Many years ago…
In a city far, far away…
I taught a few employees at a company called Makro.
Once or twice a week I hopped on the metro and travelled out to their offices.
When I entered the building, I told the receptionist I was there and who my student was, and she would call him / her while I waited in the reception area.
A few moments or minutes later, my student would appear, we would shake hands, and off we would go to the conference room for the lesson.
Except Milan.
When it was Milan’s turn, I would hear him before I would see him.
You see, Milan didn’t want to walk down all the stairs to come and get me.
So he would walk down half the stairs, call out my name, and then I would go follow him.
In English, we have a word for that, it rhymes with “hazy.”
And it didn’t stop there.
Milan was lazy in his work, lazy in his personal life, lazy in a hundred different ways.
And, of course, he was lazy with his English.
Here’s the English lesson I never gave Milan, but should have:
“Milan, you’re a lazy student; and lazy students don’t make fast progress. So here’s what I want you to do every day:
wake up earlier
make your bed
exercise
get to work early
don’t check the news or social media until after 9 pm
empty your inbox before you leave the office
And walk down all the stairs when you come and meet me.”
Live life like a non-lazy person, and suddenly you’ll be a non-lazy student.
So true!
I like my English habit. I treat it as my private preference and sometimes try hard to stay conected with the subject despite many other work or personal activities. I don’t consider my self lazy student, but it is always good the prospect that we could push forward our English a little more harder in order to make more intensive progress. If we would constantly be satisfied regarding our learning habit, that could make negative impact to our devotion and motivation.
Very good lesson
Thanks!
This is very true. There is no excuse.
Every day I speak that with my children.
Agree
I’ve been learning for a long time and I still have stage fright when I have to say something in English. I admire those who speak fluently.