Me, My Family, Work, and Future English | "Breaking Out of Perpetual Intermediate English" Experiment - Phase II

This article is an update from the initial experiment launch announcement.

I have returned to work from parental leave, and the rhythm of my life has changed completely.
During Golden Week, I couldn't really relax at all because my child was unwell.

And for the first time in a while, I feel the tension of work. My return to society after 1 year and 4 months started slowly. Or so I thought, but it has started to get quite intense since the beginning of this week.

At the same time, I am once again realizing how hard it is to find "me time."

Amidst these changes, I have begun to review my English level-up efforts, which I spent a significant amount of time and energy on during my parental leave, to find a form that fits my current self, and to mark it as "Phase II" of the "Breaking Out of Perpetual Intermediate English" experiment.

Changes in life, and changes in English learning

It has been two and a half months since I started this English learning program. Until now, I have made it a routine to do "muscle training-like content": setting a foundation for pronunciation with phonics, memorizing practical phrases with Anki, and listening to podcasts intently. I have also been practicing English conversation, but due to various limitations, I have only been able to participate about 3 to 4 times a month.

I have developed a sufficient habit of learning English. What I need as the next step is not to "accumulate" knowledge, but surely to"try to connect with someone in English" even in limited time.

I want to engage in more intensive, real-world English activities. To become the person I want to be within limited time, I would like to focus on "English communication" from here on out.

"Breaking Out of Perpetual Intermediate English" Project - Phase II

In line with my new living environment, my English learning environment is also transitioning to "Phase II".
There are two new focuses in this new phase.

1. Weekly English conversation community talk session

I started this with the intention of gaining experience in building relationships in English with people I am meeting for the first time. It is not just about conveying information, but about building relationships with others through dialogue. By doing so, I believe I can also polish skills that are essential for social activities. And above all, I have begun to value "enjoying conversation in English."

2. Regularizing English speech audio distribution

This is an activity to speak my opinions with a certain degree of coherence. This requires using the brain in a way that is close to practice, such as in work meetings or presentations. Furthermore, recording is very effective for reviewing my own pronunciation. First, once a week, and when I get used to it, twice a week. I will make it a habit to give a speech of about 5 minutes.

▼ I'll quietly post a new one here. Please feel free to listen if you'd like.

These two are the implementation of "changing the environment," which I have been consciously doing since the beginning of the "Breaking Out of Perpetual Intermediate English" project.Making friends on note

has led to the launch of an English community. And the process of learning using audio distribution has led to
regular podcast distribution.

After a period of two months, I feel that I have finally been able to bring it out into the world in a tangible form. Although each is still immature, both are important activities that I want to continue to nurture carefully in the future.

By the way, this "English community" is currently looking for new members.

I held the first talk session this week, and it was a very fun and fulfilling time for me personally. Although the members are diverse, we took turns talking to each other, supported each other when there were expressions we didn't understand, and everyone participated in the conversation at their own pace. If you want to practice English conversation or want to take on a challenge, please take a look to see what it's like.

[Deep Talk Café Initial Member Recruitment]
Our vision is to "build relationships with people in English" and "speak in my own words." We have also prepared special benefits for initial members for those who apply by Sunday, May 17th.

▼ Click here for details on Deep Talk Café

Ideal Language Learning Schedule

This is my ideal English learning schedule for the second phase.

Monday: Reading
Tuesday: Online English conversation (native instructor)
Wednesday: Online English conversation community - "Deep Talk Cafe"
Thursday: Podcast listening/dictation, reading
Friday: Recording English speech audio
Saturday: Group English conversation lesson (bi-weekly), Italian online lesson
Sunday: Reading, review

Every day: Anki, journaling

This is just an ideal, so I think I will end up adjusting it to a more realistic schedule as I actually try it out. Since I have 1 to 3 hours available at night, I imagine that creating a bit more buffer time will likely be the realistic approach.

I will share the results in future "experiment log articles," so please follow along if you are interested.

▼ Click here for the latest log article.

When my environment changed, I tended to get impatient and think, "I have to do more." However, I want to cherish my vision, go at my own pace, and continue to enjoy this activity.