English for winners

How can I learn German when my native language is Ukranian?

&ldquo;Every Adversity, Every Failure, Every Heartbreak, Carries With It The Seed Of An Equal Or Greater Benefit&rdquo; &ndash; Napoleon Hill.&nbsp;

Welcome to Germany, we are glad you are here and we can help you get your life back on track. This program will help you learn German while navigating you through the German bureaucratic jungle. Our goal is to help you cope with the enormous psychological stress of war and being separated from your loved ones without knowing if you will ever see them again. We want you to know that you are not alone, that we are suffering with you, and that we are doing everything we can to ease your pain.&nbsp;

When done right, learning German can be a powerful form of therapy, a way to balance your emotions and focus your energy on something you can control: Your own thoughts.

Let me tell you that the German public sees refugees from Ukraine as an enrichment for our society and not as a burden, so you have absolutely no reason to feel bad about the help from Germany. Ukraine has paid a high price for the freedom of all European citizens. The least we can do for you is to try to make your stay in Germany as pleasant as possible.&nbsp;

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The main purpose of this guide is to motivate people who have fled war and left their loved ones behind to muster the mental energy to start learning a new language. I am aware of the fact that there are a variety of resources, materials, Youtube and Tiktok channels, Facebook and Instagram groups, apps and online courses for learners of German. However, none of these are aimed at this particular type of person. To fill this gap, I would like to focus on helping these Ukrainians get into the right mental state to open up to the German language.&nbsp;

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How can Ukrainians learn German in Germany

This training course is called English for Winners, and before you delve into it, we should find out together if it is for you.

Do you want to be a winner? Most English learners are unhappy with their English ability. If you ask the average English learner to assess his/her skills, you're very likely to get one of these answers:

<ul>
<li>"I studied English at school for more than 5 years, but my English is not so good."</li>

<li>"I speak a little English, but I think it's just 'school English'."</li>

<li>"I understand it a little, but I can't speak it fluently."</li>

<li>"My grammar is very bad. I've often tried to learn the grammar rules, but they're too complicated for me."</li>

<li>"I had good school grades in English but I still can't speak it very well."</li>
</ul>

These are typical complaints, and they make it clear that very few learners are really happy with the quality of their English skills. Most of them realize that their efforts are not yielding the results they had hope for during the course of their studies. But, instead of changing their strategies and trying to find the right learning methods and techniques, they simply give up. They think that they "just don't have a talent for learning languages".

The winners, however, are those English learners who have taken control of their own programs. They know that acquiring English is an ongoing process. It is something that happens every day - day in and day out. They also understand that when it comes to learning English, any progress is success.

Dear Listener, since you have obtained this audio program, you have already shown that you belong to this rare category of winners. Of course, the title of the program is rather provocative and raises the question ‘how you would describe somebody who is not a winner?’ Is the opposite of a winner a loser? I would never use such a negative term because, after all, it is you who decides what you really are. 

We'll soon take a closer look at how winners learn English, but right now let's find out what it takes to be a winner.

Are you a winner? (part 1)

First, winners set their own goals and follow through on their decisions. They make a habit of setting targets and achieving them. 

Here are some examples. Let's say you decide that you want to improve your physical fitness so you sign up for a gym where they design a personal workout plan for you. How long are you able to keep up with this plan? How often do you do the exercises at the fitness club or how often do you go jogging? 

Or what about that night school course you wanted to take to improve your career chances? Did you achieve it? Did you take the course and pass the exam? Or maybe you wanted to learn to cook, for instance – was that a project you actually pursued, or was it just another idle wish? 

If this sounds familiar, don't worry – you're not alone. Most of us find it difficult sometimes to follow through with our decisions. Commitment is as challenging to winners as it is to losers. But, what makes winners ‘winners’ is their ability to stick to their guns, to accomplish what they set out to do. If you want to learn English like a winner, you have to be able to make a commitment to yourself and follow through on that decision.

Are you a winner? (part 2)

Second, winners are willing to learn from their mistakes and change their habits. The fact that you have purchased this program is proof that you're willing to learn, and that's a vital ingredient for success. It's now up to you to decide if you are also a winner because winners know that learning means positive change. Winners look forward to changing their habits whenever they need to. You've probably bought this program because you have tried traditional English courses and methods, and you're not satisfied with the results. Don't expect to find those same grammar explanations and vocabulary exercises in this book. Expect something slightly different - something that requires you to analyze and change your living and thinking habits.
	
And third, winners have the courage to be individuals. In any society, very few people think entirely on their own, come to their own decisions, or take the lead. The vast majority just follow a small group of leaders. Winners, on the other hand, are way above average when it comes to the ability to decide what is good or bad for themselves. They question the status quo and find answers to their own ways of doing things. For example, a winner would ask him/herself this question: "Can I learn English by going to an English class where most of the time I hear how other learners try to speak English? Maybe instead of listening to other learners, I should listen to native speakers!" Unfortunately, most learners never ask themselves this question, simply because they are used to merely following others, trying to learn in the same way that others try but fail at. There reasoning goes like this: "If everyone else attends group classes or buys English course software, why should I do anything differently?". Yes, it takes courage to think for yourself and to do things differently.

Are you a winner? (part 3)

Before we start exploring a new language learning system, let's examine why we're learning English in the first place. Maybe you are thinking that the answer is obvious, but it's really not. The question "Why do I want to learn English?" is even more important than "How can I learn English?" Most people don't succeed in their efforts simply because they don't have a clear understanding of their motives. As with any other endeavor, the question "Why am I doing this?" is much more important than the question "How can I do this?" Once you know why you want to do something, you will find the ways and means to achieve it. I've met literally thousands of students who were trying to learn English. Invariably, those who knew exactly why they wanted to improve their English were the most successful, while those who were studying only because somebody else had told them to do so made very little or no progress at all. That's why it makes perfect sense to re-examine your reasons for learning the language, and maybe some of these next suggestions will help you make your commitment even stronger.

Winners know why they are learning English

You might be thinking that this question is a no-brainer. "It's obvious why I want to learn English– it's the global language, and almost everyone needs to use it nowadays." That's true – every day, more and more students, businessmen and travellers are using English as a second language, and it's now spoken in so many countries that it has reached real 'global language' status. However, if you want to learn English only because everyone else does, you'll have a very hard time achieving your goal. Mere conformity is a major cause of failure. If you want to be a winner, you'll need better reasons than that.

When you were in school, you studied English because your parents and teachers told you to do so, and all your classmates were doing it, too. So you didn't even ask yourself "Why should I learn English?" You studied it because everyone around you was doing the same thing. And, you failed like most of those around you failed. Don't make that same mistake again. Find as many reasons why you should learn English as possible. The more reasons you have, the more successful you will be. Start learning English like a winner!

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