511. From afraid to speak to expressing herself fully in English | Real Student Story

In today's episode, I'm introducing you to a dear, long-time student of mine, Elisa! Elisa is Italian, and works in hospitality, but her relationship with English started long before any of that.  One day, Elisa found herself stuck in a cycle: consuming English every day through music, YouTube and movies, but terrified to speak a single sentence out loud. In this interview, Elisa will share with us the exact shifts that changed everything for her: how she moved from overthinking every word to focusing on the message and what it felt like to finally become not just a more confident English speaker, but a more confident person. If you have ever told yourself, "I'm not ready yet," this one is for you! ⬇️ Resources mentioned: Free Shadowing Practice Playlist: https://bit.ly/4fx9j4t  Read Out Loud With Me Series: https://bit.ly/4cFoiJV  New Sound Course: https://bit.ly/4cGxbmC  Beyond membership: https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N

Want to speak English without freezing, overthinking, or needing a full script first? In this episode, I'll show you how to practice impromptu speaking in English so you can talk more freely, clearly, and confidently, even when you have little time to prepare. Impromptu speaking is one of the best ways to improve your fluency because it helps you close the gap between the English you know and the English you actually speak. It also helps you think faster, organize your thoughts, build vocabulary in context, and speak with more ease. Check out this website for impromptu speech topics: https://random-topic-generator-woad.vercel.app Here is a list of other prompts for you to practice with: A skill I wish I had Is social media more helpful or harmful? Are people too dependent on technology? Do we have too many choices today? Is working from home better than working in an office? The importance of discipline Should people follow passion or money? Why presentation skills matter

What happens when you prepare for your dream interview for weeks… and then get to the interview and realize you can't actually say what you want out loud? That's exactly what happened to Monica. In this student interview, Monica shares the heartbreaking moment that changed everything in her English journey. After being invited to interview for her dream position, she realized that all her preparation had stayed in her head.  The moment she had to speak, she froze. And that painful experience became the turning point that pushed her to finally change the way she was learning English. Since then, Monica has completely transformed the way she speaks, practices, and shows up in English. In this conversation, we talk about: How one difficult interview became her wake-up call, why passive learning wasn't enough, how daily habits helped her become consistent, the role of pronunciation and prosody in building confidence, and how English helped her reconnect with her purpose Monica's story is powerful, honest, and incredibly inspiring. If you've ever felt like English was holding you back from showing the world who you really are, this conversation is for you. I'm so honored to share Monica's story with you. She is thoughtful, brave, and deeply inspiring, and I know you're going to love her. Check out Monica's Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/frenchsoundsbeautiful/  Monica discovered me through Luke's English Podcast. Watch that interview here! https://teacherluke.co.uk/2023/06/20/831-learning-how-to-learn-with-hadar-shemesh

Learn more about Beyond here: https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N  Feeling stuck in English and haven't seen progress, even though you've been working on your English for a while?  This is probably because of 1 of 2 reasons: Reason 1: You're not practicing consistently Reason 2: You're learning in a way that is not actually effective This video is focused on how to shift your mindset, build better habits, and create a learning experience that helps you feel more confident, more free, and more like yourself in English. I'm sharing with you 5 powerful values that can completely transform the way you practice English: Action over comfort Practice builds confidence Communication over perfection Lead with care Own your growth These are the same values we use inside Beyond, our English practice community, and they can help you change not only how you learn English, but how you show up for yourself.

In this pronunciation episode, we're breaking down the most common "CH" sounds you'll find in English (hint: there is more than one way to say it!)  Follow along and repeat out loud in today's pronunciation practice! Did you enjoy this practice? Want more? Join my free 14-day pronunciation plan! https://bit.ly/3YAWcJ5  * There are two other pronunciations of CH not mentioned in the episode. Yacht → the CH is silent Loch →  in some dialects, it's pronounced as a /x/.

Improve your vocabulary, pronunciation and pace while reading a story out loud with me! We're reading a part from The Housemaid by Frida McFadden.  Download the PDF to read along with me and learn the vocabulary from the episode! https://bit.ly/4sqQeb7  #readaloud #readoutloud #thehousemaid #reading  Want more reading practice? Check out my read along playlist! https://bit.ly/4dcJedr

Have you ever listened to a native English speaker and thought… wait, that sounds funny!  You HEAR one thing, but you SEE  something completely different when it's written. Today, I'm going to share with you a linguistic feature of English called coalescence (also known as fusion).  It's one of the most common processes in spoken English. Once you understand it, a lot of things that used to sound confusing will suddenly make perfect sense, AND know this will help you understand native speakers so. much. better.  To practice more, download the free practice sheet here → https://bit.ly/4sTJH8O  For more information about consonants, check out my consonants masterclass → https://bit.ly/4sZkkTb

In this interview, I'm bringing Jelena to the stage! Jelena is one of my New Sound and Beyond students from Serbia, who now lives in the US. When she arrived, she could barely leave her apartment. She avoided grocery stores, doctor's appointments, and meetings with her supervisor. Today? She's a research fellow, teaches salsa in English, and has a thriving social life she once thought to be impossible. In this conversation, she shares: What it really felt like to be isolated and dependent on her husband's English The turning point that proved she could communicate outside a "safe environment" Why pronunciation work was the key that unlocked her confidence How mindset shifts that changed everything What she'd recommend to anyone stuck in the same loop she was in This is the kind of conversation I love having: a public catch-up with a former student who is living proof that English doesn't have to be an obstacle to the life you want. 👉 Learn more about New Sound: https://bit.ly/4uqgMuD  👉 Practice with my Sprints for free: https://bit.ly/43pCotf  Jelena's story is not unique, it's what's possible. If you've ever avoided a doctor's appointment, stayed silent in a meeting, or felt like a different person in English, this one's for you. ❤️

Are you actually learning vocabulary the right way? Most English learners aren't, and it's holding them back from real fluency! In this episode, I break down the vocabulary groups every English learner has, why your passive vocabulary is secretly your biggest asset, and the #1 mistake people make when trying to memorize new words (hint: it's all about quantity vs. quality)! If you've ever felt like you know a word but can't find it when you're speaking… this episode is for you! ♥️ Download my FREE vocabulary planner: https://bit.ly/3XiF0qv  Join Beyond: https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N

Take the quiz and find out your stage: https://bit.ly/3PbGOl0 Want to move up and need a boost to make it happen? Join Beyond Community? https://bit.ly/4nrfM5N For years, we've been told that fluency is measured from A1 to C2. But those levels measure grammar and comprehension. They don't measure how you show up when you speak. You can be "B2" and still avoid conversations. You can understand everything… and still feel anxious when it's your turn to talk. So what if fluency isn't about levels… but about stages of speaking confidence? In this video, I introduce a different way to think about fluency! With the 5 Speaking Stages.  1️⃣ The Avoider 2️⃣ The Anxious Speaker 3️⃣ The Brave Speaker 4️⃣ The Challenger 5️⃣ The Influencer ✨ Want to find out YOUR stage? Take the Speaking Stage Quiz here! https://bit.ly/3PbGOl0