Hi, I'm Georgiana and I'm back with a new episode.
I'm here to help you speak English fluently.
If you want to help me, share the podcast with your friends and family.
That would mean a lot.
Thanks.
Okay, let's start.
In this episode, I'll talk about a Japanese technique called Kaizen.
It's hard to be constant when you have a long-time project like learning English.
This technique will help you to study English every day and it will prevent you from procrastinating.
Later, you will practice your speaking skills with a new mini-story.
What in the world is Kaizen?
You may be asking yourself.
Kaizen is a Japanese word that can be translated as continuous improvement.
The concept of continuous improvement has been around for thousands of years in Japanese culture.
Here's the thing.
Sometimes we want to achieve essential goals or make significant changes to our habits.
It's when we get excited and we start taking massive action.
We go to the gym five days per week or study English for several hours every day.
This is easy when we begin, since we're motivated and we have strong determination.
Novelty gives us that feeling.
Taking massive action can be positive sometimes.
Unfortunately, many times it can become counterproductive.
This mindset is prevalent among Western culture.
We like finding big solutions to big problems.
The best way to reach our goal is to start using a better and more efficient method.
So, you have already chosen your goal.
That's easy to do.
You've decided that you want to speak English fluently.
What's tricky is maintaining your enthusiasm until reaching your goal.
Don't try to make radical changes in a short amount of time.
Make small improvements every day.
These small steps will gradually lead you to your aim.
Each day, just focus on getting 1% better.
In your case, just focus on improving your English skills by 1% every day.
It might not seem like much, but those 1% improvements start compounding on each other.
For example, we all know that it's hard to keep on doing the same routine every day.
But it can also be fun.
That's why you should choose your material carefully.
It shouldn't be complicated or tedious.
And most of all, don't let your lack of time become an excuse.
Start with 10 or even 5 minutes per day.
Why Kaizen works When you improve a little each day, eventually remarkable things occur.
Not tomorrow, not the next day, but in the end, you achieve something significant.
Sadly, many English students spend years looking for the perfect method.
They're looking for that big trick that will make them speak English with fluency from one day to another.
Instead, the Kaizen way reminds you to focus on your primary task and do a little every day.
You already know what you need to do.
Get to work and find small ways to improve along the way.
Start small and make your increases gradual.
Avoid the temptation of getting impatient.
Don't start rushing forward and taking bigger leaps.
Take it slowly, steadily, and be consistent.
Now let's try to apply the Kaizen philosophy to this specific example.
Let's say you only spend 10 minutes reading 10 pages a day.
You can do that just before going to bed.
It's only for 10 minutes.
Now let's do the math.
10 pages per day, that's 300 pages in a month.
Not bad, huh?
Let's keep doing the math.
In one year, you would read 12 books, and in 5 years, 60 books.
Can you imagine that?
Can you picture how many words, expressions, grammar structures you could learn?
You could also start writing 3 pages per day, listen 15 minutes in the morning and 15 in the afternoon, or even speak English for 10 minutes every day.
It's up to you.
If you're curious to know more about the Kaizen way, there are many books on this topic.
I can recommend you A Small Step Can Change Your Life by Robert Maurer.
Maybe you could read it a few pages a day in English.
Okay, let's continue with a mini-story.
A mini story is very simple.
I ask simple questions on purpose so that you can simulate a conversation in English.
It's like talking to another person.
Okay, let's get started.
Joe was a very lazy guy with no energy.
Who was a lazy guy?
Joe.
He was a very lazy guy.
Was Joe lazy or active?
Lazy.
He wasn't active.
He was very lazy.
Did he have any energy?
No, he didn't have any energy.
Joe was very active, right?
No, not at all.
He wasn't active.
He was very lazy.
Was Joe a guy or a guide?
A guy, a man, not a guide.
And he didn't guide anyone either.
His doctor advised him to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
Did Joe need to rest for 30 minutes every day?
No, no.
He needed to exercise, not rest.
His mother advised him to exercise every day, right?
No, his mother didn't advise him.
His doctor told him to exercise at least 30 minutes every day.
Whose doctor advised Joe to exercise?
His doctor.
Joe's doctor advised him to do exercise.
Did his doctor need to exercise every day at least 30 minutes?
No, not his doctor, Joe.
He needed to exercise.
How many minutes did Joe need to exercise every day?
Joe needed to exercise at least 30 minutes every day.
Joe decided to apply a Japanese philosophy called Kaizen.
He started walking one minute a day.
Did Joe decide to go surfing every day?
No, he didn't decide to go surfing every day.
He decided to follow the Kaizen way.
Joe decided to walk for 10 minutes every day, right?
No, not 10 minutes.
He started walking only one minute a day.
Did he start learning Japanese?
No.
He started following a Japanese method called Kaizen.
The first month, he walked for 30 minutes a day.
After 6 months, he started running for 1 hour a day.
How many minutes could Joe walk after 1 month?
30 minutes.
He could walk for 30 minutes.
Could Joe run in the first month?
No, he could walk for 30 minutes though.
Joe could run for 10 hours after 6 months, right?
No, not ten hours.
After six months, Joe could run for one hour a day.
After a year, he participated in a marathon and finished it effortlessly.
Did Joe visit Manhattan after one year?
No, no.
He participated in a marathon.
After how many years did Joe participate in a marathon?
After one year.
Joe participated in a marathon after one year.
Was the marathon too tiring for Joe?
No, the marathon wasn't too tiring.
He finished it effortlessly.
Did the Kaizen method help Joe become active?
Yes, the Kaizen method helped Joe become very active.
Look at Joe.
He's amazing.
One year ago, he didn't have any energy at all.
Now he's ended up running marathons.
That's the power of Kaizen.
And yes, you can also apply it to learning English or anything else you want.
Great!
This is the end of this short exercise.
As you can see, answering many simple questions can improve your speaking, just like in a real-life conversation.
Today, you've only seen a small example of how the question and answer technique works.
Do you want to unlock this full potential?
I have a huge announcement.
A new course is now available to help you with your pronunciation.
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