My test scores are low, therefore I can’t speak English well.
The best way to learn English is to sit in a class, take notes, and read a
textbook.
Only a few special people can learn to speak English powerfully.
English learning is boring and frustrating.
The problem with these negative beliefs is that they lead to negative
emotions (about English). The negative beliefs and emotions then lead to
bad decisions, and the bad decisions lead to disappointing results.
For example, someone who believes that English is stressful,
complicated, and difficult is unlikely to be motivated to work hard every
day. Rather, they will constantly be struggling to force themselves to learn
English.
Someone who feels only a few special people can master English will
likely become frustrated very quickly. They will assume that something is
wrong with them, that they are “not good at English.” Again, their progress
will be slow.
Finally, those who believe that classes, textbooks and grammar study are
the key may spend years using these ineffective methods, driving their old
slow car on the road to fluency and never achieving success.
This is why beliefs are so important. They are the central programs in our
brain that create feelings, decisions and actions. Beliefs are what make the
difference between ultimate success or a lifetime of frustration with
English.
Beliefs tell you what an experience means. Whenever you have an
English language experience, your brain must decide the meaning of what
happened. In other words, your brain generalizes the experience. Your brain
decides what the event means to your life as a whole. And with each
negative experience, the belief can grow stronger and stronger. Eventually
you become completely certain about the belief.
For example, maybe you were repeatedly corrected by an English
teacher. After each of these embarrassing experiences, your brain had to
