Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone: An Interview with Artem on Learning English & Preparing for the CELPIP

Foreign.

Hello and welcome to the CELPIP Success Podcast.

The most introvert friendly podcast on the planet dedicated to helping you confidently prepare for and conquer the CELPIP exam.

If you're tired of feeling nervous, stressed and stuck and getting ready for your exam, then my friend, this.

This is the podcast for you.

Who am I?

My name is Aaron and I've been an English teacher for over 17 years and I'm a certified CELPIP trainer and I can't wait to help you get ready for your CELPIP exam.

One of my favorite things to talk about when it comes to learning English and getting ready for the CELPIP exam is also one of the scariest things that you can do and and that's doing things on purpose to get out of your comfort zone.

And if you're just joining us, then first of all, welcome.

I'm so glad that you decided to tune in to today's episode and if you are a return listener, hello, I'm so glad that you are here too.

But if you're not sure what being in a comfort zone or stepping out of it has to do with building your English skills, then I want to take a quick moment just to talk about it here.

But before we go on with the rest of today's episode.

So stepping outside of your comfort zone is vital if you want your English skills to improve.

Because when you are inside your comfort zone, you are, by definition, not taking any risks.

It's safe in there, though.

Staying in your comfort zone means you won't make any mistakes, and that feels pretty good.

You won't feel embarrassed if you say that new vocabulary word wrong or in the wrong way because you simply will avoid saying it.

And you won't feel embarrassed because you use the present tense, for example, when you really should have used the past tense because you decide to play it safe and not talk about what you did over the weekend on your coffee break with your English speaking co workers.

Your comfort zone keeps you safe from all of those things, which makes it an awfully tempting place to hang out in.

But the dark side of your comfort zone is that while it keeps you safe, it also keeps you stuck at your current level of English.

Because the only way to get better with your English skills and in turn your CELPIP scores, is if you are actively taking risks outside of your comfort zone, making mistakes and learning from them and then trying again.

That's how you strengthen your English and your CELPIP scores by using your English skills in ways that pull you out of your comfort zone on a regular basis.

And that's why I'm really excited about today's episode.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview Artemis, who has been a member of the CELPIP Success School for the past seven months.

Artem has been working hard to not only improve his speaking skills for the CELPIP, but also to build his confidence to use English.

And the fact that he was willing to talk with me here shows that he has been making a lot of great progress in that area of self confidence.

Because for him, this interview was a big step outside of his comfort zone.

So, Artem, if you're listening, and I know you are, I'm so thankful that you took this big step to come on the podcast.

It takes real courage to do things that are outside of your comfort zone and I know that that's what you were doing when you agreed to our interview.

So thank you and I hope you enjoy my interview today with Artem and that you take his example of stepping out of his comfort zone and find a way for you to do it yourself today in some way.

To begin my interview, I asked Artem where he was from.

I'm from originally I'm from Russia.

My main goal is of course to take a CELPIP test and get the highest score.

I will say then so I can to PR here in Canada.

So yeah, take a test.

Have you taken it before?

Never.

Never.

I don't think I ever asked.

Never ever.

Any test, not just English.

I mean, never.

Yeah.

No experience.

All right.

And so what have you been doing so far?

Like before we started working together, were you doing anything to get ready for this help it?

Of course.

I mean I spent a lot of time listening to podcasts, watching like serious movies in English.

Also trying to read sometimes.

I mean don't have much time to do that, but I'm trying to, yeah, to read and to listen audiobooks as well.

It's very helpful.

And actually listening to podcasts helps me a lot and I do it every day while commute to work and back home.

So it's pretty fun actually.

And I have my like favorite podcasts.

One of it is yours.

Podcast.

Thank you.

And yeah, so just also I found a pretty good, I think it's official CELPIP channel.

Yeah,.

I think so.

Yeah.

So they, they have a lot of useful information and mock ups and whatever, a lot of stuff that can be very helpful.

And I've been watching them a lot since I came here in Canada.

So.

Yeah, actually, I've been.

I watch them a lot as well.

Their videos are excellent.

So in the time that you've been working on, getting ready for the exam, what have you found to be the most frustrating part for you?

Speaking test.

Speaking part of CELPIP test.

The most frustrating for me.

I mean, I'm still struggling with the time limit.

In what way.

I can go over it, and I don't know.

I think I have a fear of timer.

It's.

Yeah, I'm trying to conquer it, conquer this fear, but I'm still struggling, and I think I can record myself in a pretty good way without any breaks.

And.

Yeah, but if.

If I need to, like to be in within a time limit or have a timer set on, then I'm just losing the words and I'm starting panicking and.

Yeah,.

Yeah, that's a very common problem that people face, for sure.

And what have you been.

Has there been anything that you've been doing to help you work on that?

Yeah.

So you suggested I try recording myself, like, with no time limit at all.

And I found it very helpful because I ended up recording myself from the, like, the first attempt.

Right.

So I'm just like, hitting record and then go.

And then.

Yeah, I found that I don't have a problem recording myself, actually.

It's just about time.

Like, time limit or a timer.

So when you're like.

So the first.

What I'm hearing is that the first challenge that you were having was actually starting to speak once the timer began.

And you correct me if I'm not feeding this back properly, but in the way you were working on it was practicing without worrying about how long you need to speak for, but you were focusing first on just hearing the question and then hitting record immediately and starting to speak.

Speak about it.

Would that be fair?

Yes.

Yeah,.

That's right.

And how do you think that has been helping you?

Just out of curiosity,.

Gaining, like, it helps me to gain more confidence in, like, recording myself.

Fear of recording in general.

And I just.

I've had so many, like, so much practice.

I'll say then I don't, like, I don't have this sense of fear, we'll say anymore.

But the only thing I still have is the time limit, and I'm still working on it.

But I think it's very.

I mean, I already see the difference between what I had, like, a couple months ago and what I have now.

I.

And I think there are some improvements in my English.

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

I mean, I can remember the first times we Connected, like in a class, like in a live session.

And it was really hard for you to like, we would start with a question and you would have a hard time even to get going.

And so far in this little conversation that we're having, you haven't had any trouble at all, which is really exciting.

I think that's really great.

So.

And have you noticed like any changes at all?

And I know you weren't expecting this question, but I'm gonna fire it at you anyway and see what happens.

But have you noticed any changes in the way you use English during the day, like with people that you work with or just with friends if they are English speakers, because of that practice you've been doing?

Definitely, yeah.

I mean, I work in English.

That's the only language I can use during work day, so.

And I definitely have improvements.

And I mean it's way easier for me right now to like to get the information from people.

I don't like think about what I'm just hearing.

It just pop ups in.

Pops up in my head just like, okay, that's the same way how I think in my mother language.

And that's pretty awesome.

I found.

And I can just listen to people and have a conversation without any delays.

I'll say,.

Wow, that's pretty exciting.

Yeah, I found it pretty exciting.

And another thing is that I don't have any more like struggles of understanding complex information and which there is a lot on my work.

Yeah.

And I don't have a fear of like some complex situations.

I will say when you have to figure out immediately what to how to respond.

That's great.

I think that's really exciting when you start to notice there in the real world, you know, hey, I'm actually making progress.

That's important to look back and notice because there's definitely, I know times where maybe you feel down or discouraged and you think, oh, I'm not making the progress that I want.

I mean that happens to me on different projects that I'm working on where I wish things would be moving faster or it just doesn't seem like there's progress happening because it's slow at times.

But when you pause and do what we're doing right now, looking back and seeing, you know, where you've come from, as far as, you know, your work that you've been doing with your English, it's kind of exciting where you can actually notice, hey, I'm actually doing this better than when I first began.

And it's good to notice those things for sure.

And you Know, stored up in a bank somewhere for when you have those down days, it feels like, oh, no, nothing's working.

Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So so far, what wins?

We've been discussing one win already, but have you had any other wins or maybe lessons or experiences so far in getting ready for this exam that you would like to share with anyone listening to this podcast that maybe are starting their journey of getting ready for the exam?

Like, do you have any suggestions or tips or things that's worked for you, or what do you think?

I mean, I'm not the, like, the smartest guy, but I definitely found that the most, like, feasible way to learn any languages.

Like, it's to just working, like, on your language, on your English, like, a little every single day, or just listen to anything, like, to some interesting podcasts.

And actually it's very important to listen to or read to something that you really interested in, because if it's something that you don't find interesting or boring, it won't help you because you are not gonna follow the text or speech.

Yeah.

So the consistency, I will say it's very important.

Yeah.

And on an average day, how often would you say you are actively, you know, dedicated to, you know, listening to something in English or you're practicing something?

I would say couple of hours.

Just because I live a bit far away from my work.

Yeah.

So it takes a while to get to work, and sometimes if there are, like, in, like, some accidents on road, it might take more than an hour.

Oh, man.

Actually, yesterday it took me three hours.

What?

And it's.

Yeah, but if there is no traffic, it may take just like 25 minutes.

Sure.

Actually, yeah, three hours.

It was a lot.

I was so tired when I just.

When I came to work.

Yeah, I bet.

And how do you get to work?

Do you drive or do you take the bus or.

I.

Drive.

Yeah.

I have a car.

Yeah, it's manual, so it's.

It's crazy to be in a traffic jam, so my.

My left leg is so sore.

Oh, yeah, totally.

I know that feeling.

So, like, when you.

Before you get in the car to go to work, do you, like, load up a playlist of your favorite podcasts or what's your normal practice routine when you're driving?

No, usually I don't have a clue what I'm gonna listen to.

Okay.

I'm just.

No, I just get in the car and then I open, like, Spotify and I have my favorite podcasters and I just, like, if there is no, like, a fresh podcast from them, I'll Just search, like in archive.

Right.

Because I. I mean, I'm.

I'm.

I really love the work, what they are doing.

Like, and I can just listen it over and over.

So it helps me a lot because I can listen it for a few times and I still can find some phrases or words that I didn't know before and now I can understand it.

Yeah, totally.

And what do you do with those?

When you understand a word or a phrase, is there something that you.

Do?

I'm trying to, like, say it aloud.

I'm just repeating after a speaker.

Right.

It's very helpful.

Yeah.

That's a fantastic way to take new words or phrases and you just start using them as much as you can.

Right.

So you were saying that you have a couple of favorite podcasts.

Is there any, like, ones that you really enjoy?

Yeah.

So nobody pays me to promote.

No, no, no, I'm joking.

Yeah.

I have one cast that I've been listening to years.

I don't remember when I started, but I've been listening.

Yeah.

For lots of years.

It's an Englishman from London, I think.

Yeah.

He lives in Paris right now.

But the podcast calls Luke's English Podcast.

Luke's English Podcast.

This guy is pretty good at podcasting.

I mean, he.

He's been doing it for decades, I think, and so.

And I find it pretty informative.

And his podcast mainly is about teaching.

Okay.

English just in a fun way.

He has a lot of guests and a lot of very interesting, like, topics.

And I'm just always waiting for the new podcast as well as for your.

Oh, thank.

You.

And yeah, I appreciate that you started a podcast about CELPIP and how to have.

Deal with lots of fears we can have as students.

So, yeah, it's very informative and useful.

Thank you so much for that.

Thank you.

I wasn't expecting you to say mine, but I appreciate it.

And I definitely am a student as well of trying to overcome fears, so I know what it feels like.

Well, for me, I think that those are all the questions that I have for you, and I really appreciate you taking the time out of.

I know a very busy day and.

And it was a pleasure to chat with you.

I hope you enjoyed listening to my interview with Artem today.

It was really great to talk with him and I especially appreciate willingness to take that giant step outside of his comfort zone.

And my friend, if you are listening to this and thinking to yourself, I really need to take some steps outside of my comfort zone in order to be able to build my skills, both in English and for the CELPIP Exam.

But I don't know what I should do Then.

I want you to also do what Artem did.

He became a member of the CELPIP Success School.

And I want to invite you to do the same thing.

You can join today and we can begin working together to help you not only build your confidence in English, but also help you to practice and get ready for your CELPIP Exam.

You don't have to do this on your own anymore.

Why don't you join the small community that I have the privilege of working with as they get ready for the CELPIP Exam?

You can join the CELPIP Success School today.

There's a link in my show notes and I hope to see you inside.