speed up your language learning process: consistent, intentional practice.

In order to master any skill (playing the piano, swimming, dancing, and of course, learning a language), practice is key! Okay, Nathaly, but I'm so busy! I get home from work so tired. I work so many hours. My kids use up all my energy. Hey, I hear you! As a wife, busy mom of two toddlers (3 and 1 years old), ELL adjunct instructor (part-time, of course!), running my own business, and involved in so many other volunteering projects, I can totally understand how hard it must be for you to find the time to work on your English skills. What if I told you there is a formula you can follow to make practicing your English a daily habit? What if I told you I use this formula to work on my English as well (hey, who told you I don't need to study English anymore? I'm always learning something new!).

And the formula is:

B = M.A.P

Seriously? Math? I promise to make this simple! I'm not really a math person, but this formula has totally changed the way I build new habits in order to master a new skill. I did not come up with this formula— all the credit goes to BJ Fogg, PhD, founder of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University (top dog, huh?). In his book Tiny Habits, BJ Fogg explains that for a behavior (B) to happen (e.g., flossing your teeth every day), three things need to happen at the same time. We need to have:

Motivation — why do you want to do this?

Ability — how can you do this? How easy is it?

Prompt — what will remind you to do this?

Yes, motivation is not enough! Ability is not enough either! Just wanting to improve your English is not enough to actually improve. So, how can this formula help us practice English consistently? Grab a piece of paper (or write this in your notes app). To remember the formula, just think of a map (B = M.A.P)... after all, this formula is like a map that will guide you toward reaching your goal.

What's the behavior you want to happen every day? For example, I want to practice using the phrasal verbs I learned at Light Up - Phrasal Verbs Demystified. For this behavior to happen, you need:

M — Motivation: I want to sound more natural and confident in English so I can have better job opportunities.

A — Ability: I will watch one Light Up video a day and complete the exercises for that video in the PDF guide.

P — Prompt: I will set an alarm on my phone to remind me to log in and access the course.

One thing Dr. Fogg emphasizes is that repetition is not what creates a habit—it's the emotion you feel when you perform a behavior that creates the habit. This means you have to make practicing your English fun! You have to enjoy the journey!

So, the main take-way from this post is: don't make it painful, make it playful! You have permission to have fun!

As always, remember to keep on shining ✨ ,

Your teacher,
Nathaly