
Smart English Coach
Smart English Coach helps you get to advanced English level FAST. Get the strategies, mindset and shortcuts for fluent and confident English speaking. Presented by Clare Whitmell, an English teacher and coach, with 20+ years' experience of teaching students from around the world.
Latest episodes

Dec 11, 2024 • 9min
How Can Introverts Become Fluent In English?
Welcome to the 100th episode of the Smart English Coach podcast!This episode is for you if you're an introvert and a naturally shy person. How can you get fluent in English if you prefer to be on your own, rather than with other people?I share some useful strategies to help you build your fluency in ways that feel comfortable to you. (If you're an extrovert, you might find these ideas useful as well!)Vocabulary noteto blurt out = say something suddenly, without thinking. You "blurt out a secret", for example.Send us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.

Nov 27, 2024 • 7min
How To Choose What To Study In English
How do you choose which activities to do in English, or which teachers to follow, when there's so much choice?This is a really good question to ask, so that you can avoid confusion and overwhelm.In this episode, discover the four questions you can ask yourself in order to choose what to study. Your answers to these questions will help you to stay motivated and they'll also help you to continue making progress in English.Send us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.

Nov 13, 2024 • 35min
The Power of Personalised Feedback For Fluency
Maurice Jeths speaks seven languages, so he knows the best methods for learning languages quickly.In this episode, find out- his top five methods for fluency, and- how personalised feedback can help you move up levelsMaurice uses personalised feedback in his voice chat programs, to help people feel motivated by making rapid progress.Find out more about how Maurice can help you here:Information via Google FormOn LinkedInSend us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.

Oct 30, 2024 • 9min
How To Be Less Critical About Your English
We often criticise ourselves for not being 'good enough', but self-criticism can destroy confidence. So in this episode I share my 'C.R.A.P' method to reduce self-criticism and frustration with your English.Yes - you read that correctly! Self-criticism is so damaging, that it deserves the 'crap' word!I share four steps you can take to restore your confidence in your English and to enjoy your achievements.Vocabulary notesGive yourself some leeway = room for free movementCut yourself some slack = forgive yourself for mistakesSend us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.

Oct 16, 2024 • 7min
Is Fluency More Important Than Accuracy In English?
If you had to choose between fluency and accuracy in English, which would you choose? Speaking without hesitation, or speaking without mistakes?Many people would probably choose fluency - but it's a little more complicated than that!In this episode, I share my ideas on- the 'deeper' reasons why fluency is often the main goal- why some mistakes are more important than others- two things you can do if you can't correct your mistakesVocabulary notesdig deeper = find the deeper reasons for somethingfilter out = not hear / ignoreiron out = eliminateSend us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.

Oct 2, 2024 • 4min
How To Feel Inspired For Learning English
Inspiration is a really positive emotion for learning English as it can motivate you and give you a goal.In this episode, I share some ways that you can use inspiration to make progress in English. It's a short episode, which was 'inspired' by a comment by a student!Vocabulary role-model = someone who provides a 'model' for you to followreverse engineering = when you work backwards from a resultSend us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.

Sep 18, 2024 • 20min
How To Be More Fluent In English Through Rap
Jason Levine (also known as "Fluency MC") combines learning English with rap, and his English 'shows' in schools help students become more confident and more fluent in English.In this episode, he shares why he started writing songs to help English students in New York with the TOEFL test.Find out:- how rhythm and rhyme can help you to learn English (and why our brains love music so much!)- why rap is one of the best music types for learning English- why you don't need to be able to sing!As a special bonus, Jason also demonstrates part of his song "Get A Life". How many collocations with "get" did you hear?Find out more about Jason here:Jason's YouTube channelGet A LifeJason is also giving a talk at the English Fluency Summit - a free online event. Get your invitation here (and make sure you come to Jason's talk!)English Fluency SummitSend us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.

Sep 11, 2024 • 19min
6 Ways To Get More Fluent In English
In this episode, special guest Craig Wealand (from inglespodcast.com) shares six ways of getting more fluent in English. Craig is a very experienced English teacher that you might remember from the Advanced English Summit in April.Craig's six fluency tips range from 'paid' to 'free', and in this episode you'll find out:- a surprising way to get English conversation practice- three ways to make sure an English course is right for you- three free - but super effective - ways to get more fluent in EnglishBut there's more!Craig is one of the speakers at the new English Fluency Summit in September this year. He'll be giving 12 tips for English fluency - don't miss his talk!The English Fluency Summit is completely free, and you can get your access here:The English Fluency SummitSee you there!Send us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.

Aug 28, 2024 • 5min
What's Your Gameplan For Learning English?
Do you have a gameplan (strategy) for improving your English?In this episode, I share a simple - but very effective - 'gameplan' that I heard about from a student recently.It was effective, because it brought spectacular results in quite a short period of time.If you don't have a gameplan for English, I also give you a five-step plan to create your own!Send us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.

Aug 14, 2024 • 24min
How To Use 'Coaching Circles' To Write An English CV
If you have a big goal in English, it's a good idea to divide it into smaller steps. But there's something else you can do, so that you feel inspired and motivated at each step. This extra tool for goal-setting is called "coaching circles", and it's extremely powerful.In this episode find out:- what 'coaching circles' are, and why they're so good for helping you make progress in English without stress- how to use them for writing an English CV- how they can help you build your confidence step by stepMore resources from the episodeIf you'd like more resources for writing a CV, check out my ebook and course:How To Write A CV - ebook on Amazon. (Get 10% free as a sample)English For Your Career - a complete guide & self-study course for writing a CV, plus bonus chapter with powerful verbsSend us a textSubscribe to the podcastNever miss an episode! Get free weekly coaching tips here.