Empower me! will help you to get the most out of your British Hills stay. Learn to think critically about your own learning before you go, while you stay, and after you go home! Set goals, record your achievements, and then reflect on difficulties and solutions.
Let's get started.
Let's get started.
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First, let’s think about culture!
Have you ever been abroad? What do you already know about foreign countries? At British Hills, you will experience a different culture. Some things you might already know, and other things might be new. It’s important to listen, observe, and most of all, be open minded! Answer the questions in the boxes. Be honest! This will be used to evaluate what you discovered at the end of your trip. |
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The best thing about setting goals is that we have to sit down and ask ourselves:
What do I want? What do I need to do to get it? What do I want to do with English? How do I get better at English? Without clear goals, it’s hard to focus on what’s important. Goal setting can help let us know what needs the most attention. |
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Next, let’s look at the goals for your British Hills trip. There are two areas that you should focus on when you come to British Hills:
You should work on both of these things during your stay at British Hills. Don’t worry! We’re here to help you every step of the way.
When writing your goals, be sure to be realistic. Make goals that you can actually achieve, that aren’t dependant on other people, or specific things happening.
- Relationships 👫 (Connect with people at British Hills using English)
- Confidence 💪 (Improve your confidence speaking English)
You should work on both of these things during your stay at British Hills. Don’t worry! We’re here to help you every step of the way.
When writing your goals, be sure to be realistic. Make goals that you can actually achieve, that aren’t dependant on other people, or specific things happening.
1. Relationships 👫
The best way you can improve your English is by building relationships with people using English. Don’t restrict yourself to just speaking English with your teachers. Try to speak it with your classmates, and even the Japanese staff at British Hills.
Building relationships with other speakers will also motivate you to improve your English-speaking ability.
💡TIP: Be creative! Gesture. Share photos or videos. Remember, both talking and listening are an important part of making conversation
Building relationships with other speakers will also motivate you to improve your English-speaking ability.
💡TIP: Be creative! Gesture. Share photos or videos. Remember, both talking and listening are an important part of making conversation
2. Confidence 💪
Be confident! By working on your confidence in speaking English, you’ll find communication easier and learning English will become more fun too!
British Hills is the perfect place to practise your English with our teachers, staff, and your classmates!
💡TIP: Mistakes are natural – don’t be afraid to try! Most of our foreign staff are language learners themselves! They know the difficulty that comes with communicating in a different language
British Hills is the perfect place to practise your English with our teachers, staff, and your classmates!
💡TIP: Mistakes are natural – don’t be afraid to try! Most of our foreign staff are language learners themselves! They know the difficulty that comes with communicating in a different language
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1. What makes a good target?
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To make good targets they need to be SMART!
S: Specific. Don’t make your goals too vague. M: Measurable. You should be able to say if you’ve achieved it or not. A: Achievable. Do you have the resources (or people) needed to achieve your goals? They should rely on you, and no one else! R: Realistic. Is it possible to do? They shouldn’t be too simple or too challenging. T: Time-based. Remember you only have so many days at British Hills! Use your time wisely. |
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Example:
❌ I want to ask 5 teachers a question.
This is not a good target. It might not be achievable. What if you don’t meet five teachers?
It’s also not specific enough. Asking questions is a good start, but it can sometimes feel like a job interview! It’s important that you ask questions that will encourage conversation. It’s also important to talk about yourself too.
❌ I want to speak with many British Hills teachers.
This is an OK target. It’s achievable and realistic, but it’s not measurable or specific enough! How will you know you’ve met the goal? Does replying to the teacher’s questions during class with one-word answers count as speaking? How will your monitor your progress? Your target needs more information.
✅ I want to use the class activities to learn new things about my classmates.
This is a great target! It’s specific (practise speaking English with my classmates). Measurable (did I do this for every class? Most classes? Only some classes?) Achievable (doesn’t rely on other people being available). Realistic (I can reach this goal even with a basic level of English). And it’s Time-based (I can achieve it within my stay at British Hills).
📝Now it’s time to write your own targets for the two goals. Be sure to write at least two in the boxes.
❌ I want to ask 5 teachers a question.
This is not a good target. It might not be achievable. What if you don’t meet five teachers?
It’s also not specific enough. Asking questions is a good start, but it can sometimes feel like a job interview! It’s important that you ask questions that will encourage conversation. It’s also important to talk about yourself too.
❌ I want to speak with many British Hills teachers.
This is an OK target. It’s achievable and realistic, but it’s not measurable or specific enough! How will you know you’ve met the goal? Does replying to the teacher’s questions during class with one-word answers count as speaking? How will your monitor your progress? Your target needs more information.
✅ I want to use the class activities to learn new things about my classmates.
This is a great target! It’s specific (practise speaking English with my classmates). Measurable (did I do this for every class? Most classes? Only some classes?) Achievable (doesn’t rely on other people being available). Realistic (I can reach this goal even with a basic level of English). And it’s Time-based (I can achieve it within my stay at British Hills).
📝Now it’s time to write your own targets for the two goals. Be sure to write at least two in the boxes.
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Now that you have goals and targets, you need to measure them.
First, create a scale. This will help you see how you can achieve your goals and help you measure your success after your British Hills visit. Your scale has three levels. Can improve, good work, and excellent work. There are 
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How do I measure my goals?
Example:
I want to use the class activities to learn new things about my classmates.
Example:
I want to use the class activities to learn new things about my classmates.
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I talked to my classmates, but I was too shy to make conversation in English. I didn’t learn much new about them. Main points:
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I made a fairly good attempt at speaking to my classmates and learnt some new things about them. I sometimes used Japanese when things got too difficult.
Main points:
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I always spoke to my classmates in English and used the activities to start conversation. I also didn’t use Japanese, even when things were difficult to explain.
Main points:
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When we see progress, studying English becomes easier. You’ll get more confidence as you realise that – yes! You really can do it! Even if you don’t manage to accomplish all the goals you’ve set, it’ll help you organise your time and make the path to learning English more enjoyable!
Good luck!
Good luck!
