Professionals often come to me expecting me to give them the tools and techniques they need so they can earn their English communication badge of confidence. While The Diamond Method does do that, it's not as simple as you may think. In order to effectively acquire new communication skills, one needs to come to the table with discipline, curiosity, and hard work. Read on for 5 tried and tested tips you can use to take responsibility for your learning. 

5 Attitudes To Master Your English Communication Skills

I love teaching; I believe in my approach; and I believe in the tools and techniques of The Diamond Method.

I believe these things because of the achievements my graduates have made in their careers and their lives. With renewed English public speaking skills, they've entered international communities with greater ease; they've landed unthinkable promotions; and they've increased their conversational confidence in the English language. 

But, there's another thing I believe. I believe that each person who has reached new levels of success with their enhanced English has come to my door with discipline, curiosity, and hard work. In fact, this learning disposition is exactly what sets them apart from the average student and it is what allows us to truly collaborate as they strive toward their spoken English dreams.  

These success stories, where students come to me ready to break a sweat, are the stories of individuals who have clear intentions with their studies. They are 100% sure that higher levels of English fluency exist and that they can get there with the right guidance.

You see, I can give you speaking tools, provide you with all the coaching you want, free up my calendar for office hours, and reinvent my delivery methods over and over...but what I can't do, is change you. That's your job! And that's what makes a great student achieve outstanding results--when they come ready to take accountability for their own learning, comprehension, and progress. 

I've put together the top 5 attitudes I've seen from my successful graduates and I want to share them with you now so that you can reach for the stars. Even if you land on the moon, you'll be getting far! Here goes. 

1. Go The Extra Mile 

The graduates who looked at every piece of content in my programs made the most progress. But, they didn't just depend on the syllabus. They were constantly seeking new ways to apply their learning after each session.

For example, they'd turn on one of their favorite podcasts and listen to the ways the speaker links words to create English fluency after learning The Flow Framework.

Or, they'd sit in on a meeting at work and notice the intonation patterns of the best speakers in the company after The Melody Framework.

Even still, they'd script an upcoming presentation and record themselves before they present to be sure that they can apply The Thought Chunking framework. 

The point is that they constantly practice their newfound American accent-speaking tools rather than leaving it to me. 

 2. Ask Questions

Another attitude I see my top-performing graduates embody is that they’re seekers. They don't settle on the first thing someone tells them. They ask questions because they need answers. They need answers because they intend to use the information that they learn.

This question-asking keeps them engaged with the material and allows them to understand and acquire knowledge in sustainable ways.

This attitude also stimulates one's ability to spark a discussion. It's a way to formulate, summarize, and vocalize thoughts with the intention of eliciting a response. Ultimately, it's a way to keep speaking at the forefront of the learning process. 

There's a reason I offer office hours throughout my cohort-based courses. I want to you to think with me and not just rely on me to dump data into your brain. You know it doesn't work that way. Your ability to stay curious and ask questions is what will put you at the top of the graduating class. 

And, those who ask questions are generally the strongest communicators.

3. Know Yourself 

Socrates once summed up all philosophical commandments by saying, “Know Thyself.”

There takes a degree of self-awareness to learn and succeed. How do you like to learn? What hours of the day do you learn the best? When do you have the most energy to practice? Are you more of a visual learner or do you do best when reading?

Knowing your learning preferences and learning how to optimize your learning conditions will set you up for success so you can apply the American accent-speaking tools you're absorbing. That way, when we come together, we're equals. You know your strengths and weaknesses while I steer you toward self-improvement. I may have the knowledge you are seeking, but you certainly know yourself better than I do.

Your self-awareness will be central to your language-learning journey and will be the motivation you need to keep going.

4. Track Your Progress 

Once you are clear on your goals, you'll need to know your why.  As Simon Sinek has taught so many professionals, you've got to know your why if you really want to succeed and excel at something.

Why do you want to enhance your English? Why do you want to achieve fluency? Is it a job, is it confidence, is it because you want to integrate better within an international, English-speaking community?

Once you have your why, try keeping a learning journal. Write about your dreams and goals with your English. Review your journal often to track how you're doing. Remind yourself of who you want to be. Ben Meer says 14% who have goals are 10x more successful than those without goals. Yet, the 3% who have written goals are 3x more successful than the 14%. So, journal!

Focusing on your progress will also be a motivating factor in how far you can go. Just remember, it's one small step at a time that accumulates to become your achieved success. 

5. Embrace a Growth Mindset 

I've talked about a growth mindset before and it might just be the most important thing to remember.

Professor Carol Dweck shows in studies that when students believe they can improve, they understand hard work is part of the equation. 

Recent advances in neuroscience have also shown us that the brain is far more malleable than we ever knew! Research on brain plasticity shows how connectivity between neurons can change with experience. Plus, we can actually create new brain cells through repetition. So, we're never too old to excel at a second language. 

It's time to leave behind a fixed mindset. You know, "I will never be fluent," or "I will never improve."  The growth mindset means putting your nose to the grindstone. it may require that you skip a dinner with a friend or a night of entertainment with your family, but it will propel you to the top of the graduating class. And more importantly, it will get you closer to your dreams.  

Look, I've said a lot. It's time for you to think about it all and ask yourself if you're ready to take responsibility for your advancement in English. There's so much more under your control than you may think and I'm walking right next to you so you can be sure you've got an ally along the way. 

Do you have another attitude that helps you master your English Communication Skills? Let us know in the comments below.