Hello listeners. I'm happy to see you again.
Welcome to the 8 -Minute English podcast series on the Learn English Podcast channel.
I'm your host, Nathan.
It's great to have you here with us again.
What do you think self -study is?
And is it studying a subject or a language by yourself?
Yes, it is. But it's more than that.
Self -study is something you need to do regularly.
You have to practice every day.
It's also something you need to learn how to do.
Today, we have a conversation between Jasmine, a new member of the school club, and Sharon, the club's former leader.
They will talk about how to focus on self -study and keep it going.
We've prepared a special free PDF for this episode, full of tips and words to help you learn better.
Don't forget to check it out.
Let's get started right now.
Hi Sharon, I'm so happy you're here.
I've heard a lot about you from other club members.
They all say you have a lot to share.
That's really nice of them to say.
I'm glad to be back with everyone.
How's the club been for you so far?
I'm really happy we met at this meeting.
Things at the club are going well, but I feel stuck when studying, especially alone.
It feels boring when I study by myself.
I want to improve, but it's hard to get started.
Do you have any tips?
I understand, Jasmine.
Studying alone can feel hard at first, but if you see it as a way to grow and learn, it can actually be fun.
It's not just about English or school.
It can help in many areas of life.
Really? I thought it was just extra homework.
Why is studying alone so important?
Good question. Self -study isn't just extra work.
It's a way to take control of your learning.
This is important because things are always changing.
When you study on your own, you're building habits to be independent.
You're not only learning facts, you're learning how to learn.
So, it's really about building confidence and skills for daily life, not just school.
Exactly. Think about it.
If you always depended on teachers for everything, self -study helps you get ready for anything new you need to learn.
It's not just for English, it's for learning anything.
That sounds really helpful, but when I try to set study goals, I often feel bored.
My goals feel too big, and then I get confused.
That happens a lot.
One tip is to break big goals into smaller steps.
For example, if you want to improve in English, try a small goal like, learn five new words each day.
These smaller steps keep you motivated because you see progress more often, instead of trying to become fluent.
So, instead of saying, I want to master English, I could say, I want to learn how to describe my daily routine in English.
You got it. That sounds simple and easy to stick with.
When you set small, reachable goals, it's easier to make progress without feeling stressed.
I understand, but there's one more thing.
It's hard to focus when I get distracted.
My phone, notifications.
They all distract me.
I feel like I'll turn into a caveman if I don't check them.
I'm worried I'll miss club meetings.
I don't want to upset people by not checking messages.
Oh, Jasmine, you remind me of when I first joined the club.
Can you tell me more?
Sure. When I first joined, I listened carefully to what everyone said.
I even missed an English class to go to a club event.
When doing homework, I would pick up my phone every time I got a message.
Things changed when I saw my focus was getting worse.
A study from California showed this too.
Checking your phone can make it harder to focus on work or school.
It's true what people say.
You really know a lot.
So what happened after that?
That's what I want to share with you next.
To get my focus back, I made a special study area.
I tried to keep this space just for studying, like keeping my desk clear, setting my phone to do not disturb, and only having study things around me.
Wow. That sounds really smart.
That helps with outside distractions.
What about inside distractions, like motivation?
I lose motivation quickly.
Self -study isn't just about motivation.
To do well, you need a plan, too.
They work together.
When motivation goes away, a plan helps you keep going.
You need to decide what to study and for how long.
That sounds easy enough to try?
Yes, and if you want to stay motivated, there's a way.
Find someone who also likes learning on their own.
They don't need to study the same thing as you.
Just have the same goal of learning alone.
That's great. I'll try to find someone, but I'm still not sure what would be good to study.
There are many free resources online.
Websites like Coursera, Khan Academy, and YouTube have lessons.
You can also find simple apps to help you learn languages or other things.
And don't be afraid to ask for help.
Study groups or online communities can help, too.
You're right. Just talking with you has been a big help.
I've learned things I didn't think about before.
You're welcome. Let's learn some useful words with me now.
First, we have realize.
It means to understand something clearly.
Sharon started to realize that studying in a quiet place helps her focus.
Now let's look at confidence.
This word means feeling sure that you can do something well.
We can feel more confident when we practice self -study every day.
Next, we have notification.
It's a message sent to your phone or computer.
Jasmine finds her phone notifications distracting when she studies.
Have you heard this word?
Concentrate. This verb means to focus.
Jasmine finds it hard to concentrate when she gets distracted.
Lastly, we have motivated.
It means having a strong reason to do something.
Smaller goals help Jasmine stay motivated in her studies.
You can write down these words to learn them easily.
Let's understand the topic better by answering some questions.
First question. What is the main message of this podcast episode?
From what I've learned, self -study is important for our growth and confidence.
It gives tips on setting goals, creating a study space, and finding resources.
We need to practice and keep a self -study routine.
Next question. What will you do to avoid distractions while studying?
For me, I will turn off my phone notifications and find a quiet study space.
What about you? Please share what you learned from the podcast in the comments below.
Before ending today's podcast, I'll share some useful information about the topic.
There's a famous study that shows our brains work better with focused study times.
It's called the Pomodoro technique.
This method was created by Francesco Chirillo in the 1980s, and it really works.
Here's how it works.
You study for 25 minutes and then take a short five minute break.
After you do this four times, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
Try this method when you study alone, then come back here and tell us how it went.
I'd love to hear from you.
We've come to the end of today's podcast.
I hope you can use the advice from this episode in your life.
It will make things better for you.
Trust me, self -study is not hard.
The hard part is keeping it going until we see good results.
Stay healthy and keep up your self -study routine.
Goodbye and see you in the next episode.
