Update on My Personal Situation: Why I’m Doing a PC Course

By Robby

If you are new here please read this first.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT BELOW

Hi guys, hello boys and girls and welcome back to Robby’s English Harmony video blog!

Tonight is Monday night. I had to give it a thought because I was going to say almost Sunday night but it’s not Sunday, it’s Monday. But the thing is – today is Bank Holiday Monday and it almost feels like Sunday!

But to tell you the truth guys, I’m not sure when this video is going to go live for the simple reason that I’m recording a number of videos and then I’m editing them and publishing them as I see fit, as my schedule permits because I’m quite busy nowadays. And one thing you might not actually know and to tell you the truth you definitely don’t know that because I haven’t actually mentioned it on my blog yet – I’ve started a computer course…

My Resolution to Start a Career in IT

It’s a day course and it starts at 8:30 in the morning and finishes at a quarter to 4 in the afternoon. So it’s basically like a 9 to 5 job, so I’ve got to be away during the day.

It’s in Dublin and it’s a 60 kilometer drive, so I have to do a 120 kilometer round-trip. But it’s not too bad, believe me. The journey, one way journey actually takes less than an hour and I’m not even speeding. I’m doing under 100, about 90-100 tops to save fuel and even then it takes me only 40-45 minutes to get there and back, so it’s very handy.

And basically, my future plans are to become a certified PC maintenance specialist and networking specialist. Because I’m getting older. Obviously none of us are getting younger and I just want to acquire a profession, a trade basically.

Hold On… Am I Not an English Teacher First and Foremost?!

And in case you’re wondering “What are you talking about Robby? You’re an English teacher!” – well, you see guys, I’ve been running this blog for a long, long time and I would actually call myself a fluency expert even though I’ve been getting a lot of negative feedback telling me that I’m definitely not an expert because my English is not even fluent and I’m not sounding just like a native English speaker.

So how dare I call myself a fluency expert? To which I totally disagree.

For me an expert is someone who can bring out the best in the other person. The expert himself or herself doesn’t necessarily have to be perfect. And the best parallels with the real word – with the real world, you see, I just made a small tiny mistake which just goes to show that to be an expert you don’t have to be perfect.

You can make mistakes even. But the best parallels we can draw with the real world is, say for example a coach in a particular sports, for example in boxing. We oftentimes see, it’s a typical cliché in films where the coach is a scrawny old fellow and he teaches the big muscular guy, Rocky for example. Rocky Balboa. Did he have a coach, a trainer? He did actually as a matter of fact. He did. And basically he is teaching the big guy who could in fact knock him out with a single punch.

But he is teaching him the tips and tricks of the trade because he is the trainer. He sees very well what’s going to work, what won’t. So he doesn’t necessarily have to be as big, as tough, as muscular as the actual fighter himself!

And I would compare myself to that kind of guy. I don’t have to be a native English speaker myself to tell you guys what works and what doesn’t, especially considering that I’ve been there, done that. I’ve struggled through the whole thing.

I’ve been struggling with English fluency for years and now that I have actually figured out all these strategies and methods I’m talking about on my blog through the trial and error method, it actually makes me so much more effective in terms of coaching and mentoring than some other guy, some native English speaker who has just acquired a formal degree in English teaching but he doesn’t actually know what it’s like to be struggling, what goes on in your own mind.

But anyway, I’m veering off the subject completely. What exactly was I talking about? Oh yeah. I was going to – I was telling you that I’m gone, during the day I’m doing my computer course. Oh yeah, why I want to pursue a career in another trade? Just because I want to, I want to get out of the house.

To tell you the truth guys, it is a bit depressing sitting in the house all day long. And even though I love this whole English teaching thing and creating all these videos and articles and coaching my own students, it does get a bit depressing to tell you the truth.

Because you can’t see but I’m actually sitting in my home office and this is the few square meters of area where I’m spending 90% of my time in and I’m not actually happy about that. I’ve spent a good few months in this room coaching my Fluency Star students full time.

And to tell you the truth, I just want to get out there and actually use my English for something practical, for myself. And I couldn’t think of a better way of doing that than to actually go back to education, back to college which is exactly what I’m doing now.

The Best Way of Using the English Language – Using It in REAL Life!

And now I can actually use my English skills in order to better myself, acquire a trade and then get a well-paid job down the line or whatever, you know what I mean? Meeting other people, communicating with plenty of native English- speakers and a few foreigners. I’m embracing all that and I’m enjoying it!

But anyway, what was I going to say in the very beginning? You see, this video is totally off the subject. The initial subject was something that I’ve almost forgotten by now and then I started telling you all these personal things that I haven’t told you. I haven’t had the chance to tell you. What was I going to say?

Anyway, it doesn’t matter because this video is quite long at this stage, so let this video just be an update on my personal life for those of you guys who have been following me throughout the years and obviously I’m very grateful to you for following me, staying my supporter and fan and there’s a good few of those out there.

And in case you happen to be one who is supporting the English Harmony website and constantly reads my blog posts and watches my videos and sends me all those supportive e-mails and all that, I’m really, really thankful to you for being there for me. Because if not for you guys, all these videos and everything I do would be totally wasted time and effort!

All right. Thanks for watching. And I suppose there is no take home lesson for you guys today. It was just an update on my personal situation. And yeah, that’s about it, I’ll chat to you soon and bye!

Robby

P.S. Would you like to find out why I’m highlighting some of the text in red? Read this article and you’ll learn why it’s so important to learn idiomatic expressions and how it will help you to improve your spoken English!

P.S.S. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? Check out my English Harmony System HERE!

P.S. Are you serious about your spoken English improvement? Check out the English Harmony System HERE!

Robby Kukurs

Thanks David, much appreciate!

Yes, you’re totally right in saying that you never really know what life has in store for you down the line. It’s especially true in situations such as mine where I’m meeting new people on a daily basis etc., so who knows what doors the PC technician’s diploma is going to open for me?

I am keeping an open mind and keeping my options open just like you said, and CELTA is also something I should consider down the line.

Thanks!

Robby
David Sweetnam

You never know where the road can lead, Robby. I’ll give you an example from my own life: I left my school/cultural institution in Prague to set up my own English training business, and also my blog. A year or so later, I met a former manager, and she said they were looking for a teacher who was also tech-savvy or at least keen to go in this area. As I was doing my blog ‘free’, it was a visible business card that I was willing to work hard and to work on myself.

So while you do this course, I hope you’ll keep the door open for all the options available to you. Maybe IT for English classes? Maybe you’ll be sent all over Europe to train people in IT English. Maybe you’ll do a job that is part of the new economy, involving all of your interests.

There’s also the communicative-traditional approach – doing a CELTA as well, and teaching groups. This is one thing that I think you’d love, as you’d be in the thick of it.

Good luck whatever you decide 😉