Norbert Wierzbicki: Learning, teaching, and travelling!

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It's great to be here.

You're very welcome. Do you want to start out by giving the listeners just a little idea of who you are, where you're from and how you got started in languages?

Uh, yes, sure. So, my name is Norbert. Uh, I'm from Poland. And I'm known on the Internet mostly as a Polish teacher these days. However, I also do a lot of, um, content, uh, creation. I have my YouTube channel.

Fantastic. And when did you first, when did you first start traveling and what did you, have a job or did you just take a backpack and and go?

Well, um, my my first big, um, travel abroad was when I went to Scotland to study there. I studied anthropology in Aberdeen. Uh, and studying anthropology made me realize that I really want to go out and explore other countries, like, outside of Europe.

Wow, yeah, I can see already that you're you're quite traveled. But you you decided not to go into anthropology as a as a career or?

Uh, no, actually, it it's it's very funny because it had always been my dream to study anthropology and studying different cultures, uh, in high school and all, and then when I studied that, I realized that languages is actually what I'm really excited about, because it's something more practical, and it's something that helps you connect with other cultures better. So, I just switched and, uh, I did my Hungarian studies instead. I went back to Poland and finished my Hungarian degree.

Right. Okay, well, that's good that you figured it out so you could finish the the degree you wanted for sure.

Yeah, yeah, definitely. And and I just love languages because it's when you're learning it, you're actually seeing the results, like, almost immediately. Because when you're studying anthropology, you're reading about about theories, uh, you're reading about, uh, you know, mostly adventures of others other people who went to explore other cultures. And I realized, no, no, I just want to experience it on on my own. And language what language was is like the best way to to do it in my opinion.

Yeah, you want to build your own adventures, really.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And also like, just formatting your brain, just through acquiring all these languages, it just transforms the way you think, and it's just amazing.

Hmm. They take us through the experience from starting with English. Was that a classic school teaching, or did you have any sort of unusual methods or teachers or someone that would push you towards let's say, good results or different ways of of studying?

Yeah, you know, I started learning English at school when I was like 13, which was already kind of late, you could say. Uh, and we didn't really have a lot of resources, it was before the Internet and everything, so you were just relying on your teachers, materials, and stuff like that at school.

Right.

But it worked somehow, you know?

I guess if you do it enough, anything will work really.

Yeah, yeah, if you put a lot of effort into it, and you really want to learn, like, you're going to learn, like, no matter what what methods you use.

And what what did you learn from her in terms of of methods or or any other way of learning?

Um, so, obviously, over the years, when I started picking up different languages, I realized that, um, what's most important is spending time with the language. Like, you actually have to spend time learning it, enjoying it, consuming content in that language.

Hmm.

That was a breakthrough. Like, my my English just went up, uh, so quickly.

Right, because you had a a reason to, maybe, for for you diving in in the deep end.

Yeah, and also, you know, when I was studying English at school, everything was about passing the exams and getting certificates and stuff like that. Nobody cared about like what you're actually going to use this language for.

I wish more teachers were like that, you know.

Uh, because it was like it wasn't testing me on my English, it was testing me on something else, and that was like a breakthrough in the way I I thought about the language. Like, it's not about performing best, it's about thinking and having your ideas and expressing those ideas, and communicating with people, learning new things. This is what matters most. Not necessarily being perfect, you know.

Yeah, and it's funny, it's completely opposite in most schools today, where you start, and let's say you're maybe, I don't know, eight years old or something when you start a foreign language on average and they test you on grammar and like words and stuff. But they don't actually reward people actually speaking or using the language.

That will be an ideal, really.

Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, it's just amazing that, you know, people after going through the school system, they are very, uh, they have a very low self-esteem and they're afraid of speaking or, uh, they think that they're doing something wrong, you know, when they, uh, write an essay and there's a lot of mistakes in them. Like, yeah, you you've made mistakes, but your ideas were right. Like, you you you said what you wanted to say, you had something to say, and that's really that matters more than being able to say like 100% correct with no mistakes. Yeah. That's that's that's the mindset we we really should try to promote, but yeah, the school system is a bit more rigid, you know. It doesn't change so fast.

Yeah. Takes a long time, right? Yeah. But for me that's the the greatest pleasure is actually having some useful language I can go out and and use with people, and even if I make a lot of mistakes, as long as they understand what I'm saying, for me that's that's really exciting. And and fun and and makes it all worth it. Whereas, understanding words or doing flashcards or all these things, I mean, it doesn't really add to anything, it's just numbers on a screen, right?

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And it's all about experience, you know, experience of speaking in in a foreign language, like it it's supposed to enrich your life somehow. And whatever you do it like I know people, I because I used to live in Scotland, and I know people like older people, Polish people who are living there, and their English is really bad. They just know few words. But I worked with them and the native speakers love them because of their character and because the way they were able to communicate in in verbally, you know. They were just so nice, even though they they didn't really speak English. And that's amazing, like someone is functioning in the this foreign language, um, environment and is able to connect with others with limited English.

Yeah. Yeah, that's fantastic when that happens. And just giving that, uh, it's just a positive reinforcement of what you're doing is correct, or it's it's the right way. And hopefully that will help them also improve their English and and and get to a higher level and get even more out of it, because the benefits go both ways, right?

Yeah, yeah, definitely, definitely. Um, like my experience in Mexico now is very similar, because my my Spanish really got way better after a year of just being here. And that's another method I I'm testing here, the immersion one. Uh, and I'm just surprised like how much I've learned over the year without actually studying in a very structured way. Just being here, listening into conversations of my friends, and, uh, you know, a few weeks ago, I had a chat with a friend who doesn't speak English at all. Uh, and we spent two hours talking about her broken heart, you know, for two hours. And and we were able to do that in Spanish fully. And I knew I made a lot of mistakes, but it was a great experience, you know.

Yeah. So how how long have you been learning Spanish and how did you, what did you, what kind of preparations did you do before you went on your trip?

Well, it's just, yeah, I've been learning for over a year, just by being here. Um, before, I just did some attempts, maybe trying to watch some videos or something on YouTube, or trying to read materials for Spanish learners, but it never really worked. Like, I was never really interested in in learning in that way.

Sure, yeah.

Yeah, and I I also just tried to read, um, what people are trying to say from the context. And always looking for a way to connect somehow.

Yeah, I I think that's interesting to hear that you had some such a good, uh, or almost, it sounds effortless. I'm sure you it's different when you're in there, but for me, immersion can be tough. Because it it's like there's a bigger pressure on you to actually, um, when you're there, it's like, yeah, you have the free sort of, uh, impressions of signs and everything. And if you know people there, obviously, that's a great resource.

Yeah, absolutely, like, before I came here, I was very skeptical about immersion, like, I I I was thinking that it it can't really work like this, like, it cannot be that effortless, you know. And I would never recommend anyone to just go and learn that.

speak multiple languages to begin with, that's always a good help.

Yeah, that's a good help. And then I also had, I started with a friend here who spoke English, and we were connecting through English. And, but he started taking me out to to, you know, to introduce me to his friends, and they would just speak in Spanish, because most of his friends, they don't speak English.

Right.

But this mental process, I think, and my brain just wanted to participate in those interactions, that my brain started to kind of soak the language in, you know, absorb it faster because it knew that if you're not going to learn anything, you're not going to participate in those discussions, you're going to be alienated and lonely and sad, so my I think my brain just kind of started be more sensitive

Right.

to to Spanish words.

Yeah, it's all about experience at the end, isn't it? Like, the experiences you have. If if that was your first foreign language, let's say you're American and you went down to Mexico and did the same thing, you might have had a very different experience just because you don't have that initial experience. Maybe not. Who knows? I mean, it it could be the same, yeah.

You mean initial experience of having learned other languages?

Yeah, or just know, yeah, knowing other languages, uh, you know, having more reference points, or just the confidence that you can actually learn another language to begin with. Mhm. Mhm. Those are, in my book, almost essential. And I think that's a big reason that a lot of people don't learn languages because they feel like they cannot do it. And so they won't even try, uh, because they maybe had a bad experience in school, or maybe they don't know anyone who's done it in their community, or, you know. But you had that those advantages, so, I mean, I'm not saying that it's impossible for other people, but it's it's important to put everything in context and and and and understand that you have we all have advantages, really. Uh, and, you know, if you want to reproduce good results, I think if you haven't had experience of learning another language, maybe more preparation before the trip? I don't know, what do you think?

Mhm. Mhm. Yes, definitely, because when when I before coming to Mexico, I already picked up English, and also in I I I had been living in in Scotland in the English-speaking country. So, I kind of absorbed a lot of English there. Just by being there, and I realized that I learned much more just by being there, having this kind of bedrock from school. But I went there and you I started absorbing words. Like, this is important, this is important. Uh, I I don't even remember exactly how I learned learned it, you know, Sometimes I just know words that I heard once, and somehow I remembered it.

So would you say you're actively listening when you when you you're not just casually, you're actually trying to pick words from things you hear that you can either use yourself or understand right away.

Uh, yeah, but I I'm also not forcing myself to speak so much here. Uh, like, especially now, I kind of start conversations in Spanish, because I'm living in a part of Mexico that people they would on the streets, people would never start talking to you in English. Like, they always start in Spanish. No no matter how you look like, they're just going to start with Spanish. So, I I always I tend to speak Spanish more on the streets. But, um, yeah, I I I I lost my train of thought, uh. What we were talking about?

Yeah, so we were talking about the advantages of being having the multilingual background. And just using it or whether you actively listened for the things that you were looking for.

Actively listening. Yeah. So, yeah, definitely, I I was listening into conversations like consciously. And after a while, I I got exhausted, and I was said I was saying, like, maybe, yeah, I just have to stop, because it's really exhausting, but it's almost like a workout. You know, like, you you just doing it, you you're getting tired, and then you just have to take a rest. But, I think that's how how I learned, you know, just just forcing myself to listen in and trying to break those words down. And I I was forced by the social situation as well.

Right, that's that's always helpful. But it sounds a little bit like what Michel Thomas said was, don't try to remember. Like, obviously, listen, I mean, you need to listen, otherwise, you will never hear anything. But if you try and force yourself, oh, I have to remember this, I have to remember this, then you don't. But if you take it easy and just kind of let the words come to you, then it's much easier to remember things.

Yeah, it's almost for effortless process. But I wouldn't say that, you know, learning any language is effortless or something. It's Spanish is kind of similar to English and and there's so many other ways that I can communicate with people here. And also the culture is maybe more similar to to where I come from. But if you wanted to learn Chinese or Japanese, I don't think immersion would work as efficiently, you know. Right. You it's it's just almost impossible, because the roots of the words are different, and the culture is different, so people tend to talk about different things.

Right, then you need to, uh, basically, prepare a lot more before you go and have a higher level when when you arrive.

Yeah, maybe intermediate. I think, uh, so Hungarian is an example of a language that is very different, like, you you can't figure it out without knowing what it means. And when my before going to Hungary for my for the first time, I already had intermediate level of Hungarian. So when I went there, I was so surprised, uh, after studying Hungarian there for one month intensely in the in a summer school, which was all in Hungarian. I was able to kind of jump one year up at university. Like, they they were able to transcribe my my certificate from there, because I I gained so much Hungarian just by being there for one month and learning intensively six hours a day, uh, all in Hungarian. So,

That's great, yeah. That's fantastic. And when did you start to get into teaching? Was that on your travels or?

Yeah, I I I was kind of, uh, thinking about my career, what I want to do, and I was also trying to make my lifestyle more mobile, so I could travel around the world. And I started teaching languages, English, Polish, Hungarian, um, online, just to kind of get me going.

Definitely, yeah.

Yeah, and I I saw the potential and now I've built my own company, uh, that that is trying to optimize language learning experience with teachers online.

We'll just take a quick break to hear from our sponsor, Italki, but we'll be right back. On this podcast, I've interviewed hundreds of language learners, some of the world's greatest polyglots and industry experts. And one thing they all agree on is the value of one to one tutoring lessons. And for this, I highly recommend Italki. They have thousands of teachers in all price ranges, and they even have certified teachers who have taken diplomas or have degrees in the language you're learning.

Let's go back a little bit just to give people a a better understanding of how you get started, because obviously, you've gone through it, so, uh, a lot of people want to know, I love languages, or I'm a big fan of languages, I want to make it into like a full-time thing, or at least a something to to support my lifestyle, or maybe travel around. I mean, people have a lot of of, uh, ambitions when it comes to travel, because they feel like, oh, I want to travel, see the world, use my language skills, but then how to pay for it is actually comes to mind.

Yeah. So, you know, I just started on Italki. Um, I became a a tutor there and I was just offering those conversation practice lessons, you know. And it's it's kind of fine, it's just like you can't really make a lot of money doing that.

I think that's true. Like, there's a big difference between being an online teacher or tutor and then having an online teaching or tutoring career. Uh, and I definitely agree with you that the the second is is much, much harder, because you suddenly to get, let's say, a full-time income, you might have to have a lot of lessons. And because it's like one-on-one, it's very draining mentally to do one-on-one lessons. I think as a teacher. Um, like 40 hours a week would be, for me, impossible.

Yeah, it's impossible.

It's just you just you your brain is just fried, I think. Um, so maybe, I guess what people could do if they wanted to for this kind of, uh, starting point is to, you know, go to, uh, cheaper countries, like stay a couple of of months or a year in in places where you can can get a a cheap room or something. And then use that as a as a traveling background.

Exactly, yes.

So people are some people are like, oh, wow, he just did this and then he he got all this and it's like, yeah, well, if you write blog posts like every week for five years, I'll promise you, you'll get somewhere. I can't promise you to get, you know, become a millionaire or anything, but you'll definitely get somewhere.

Yes, and absolutely. You can scale if but the only thing here is your commitment. Like, are you really committed to this way of life, and you really want to add value to the community of people who are learning your language? Because, um, you know, but again, so it's really depends on your goals. If you just want to travel, and you want to get extra income, you can absolutely do that. Like, for you can even run like that for many years, you know. Just giving classes online, like, conversational classes, especially if you're an English speaker, there is ton ton of work for English speakers, you know. Um, you can do that. It's just good to think at some point, you know, you want to think about long-term, like, what do you want to do with your life, you know, and, uh, as you said, like, you can move to a like a more affordable country to kind of start your your, uh, career, that's kind of what I did.

Adventure, yeah.

as well. Like, I'm living in Mexico and I feel much more comfortable here than in Europe, you know, because I don't have to stress out so much about, uh, how many students I have. And the time that I save, I can put into my business and thinking about how I can add more value to my my customers, you know, my students, what can I deliver? Maybe the the video courses and stuff like that. But it's all all all started with this tutoring, you know, on Italki. And, uh,

Right.

and, uh,

But how would you know if you like it if you don't start, you know?

Exactly.

You have to give it a try.

I didn't realize that I really wanted to be a Polish teacher, you know, and I didn't realize that there is so much to do and to contribute to this online teaching world. It's Right. there is so much to do that every anybody can find something, uh, to do for themselves and to specialize in something, or find their own niche. You just need to keep an open mind, I'd say.

Yeah. So what what are the next steps for for you in in your teaching career? You you started on Italki as a tutor, probably on the cheapest side, I would imagine that many people do. And and what kind of evolution did you do then? You said it was mostly speaking practice then did does that mean you you're doing a bit more organized teaching now or or what kind of evolution have you made as a teacher yourself?

Yes. So, I started with just speaking practice, because it was the easiest thing to do. But then I realized that those people who were coming to me, uh, to practice speaking, they had so many other problems that they didn't have any solution for. So, I just listened to them. I started keeping the record of what they really need and, uh, what's their problems as online language learners, and started developing solutions, uh, to those problems.

Right.

So, I I'm just trying to think ahead what my students need to know and let them know, uh, before they drift away and and lose their motivation, uh, because of the overload of content. So, I'm pretty much curating content for them. Making sure that whatever I'm sending them to go through is a of good quality. Uh, I also produce my own content for them if they need that, uh, if they need some shadowing, I'm not telling them just, go and do shadowing, this is the technique that that's how you do it. I would listen to them and produce an exercise for them that incorporates shadowing. But it's easy to follow, because I thought of, uh, the process of how how they actually go about it.

Right. So, these these things happen outside the lessons, or is that in the lesson?

Yeah, yeah, so that's something extra that I do for my students. Like, during the lesson, uh, that's a that's a bit different thing. Uh, we focus on speaking, um, or getting comprehensible input. Which means that I can tell you a story or something using visual aids, but the story is adapted to your level, because I know you, I've been working with you for a while. Um, or you've been learning from me from the very beginning. So, I'm building things, um, up for you. I'm I'm creating stories, or lesson plans for you specifically, what you need to learn.

Right. Can you give like a a really simple example for the teacher, well, for the aspiring teachers out there maybe on on how that looks like?

Uh, yeah.

Is it, um, yeah, just a quick example, just to make it a little bit more more practical.

A bit more practical. Well, it definitely use of slides is very helpful, if it's used in the right way. Uh, you could use, um, you can make a slide deck that and and try to take your students think about when you're creating the slide deck, think about the mental process that your student is going through looking at it. So, the most challenging part of it is changing your perspective. You need to think about what your student is is going through, not what you think he's going through. Right. So, collecting feedback is very important. Um, so, how could I explain that, that didn't make sense. It didn't make sense what I said.

No, it does make sense. Absolutely not no problem, but it's just if you if you hear it and you're not let's say, you're not a teacher, or you don't make these kind of activities. It sounds like, oh, yeah, just do this, just do that. You know, and it's not a you know, there's nothing wrong with that, but it's like, what does it look like? What what do I as a student, how does exactly what do I get? Is it you you write a story from A to B or do you go online and find like a a cartoon and go to go through? Or like, if you're a teacher, I guess I can ask you a different question. Is, how do you, how do you develop yourself as a teacher from that conversation practice teacher to like, someone who produces content like you do and and really supports them outside the lessons? Because just getting them more stuff, I I don't know. To me that's that sounds difficult, if I was to do it.

Mhm. Yes. So, I see two things that you just asked. So, first one is, um, is the is the the whole process of creating and a story for a student, right? It Yeah, sometimes I use cartoons, or clips from movies, Polish movies, or stuff like that. But it's for more advanced advanced students.

Right. So, do you do you go based on like some do you have a do you have a like a plan for each student, or is it just, the student seems to be struggling with this this week, so this is what I'm focusing on? Or do you have like a a grand plan for them to to improve, uh, sort of in a organized way?

So at this point, I already have like a grand plan, because I've worked with enough students to kind of to to have it already developed, you know. But at the same time, different students make, um, different progress in different times. So, I can speed it up or I can adapt it a little bit. Uh, you you always need to listen to your student and personalize your lessons. And you know, you can you hear a lot that everybody everybody personalize personalizes their lessons for you. But at the end, but at the end of the day, they're not really personalizing it to the extent that they could be personalizing it, because it takes a lot of time.

Right.

Uh, so that's something, uh, extra. And as you said, like, how is it possible that I can do it, uh, outside I I spend so much time outside of the lesson to prepare it. And me from the perspective of a teacher, I think about what is the highest value I can provide to my student, you know? And then and then I'm not thinking about, oh, I'm spending too too much time on this. Like, that's the matter of, like, maybe how much you charge for your classes. Uh, but don't let, uh, I mean, I at least I don't. I I I believe that, I mean, I'm I'm in it for a long run. So, whatever time I spend on preparing materials, I'm going to get it back at some point, I believe, because I'm going to produce something of great value. And it's just going to come back to me later on, once everything is kind of produced, and, uh, and students have it a choice, and they can reach for that highest value, you know, uh, they have a choice, I I create a choice for them.

Yeah. And as a teacher, I guess you're you're saving up all those materials so you you have them for future students so you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time.

Yes, definitely. I can adjust every material to to a student, uh, but I keep it organized. That's that's another aspect. Keeping your things organized and, uh, having your content organized in a way that is easy to follow for your students. It's very important, because one of the biggest problems I had in the past as a student or or a teacher was when I get my notes sent over to me by email, with all the files or exercises, or PDFs. And it's just so easy to to lose them, you know. Or or just you missed the email or something, and the student comes to to the class unprepared. Because of that. So, I decided, no, we cannot keep doing that. We have to solve that problem, that it's part of the experience of a lesson, that your content is organized, and that's up to me as a teacher. I'm doing it. I'm making sure that your content is organized, and when you look at it, you are not confused.

Right, yeah, exactly. So, it's the it it puts the responsibility of the teacher, uh, again, which is this is also something Michel Thomas said, you know, if the student doesn't remember, then Michel Thomas believed that it was the teacher's fault, and the teacher will fix it. Um, obviously, you shouldn't rely entirely on our teachers, because then we don't get any work done outside the lessons. But I think it's a good point that if you're looking at it from the teacher's perspective, you are basically there to ensure their success. And the best way to do that is making them, the students, only have to worry about the language itself. Not saving PDFs or, I don't know, organizing all those stuff. Um, so I think that's definitely a good a good thing to to highlight. And also, that's the way you increase your value as a teacher. And that's the way you go from, you know, making, let's say, a few dollars an hour for conversation practice, and you can grow all the way. I don't even know what the maximum is on Italki now, maybe $40 an hour or something, which I'm sure there are people charging, uh, for specialty languages and and, uh, and packages. Um, so, if you do provide that value outside the course, not only do you get better students, which, uh, and better results, but you also are able to grow your your hourly from from that starting point, which is, uh, a little bit low, I would say, probably, but I think you should look at it as an investment, right. And as you get a better as a teacher, as you get more students, you can increase those rates.

Yes. And, uh, Michel Thomas is a great inspiration to me, really. Uh, I I I I love his methods, although these days, we can really take it a step further, you know, because of the technology we have. But definitely he started something very important.

Yeah, because you can't force people to do it if they don't have that interest themselves, like you can't just download a language to your brain yet.

Yeah. But people want to learn a language, but they just don't know how, and just this exploration of how to learn it, or what content to consume, what exercises to do, is just so overwhelming. Yeah. That you you're not going to do it. Unless someone will come and say, this is what you need to do, this read this text, right.

Right.

And it could be like people who have a lot of work, they work for corporations, they're just so tired that they have no time for anything else. But if they if you know that you come back home and you have everything prepared for you, the whole activity, you just need to focus on that. You're more likely to do that than start, let's start to research now what I need to do to learn a language, you know. It just takes takes away your motivation.

Yeah, you spend a lot of time figure out the how, but you should just really get started, you know. It's the analysis paralysis of language learning.

Yes, yes, absolutely.

Keep studying it. Um, well, that's great. I mean, we we we talked a lot about teaching now, and and how how people can get into that. And I think it's a great way to get started, especially if you're young and you're maybe you're in university or something, you have some spare time. Do a little bit on the side, and maybe you'll get hooked like like you like you did, and other people have done in the past. Uh, what what what would be your top tips just to round off today. What would be your top tips to for the students, or the learners of languages, of, um, like what in terms of learning language, obviously that has to happen as well. What would be sort of top five tips?

For language learners.

Yeah, exactly. So we just flip it around now and and the people attending the lessons.

Well, definitely you need a lot of input. That's that's the key thing in learning a language. And and I would say comprehensible input, but maybe, you know, most of the people know that term already. Um, and I got it when I was in Mexico. I feel like it was comprehensible, because I was participating in those discussions, I knew context more or less, or I knew my friends. I I knew what they were talking about. It was somehow somewhat comprehensible to me. So, try to surround yourself with the language as much as possible. Um, at some point, sooner than later, start watching TV shows, uh, your favorite TV shows in your target language.

Right.

Uh, I for example, started a few months ago, I started watching, uh, my favorite show that I watched in English, uh, before, and now I rewatched it with Spanish dubbing. And I watched it all five seasons.

Wow.

And I was crying at the end of the last episode, because, you know, I I really understood enough to to be able to cry at the end, you know, to understand the the seriousness of the situation. Uh, so, yeah, that's that's very important. And I mean, important. It's just you it's very effective, I believe. And I learned so many words that that I I didn't realize I could learn. By just by watching the show.

Yeah, and and I guess the the good part about the watching shows you already know is that you kind of know the what's happening, so it's not completely like if you watch something where you don't understand anything, you've never watched it in any language, it can be quite boring to sit down and watch and try and watch a show. But because you had that experience from the other language, you kind of know the the story, and then you can focus on the language and and compare to how it was in the in the original.

Yes. And because there were five seasons, so it's not like you remember everything what happened, you know. You you just like you remember the general outline of the story. But when you keep watching it, you actually excited, oh, I I I forgot about this, you know. Uh, and then is and then it's kind of reinforcing the language you you're learning. It's it's really cool.

Yeah. And and some of these shows are pretty much designed to be watched over and over anyway. I mean, how how many years have have you seen Friends on TV, for instance? It's just been going on and on and on and on. So, most fans of the show will know every episode inside out, probably. But they still watch it because they like it. So, so that that can definitely be a good way to do it. So, how with the lessons? So, basically, you said, outside this is outside the lessons, you're getting a lot of input. And then for the lessons themselves, the teacher obviously be motivated, be uh do the homework. Do what the teacher tells you, basically, I guess is the is the tip.

I mean, but you need to be like a critical thinker as well. Um, you know what? I mean, well, from the perspective of a learner, always give feedback to your teacher. That's the key thing. Because your teacher has a lot of assumptions, because he's been working in this field for for years, and sometimes he's an autopilot.

Hmm.

That could definitely improve your, um, lessons in the future. Hopefully, the teacher would, uh, consider that. Uh, but because the other other other the other things you can do, there is not much that you can do, because the teacher is in charge of the lesson. Yeah. You know, like, so

You'll find another teacher if you don't like the one you have, I guess. You're just stick with the.

But if you really want to stick to this teacher, and actually, if you keep changing your teachers as well, like, uh, without giving them feedback, like, there is no way that you maybe you are lucky, you might find someone who actually, um, matches your your needs. But without giving feedback, it's very hard.

Well, I I totally agree, and I that happened to me when I was in my Russian lessons. I was, uh, I was studying very slowly, because I was completely new to the language. So we would speak extremely slow to to each other. Uh, but because of that, we would have conversations extremely early. Like, an hour-long conversation, uh, which was really exciting. I mean, obviously, we didn't fill maybe 15 minutes of normal speed, but still, you know, it it was exciting.

Mhm. Absolutely, that would be, yeah, one great tip of of today.

I think if you, if you do one thing with this podcast, you're you will do well, yeah.

I think if you if you implement that, that's that's definitely going to change something.