You want to remember to get in your English learning and I’m going to share the top ways to do that because it’s easy to forget to use the language you’re learning. We’ve all done it. 🙋♀️ English speaking practice is most effective when we do it regularly.
To give you the best tips, I even tried my own subscription Voice Message Speaking Practice (VMSP), which helps build English fluency through weekly voice message conversations with me.
For my own language practice, I used the same approach so I could spend more time speaking Spanish and French with my VMSP topics. Here’s what’s worked for me and others to make sure that you show up and get your English speaking practice in.
1 Use your inbox to remind you
Do you like keeping your email inbox clean? When your weekly VMSP email arrives, leave it unread until you’re ready to send me a voice message with your response.
Then, open the email and record your answer right away. Treat it like a real conversation. If someone asked you a question in an in-person conversation you’d reply straight away and not wait a couple of days, right? 😏
2 Set a calendar reminder
Think of your English speaking practice with VMSP like a short appointment with yourself (and with me!).
Add it to your calendar as a 5-minute event. Even though you’ll probably only need 3 minutes to read the email and send me your voice message response! 🙃
You never miss a haircut or a work meeting on your calendar, why not give this the same importance?
3 Try an alarm
If a calendar reminder isn’t enough, how about an alarm? 🔔 Set the alarm, with sound!, on your phone or watch to alert you that it’s time to practice speaking.
Real life example: when I wanted to feed my cats at the same time every day, I set an alarm on my watch. They quickly learned what the beeping sound meant. 😻
4 Build a weekly habit
Are you a creature of habit like my cats are? Pick one day and time each week to start your speaking practice.
For example: “Every Tuesday at 4 p.m., I’ll check my VMSP email and answer the question Vickie sends me.”
By the way, the question arrives Mondays at 10 a.m. Central European Time (CET). Whether it’s Monday, Tuesday, or another day that fits your schedule best, find a weekly time that works well for you.
5 Stay organized
Create a folder in your email for your English. You could name it VMSP and add a subfolder called Feedback for your Friday feedback emails. 💌
This way, you have all your English in one place and you can look back at your progress anytime you want! Plus, adding the emails to that folder helps you remember to complete your practice.
6 Use sticky notes
Put a sticky note somewhere you’re sure to see it. You could try putting it on your desk, fridge, or even your front door (like I do).
What should you put on the note? Something as simple as, “Did you send Vickie your VMSP message?” will do the trick. 📝
7 Pair it with a reward
Give yourself something to look forward to after completing your practice.
For example, “Once I send my message, I’ll have a piece of chocolate” 🍫 or “I’ll watch an episode of my favorite show, Friends” 📺 or “I’ll read a chapter in my new Stephen King book.” 📖
8 Add English speaking practice to your to-do list
If you love crossing things off your to-do list as much as I do, write “send VMSP reply to Vickie” in your weekly planner or add it to your digital to-do list.
Seeing it there waiting to be crossed off can be the small nudge you need to spend a few minutes completing your English speaking practice that day.
9 Find an accountability buddy
Tell a friend or family member about your English learning and ask them to check in on you to help you stay on track. A message from them saying, “Did you send your voice message to Vickie?” is all it takes to provide quick accountability.
My sister and I do this with our workouts. “Did you do yoga this week?” I don’t want to reply no, so if I haven’t done it yet, I complete my workout so I can reply, “Yes!” 🧘♀️
10 Attach your English speaking practice to your regular routine
Connect your speaking time to something you already do daily. I could do mine after I have my morning bowl of cereal or before I brush my teeth at night. They call this habit stacking and you can read more about it here.
And you? What habit do you already have that you could link your speaking to so that it’s easier to remember?
Time for you to choose a tip and take action
Which tip will you try first? Let me know after you complete your English speaking practice.
I can’t wait to hear which one helps you keep showing up regularly for your English learning. Happy speaking! 🤗
