“Don’t Give Up on English | A Motivation Podcast for Beginners | English Conversation Practice

[music] Hello everyone and welcome back to Talk Emma, the place where learning English feels calm, friendly, and possible. I'm Emma. >> Hi everyone, I'm Jake and I'm really happy to be here with you again today. >> I'm happy too, Jake. You look relaxed today. >> I do now, but to be honest, yesterday was not a good day. Oh, what happened? >> Well, yesterday I was studying English in the evening. I opened my notebook. I looked at the words and suddenly I felt very tired. >> That feeling comes fast sometimes. >> Yes. I read one sentence again and again and my brain said, "Jake, this is too hard." >> I felt small. I felt slow. And for a moment I wanted to stop. >> I think many people listening right now know that feeling. >> Yes, that moment when you think maybe English is not for me. >> Thank you for saying this honestly Jake because that is exactly our topic today. >> Yes, today we are talking about not giving up on English >> especially for beginners. For people who want to learn but feel tired, confused or frustrated, >> English can feel like a big mountain, >> a very big mountain. >> Some days you feel strong >> and some days you feel like sitting down and crying >> and both days are normal. >> Before we continue, friends, we have a small friendly request. If you enjoy our conversations, >> please press the like button >> and subscribe to Talk Emma. >> When you subscribe, you learn with us every week. >> And if you know someone who feels tired with English, >> please share this episode with them. >> Let's support each other. >> Okay, Jake, let's go back to yesterday. >> Yes. You said you wanted to stop. What did you do next? >> First, I closed my book. That sounds honest. >> Then I made some tea. >> Tea helps many problems in life. >> It really does. I sat near the window and I thought about why I started learning English. >> That's an important question. >> I started because I want to speak confidently. >> Yes. >> I want to understand people. >> Yes. >> I want to feel proud of myself. >> That reason is very strong. But yesterday I forgot all that. >> That happens to everyone. >> Then I remembered something my teacher once said. >> What did she say? >> She said, "When learning feels hard, your brain is working." >> I love that sentence. >> She said, "If it feels easy all the time, you are not growing." >> That's so true. >> English is like exercise. >> Yes, exactly. If you lift a very light weight, your muscles don't change. >> But when the weight is heavy, >> your muscles grow. >> English works the same way. >> When you listen and don't understand everything, >> that is not failure. >> That is training. >> That made me feel better. But Emma, sometimes it still hurts. Of course it does. >> Sometimes you study for 1 hour >> and the next day you forget words. You forget grammar >> and you think what is wrong with me. >> Yes, exactly that. >> Let me tell you something important. >> Okay. >> Really? The English is inside your brain. >> Inside? >> Yes. Sometimes it's just sleeping. >> Sleeping English. >> Yes. And every time you practice, you wake it up a little more. >> I like that idea. >> Even learning one word is a victory. a small victory >> and small victories build confidence. >> Many learners think I'm not fluent so I'm failing. >> That thought is very dangerous. >> Why? >> Because learning is not about today. >> It's about time. >> Ask yourself, am I better than last month >> or last year? >> If the answer is yes, >> then you are winning. >> Mistakes are part of that. Yes, mistakes mean you are brave. >> If you never make mistakes, >> you are staying in the easy zone. >> And the easy zone feels safe, >> but you don't grow there. >> Now, let's talk about time. >> Many people say, "I don't have time for English." >> That's very common. >> They work. >> They have families. >> They feel tired. >> My advice is simple. >> Tell me, >> don't look at the whole mountain. Just look at one step. >> 5 minutes is enough. >> 5 minutes. >> Yes, 5 minutes is better than zero. >> Listen to one short audio. >> Read one paragraph. >> Learn one word. >> On hard days, don't run. Just don't stop. >> That sentence is very important. >> Don't run. Don't stop. >> Exactly. >> Like walking in the rain. slow, uncomfortable, >> but you are still moving. >> And sometimes, Jake. >> Yes. >> When life feels too heavy, >> I find peace in faith. >> Yes, me too. >> Trusting God helps me. >> It reminds me that I'm not alone. >> God knows our hearts. >> He sees our effort. >> When we feel weak, we don't have to be strong alone. >> That gives me hope. Learning English is not just about words. >> It's about opening your world, >> meeting people, >> sharing ideas. >> And if you give up, >> that door stays closed. >> But if you stay, >> new opportunities come. >> So when you feel like giving up, >> remember this, >> hard means growing. >> Small steps matter. >> Rest is okay. >> But quitting is not. You are stronger than you think >> and you are not alone. >> We are learning together. >> One word at a time. >> One day at a time. Okay. Tell me that feeling when you study English but you don't feel progress. >> Ah yes that quiet pain. You open a book. You watch a video. You listen to a podcast. But inside you think, "Why am I still the same?" >> Many learners feel this. They don't say it loudly, but it hurts. >> Sometimes they think, "Maybe English is not for me." >> Let me stop you right there. >> Okay. >> English is for you, but learning does not move fast every day. >> That's true. Learning English is like walking in fog. You don't see far, >> but you are still moving. Wow, I like that image. >> You only see a few steps, but those steps matter. >> Emmer, can I share a mistake I made? >> Of course, >> Jack. I once said I am very boring today, but I wanted to say I am bored. [laughter] >> That's a common mistake. I felt embarrassed. >> But did you learn from it? >> Yes, I never forgot it. >> Mistakes are teachers. They stay longer than perfect sentences. >> That's true, >> Emma. Some listeners feel tired, not lazy. >> That's very important to say. >> They think, "I didn't study today. I failed." >> No, you didn't fail. >> You rested. And rest is part of learning >> like charging a phone. >> Exactly. A tired brain cannot learn well. >> So what should learners do on tired days? >> Very simple things. Listen to easy English. Repeat one sentence or just think in English for one minute. >> One minute feels possible. >> Yes. Consistency is more important than intensity. Emma, fear is another big problem. >> Yes. Fear of speaking, fear of wrong grammar, fear of people laughing. >> Fear stops many learners. >> But fear means you care. >> Wow, I never thought like that. >> If English didn't matter, you wouldn't be afraid. >> So fear is not bad. >> No, fear is a sign of growth. I remember my first English conversation. My hands were shaking. >> Mine too. My heart was beating fast. >> But after speaking, I felt proud. >> That pride is waiting for our listeners too. >> Yes. On the other side of fear. >> Let's give them a small challenge. >> Okay, everyone listen today. Say one English sentence out loud. >> Only one. in your room, in front of a mirror, or quietly to yourself. >> Then smile. >> Smile because you tried. >> Emma, can I share something personal? >> Always. >> There was a time I wanted to quit learning. I felt slow behind others. >> M. What helped you? >> Faith. Trusting God. Believing effort matters. >> Yes. God sees effort, not speed. that gives peace. >> Dear listeners, please remember this. >> You are not stupid. >> You are not slow. >> You are learning. >> And learning takes time. >> Time is not your enemy. >> Time is your partner. >> If today feels heavy, that's okay. >> Slow days still move you forward. >> Please don't give up. Rest if you need, cry if you need, >> but don't quit. >> We believe in you. >> We're walking with you. >> Okay, Jack, tell me, when you said time is your partner, that stayed in my mind. >> Yes, because many learners fight time. >> They feel angry at time. >> They say, "I've been learning for so long." >> But learning is not a straight line. Some days go up, >> some days go down. >> And some days feel flat. >> Flat days are normal. >> But flat days make people doubt themselves. >> Yes, they think nothing is happening. >> But something is happening >> inside the brain. >> Quiet learning. >> Hidden learning. >> Learning you don't feel yet. >> Okay. I want to ask you something honestly. >> Okay. Have you ever felt ashamed of your English? >> Yes, many times. >> Thank you for saying that. >> Sometimes when people speak fast, I become quiet. >> You disappear a little. >> Yes, I listen but I don't speak. >> Many learners do that. >> They hide >> because they are afraid of sounding wrong >> or sounding stupid. >> But being quiet doesn't mean you are weak. >> It means you are careful. But I want learners to know something. >> Tell them >> your English does not need permission. >> Wow. >> You don't need to wait until you are good enough. >> English is not a door someone opens for you. >> You open it yourself. >> With mistakes, >> with a shaking voice, >> with simple words. >> Simple English is strong English. >> Can I say something important? >> Yes. Many beginners think they must speak like natives. >> That thought causes pain >> because native speakers grew up with English. >> They didn't learn it like you. >> Comparing is unfair. >> Your English is international English. >> It doesn't need to be perfect. >> It needs to be clear >> and honest. >> Jack, let's talk about bad thoughts. >> The ones that come at night. >> Yes. Thoughts like I'm too old >> or I'm not smart >> or I started too late. >> Those thoughts lie. >> Yes, they are not facts. >> Learning has no age, >> no deadline, >> no finish line. >> You learn until you stop breathing. >> H I want to slow down here. >> Okay. Listener, if you are thinking of quitting English, >> please wait. >> Not forever. >> Just wait today. >> Don't decide your future on a tired day. >> Tired thoughts are not true thoughts. >> Yes. >> Do you remember your first English sentence? >> I do. >> What was it? >> Hello, my name is Emma. >> That's beautiful. >> It was small, >> but it started everything. Every fluent speaker started with one sentence. >> No one started fluent. >> Sometimes learners feel alone. >> Yes, >> they think no one understands my struggle. >> But look around. >> Millions of people are learning English. >> Feeling the same fear, >> the same frustration, >> the same hope. >> You are part of a big family, >> a family of learners. and families support each other. >> That's why we talk like this. >> Not as teachers, >> as friends. >> Friends who understand. >> Jack, I want to say something gently. >> Go ahead. >> It's okay to cry over English. >> Yes. >> Because it matters to you. >> Tears are not weakness. >> They are effort leaving the body. >> Jack, that's a strong sentence. Because learning changes you. >> It touches your confidence, >> your identity, >> your dreams. >> And dreams are emotional. >> Listener, please hear this clearly. >> If English feels hard today, >> it doesn't mean you are failing. >> It means you are learning. >> And learning people don't quit. >> They pause. >> They breathe. >> And they continue. >> Jack, I feel calm now. Me too. >> Not excited, >> not loud, >> just calm. >> And calm is good for learning. >> Yes, >> because English grows best in calm minds, >> not scared ones. When you said calm minds, I felt that deeply. >> Yes, because pressure kills learning. >> Many learners put too much pressure on themselves. >> They say, "I must speak perfectly. I must understand everything. >> I must be fluent fast. >> Those must words are heavy. >> Very heavy. >> English does not need pressure. >> It needs patience. >> Let me ask you something honestly. >> Okay. >> What do you think happens when someone quits English? >> They don't just stop learning words. >> Go on. >> They stop believing in themselves a little. >> Yes. They tell their heart, "I can't do hard things." >> And that message is dangerous. >> Because English is not the only hard thing in life. >> If you stay with English, >> you teach yourself strength. >> You teach yourself patience. >> You teach yourself trust. >> Trust in your own ability. >> Many learners think confidence comes first. >> But confidence comes after action. You speak first, >> then confidence follows. >> You don't wait to feel ready. >> You become ready by trying. >> Listener, can we talk to you directly? >> Yes. >> If today you feel weak, >> that's okay. >> Weak days don't erase strong days. >> They are part of the same story. >> And stories need ups and downs. >> Otherwise, they are boring. Jack, do you remember a time you almost quit something important? >> Yes, I do. What stopped you? I remembered my why. >> Your reason. >> Yes. Not grammar, not tests, >> but purpose. >> I wanted to communicate, >> to connect, >> to express myself. >> Listener, what is your why? >> Maybe it's your job. >> Maybe it's travel. >> Maybe it's confidence. Maybe it's helping your family. >> Your why matters more than your mistakes. >> Always. >> Some learners say, "I'm afraid people will laugh." >> Yes, that fear is real. >> But let me say something gently. >> Please do. >> Kind people don't laugh at learners. >> And unkind people are not your teachers. >> Your English does not exist to impress. It exists to communicate >> and communication is brave. >> Jack, what about accent? >> Ah, accent fear. >> Many people hate their accent. >> But accent means you speak more than one language. >> That is not weakness. >> That is power. >> Your accent is your story. >> It shows effort. >> It shows courage. >> Never be ashamed of trying. Never. >> Jack, I want to slow down again. >> Okay, >> listener, take a breath. >> You don't need to rush. >> English will not run away. >> It will wait for you. >> One sentence at a time. >> One day at a time. >> If you feel lost, >> just listen. >> If you feel shy, >> just repeat. >> If you feel tired, >> just rest. >> But don't leave. Stay close to English >> like a friend, >> not like an enemy. >> Do you believe everyone can learn English? >> Yes, I truly believe that. >> Even slow learners, >> especially slow learners. >> Why? >> Because they feel deeply. >> They don't rush. >> They build strong foundations. >> That's beautiful. >> Learning English changes people. Yes, >> it opens their world. >> It gives them a voice >> and voices deserve to be heard. >> Listener, your voice matters. >> Even if it shakes, >> even if it's quiet, >> even if it makes mistakes. >> Your voice is part of this world. I feel something now. >> What do you feel? >> Grateful. >> Me, too. >> Grateful for learners who don't quit. Grateful for effort. >> Grateful for patience. >> Grateful for you listening. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Thank you for staying. >> Thank you for trying. >> Thank you for not giving up. >> Before we gently finish, >> let's leave one small thought. >> If English feels heavy today, >> put it down gently. >> But pick it up again tomorrow. >> You are stronger than you think. You are learning even when you don't feel it. >> And we believe in you. >> I'm Emma. >> I'm Jack. >> And this is Talk Emma. >> If this conversation helped you, >> you can like this episode. >> Subscribe if you want to walk with us. >> And if you feel comfortable, >> write one sentence in the comments, >> just one. >> We read them >> and we smile. >> Don't give up. >> Keep going. One word at a