B1 English Listening Practice | Progress Over Perfection | Improve Your English Skills |ESL Speaking – YouTube Dictation Transcript & Vocabulary

1.hello and welcome to another effective and amazing episode from Code Your English i'm so happy you're here with me today whether you are walking relaxing at home or just looking for some English practice thank you for choosing this podcast this is a safe space for you to learn grow and become more confident in your English speaking and listening skills every episode is made with love and care to help you not only learn English but also grow as a person so take a deep breath smile and let's enjoy this time together today we are going to talk about something very important it is a simple idea but it can change your life the topic is progress over perfection these three words can help you feel better do better and move forward in anything you do especially in learning English many people feel afraid when they make mistakes they think they must be perfect before they speak write or try something new but in this podcast I will help you understand why you don't need to be perfect you just need to make progress one step at a time you see in today's world many people try to do everything perfectly they want to speak English perfectly they want to write without any mistakes they want to sound like native speakers but the truth is perfection is not always possible and it is not even necessary when we wait to be perfect we often stop ourselves from even starting and if we don't start we don't grow that's why this topic is so important not only for learning English but also for life in this episode I will explain what perfection really means and why it can sometimes be a problem i will also talk about progress what it means and why it is so powerful we will look at real life examples and easy ideas that can help you focus on your growth instead of your mistakes you will learn how to keep going even when you don't feel perfect and most importantly you will feel encouraged and supported by the end of this episode I hope you will understand that small steps are better than no steps speaking a little English every day is better than waiting for the perfect moment making mistakes is not failure it's part of the journey you are here to learn not to be perfect so let's begin this beautiful journey together remember you are doing great just by listening this is your time your space and your moment welcome again to code your English and let's explore how to choose progress over perfection what is perfection so now let's talk about the word perfection what does it really mean in simple words perfection means something is 100% correct there are no mistakes no errors and nothing wrong it is the idea that something or someone is completely right and has everything in the best way when people try to be perfect they try to do things without making any mistakes they want to look perfect speak perfectly work perfectly and live without any problems but here's something important perfection is not real it is just an idea it is something we imagine in our minds but in real life no one is perfect many people want to be perfect because they think it will make them feel good or look good in front of others sometimes we believe that if we are perfect people will like us more or respect us more maybe at school you felt you had to get all the answers right in a test or maybe at work you feel you must finish a project with no mistakes or maybe you are learning English and you feel shy or afraid to speak because you think you must speak like a native speaker you wait and wait for the right time to speak but the perfect time never comes that is the problem with perfection it stops us from trying let's look at some examples of perfectionism in everyday life imagine a student in school she studies hard but when she gets nine out of 10 on a test she feels sad she says "Why didn't I get 10?" She forgets that nine is a great score she forgets that she did her best this is perfectionism it makes her focus on the one mistake instead of the many things she did well now think about someone at work he works extra hours and checks everything many times he wants his work to be perfect but because he spends too much time checking and fixing he feels tired and stressed he is always afraid that someone will find a small mistake he doesn't feel happy even when the job is done well again this is perfectionism it takes away joy and peace and now let's talk about English learners maybe people like you many learners feel they must speak English with perfect grammar and pronunciation they think if I make a mistake people will laugh at me so they stay quiet they don't join conversations they don't ask questions they don't practice and because they don't practice they don't improve the fear of not being perfect stops them from making progress this is how perfectionism hurts learning perfectionism can also make us feel like we are not good enough even when we are doing well we still feel something is missing we don't feel proud of ourselves we always think we need to do more learn more or be better this thinking is not healthy it makes our journey longer and heavier it makes us tired and unhappy it is okay to want to do well it is okay to care about quality but we must understand the difference between doing our best and trying to be perfect doing your best means you try you learn and you keep going being perfect means you are afraid to make a mistake and that fear can stop you from growing so when we talk about perfection in this podcast we are not saying you should be lazy or careless we are just saying don't let the idea of being perfect stop you from learning and improving perfection is not the goal growth is the goal learning is the goal trying is the goal and remember this mistakes are part of learning even native English speakers make mistakes even great teachers forget words or use the wrong grammar sometimes that's normal the key is to keep learning to keep trying and to not give up so now that you understand what perfection is and why many people want to be perfect in the next part of this episode we'll explore a much better idea progress progress is what really helps us learn and grow and it's something you can start today even with just one small step first what is progress now that we understand what perfection means let's talk about something even more powerful progress this word is very important when you are learning anything especially when you are learning a language like English so what is progress progress means moving forward it means getting better step by step it doesn't mean being perfect it doesn't mean you never make mistakes progress means you are not where you were yesterday even if you are just a little bit better than before that is progress when you learn one new word that is progress when you understand one more sentence than you did last week that is progress when you say hello to someone in English and smile that is progress too progress is slow sometimes it doesn't always feel big or fast but it is always happening when you try when you practice and when you keep going that's why progress is more important than being perfect perfection is not real but progress is real you can see it you can feel it you can celebrate it it gives you energy to keep learning let's take an example from English learning imagine a person who wants to speak English fluently on the first day they can't say much maybe just hello or my name is they feel nervous they feel like their English is not good but they don't stop they practice five or 10 minutes every day after one week they can make short sentences after one month they can talk about their day after six months they can have a full conversation that is progress they didn't become perfect in one day but they became better because they kept going now think about someone who waits to be perfect before speaking they don't speak because they are afraid to make mistakes they want to sound like a native speaker before they open their mouth they study grammar watch videos and take notes but they don't practice speaking after one week nothing changes after one month they still don't speak after 6 months they feel stuck why because they were waiting to be perfect and while they were waiting they were not making progress progress is not about being the best it's about being better than before it's not a race you don't have to compare yourself to others you just need to look at your own journey and ask yourself am I moving forward if the answer is yes even a little bit then you are making progress and that is something to be proud of another easy example is learning how to ride a bicycle on the first day you fall down you feel scared but you try again on the second day you can balance for two seconds on the third day maybe 5 seconds after a week you are riding around the block that's progress you didn't need to ride perfectly on the first day you just needed to start and each small step helped you learn the same is true for everything in life learning English getting healthy starting a new job or even becoming more confident we grow slowly with practice patience and time that's why it is better to focus on progress it helps us feel good about what we are doing it helps us stay motivated and most of all it helps us keep moving forward even when things are difficult so I want you to remember this progress is your friend it is kind it is patient it doesn't ask you to be perfect it only asks you to keep going if you make one small improvement today that is enough and if you keep making small improvements one day you will look back and see how far you have come in the next part of the podcast we are going to talk about something that often happens when people focus too much on being perfect it can make them feel stuck afraid or sad that thing is called perfectionism and it can really stop your progress if you are not careful let's explore how to avoid that in the next section the problem with perfectionism now let's talk about something that can really slow us down or even stop us completely perfectionism you may remember from earlier that perfectionism is the strong desire to be perfect all the time it's when you feel like you must do everything exactly right without any mistakes at first perfectionism may seem like a good thing it looks like you care about doing things well you want to do your best that sounds okay right but here's the problem perfectionism often becomes a block it can make it hard to start hard to continue and hard to feel happy about your progress let's begin with the first problem perfectionism can stop you from starting something new when you want everything to be perfect you might wait too long you keep thinking "I'm not ready or I need more time before I start." You wait and wait for the perfect day the perfect condition or the perfect mood but that perfect day never comes so you don't start at all and when you don't start you don't make progress this happens a lot with English learners they want to speak English but they feel nervous they tell themselves "I'll speak when my grammar is better or I'll start practicing after I learn 1,000 words." So they wait and waiting becomes a habit that's how perfectionism stops growth another big problem with perfectionism is the fear of making mistakes many people are so afraid to make a mistake that they stay silent they don't ask questions they don't join group conversations they don't even try they think that if they make a mistake people will laugh at them or think they are not smart this fear becomes so strong that it stops learning but here's the truth making mistakes is how we learn every mistake is a teacher it shows us what we need to practice if you're afraid to make mistakes you miss the chance to grow now let's talk about another issue perfectionism can make you feel stuck or like you are never good enough even when you are doing well you could be learning new words understanding more English every week and speaking better than before but still you feel bad because you're not perfect you focus only on what you don't know instead of celebrating what you've already learned you say things like "My English is not good." Or "I still make mistakes." Or "I'm too slow." This thinking can make you feel sad tired and unmotivated it's like walking up a hill and never stopping to see how far you've come you only look up and think "I have so far to go." And that can feel heavy let me give you a real life example imagine a woman named Amina she has been learning English for 6 months she listens to podcasts watches videos and reads English stories every day her vocabulary is growing her understanding is getting better but Amina does not speak English with others why because she is afraid of making grammar mistakes she thinks her English must be perfect before she talks to anyone so when her English teacher asks a question Amina stays quiet when she travels and someone speaks English to her she smiles but doesn't answer she thinks people will laugh if she uses the wrong tense or says the wrong word even though Amina is doing well she feels like she is not good enough this is what perfectionism does it makes her forget her progress and focus only on her fear now think about what would happen if Amina stopped trying to be perfect and focused on progress instead maybe she makes a grammar mistake but she learns from it maybe someone corrects her kindly and she remembers the right sentence next time slowly she becomes more confident she speaks more often she starts to enjoy conversations that is the power of choosing progress over perfection so the problem with perfectionism is that it takes away your courage your joy and your confidence it makes you believe you are not ready not smart enough not good enough but you are you are more ready than you think you don't have to be perfect to begin you just have to begin and always remember this the people who succeed are not the ones who are perfect they are the ones who try who make mistakes who learn and who keep going that's what really matters so don't let perfectionism stop your journey you are learning you are growing and that is more than enough in the next part of this episode we'll talk about how you can focus on progress in your daily life and stop worrying about being perfect i'll give you some simple tips to help you move forward with confidence and joy why progress is better now that we have talked about the problems with perfectionism let's focus on something much more positive and helpful why progress is better when you focus on progress you give yourself the chance to grow to learn and to enjoy your journey progress is the key to success in learning English and in many other parts of life first progress helps you build confidence confidence means feeling sure of yourself when you start doing something it can be scary you might feel shy or nervous but when you take small steps and see that you can do them your confidence grows for example if you say a new English sentence to a friend even if it is not perfect you will feel proud that small success makes you want to try again over time these small wins build up and your confidence becomes stronger when you believe in yourself it is easier to keep learning and practicing second progress happens through small steps that lead to big results no one becomes perfect or fluent in English in one day it takes time it takes many small steps maybe today you learn five new words tomorrow you practice one new sentence the next day you listen to a short podcast each step may seem small but when you add them together over weeks and months you will see big improvement it is like planting a tree you don't see the tree grow in one day but if you water it every day the tree becomes tall and strong the same is true for learning English small regular progress leads to great success another important reason progress is better than perfection is that you learn by doing not by waiting to be perfect sometimes people think they must study everything and know everything before they try but this is a mistake you learn more when you practice speaking listening reading and writing in English help you understand better you will make mistakes and that is okay mistakes help you learn when you wait to be perfect before trying you miss many chances to improve the best way to learn is to try even if you feel you are not ready progress also makes you feel good and keeps you moving forward have you ever felt happy after finishing a small task maybe you learned a new word or wrote a short sentence these moments of success give you energy and motivation you feel excited to learn more this feeling helps you continue even when learning is hard if you focus on being perfect and never making mistakes you might feel frustrated or sad but when you focus on progress you celebrate your efforts and enjoy the process this positive feeling helps you keep going let me share a simple example imagine a man named Tom who wants to improve his English speaking at first he can say only simple sentences but he practices every day he talks with friends listens to podcasts and watches English videos sometimes he makes mistakes but he doesn't stop after 3 months he can speak more easily after 6 months he feels comfortable in conversations tom focused on progress not perfection because of this he became confident and happy with his English progress also helps you in other areas of life not just language learning when you focus on small improvements you can build new habits learn new skills and reach your goals it is easier to start with small actions than to wait for perfect conditions for example if you want to exercise start with 5 minutes a day if you want to eat healthier try adding one fruit or vegetable to your meals these small steps lead to big changes over time so remember this progress is better than perfection because it builds confidence it happens through small steps you learn by doing and it makes you feel good it helps you stay motivated and enjoy your learning journey in the next part I will share some simple tips to help you focus on progress every day these tips will make learning English easier and more fun you will learn how to practice without fear and how to celebrate your small successes thank you for listening to this part of the code your English podcast keep moving forward and remember every step you take is progress simple tips to focus on progress now that we understand why progress is better than perfection let's talk about some simple and useful tips you can use every day to focus on progress these tips will help you keep moving forward with your English learning and enjoy the process they are easy to follow and you can start using them right away the first and most important tip is to set small easy goals when you try to do too much at once it can feel overwhelming and you might want to give up but if you set a small goal it feels possible and motivating for example instead of saying "I want to speak English perfectly," you can say "Today I will learn three new words," or "I will speak English for 5 minutes." Small goals are easier to reach and each time you complete one you feel proud setting small goals helps you build a habit of learning little by little and over time these small steps add up to big progress the second tip is to celebrate your small wins it is very important to feel happy about what you have done no matter how small it is did you learn a new word celebrate did you speak to someone in English today celebrate these small victories are signs of your progress when you celebrate you give yourself positive energy you feel good and want to keep learning sometimes learners only focus on what they cannot do and that makes them sad or frustrated but if you take time to notice and enjoy your successes you will feel more confident and excited to continue another very helpful tip is don't compare yourself to others this is a common problem for many learners you might see someone who speaks English very well and feel that you are not good enough but remember everyone learns at their own pace some people may have studied English longer or had different chances to practice your journey is yours alone instead of comparing try to compare yourself only to who you were yesterday ask yourself am I better than I was last week if the answer is yes then you are making progress comparing yourself to others can make you feel discouraged but focusing on your own progress helps you stay motivated next try to practice every day even if it is just for 10 minutes consistency is the key to improvement it is better to practice a little bit every day than to study a lot only once in a while 10 minutes of speaking listening reading or writing in English daily will help you improve more than long sessions once a week when you practice every day English becomes part of your life it becomes easier and more natural remember practice doesn't have to be perfect or long it just has to happen regularly finally it is very important to remember that making mistakes is normal everyone makes mistakes when learning something new it is part of the process mistakes are not bad they are teachers when you make a mistake you learn what you need to improve don't be afraid of mistakes or feel ashamed instead look at mistakes as chances to grow for example if you use the wrong word or grammar don't stop speaking keep going and later you can learn the correct way the more you practice the fewer mistakes you will make but mistakes will always be part of learning and that is okay to summarize focusing on progress means setting small goals celebrating every success not comparing yourself to others practicing every day and accepting mistakes as normal and helpful these simple tips will help you enjoy learning English and keep moving forward remember your progress is your own success and every small step counts thank you for listening to this episode of Code Your English keep practicing keep celebrating and most of all keep focusing on your progress you are doing great daily habits that lead to progress over perfection if you want to improve your English or any skill the best way to succeed is to build good daily habits these habits help you focus on progress not on being perfect right away when you practice regularly even in small ways you make steady progress this is much better than waiting for a perfect moment or trying to do everything perfectly from the start let's talk about some simple daily habits that can help you move forward every day first make a habit of practicing a little every day it does not have to be a long time even 10 minutes a day is enough to see progress over time for example you can listen to an English podcast read a short story or practice speaking for a few minutes the key is to do something every day when you practice regularly your brain remembers better and your skills improve faster so make it a daily habit to spend some time with English no matter how busy you are another important habit is to set small clear goals each day big goals can feel too difficult and make you want to give up but small goals are easy and fun for example your goal can be to learn five new words today or to say one English sentence out loud when you reach your small goals you feel happy and proud these small successes keep you motivated to keep going setting small goals helps you focus on progress not on perfection also try to practice speaking out loud every day speaking is one of the best ways to improve your English you can talk to yourself repeat after a podcast or speak with a friend speaking out loud helps you remember new words and get used to English sounds it may feel strange or difficult at first but the more you do it the easier it becomes remember it's okay to make mistakes when you speak mistakes help you learn and improve another good daily practice is to listen carefully to English every day you can listen to songs watch videos or hear podcasts like this one listening helps you understand how native speakers talk and teaches you new words and phrases try to listen with focus and if you don't understand something don't worry keep listening regularly and your understanding will grow it is also helpful to keep a simple notebook or journal where you write a few sentences in English every day you can write about your day your feelings or what you learned writing helps you practice grammar and vocabulary don't worry about writing perfectly the goal is to keep practicing later you can check your mistakes and learn from them finally remember to be kind to yourself every day learning a language is not easy and it takes time if you feel tired or make mistakes don't give up tell yourself "It's okay i am learning and I am making progress." This positive attitude is very important it helps you keep going and enjoy your learning journey by making these simple habits part of your daily life you will see your English improve step by step progress is about doing your best every day not about being perfect all at once keep practicing keep moving forward and your progress will become your success a story about progress over perfection let me share a simple story with you this story is about a young woman named Lisa lisa wanted to learn English but she was very afraid to speak she thought she had to be perfect before she could talk to others this fear made her stop trying she was worried about making mistakes and she felt embarrassed when she did not remember the right words because of this Lisa did not speak much even when she had chances to practice at first Lisa's English was very basic she knew some words and simple sentences but she did not feel confident every time she wanted to say something in English her mind went blank she was scared that people would laugh or think she was not smart so Lisa stayed quiet she spent a lot of time studying grammar books and trying to learn new words perfectly but she did not practice speaking this made her feel stuck she wanted to speak English well but did not know how to start one day Lisa's friend gave her some advice he said "Don't wait to be perfect just start small speak a little every day it's okay to make mistakes." At first Lisa did not believe this she thought it was impossible to speak without knowing everything perfectly but she decided to try she made a small goal to say one sentence in English every day it could be a sentence about the weather her family or what she did that day the goal was very simple so it did not feel scary the first few days were hard for Lisa she made many mistakes sometimes she forgot words sometimes she spoke slowly but she kept trying she was proud of herself every time she spoke even if the sentence was short or had mistakes after a week she noticed something new she was not as afraid as before speaking English was becoming easier her confidence grew bit by bit after one month of practicing a little every day Lisa started to speak with her classmates she listened carefully to how they talked and tried to copy their words and sentences she still made mistakes but she was not embarrassed anymore she knew mistakes were part of learning lisa's small daily steps led to big progress she could now have short conversations and she felt happy and proud this story shows us a very important lesson progress is better than perfection lisa did not wait until she knew everything perfectly she started small practiced every day and learned from her mistakes her progress gave her confidence and opened new opportunities to speak English you can do the same you don't need to be perfect just take small steps every day and you will improve remember learning English is a journey not a race it takes time patience and practice every word you say every sentence you write and every time you listen is progress be kind to yourself and celebrate your efforts like Lisa you can move forward step by step and enjoy the process thank you for listening to this story on code your English i hope it helps you feel motivated and ready to focus on your progress keep going and remember your progress is your success before we finish today's episode I want to share a special message just for you learning English or anything new is not always easy sometimes it can feel hard slow or even frustrating but I want you to know that you are doing well just by trying and not giving up every small step you take is a victory every time you practice even if it's only for a few minutes you are moving closer to your goal it is very important to remember that you do not need to be perfect perfection is not the goal it is the progress you make that really matters perfection is often a dream that never comes true but progress is real and it happens every day when you keep learning practicing and speaking so don't wait for the perfect moment to start or to speak don't wait until you feel perfect or know everything that moment may never come and waiting will only slow you down instead start now practice a little today a little tomorrow and every day after that even if you make mistakes keep going mistakes are part of learning they help you grow and get better when you keep practicing you will see your progress you will feel more confident and happy your English will improve step by step and soon you will surprise yourself with how much you have learned sometimes you may feel tired or want to stop that is normal everyone feels that way at times but remember why you started your English learning journey think about your dreams and goals maybe you want to travel study work or meet new people learning English will help you reach these dreams keep that in your mind and let it give you strength when you feel tired you are not alone in this journey many people around the world are learning English just like you everyone faces challenges but the difference between those who succeed and those who give up is simple they keep going you can be one of those people who never stop trying keep your heart and mind open to learning every day celebrate your small successes and be proud of yourself i believe in you i know you have the power to improve your English just focus on progress not perfection take small steps practice regularly and don't be afraid of mistakes you are learning growing and becoming better each day that is what matters most thank you so much for staying with me through this episode of Code Your English today we talked about a very important idea progress over perfection we started by understanding what perfection means and why many people want to be perfect then we learned what progress is and why it is better to focus on progress instead of waiting to be perfect we also discussed how perfectionism can stop us from starting or continuing to learn and why making progress step by step helps us feel confident and happy i shared some simple and useful tips to help you focus on progress every day these tips include setting small easy goals celebrating your small wins not comparing yourself to others practicing every day even for just a few minutes and remembering that mistakes are normal and helpful then I told you a story about Lisa who was afraid to speak English but started practicing a little every day and made great progress finally I gave you a motivational message to encourage you to keep going even when it feels difficult i hope this episode helps you feel more confident and motivated to continue learning English remember progress is a journey and every small step counts don't wait for perfection to start or to speak keep practicing keep trying and you will improve i want to thank you again for listening to code your English it means a lot to me that you chose to spend your time here i am happy to be part of your English learning journey and I look forward to helping you with many more topics in future episodes please come back soon for more episodes each episode will help you improve your English listening and speaking skills while learning something new don't forget to speak out loud when you listen to the podcast try to repeat parts of the episode after me this practice will help you remember new words improve your pronunciation and build your confidence in speaking English learning English is a stepbystep process by listening repeating and practicing regularly you will see progress and I will be here to support you in every step of your journey thank you once again for being here keep focusing on your progress enjoy the learning process and never stop practicing you are doing amazing and I believe in you have a great time and see you next time on Code Your English goodbye