If you are, then probably you have already experienced some success. Your success might be as modest as having all your homework done by the due date or having all the books you need for every lesson, or it might be the satisfaction of getting all the answers right and high grades. Whatever your level of success, I’m sure it makes you feel good.

I imagine it makes you feel that you are growing – upwards– not just physically and emotionally, but growing upwards in power, because of your increasing knowledge, skills,willpower- the power, knowledge and skills to do what you need to do to achieve your goals. This kind of growth, development, makes you feel very light, like a kite flying high in the air – you want to keep climbing higher and higher.

However, sometimes it can happen that we use the 3 Ds but just can’t seem to achieve what we are aiming for. We try and try, but that feeling of growth and successful use of willpower just doesn’t come. Instead we feel heavy and under pressure – as if our kite is broken. It can’t fly. Let me give you an example by telling you about a student in Sydney, a student of English, my subject. I heard about him from a friend of mine. My friend’s name is Gerard.

Gerard, takes lodgers. His lodgers are always foreign, mainly Asian, students who are in Sydney to take English courses or study for a university degree. His current lodger is from Korea and is studying English for the IELTs exam. Apparently he has already taken the IELTS exam 3 times and failed each time.

Gerard says that this student is studying the wrong way. He spends all his time doing lots and lots of grammar exercises. When his English doesn’t improve, he thinks it is because he has not done enough exercises so he goes and buys some more. He never asks himself if he should be trying some other method. Gerard said this young man doesn’t try to use the language to communicate. Consequently he can’t communicate in English at all. In fact, he avoids speaking in English. So when he tries to tell Gerard a story, Gerard can’t understand a thing he says.

This unhappy student is an example of someone with the 3 Ds of Direction, Determination and Diligence who is using his Determination and Diligence in the wrong way. Instead of buying and doing more and more grammar exercises, he should befocusing on genuine communication. He should start with simple, realthings like going to the shops and telling the shop assistant what he wants. He should be communicating about everyday things with Gerard too. Why? Because this is what language is all about, its purpose, and if he focuses on communication, then the grammar will become meaningful and easier to learn. It won’t even feel like grammar any more. It will simply feel like language.

I know some of my own English students, some of those who are a bit weak, like this Korean student, think the best thing to do is buy and do lots and lots of exercises – that’s what they did in the Summer holidays. I want to tell them and you – STOP! Your teacher gives you as many exercises as you need. If you are doing them but not improving, it doesn’t mean you need more and more. You need to try some other way. Go and find an interesting book to read, one that isn’t too difficult. Watch an English movie, a television programme, the news. This will all be far more helpful.

Another thing you should do, which will be very helpful for ALL your subjects is find one or several classmates that you can discuss your school subjects with, even do your homework together. Talking about something is very stimulating. You will learn to ask and answer questions, to use your imagination and to explore even the most challenging subjects. You might even be surprised to find you start to have fun. Instead of your subjects making you feel heavy and tired, under pressure, you might start to feel as light as that kite I mentioned earlier, flying high in the blue sky.

Now is the best time to start. It is still early in the year and you have not formed any bad habits yet. So get started today. Talk! Tell stories, explain things, make jokes, ask questions! Fly that kite! Have a really exciting year of learning and achievement so that at the end of the year you will find that yes, you did it, you did what you promised yourself, your parents, your teachers you would do!