I'm Ze, an operator working at an internet company. I've wasted money on several English courses in the past two years, either missing classes due to busy work or forgetting everything right after learning. This time I tried learning English in fragmented time with low expectations, and I was really surprised when I hit the 1-month mark.
Here are the solid changes I've seen:
- I used to write down greeting lines on a note before meetings with foreign partners, now I can respond with 3-5 casual sentences following the topic
- I've taken 22 25-minute short one-on-one classes in total, never taking more than 10 minutes of my off-work private time
- I only memorized less than 100 new words in 1 month, but I can blurt out half of common workplace sentences immediately, no need to translate word by word in my head first
01How Do I Learn English in Fragmented Time?
Frankly speaking, I signed up for offline adult English courses with 2-hour sessions twice a week before, but I quit after 3 classes. I was too exhausted after work to sit through 2 hours of class and absorb anything. I chose KuaiKu English specifically for the 25-minute short courses, they are short enough that I can take one even during my commute or lunch break.
I book the 19:00 class every day, which is exactly half of my subway ride home. I just put on noise-canceling headphones and start the class, it doesn't delay anything at all. I take the entry-level workplace course using the Callan Method, teachers won't ask you to memorize words first, they keep guiding you to speak, and correct your mistakes right away, which is way more efficient than memorizing alone. All KuaiKu's foreign teachers are full-time staff based at the physical campus in Manila, Philippines. My teacher Lila is really good at encouraging shy students like me, she never laughs at my bad pronunciation.
02The Most Overlooked Mistake I Made in This Month
At the beginning I made a really silly mistake: I always wanted to find a quiet, undisturbed block of time to take classes, so I only booked 2 classes in the first week, making very slow progress. Later I realized, I chose this course specifically for fragmented time learning, why was I forcing myself to find whole blocks of time? That was totally putting the cart before the horse.
Then I relaxed, I can take classes at my desk when no one is in the office, even review the previous day's knowledge while waiting for my milk tea. Once I got stuck and couldn't say a complete sentence for ages, I felt really embarrassed, but Lila comforted me:
You don't have to speak perfectly every time. As long as you dare to say 3 complete sentences, this class is worth it.
That sentence made me stop worrying about making mistakes. Teachers will correct me if I say something wrong, I just need to practice more and I'll get it right eventually.
03Tips for Working Professionals Who Want to Improve Workplace English
I've read the article Is Online 1-on-1 ESL Tutoring for You? Who Should and Shouldn't Sign Up before, and after 1 month of trying, I know this mode is not for everyone. From my experience, if you fall into these categories, you can give it a try:
- Working professionals who work overtime a lot and can't squeeze out whole blocks of time to study
- Shy people who have memorized many words but dare not speak, and need someone to practice with
- People who need English for daily workplace communication, don't need high test scores, just need to express themselves clearly
Personally, I recommend not setting too high a goal at the beginning, for example, book 3 classes a week first. Sticking to it is more important than anything. To put it simply, you don't need to be a translator, as long as the English you learn can solve your current work problems, it's worth it.
The core of learning English in fragmented time is never how much study time you accumulate, but whether you actually open your mouth and speak. If you want to try this mode, you can book a free trial class first, you don't lose anything by trying it out before signing up.
