Hello and welcome to episode 6 of No Word Is An Island Advanced English, the podcast for inquisitive students of English who want to lose weight, get six-pack abs and become a millionaire. Oh, wait, I mean, the podcast for students who want to be more fluent and articulate in English. Sorry, [tooltip tip=”used to introduce a list of reasons that have made something happen or made someone feel in a particular way”]what with[/tooltip] it being January I’ve got New Year’s resolutions on my mind. After all, who doesn’t?

Before we get started, I hope you’re all doing well. This is a friendly reminder that this podcast is best used with the interactive transcript and Quizlet flashcards available at BetterLanguageLearning.com/podcast. All of the key words and chunks in this episode are annotated, which means that if you hover your mouse or finger over any text highlighted in pink you’ll see extra information, such as definitions, synonyms, register (i.e. that is to say is it formal, colloquial, literary, etc.). [tooltip tip=”remember a fact or piece of information that is important or could be useful in the future, synonym: keep in mind”]Bear in mind[/tooltip] the advice I gave back in the very first episode, namely that you, as an advanced learner, need to focus on developing your productive vocabulary, that is the language you are confident using when speaking and writing.

One of the worst pieces of advice that teachers give language learners is that they should focus on understanding vocabulary through context. If you’re reading for pleasure this might be a good strategy, but context is not enough to allow you to correctly and confidently use words and chunks that you come across while reading. I cannot emphasise this enough – advanced learners need different strategies. While it is time-consuming, looking words up and recording and reviewing them using a flashcard app like Quizlet or Anki is the simplest and most effective way to improve your English. Apart from that, this podcast is your [tooltip tip=”(spoken/colloquial) used when advising someone what to do”]best bet[/tooltip], as it is designed to make things convenient. I select vocabulary suitable for C1 and C2 students, provide definitions, review tasks and flashcards, so you don’t have to.[optinlocker]

As I mentioned at the beginning, I’ve got New Year’s resolutions on my mind. If you make a resolution to do something, you are making a promise to yourself to do something. The noun resolution comes from the verb resolve. And just as you can make a resolution to do something you can also resolve to do something. So you can make a resolution to quit smoking or resolve to quit smoking. Resolve can also be used as a noun, meaning strong determination to succeed in doing something.

We often talk about someone showing great resolve, in the sense that someone demonstrates their determination to achieve something, often in the face of difficult circumstances or challenges. Let me give you a personal example. Throughout my adult life I had enjoyed drinking alcohol. [tooltip tip=”used to say that something is generally true but not completely true”]For the most part[/tooltip] it didn’t interfere with my responsibilities. [tooltip tip=”used to emphasize that a negative statement is true”]By no stretch of the imagination was I[/tooltip] an alcoholic. But I won’t deny that I began to associate alcohol with having fun and being social. A meal without a glass of beer or wine just seemed a bit boring. Last year I realised that alcohol was becoming [tooltip tip=”something that gives someone support or help, especially something that is not really good for them”]a crutch[/tooltip], a way of [tooltip tip=”succeed in dealing with a difficult problem or situation”]coping with[/tooltip] isolation in the pandemic. By chance I came across a book called This Naked Mind, by Annie Grace. In it she shows how we are socialised in very [tooltip tip=”an insidious change or problem spreads gradually without being noticed, and causes serious harm”]insidious[/tooltip] ways to associate alcohol with positive social situations, and that thanks to advertising and social conditioning the belief that drinking is harmless fun, indeed that it is even fundamental to a happy life, goes unquestioned. Now, don’t worry, I’m not trying to [tooltip tip=”foist something on someone: force someone to accept or have to deal with something that they do not want”]foist[/tooltip] my sobriety on you or anyone else.

But I do think it’s worth [tooltip tip=”draw your attention to something: make you notice something”]drawing your attention to the fact that[/tooltip] a simple book with a simple [tooltip tip=”a statement or idea that you accept as true and use as a base for developing other ideas”]premise[/tooltip] can change your life for the better.

Anyone who starts to make changes to their life knows that this can invite criticism from loved ones and strangers [tooltip tip=”used to emphasize that you mean both the people, groups, or things that you have just mentioned”]alike[/tooltip]. And, sadly enough, our fear of [tooltip tip=”exclusion or rejection from a society or group”]ostracism[/tooltip], that is of being excluded, is so strong that we will [tooltip tip=”(formal) not do something that you want to do”]refrain from doing the things[/tooltip] we need to do to keep growing. Your new, healthier diet might be inconvenient when you go out for dinner with your friends. Your workout schedule might clash with your social commitments. This past year I showed great resolve in not giving up on my promise to myself. What’s more, when people at parties acted like there was something [tooltip tip=”different from what is normal or expected, especially in a way that you disapprove of or cannot understand”]odd[/tooltip] about my not drinking, well, [tooltip tip=”read up on something: read a lot about something because you will need to know about it”]having read up on the subject[/tooltip], I was prepared. In fact, seeing people bothered by my personal choice actually strengthened my resolve to stay sober.

As I was thinking about the concept of New Year’s resolutions, I began to wonder where this tradition started. I did some research and found out that the ancient Babylonians are believed to be the first culture to have made them, [tooltip tip=”(formal) though”]albeit[/tooltip] in mid-March, which coincided with the planting of their [tooltip tip=”a plant such as wheat, rice, or fruit that is grown by farmers and used as food”]crops[/tooltip] and their new year. It was thanks to Julius Caesar in 46 BCE who changed the calendar and made 1 January the beginning of the new year. January was named after Janus, the two-faced god who inhabited doorways and arches, and it was to him that Romans made sacrifices and promised to [tooltip tip=”change/mend your ways: improve the way you behave after behaving badly for a long time”]change their ways[/tooltip]. As you can see, new year’s resolutions are [tooltip tip=”(formal) a venerable person or thing is respected because of their great age, experience etc”]a venerable tradition[/tooltip] that stretches back several thousand years.

But just because something has been around a long time doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth doing, right? People are [tooltip tip=”well known for being bad at”]notoriously bad at[/tooltip] sticking with their resolutions and numerous polls [tooltip tip=”if facts or information bear out a claim, story, opinion, etc., they help to prove that it is true, synonym: support”]bear this out[/tooltip]. So does this mean that resolutions are pointless? If you think about the types of resolutions most people make, they usually revolve around health and appearance. It could be giving up a bad habit like smoking or drinking, or taking up a new one, such as exercise.

While these goals are [tooltip tip=”(formal) deserving praise, even if not completely successful”]laudable[/tooltip], I would suggest a different approach. Last year I took part in a meditation challenge organised by the 10% Happier podcast and app, both of which I highly recommend. It was based on the concept of self-compassion developed by psychologist Kristin Neff. Her premise is that instead of seeking self-esteem, which is [tooltip tip=”(formal) depending on something that may happen in the future”]contingent on[/tooltip] external factors, that is it depends on things outside your control, we should pursue self-compassion. It’s hard to [tooltip tip=”treat or represent someone or something good, beautiful etc in a way that is as good as they deserve”]do the idea justice[/tooltip] in so few words, but suffice it to say that I found this concept profoundly helpful. It’s about finding ways of working through your fear of failure, of accepting yourself as you are. Her approach reminds me of the quotation by Carl Rogers, one of the founding fathers of psychotherapy, who said “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I change.” By the way, why is it we talk about [tooltip tip=”someone who begins something such as a new way of thinking, or a new organisation”]founding fathers[/tooltip] but not founding mothers? Perhaps that can be a subject for another episode.

Whatever your goals are, don’t give up on them. But if you pursue them while being self-compassionate, that is, by being tolerant of your own [tooltip tip=”a fault or weakness that makes someone or something less successful or effective than they should be”]shortcomings[/tooltip], you will actually be more likely to achieve them, not less. And apparently people who are more self-compassionate have closer, more fulfilling relationships. I urge you to watch Dr. Kristin Neff’s talk, which I’ve linked to in the show notes, and check out her website, where you can complete a test to find out how self-compassionate you are.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter on my website to get bonus review materials and find out about new courses I’m developing. If you use Apple podcasts please rate and review the show as this helps me reach a wider audience.

I’d love to hear from you. What do you make of this week’s topic? What are your New Year’s resolutions for learning English?

Send your comments and questions to podcast@BetterLanguageLearning.com

 

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