Vanessa:
Are you wasting your time learning English? You probably are. Today I want to talk to you
about five common ways that English-learners waste their time learning English, and it takes way
longer than they want to actually achieve fluency. But I also have some good news. I'm going to be
giving you some solutions to help you fix these problems so that you can learn English faster
and smoother, and you stop wasting your time. Hi, I'm Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com.
And like always, I have created a free PDF worksheet for you with all of these five
time-wasters that we're going to talk about in today's lesson. And the solution so that you stop
wasting your time. This PDF is my gift for you, so make sure that you click on the link
below this video to download the free PDF worksheet today. Stop wasting your
time, and start progressing in English. Let's get started by talking about the first time
waster. It is learning English without a plan. This is the number one time waster when you're
learning anything new. If you are just randomly learning some vocabulary here, phrasal verbs here
and, oh, I forgot about pronunciation here. Well, you are going to be wasting your
time because you don't have a plan. But you might think, Vanessa, making a plan is hard. How do I do that?
I don't even know where to start. Well, that's why I'm here. You can follow
my proven plan for learning English, leveling up your vocabulary, grammar, phrasal
verbs, pronunciation, and speaking skills. You'll be able to track your progress as you
build your English level, and I will tell you about that plan in just a moment. You'll have to
be on the edge of your seat waiting to find out. The number two most common mistake that English
learners make and waste their time is they just memorize instead of truly learning. I
think we all experienced this in school, where we knew we had a test coming up, so
you just studied, and studied, and studied, and memorized. And after the test, did you
remember what you studied? Absolutely not. You just completely let it fly out of your
brain, and you didn't retain that information. But that's no good when you're learning
English. You want to be able to learn something, learn some new vocabulary,
learn the correct pronunciation. And when you have a conversation, you
need to be able to remember it. So, how can you learn something and not just
memorize it? Well, I have some ideas for you. The best way to learn instead of memorize is
to have a context. Not just simply remembering, where's the bathroom? Where's the bathroom?
Where's the bathroom? Where's the bathroom? Okay, where's the bathroom? No. Instead, you
need a context where you're able to use that in a conversation, know when it is
used and how it's used in daily life. So I have something I'd like to present to you.
I'd like to present to you the English Worksheet Library. Thousands of students have joined the
English Worksheet Library with over 100 English worksheets to help you learn in context, instead
of just memorizing. This will help you to be able to confidently speak and think in English. Because
you've truly learned English, not just memorized. Each worksheet is linked to one of my YouTube
videos here on this channel so that you can learn in context. You'll learn the real
context of each vocabulary expression, grammar concept, pronunciation point, and
speaking tip, not just a list of definitions. Don't waste your time signing up for
every single worksheet here on YouTube. With over 100 worksheets, this would
take you hours, maybe days to do this, and you would waste so much time that you
could be using to level up your English skills. When you join the English Worksheet Library,
you get access immediately to all 100 past worksheets that I've made, plus every
future worksheet that I make for this YouTube channel. It is all yours. Plus, I have
a special deal for you. Usually the full English Worksheet Library is $99. But for this week
only, it is discounted to $27. This is a 70% discount to help you learn real vocabulary,
daily grammar, and clear pronunciation. Whether or not you have downloaded a free
worksheet here on YouTube, the English Worksheet Library is for you. Because you will stop wasting
time downloading every single worksheet. Instead, you get everything immediate access, and you
can start leveling up your English skills today. You can click on the link below
this video to get instant access to the full English Worksheet Library
for the 70% off discounted price of only $27. I can't wait to help you
start learning, not just memorizing. All right, let's go on to the third way that
English learners waste their time when they learn English, and it is that they don't take
notes or use worksheets as they're learning. Scientific studies have proven that when you
write something down, specifically on paper, but you can take notes on a device as well,
this helps to connect those concepts to your brain so that you can remember them more
easily. So I highly recommend taking notes as you watch my YouTube lessons. Or you can
join the full English Worksheet Library, download those worksheets and take notes.
As you're watching my YouTube videos. The goal is to be able to remember everything
that you've learned. Not just mindlessly watch English lessons, but to really remember it.
And taking notes can help you to do that. I remember that when I was first learning
French, I would go to my French professor's office for about 30 minutes a couple times a
week. And she would ask me simple questions like, "What did you do this weekend?" Or, "What
are you going to do tomorrow?" And I didn't have much vocabulary to explain what
I wanted to do or what I had done. But when she gave me some vocabulary that I
could use, I wrote it down. I had so many pages of notes, and this was extremely helpful.
Sometimes I went back and reviewed them, sometimes I didn't. But the act
of writing it down helped it to not just go in one ear and out the other.
Instead, it went in one ear and it stuck. So I highly recommend taking
notes and using the worksheets for my English lessons can help you have
an outline that you can take notes with. The fourth way that English learners waste
their time while they're learning english is a really big one. I have a question
for you. Are you a perfectionist? A perfectionist is someone who
cannot stand, they can't handle, when things are not perfect. It has to be
perfect before you take that first step. Maybe you're trying to do something new, and you
can't take that first step because you know that you're probably going to make a mistake. You
can't have a conversation in English because you're so worried about making a mistake. What if
I don't have the right word? What if they don't understand me? What if I can't understand them?
And then you decide to just not do anything. Being a perfectionist can be a huge roadblock
for your English-learning. And this will really make you waste time. Because really, the faster
that you get started, the better it will be. So what's the solution if you are a perfectionist?
Well, my tip for you is to just take a simple step. You don't need to just jump in and give
a huge presentation in English. Instead, start slowly. Look around your room and see if there's
a way that you can describe what you see. I see a computer monitor. I see a couch. Out the window,
the birds are, what's that word? Oh, I don't know the word for what sound birds make. I'm going
to look it up. Chirping. The birds are chirping. Okay, here you are making mistakes in a safe
and environment, you are learning new words, and we can use the previous
tip. You can write down, "The birds are chirping." So
that you can remember that. But starting slow. Don't jump into a
scary scenario where you're giving a presentation that will trigger every
bit of perfectionism in you. Instead, start slow. Talk about the things you see
around you and build up that confidence. The fifth and final way that English learners
often waste their time while they're learning English, is that they wait until they think
their English is good enough to begin speaking. Maybe you started learning English
when you were in elementary school, and oftentimes in these classes, the
teachers will ask students to repeat things. Where's the bathroom? Where's the
bathroom? I have a pencil. I have a pencil. So you repeated things with the teacher,
but were you really speaking and having a conversation? Not really. So if you
can understand my YouTube videos, your English level is high enough to
start having English conversations. A great way to start doing this is just
to take a little step, and you can use one of the videos in my series, Speak With Me.
Where I will ask you a question in the video, and then I'll pause and you'll have
a chance to be able to speak back. I'm not going to tell you the exact words
you need to say, you need to create them from your brain. But this will be a safe
environment for you to start speaking. So the next time that you see someone who's
an English speaker, maybe your coworker says, "Hey, how was your weekend?" Oh,
you feel much better because you've already practiced speaking in that safe
environment. I highly recommend that all of my English students speak English in a
conversation setting at least once a week. This is a great way to have a deadline.
So that you know, okay, Tuesday's coming. I'm going to be speaking in English on
Tuesday. I need to listen to some podcasts, I need to watch some of Vanessa's videos.
I need to prepare my mind a little bit for English. And then on Tuesday, you
got it. You can speak in English. And guess what? In the English Worksheet
Library, you will find many speaking worksheets. These worksheets will guide you
through English conversation to help you make that first step. Because oftentimes, the first
step is the most difficult, right? But you can use these speaking worksheets all from the
comfort of your own home, in your own time. Don't waste time downloading over 100
worksheets here on YouTube. Instead, get instant access so that you can start
leveling up your English fluency skills today. And if you join this week you can get the
70% off discount, where the total price is $27. Instant access for over 100 English
worksheets that I have made in the past, and all of the worksheets that I will
continue to make in the future, so that you don't waste any time downloading, clicking,
figuring out where to save these files. Nope, you've got them right at your fingertips in
the full English Worksheet Library. You can click on the link below this video to join
the full English Worksheet Library today. And now I have a question for you. Are
you a perfectionist? Do you wait until everything is perfect before you take that
first step? Let us know in the comments, and I think that you'll find other English
learners struggle with the same thing as you. But we are all here in the same boat, with
the same goal of achieving English fluency. Well, thank you so much for
learning English with me, and I'll see you again next Friday for a
new lesson here on my YouTube channel. Bye. But wait, do you want more? I recommend
watching this video next, where you will get a chance to speak with me. This video will
help you to speak about your weekend plans, one of the most common conversation topics.
And you will be able to master it and feel confident. Forget about perfectionism. This
video is for you. And I'll see you there.
