I'm an English coach, polyglot, entrepreneur, and digital nomad who loves to talk about education, travel, and business & entrepreneurship. Subscribe to my newsletter, I look forward to meeting you!
Are you stuck in a fake progress trap? Grind ≠ growth
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Hi Reader As we pack away the sun cream and unleash a new set of pens ready for back to school, I want to talk about fake progress in language learning. (I do miss the days of new highlighters, notebooks and sharp pencils as September begins!) Sometimes it feels like we’re doing everything right: watching films with subtitles, listening to podcasts on the way to work, highlighting useful words in news articles, taking lessons regularly. Yet there is still no real change in confidence. No big improvements in fluency. No sense of progress. Why? Because not all effort leads to transformation. It’s easy to stay busy without actually moving forward. That’s fake progress. You might be doing a lot, but if you're not: speaking regularly, getting specific feedback, practising the right kind of vocabulary, repeating and reusing expressions until they become natural ...then the results stay the same. You don't need to work harder. You need to work smarter. With the right support, things change faster. Tip of the monthFor every passive activity you do (like watching a show or listening to a podcast), follow it with a short active task. For example:
This creates a habit loop: input → output. August 2025Coaching cornerA moment for quiet reflection or journalling, even just thinking about your answers can help you notice patterns and shift your focus.
What small change could you make this week to focus on intentional growth instead of activity?
Stay tuned for more tips, videos, client stories, podcast episodes, travel reflections, language disasters and everything inbetween! Hit reply and tell me what you're learning at the moment. Meg P.S In my lessons, I create a safe, welcoming space for feedback and suggestions, and I want the same for this newsletter. Let me know what you'd love to see more (or less) of. I’m listening. Fully certified Business English coach
“Megan is an excellent teacher! Our classes are so dynamic that the 50 minutes pass too quickly. Having lived in different countries and loving to travel gives her knowledge of other cultures and languages which enriches our conversations.” |
Mega Language Coach
I'm an English coach, polyglot, entrepreneur, and digital nomad who loves to talk about education, travel, and business & entrepreneurship. Subscribe to my newsletter, I look forward to meeting you!
Hi Reader A recent poll I shared showed something interesting: Many people said they feel like a quieter version of themselves in another language. But I do not think this is a weakness. Learning another language is an incredibly complex skill. You are not just memorising vocabulary or grammar. You are learning new ways to express ideas, build relationships, understand culture, and see the world from different perspectives. That ability is powerful. People who speak another language often...
Hi Reader I recently had a student ask me “Is it ok to talk about that in English lessons?”. My response was of course yes! In fact, I encourage it.𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘂𝘂𝗺. You’re not just learning words....you’re learning how to express yourself in real life.And real life includes:PoliticsCultureIdentityEqualityMental healthClimateReligionWork-life balanceGender roles…and anything else you 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 talk about with colleagues, clients, and friends.𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁...
Hi Reader, As we step into Spring, this newsletter will hopefully be the last one sent from England for a while, as I start a new Spanish adventure. I'll be joining you again as a language learner, ready to navigate new vocabulary and cultural quirks, so stay tuned! One of my favourite things about learning languages is the unusual and entertaining tradtions that are part of each culture. For example, in France and Italy children stick paper fish on people’s backs as a prank (April Fish). In...