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Author name: Ziaur Rehman

Mindset

How to become the ‘Shah Rukh Khan’ of language learning

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Today, let’s dive into the inspiring world of language learning and draw some lessons from the legendary Shah Rukh Khan’s hard work in his career. If you’re just beginning to embark on your language journey or find yourself in the intermediate phase, I’m writing this with you in mind. Versatility –Shah Rukh Khan, the king of Bollywood, is known for effortlessly slipping into diverse roles – from a romantic hero to intense characters. Similarly, in our language-learning adventure, versatility is our secret weapon. Don’t stick to just one aspect; explore reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Treat it like a dynamic script where you get to play different linguistic characters. Consistency –Remember how SRK didn’t become a Bollywood sensation overnight? It was a journey of consistent hits, lots and lots of movies one after another. Language learning is no different. Make it a daily affair. Whether it’s dedicating a short five minutes or a solid fifty, consistency is the key. Treat it like a daily rehearsal for your own language blockbuster. Embracing Mistakes –SRK openly admits when a movie doesn’t do well. See how when his movies like Fan, Zero and Jab harry met Sejal didn’t do so well, he did not give up. And today you have Pathan, Jawan and Dunki. Similarly, in language learning, don’t shy away from making mistakes. Stumble over words, make a goofy sentence, pronounce a word wrong – IT’S OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES. It’s all part of the learning process.  Confidence – In language learning, we can draw profound inspiration from SRK’s confidence. Shah Rukh Khan’s confidence doesn’t stem solely from external validation; it starts from within. To become a linguistic superstar, you must believe in yourself and your abilities. I want you too to believe in your abilities. Don’t try to be perfect. SRK’s confidence doesn’t hinge on perfection; it thrives on authenticity. Similarly, in language learning, it’s not about flawless grammar or impeccable pronunciation. It’s about expressing yourself authentically, embracing your unique voice, and having the confidence to communicate despite imperfections. Patience –SRK’s journey to stardom took time, and so does language fluency. Patience is his superpower. He did not react when his son was falsely implicated and jailed in a drug case. If Shah Rukh wanted, he could have given 10 interviews asking people to help and support him but he stayed silent, trusted the process and spoke through his actions. Today the whole country knows what happened to that case. As a language learner, have patience. It’s ok if you messed up a speech in office. It’s okay if someone is trying to bully you because of your low self-confidence. Don’t lose hope. Develop yourself. Build yourself slowly. Trust the process and soon you will be able to turn the tables.   Cultural Immersion – Imagine SRK getting into character for a role. Apply that to language learning – immerse yourself in the language’s culture. Whether it’s through movies, music, or literature, feel the vibe, soak in the drama. It’s not just about words; it’s about becoming a part of the language’s story. So, dear language learners, grab your linguistic script, hit the language-learning set, and become the Shah Rukh Khan of mastering a new language – versatile, confident, and ready for your linguistic blockbuster! 

Mindset, Practice

You are a taxi driver

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During a recent one-on-one session, one of my learners, Harshada, said, “Whenever I go on stage, I start shivering. I have a great fear of public speaking.” Curious, I probed further, asking how many times this had occurred – 50 times, 100 times, or even more? To my surprise, her response was, “around 5 times.” She continued, “It has happened 5-6 times, and after that, I stopped trying.” It seemed she attributed her struggle to fear, a sentiment echoed by many who lack confidence in speaking English. Today, I urge you to reshape your perspective. Swap out the word fear with lack of experience. “I can’t speak confidently because of fear.” “I can’t speak confidently because of lack of experience.” “I can’t speak fluently because people might judge my performance.” “I can’t speak fluently because I don’t have enough experience of talking to people.” “I have a fear that I might make a grammar error.” “I have a lack of experience of learning and using grammar.” See what I’m doing here? I’m simply altering your mindset. Transforming the way you view the world changes your reality. It’s like wearing yellow-tinted sunglasses, which make everything appear yellow, or wearing blue-tinted glasses, painting your world in shades of blue. Similarly, our perception shapes the way we interpret things. If you convince yourself that fear is the obstacle, you’ll see fear everywhere. On the other hand, if you view it as a lack of experience, every conversation becomes a small contribution toward gaining proficiency. This is the nature of experience – the more you engage in it, the more adept you become. I’ve observed this phenomenon in the world around us. Often, experienced taxi drivers driver better their younger counterparts. Why? Because they’ve driven on countless roads, developing a proficiency that allows them to drive effortlessly. You are a taxi driver. Your task is to drive every day, consistently. Focus on the daily journey. Drop grand plans for improving English; instead, pinpoint moments where you can incorporate a bit of English TODAY. Forget about speaking confidently in next 2-3 years. Focus solely on today. Don’t worry about the long journey ahead; focus on who you can pick up today. Find those little chances to speak English.  By consistently picking up these daily passengers, you’ll become an experienced driver without even realizing it. You won’t need a grammar roadmap because, over time, you’ll know the routes by heart. (Do you really think of grammar rules when you are talking in your mother tongue? Then why stress so much upon English grammar?) The key is to embrace each day as a new opportunity to drive, picking up valuable experiences that will make you a seasoned language driver. That today will move you forward. That’s the essence of the message. What are your thoughts? 

Knowledge, Mindset

How to remember the newly learn vocabulary and use them appropriately according to the situation?

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Stop learning new words Start consuming new words. You are an AI being fed on lots of data. Did you pick up new words in your native language in such a planned way? No.  Is watching movies and TV series really improve English? Yes you can increase your vocabulary by watching movies and TV series only if you don’t watch them to learn new vocabulary.  When you watch a movie to learn vocabulary, you don’t focus on the movie, its story, the plot, the character and many other things because you are busy reading subtitles. Stop that. Do this instead:Focus on the movie, on the characters, on the storyline. Watch the movie as a movie. Not as a vocabulary lesson. You see something interesting is happening here.  You remember ‘demonetization’? Before 2016 this was a relatively unknown word for most of the Indians. Now it’s one of the most known (and heartfelt 😉 word for most of Indians. How did so many people learn a new word? Did you learn it by writing its meaning in a notebook and then practicing? Did you go to watch news to learn new words?  No. It happened. You experienced it. You saw it everywhere and saw a lot of people using it in news reports, social circles, family members and it was repeated so many times in context that you brain picked it and it stuck in your mind. So books and movies will also do something similar. You just need to consume a lot of good quality English content and slowly you will start seeing those words becoming more common for you. For instance, some of my conversation club members just love watching Korean drama and I see they know a lot of Korean words without ever concisely learning them. Same is my members who watch Turkish drama and Japanese dramas.  Another example is my conversation club members who have experienced a lot of things, they know lots of words  by experience not just by dictionary meanings.  So I suggest that you increase your knowledge and experience . Once you understand more things, you will know more things and how to talk about them. ——————— Myths of How the Brain Learns Vocabulary:

Mindset

When you do it, then you do it.

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“I don’t use it because I am not good it. And because I am not good at it, I don’t use it.”Can you say the same for your English and communication skills? It’s like your bike and your body. The more you use it, the better it functions. Put your bike in the garage for 5-6 months, and all sorts of problems start appearing when you try to ride it. Once a person retires from his job, all sorts of diseases start to catch him. (May not be scientifically correct but this is what I have seen) This is because certain things grow only when they are used. If you run daily, your running strength will improve and you will be able to run more. If you exercise in the gym daily, your capacity to lift weights will keep increasing. If you swim daily, your swimming skills and stamina will continue to grow.  Same applies to language and communication. Speak more to speak better. Find more opportunities to talk to people. Stop thinking. Start acting. Speak. Write. Read. Listen.Don’t just think of doing it. Actually do it because when you do it, then you do it. 

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