Posts by Zach Barney

“Conversation isn’t about proving a point; true conversation is about going on a journey with the people you are speaking with.” ~Ricky Maye I bet you are tired of small talk in English, starting with simple comments or questions such as: “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “The weather is really nice today.” Have…

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” ~Gandhi 2019 has arrived! It’s a new year with new opportunities to not just learn English, but to live it! If you are like most people, you spent the end of December reflecting on how the past year went. You thought about the lessons you…

“Become like water my friend.” ~Bruce Lee As 2018 comes to an end I’ve been reflecting on the lessons that I’ve learned while living and teaching English in Brazil, and I have to say that 2018 was quite a journey. Looking back, I can see how I’ve made a lot of progress in different areas of my…

“The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.” ~Oscar Wilde My journey as an English teacher is closely connected to my journey to Portuguese fluency. It all started when I made the decision to come to Brazil for the first time as an…

“Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” ~Bob Marley I heard this quote from the reggae legend, Bob Marley, 4 years ago when I first started my journey to master Portuguese, and it has stuck with me ever since. I know it’s not Portuguese, but these words have constantly been in my…

“There is no glory in practice, but without practice there is no glory.” ~Anonymous Do you know what Picasso, Mozart, and Kobe Bryant all have in common? They were all masters in their craft. Picasso is known for his creative masterpieces. While Mozart learned how to master the art of composing beautiful melodies, and Kobe…

Do you really want to know the key to unlocking your potential as an English Learner? Are you ready to truly live your English and take your life to the next level? Or are you content with being mediocre? Here’s the truth. The secret to living your English is simple, yet few people will take the…

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” ~Tony Robbins How often do you take the time to appreciate what you have? Sometimes we get caught up in the daily grind and forget to appreciate the little things along the journey. We forget “to stop and smell the roses.” We forget to be grateful for the…

“Don’t give in to your fears. If you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.” ~Paulo Coelho No matter who you are it is impossible to escape from your fears. A lot of times we are programmed from a young age by our parents, our education system, and society to carry a…

“You don’t have to be great to start. But you have to start to be great.” ~Zig Ziglar For many English learners, the hardest part of the journey to RealLife English fluency is taking that initial step away from their native language and committing themselves to not just learning English, but living it. You probably felt this…