Natalia Tokar | Native-Like Fluency

One need only watch an infant for a short period of time to know that they are curious, interested in the world around them, and eager to learn. It is quite evident, too, that these are characteristics of older children as well. If left to themselves the normal child does not remain immobile; they are eager to learn. Consequently, it is quite safe to permit the child to structure their own learning. The danger arises precisely when the schools attempt to perform the task for them. To understand this point consider the absurd situations that would result if traditional schools were entrusted with teaching the infant what they spontaneously learn during the first few years. The schools would develop organized curricula, in secondary curricular reactions; they would develop lesson plans for object permanence; they would construct audio-visual aids on causality; they would reinforce “correct” speech, and they would set “goals” for the child to reach each week. One can speculate as to the outcome of such a program for early training. What the student needs then is not formal teaching, but an opportunity to learn. They need to be given a rich environment, containing many things potentially of interest. They need a teacher who is sensitive to their needs, who can judge what materials will challenge them at a given point in time, who can help when they need help, and who has faith in their capacity to learn (Ginsburg & Opper, 1969 p. 224-225).

If you missed the workshop last night, check your email and watch the replay. The link (that you will find in your email) expires in 48 hours. If you don't receive my emails, sign up here https://nataliatokar.me/sign-up

The workshop is tonight. Everyone is welcome!!! https://community.nataliatokar.me/c/calendar/smart-ai

A new Youtube video! https://youtu.be/BfYUTKKMklc

Power struggles in the workplace can be personal and challenging to handle. When two people have conflicting opinions, it can negatively affect the morale of the team. It's important to know how to handle conflicts effectively to avoid them escalating into power struggles. Conflicts can be positive if resolved, but power struggles can damage relationships and harm the team spirit. It's tempting to take conflicts personally and engage in a power struggle, but we need to remember that effective communication helps make sense of any mess. There are always better words that can be used to restore relationships and mend any broken bonds. True power is not about struggling for control, but about using words effectively to handle situations and understand people. Relationships are built on understanding and empathy, so try to understand the intentions behind what people say and do. People often believe that their actions and words are for the greater good, so strive to see the good in their intentions.

JOIN THE FREE SELF-LOVING WORKSHOP on FEB 14, 2023 Smart AI applications that will save you a lot of time. https://community.nataliatokar.me/c/calendar/smart-ai

Find the full video here https://youtu.be/gQvFtsQ3Tv8

Do you hold yourself to an unattainable standard? From my Youtube Video "Inner state is a practice, and everyone can do it. Tips to become a successful English learner"

What can you see in this video? 👀 What are those annoying speaking patterns called? P.S. see the comments under the video

Learn to apply metacognitive strategies to become a better learner. Here are the strategies that both teachers and learners can use: 1. Allow time for thinking and reflecting. This means consciously self-correcting and actively engaging in self-reflection practices, such as journaling, creative writing, or creating practice routines for yourself. A teacher who is unfamiliar with self-reflection may not be able to provide high-quality feedback to students who practice these skills. Endless and unsupervised self-reflection can lead to negative self-talk, and a teacher who does not know how to address this issue will not be able to support the student. 2. Have open-ended discussions. If you’re a teacher, allow your students to think out loud. If you’re a student, take time to think out loud before giving an opinion or answering a question. 3. Recognize strengths and weaknesses in different learning/performance contexts.Every approach has its advantages and disadvantages, and the best approach is a combination of many. Do not believe anyone who claims they have figured out the best and universal learning method for everyone. 4. Learn specific and broad learning strategies, thinking strategies, problem-solving methods, problem-framing methods, and investigative methods, with examples and demonstrations. A teacher must be able to demonstrate these. If you’re a teacher, apply these methods outside of your subject. For example, improve other areas of your life or learn a new skill. This will give your a deeper understanding of what your students are going through. 5. Use prompts and cues to steer a discussion or practice routine. A teacher must FEEL what prompts are appropriate for different days and audiences 6. Promote epistemic feelings like curiosity and interest. This is big factor in students’ success. 7. Explore many learners’ and experts’ logic, train of thought, and strategy. Learn from the best, reflect on your own experience, and trust your intuition. 8. Explore insights from multiple perspectives and relate them to past knowledge and real-world applications. This is a great method to learn empathy and learn to take on a different perspective 9. Mix purposeful planning and strategizing with improvising. A teacher must be comfortable with improvising and be able to inspire students to do the same. 10. Build realistic confidence and trust in learning capacity, metamemory, teaching capacity, and performance in tests and real-world problems

Above are the shows that I listen to. If you see the show that you like too, please let us know! If you know really good podcasts that are not on the list, add them in the comments. What do you like listening to?

Here is a reminder for all of us: ""Finish something. Anything. Stop researching, planning, and preparing to do the work and just do the work. It doesn’t matter how good or how bad it is. You don’t need to set the world on fire with your first try. You just need to prove to yourself that you have what it takes to produce something. There are no artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, or scientists who became great by half-finishing their work. Stop debating what you should make and just make something." James Clear

In this video, I have broken down the exercises that I use on a daily basis for you. Watch them, put them into practice, and share what worked and what didn't. You can be effortlessly spontaneous only when you have rehearsed enough. Being unscripted requires courage. Being spontaneous means putting yourself out there and embracing your mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow quickly.

A new Youtube Video is out. I described the step-by-step system that I use to imorove my own spontanesou speaking skills. I apply if every time when I teach or make a new video https://youtu.be/19GLxbe-Wts

Can you self-edit your writing? Many editing tools are available today. Grammarly has become the new normal because people want their spelling and grammar checked. They want to focus on the message, not the mechanics. Until today, I have used over 45 different software tools to self-edit my writing and learn to express my ideas with clarity in English. Now, with Chat GPT, most of them have become obsolete. I can ask AI to suggest synonyms, paraphrase my text, check my grammar, change register, and more, which makes self-editing much faster and more convenient. However, we all want to SPEAK better in English, not rely on copy- pasting suggested text into our pitches to investors. Writing is a tool to help you analyze your thinking patterns in English, so you can apply these new habits when speaking. Chat GPT is a text generating tool, not a writing tool. It's an important distinction. My rule is simple: delegate what you know how to do. If you delegate the job that you have no idea how to do, you become totally dependent on your contractors - their worldview, their level of mastery, their productivity habits, and their level of consciousness. You have to accept their work because you don't have the skills to evaluate it. People who blindly copy texts generated by AI are not learning to use the language or evaluate its use. Be smart and use AI to assist you, but don't delegate THE work to it. Ai can't create a pitch for your brilliant idea because it can't be in your head. You must find the words first. AI can edit your words. You decide whether you accept its corrections. Continue creating and challenge yourself to think better if you want to speak better. The video is a real-time demonstration of self-editing. I didn't use any tools to edit the sentences. To me, this is a valuable skill because I want to be present in conversations with people without having to rely on AI or technology. Watch the full video on YOUTUBE - https://youtu.be/Wc_xMs_EK3M