languages.guru

Hi there. In this week’s newsletter, we are diving into character strength and upskilling! Get ready to embark on a transformative language learning journey where we explore the powerful connection between personal strengths and mastering English. We’ll explore how character strengths can amplify your language skills and propel you toward fluency.

Knowing your own strengths and the strengths of your colleagues offers numerous benefits for professionals. It provides increased self-awareness, helping individuals make informed career decisions and identify areas for growth. Understanding strengths leads to improved job satisfaction by aligning work with personal abilities and finding fulfillment. Leveraging strengths enhances productivity and performance, as focusing on what one does well maximizes efficiency and effectiveness.

Enjoy and get back to us with comments and/or requests.

yours truly, Margaret B.

🧠 Self-awareness: good knowledge and judgment about yourself.

This newsletter has three levels. Jump to your level. Advanced, Intermediate, or Lower Intermediate

🌟 Advanced

💪 Know your superpowers

Knowing your own strengths and the strengths of your colleagues offers numerous benefits for professionals. It provides increased self-awareness, helping individuals make informed career decisions and identify areas for growth. Understanding strengths leads to improved job satisfaction by aligning work with personal abilities and finding fulfillment. Leveraging strengths enhances productivity and performance, as focusing on what one does well maximizes efficiency and effectiveness.

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and witness the astounding power of character strengths! In the circus of professional fields, where entrepreneurs juggle leadership and communication, and managers perform daring feats of problem-solving, the secrets of success lie within their strengths.

But wait, there’s more! Behold the incredible HR professionals, skillfully assess candidates, and match them with the perfect roles, as if they possessed a mystical talent for talent. And watch as educators bend and flex their teaching styles, providing customized support to students by embracing the power of their strengths.

But that’s not all, folks! Healthcare professionals, armed with empathy and critical thinking, leap through the rings of continuous education, delivering exceptional care while taming their weaknesses. Legal professionals, masters of persuasion, weave intricate cases using their strengths and calling upon reinforcements for their weaknesses.

And creative professionals, like tightrope walkers, balance their unique talents, captivating audiences with their refined skills. Finally, witness IT professionals, solving puzzles and innovating with the strength of problem-solving, while collaborating with colleagues who complete their mighty puzzles.

So step right up and unlock the hidden potential within your character’s strengths and potential. Prepare for a journey of optimization, collaboration, and extraordinary growth in the grand circus of professional success!

🌟 Intermediate

💪 Know your superpowers

Get ready to enter the fascinating world of character strengths and weaknesses! Imagine a circus where professionals show their special talents. Entrepreneurs lead and communicate with elegance while managers fearlessly manage problems. HR professionals impress us with their ability to find the perfect job for employees. Educators adapt their styles to support students based on their individual strengths and weaknesses.

But wait, there’s more! Healthcare professionals show compassion and work their weaknesses to provide exceptional care. Legal professionals become masters of persuasion, using their strengths and getting support when needed. Creative professionals show their unique skills, captivating audiences. And IT professionals are exceptional at problem-solving, while collaborating with others to innovate.

So step right up and uncover the potential within your own strengths and potential. Get ready for an exciting journey of growth, teamwork, and success in this extraordinary circus of professional life!

🌟 Lower intermediate

💪 Know your superpowers

Welcome to the fascinating world of strengths and weaknesses! Picture a circus where professionals display their special talents. Entrepreneurs lead and communicate with style, while managers fearlessly handle problems. HR professionals amaze us by finding the perfect job match. Educators adapt their approach to support students based on their unique strengths and weaknesses.

But that’s not all! Healthcare professionals show care and work on their weaknesses to provide exceptional service. Legal professionals become experts at persuasion, using their strengths and seeking help when needed. Creative professionals showcase their unique skills, captivating audiences. And IT professionals excel at problem-solving while collaborating with others to innovate.

So join us and uncover your own potential and abilities. Get ready for an exciting journey of growth, teamwork, and success in this extraordinary professional circus!

🔝 Word Power

🎪 Step right up: come close.

🤩 Astounding: amazing.

🤹‍♀️ Juggle: manage and balance various activities or tasks.

🌟 Daring: adventurous or audaciously bold.

🏆 Feats: an achievement that requires great courage, skill, or strength.

💼 HR: the department in charge of all employees and employee-related operations.

👌 Skillfully: the ability to do something well.

🤗 Embracing: accept (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically.

🦘 Leap: used to invite people to gather around to see a show or to buy things.

🧩 Intricate: very complicated or detailed.

💪 Reinforcements: strengthen or support.

🤹‍♂️ Tightrope walkers: people who are in a situation where a mistake is dangerous.

😍 Captivating: capable of attracting and holding interest; charming.

🔓 Unlock: to open.

🔍 Magnifying the Importance

Here’s how you can create emphasis with IT and with THE THING.

Using IT for emphasis.

1. Identify the element you want to emphasize:
2. Start the sentence with the word “it” followed by the verb “be” conjugated in the appropriate tense. For example, “it is,” “it was,” “it will be,” etc.
3. It + conjugated verb TO BE + IDEA TO BE EMPHASIZED + that/who/where/when/what.

Examples:

It is crazy what you are saying. It was the best idea that I had heard. It has been Sevilla where that action has been recently. It will be the next elected candidate who will take the credit. It could have been Christmas Eve when we all gather. It is the use of fossil fuels that we object to.

We can also use THE THING + TO VERB + conjugated VERB TO BE.

When using “the thing” as an introduction to a cleft sentence, it serves as a way to focus on a specific action, task, or option. The structure is typically “The thing to + verb + [rest of the sentence].”

Examples:

The thing to do is deny your participation. The thing to make will be a detailed plan of action. The thing to have requested was another opportunity.

By structuring the sentence in this way, you draw attention to the emphasized element, making it stand out and creating emphasis. The cleft sentence construction allows you to highlight specific information and bring focus to a particular aspect of the sentence.

💥 Master stronger emphasis

Use THE THING and/or IT to rephrase the sentence.

1. The warm sunshine is what I love most.
   • The thing I love most about summer is the warm sunshine.
2. She enjoys the most spending time with her family.
   • The thing she enjoys the most is spending time with her family.
3. My passion for my work keeps me motivated.
   • The thing that keeps me motivated is my passion for my work.
4. They need to focus on improving their communication skills.
   • The thing they need to focus on is improving their communication skills.
5. He values the most honesty and integrity.
   • The thing he values the most is honesty and integrity

🤔 Discussion Questions: Exploring the Power of Character Strengths

1. “The Role of Character Strengths in Career Development”: Explore how understanding and leveraging one’s character strengths can lead to greater career satisfaction, advancement opportunities, and personal fulfillment in professional settings.
2. “Building Effective Teams: Harnessing Character Strengths”: Discuss the impact of character strengths on team dynamics, collaboration, and productivity. Explore how recognizing and utilizing the strengths of team members can enhance overall team performance and outcomes.
3. “Leadership and Character Strengths: Inspiring Success”: Examine how leaders can leverage their own character strengths and those of their team members to inspire and motivate others, foster a positive work culture, and drive organizational success.
4. “Character Strengths and Adaptability: Navigating Change”: Explore how recognizing and utilizing character strengths can help professionals navigate and adapt to changes in the workplace, such as technological advancements, organizational restructuring, or industry shifts.
5. “Character Strengths and Emotional Intelligence: A Powerful Combination”: Discuss the correlation between character strengths and emotional intelligence, and how developing and leveraging both can enhance professional growth, interpersonal relationships, and effective communication in the workplace.

👂Ear Flexing: Amplify Your Listening Skills!

👋 “Farewell, dear language enthusiasts!

May your new knowledge of character strengths and upskilling continue to guide you on your path to language mastery. Remember the superpowers of your strengths, embrace the joy of learning, and let your linguistic journey be successful. Goodbye and happy language adventures ahead!

📣 A big shoutout to:

Martha Bergeron, from Seville, psychologist & language-learning superstar! And to Laura S. from Madrid who has been the inspiration for using emphasis when talking in meetings.