Unlocking Language Success: Key Takeaways from the 5-Day Sprint

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The next edition of Beyond English Fluency is here.

For those new here, Beyond English Fluency dives into topics and shares strategies around communication that go beyond language.?Every other Wednesday (twice per month), I share a theme related to communication that goes into depth about one theme, strategy or idea. Whether you are a non-native English speaking professional or consider yourself a native looking to excel in your communication- you’ll find a strategy that you can apply to your own situation.

We have just completed The 5-Day Sprint to Fluent Vocabulary for Design and Tech Professionals. It has been a true privilege to support professionals with developing their vocabulary (more than 50 phrasal verbs and words covered in 5 days!).

Today I’m sharing some of the key takeaways and highlighting how powerful it is to learn language in context.

During the Sprint we covered:

Language for presentations: Learning how to articulate ideas effectively and deliver compelling presentations to clients, stakeholders, and colleagues.

Business meetings: Mastering the vocabulary needed to speak up in meetings, contribute valuable insights, and negotiate agreements.

Customer-centric communication: Developing the language skills to engage with clients in a customer-centric manner, understanding their needs and providing effective solutions.

Small talk with international colleagues: Enhancing the ability to engage in casual conversations and build rapport with colleagues from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Negotiating design decisions and ideas: Learning how to advocate for your design decisions, negotiate effectively, and collaborate with team members to bring your ideas to life.

One of the biggest takeaways is just how powerful focused, context-specific learning can be.

Let's dive into the key insights and transformations that participants experienced during this intensive program.

From increased confidence in expressing themselves to seizing new job opportunities, the impact was tangible and immediate. This underscores the effectiveness of targeted language learning approaches.

?? Testimonials from Sprint Participants:

Your materials are very refined and contextualized. - Senior Product Designer

I just loved it! And I will invest to continue learning with you. I think that your approach is amazing!? - Product Designer

This has been exactly what I needed and it couldn’t have come at a better timing - Head of Experience

Thanks so much Gemma you came invaluable to me right now! - UX Researcher and Service Designer

I really appreciate your attention in my process ?? - Web Designer

Why Context-Specific Learning Works

Unlike traditional language academies that cater to a broad audience, our sprint focused specifically on the language needs of design and tech professionals.

By focusing in on industry-specific vocabulary and language in context, participants were able to apply their knowledge immediately in their professional lives.

This targeted approach accelerates learning and ensures relevance to real-world situations.

Common Mistakes Uncovered

During the sprint, there were some common language mistakes. I want to highlight some of those examples, to help you too!

Let’s look at three examples:

1. The difference between "to come from" and "to come to”.

For example: She comes from Colombia to visit me.

In the first part of this sentence it sounds like the person visiting is Colombian, that she originates from Colombia.

However, the use of "to visit me" suggests a destination or endpoint, indicating that the subject is traveling to visit the speaker.

This creates a mismatch in meaning, as it implies that the subject both originates from and travels to Colombia.

Instead you would say: She came to Colombia to visit me.

You can use ‘to come from’ when you are talking about where a person originates.

For example ‘She comes from Mexico’.

In a specific context in Design you might say:

Valuable insights for our UX design came from user feedback.

Our design decisions should always come from empathy and a deep understanding of user needs.

2. The difference between ‘to talk with’ and ‘to talk to'

These two are very similar in meaning but have slight differences.

To talk with implies a more collaborative and conversational approach, suggesting mutual exchange and interaction.

For example:

I had a meaningful conversation with the users to understand their pain points.

To talk to implies a one-way communication or a directive conversation.

For example:

He wants to talk to you about the new features he's planning to implement.

3. The use of possessive pronouns or determiners before nouns.

It is common (especially for Spanish and Portuguese speakers) to find it challenging to adjust to the English convention of using possessive pronouns or determiners before nouns.

For example:

Incorrect: All friends of her

Correct: All her friends

Incorrect: The office of the boss

Correct: The boss's office

Incorrect: The interface of the website

Correct: The website's interface

Incorrect: The features of the app

Correct: The app's features

Clarifying these distinctions enhances communication clarity and effectiveness.

Conclusion

The 5-Day Sprint to Fluent Vocabulary demonstrated the incredible potential of focused, context-specific language learning.

Academic research in linguistics often emphasises the importance of context learning for vocabulary acquisition and language proficiency.

Why?

Meaningful Context: Contextual learning involves acquiring new words or phrases in the context of meaningful sentences or situations. Research suggests that learners are more likely to remember and understand words when they encounter them in authentic contexts rather than through isolated vocabulary drills.

Deeper Understanding: Learning vocabulary in context allows learners to understand not just the surface meaning of words, but also their nuances, connotations, and appropriate usage. This deeper understanding leads to more effective communication and comprehension.

Retention and Recall: Studies have shown that words learned in context are retained more effectively in long-term memory compared to words learned in isolation.

Natural Language Acquisition: Contextual learning mirrors the natural process of language acquisition, where individuals learn language by exposure to real-life situations and interactions.

Transferability: Vocabulary learned in context is often more easily transferred to new situations and contexts. By encountering words in various contexts, learners develop a broader and more flexible vocabulary that can be applied across different communicative settings.

When you are able to address industry-specific language challenges and providing practical examples, you can gain confidence and proficiency in English.

What specific context or area do you feel you need to develop your speaking skills in?

Share your thoughts in the comments below. ??

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?? I help design and tech professionals go from insecure to confident with their communication and English speaking fluency.

If you need help with English fluency and learning specific vocabulary for your role, send me a message or comment the word "ready".

I'm here to help you succeed.

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