Maintaining effective communication skills in a foreign language as an adult can present unique challenges. Practice time, staying engaged, and finding the right resources are just some of them. But, when you create a joyful environment for yourself to learn in, you'll be surprised how likely you'll be to step into that oasis and make the most use of your time. If you're ready for more success, fluency, and confidence, keep reading this blog post to gain the rewards.   

5 Ways To Infuse Joy Into Your English Communication Skills Development Today 

Dr. Wendy Suzuki, Neuroscientist and dean of Arts & Sciences at NYU has a MasterClass called Brain Health. In it, she talks about something called Joy Conditioning.

Isn’t that fabulous?

She says that instead of letting the memories we hold dear sit dormant in our photos and minds, we need to bring them to life in our conscious thinking more often.

In other words, optimize your joy and promote emotional well-being by reenacting those memories more frequently in your brain. Then, those positively stored emotions will come out and add happiness to ordinary moments in your life.

So, it got me thinking that if you can remember the most joyful experiences you’ve had with your English and choose to relive them simply by thinking about them, you can potentially reprogram yourself to steer away from self-judgment and build a healthy, happy, and confident relationship to your English.

If you like this idea keep reading.

Personal Reveal

When I first fell in love with Brazil, I had a romantic weekend with a man. I’ll never forget the sound of his voice and how Portuguese flowed when he spoke.

It was a love-filled weekend that sparked my curiosity and joy for the language.

I immediately found myself a language teacher in New York City and became diligent and determined to learn everything about the sound of Portuguese.

With accent training something I knew well, I focused on the pronunciation of the sounds and mastered the melody, too.

And truth be told, even though I haven’t become fluent in Portuguese to this day, when I speak, people think I am because of how well I learned the accent.

Now, I could put my attention on what I DON’T do well, but that would take me away from what I enjoy about speaking Portuguese.

➔ I love how intuitive it’s become for me to pronounce the Portuguese /r/ like an /h/ when starting words.

➔ Or, how easily I remember to make the language sound more nasal than English.

➔ I also understand the subtle pronunciation differences between how a Carioca (person from Rio) and a Paulista (person from Sao Paulo) will say words like “crocante” (which means crunchy.) A Carioca will change the -t- at the end to a -ch- while a Paulista will more likely pronounce the -t- as it is written.

When I think back on the joy I felt during those first few months studying and combine those happy moments with the ones I felt during my weekend rendezvous with this Brazilian, no wonder I learned and remembered these important components of the spoken language.

If I’m honest, just writing about this is making my mood shift. (Maybe I’ll take out my notebook from those days to do a little review 😊)

I put something joyful together for you that I believe will help you stay engaged in the learning process so you can reach your next English-speaking goal.

5 Ways To Infuse Joy Into Your Personal Development Today

1. Create A Welcoming Learning Oasis

What if I suggested you design a whimsical learning environment for yourself? Something specifically appealing to you? It'll be an aesthetically attractive and pleasing space where you can study. This will boost your desire for learning and become your private oasis. 

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get started:

➔ What Inspires Me?: Reflect on what sparks your curiosity and creativity. Is it nature, art, or fantasy? Use these inspirations to lay out your room design.

➔ Color Palette: What colors evoke joy and playfulness for you? Incorporate them into your space. Think beyond traditional colors—maybe pastel rainbows or vibrant hues.

➔ Decor Elements: What whimsical elements resonate with you? Fairytale creatures, stars, or magical books? Consider wall decals, posters, or 3D objects that align with your theme.

➔ Lighting: How can you create an enchanting ambiance? String lights, paper lanterns, or even a mini disco ball can add magic to your space.

➔ Seating: What seating arrangements encourage comfort and engagement? Bean bags, floor cushions, a cozy reading nook, or an ergonomic chair? Prioritize comfort and flexibility.

➔ Interactive Features: Can you incorporate interactive elements? A chalkboard wall, puzzles, or hidden surprises (like a treasure chest where you keep your favorite memorabilia related to English or the English-speaking country you live in.) These things can make learning playful.

➔ Personal Touch: What other personal items or artifacts bring joy? Family photos, souvenirs, or handmade crafts? Infuse your space with memories that instill positive energy.

When you take this approach, you are telling yourself that YOU matter. The things you want to get better at matter. And since you want to be a great communicator in English, it’s time for you to embrace your imagination and let yourself be delighted each time you sit down to work on your communication skills—so, go ahead, let your creativity flow 🌟🎨.

2. Change of Scenery:

If your usual study corner feels uninspiring, switch it up!

What if you explored new places like a park, library, or welcoming café?

You know, my husband is about to return to New York and we have a small apartment. My office is in the shared living area and I was starting to worry about his return since it may impede my workspace.

Then (before I sat down to write this blog), I remembered that the main public library in NYC is gorgeous. There is a quiet room that I’ve gone to many times to work before and the thought of going again lifted my mood.

➔ I started to imagine myself gathering my bag after a nice breakfast with my hubby.

➔ Strolling up 5^th Avenue to The Public Library and making my way into the study room.

➔ Connecting to the internet to work amongst a group of like-minded people.

This feels joyful and like something I can put under my control.

You can do the same thing if you need a change of environment to study. It’s amazing how it can breathe new life into your learning.   

3. Celebrate Progress

This one is so easy to overlook.

In our efforts to forge ahead and crack the code to our objectives, we rarely stop to acknowledge the small victories along the way!

When we do pat ourselves on the back, however, we get that dopamine rush that we normally look for from social media.

So, remember that every step forward is worth celebrating. Just five minutes here and 15 minutes there is time that you can give to yourself to make progress towards your competencies in English.

➔ Maybe you won’t get through the entire lesson.

➔ Maybe you won’t complete the whole worksheet.

➔ Maybe you’ll have to set aside another 15 minutes tomorrow to feel like you deeply understand the meaning of flow or rhythm or diction.

But, what matters is that you recognize your progress and feel the joy of achievement.

It’ll bring you back for more.

4. Incorporate Music

Did you know that music enhances mood, focus, and creativity?

It does!

And just like I love to talk about the importance of melodic shifts in your speech to engage your audiences, you can also think about listening to music while you study as a way to capture your attention and allow you to sink into your personal development.

Experiment with different genres to find what works best for you. When I work, I like to search for playlists like these:

➔ Lo-fi: This type of music can keep the distractions at bay, reduce anxiety, and allow for better problem-solving.  

➔ Mood frequency: I’ve just started to tap into frequency music and I am finding it to be deeply stimulating for the brain. Choose the mood you want, do a search before you study, and watch your session make you happy.

➔ Classical: This is an oldie, but goodie and you can be sure It’ll create that calming environment you need to enhance your concentration.

You know how much I love music, so be sure to find a way to pull this one into your learning routine.

5. Connect with Others:

At the end of my group programs, I encourage graduates to find a study buddy.

Why?

Well, because learning is an adventure best shared.

Study dates with friends or study groups can make the process more enjoyable.

We know that when we are surrounded by like-minded people, our enthusiasm goes up.

You can:

➔ discuss your ideas with others,

➔ solve speech problems together,

➔ and celebrate each other’s progress

so you can infuse joy into your learning journey.

If you haven't yet found a process for becoming a memorable communicator, then you may need to turn to joyful moments in your life to reignite the fire that got you to master English in the first place.

Next time you have five minutes, close your eyes and call upon your memory to serve you some of your best times learning and conversing in English.

Perhaps you used to:

➔  Sit around the library with your collegemates laughing and chatting in English about your futures.

➔ Or, you spent your 17^th year living in an English-peaking country as an exchange student and you can recall not just the language, but all the fresh smells, sounds, and experiences from that time.

➔ Or, perhaps you are a movie fiend, and watching films in English is the thing that most sparks your joy.

Conclusion

Communication is at the heart of every activity we perform at work and every action we take in life.

So, if you’re living or working in an English-speaking environment, remember that joy and learning can go hand in hand—use the ideas above to embrace the process and create the best environment for you to grow your communication skills to the next level.

And, always, in all you do, practice what Dr. Wendy Suzuki calls Joy Conditioning!