40 Habits That Silently Move Your English From B2 To C1

I've just turned 40 years old. And I got to be honest with you. I didn't know how I felt about it at first because 40 felt like a big number, you know, a milestone, maybe even a little daunting, a little challenging. That actually reminds me of that funny episode of friends called the one when they all turn 30. And it's a really cool episode because it shows how each one of the friends reacted when they all turned 30 years old and how they felt the weight of that number. Oh, I'm 30 now. Why God, why? When it's the other's grow old, not me. But you know, to me, honestly, when I turned 30, I didn't feel anything. It was just a regular birthday to me. But now that I've just turned 40, that hit a little bit differently. You know, I actually felt some of that weight of being 40 because after all, half of my life, if not more, is gone. So that really makes you think and reflect. However, the more I sat with it, the more I realized that 40 is actually something worth celebrating, not just as a number, but as an accumulation. You know, 25 years of learning and teaching English alone, a lifetime of lessons about language, about learning, and about life itself. I mean, if you are 40, you've been around the blog a few times, you've seen things. So I decided to make a different kind of video today. Instead of focusing on one topic, one study, one technique, I want to give you 40 habits, 40 things that in my experience, every successful advanced English learner does. Some of these things are about English specifically. Some are about learning in general. And some of them are pure life lessons that took me 40 years to fully understand. So here's how we're going to do this. We're going to take a journey together. We will start inside your mind, the mindset that makes advanced English possible in the first place. Then we're going to move through the philosophy of learning and also your daily habits. Then we will go deep into the technical side of the language itself. After that, we're going to zoom out and look at communication as a whole, you know, communication as a human skill. Finally, we will close with some life lessons from 40 years of living and 25 years of teaching and learning English. Before I begin, let me tell you the three ways I can help you reach a solid B2 level of English. C1 and above. First of all, if you are looking for self study, you know, self study practice, powered by AI and structured at B2 level and above, the B2 edge app is the place to go. The app is a great companion for your self study sessions. You follow a structured curriculum there every day targeting B2 and eventually C1 and you get to practice with the AI speaking coach that I personally trained myself and that lives inside the app. That's solution number one for self study, great study companion. solution number two, if you want to practice speaking English with real people, I do have a small private community called the fluency hub and I've just opened only 15 spots for now to accept more people. Every week, twice a week on two dozen Thursdays, the members get together for a two hour session to practice speaking English in a structured way about interesting topics. And the level of the discussions resides in the B2 and C1 level. So if you're looking to meet people from other cultures, other countries and most importantly, practice or speaking by having meaningful conversations with real people, the fluency hub, my community is a great place for you to go. Link is also in the description, but the spots are limited. Finally, if you want my do right help. You know, when it comes to breaking out of the intermediate plateau, reaching B2 and C1 level, there is the possibility of working with me 101 in a coaching program. But the first step for that is you got a book of fluency discovery call. Yes, I am bringing back the fluency discovery calls. It's one hour with me on zoom where I'm going to have a conversation with you. I'm going to interview you, ask your questions and I'm going to be analyzing your English. And we're going to tell you what your strong points are. And most importantly, what your weaknesses are, your weak areas, your blind spots, and what you have to do to keep seeing progress in your development. So if you are interested in having me as your private coach 101, the first step is booking a fluency discovery call. I'm going to give you a full assessment of your English based on my 20 years of experience as a teacher. And we'll see if it's a good fit. If we are a good fit, then I can give you more details on how you can work closely with me 101. All the links are here in the description of the video, the app, the community and the fluency discovery call. But now let's get started with the 40 things that every successful advanced English learner does, you know, to get real mastery at this language. Habit one, they are patient. They understand that mastering English is a long game. So the first habit obviously is patience. And I know that sounds simple, but in my experience, it's one of the most underestimated qualities a language learner can have. Mastering English is not a sprint. It's not a 12 month project. It's a long term skill that develops over years, over decades. I mean, I can tell about my personal journey. It's been 25 years that have been both learning English and teaching English. And here's the thing. My English speaking, my English skills now, at 40 are infinitely better. I speak English now way better than I did 10 years ago, at 30. And at 30, I already spoke English better than 10 years prior at 20. And now it's just like that famous adage. Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 habit number two. They know how to say goals, they thinking seasons and bad kids. So this is about goal setting, but not the kind of goal setting most people do, you know, thinking about what they want to achieve this week or this year. No, I'm talking about thinking in seasons in five years, in 10 years, in decades. It's about having a big vision for yourself in this case for your English and then breaking it down from there. I mean, now that I'm 40 years old, this is becoming more and more obvious to me. You know, I always like to look at my life in seasons, you know, seasons of five years, 10 years, decades in this case. For example, nowadays, when I look back at my 20s, I see that that decade of my life was all about adventure and discovery, you know, I want to explore the world. I want to explore possibilities. It was all about rock and roll for me in rebellion. I was a rabble, you know, I have a very long hair. I wore big earrings. I even painted my nails black for to have an idea, you know. So my 20s were about exploration, adventure, discovery, you know, my 30s, now that I think about it, they were about building, building, you know, building my skills, you know, getting better, my craft and my profession, building a family, starting a family, building a business. I started my business in my 30s, you know, I left a safe, secure job to, you know, start. My own business in my 30s. And I would also say reputation, you know, I built most of my reputation, my personal reputation in society, but also as a professional in my 30s, you know. And now that I'm 40, I'm thinking about what I want the next 10 years of my life to look like. What do I want my life to look like at 50? So if I have this vision for myself at 50, I know the kinds of things I have to do to get there to get that vision and they need to take it from there. The same principle applies to English learning successful English learners do the same. So think about it. What do you want your English to look and sound like in five years time in 10 years time? You know, five years, 10 years might seem like a long time, especially if you are younger, but I guarantee it's not that long. It's going to come and it's going to come relatively fast. And you have a choice. What do you want the next five years to look like for your English? the next 10 years. 10 years will come. How is your English going to be? By then, habit three successful learners reflect. They know how to be alone with their own thoughts. Successful learners take time for themselves. They stop, they think, they reflect. Over time, they develop a deep, interpersonal knowledge, a clear understanding of who they are as a learner, what their strengths are, and where their weaknesses lie. For example, I've always been very introverted as a person. I've always enjoyed silence, solitude, and I believe that that trade of mine played a direct role in my achievements in life. And here's a distinction. Being an introvert is not the same as being shy. In her book, "Quiet" author Susan Cain clearly explains the difference. She says that shyness is about fear of social judgment, while introversion is simply about how you get energized. Now, advanced learners, whether you are introverted or not, carve out time to stop and reflect. They record themselves, listen back, critically, and self-diagnose. I'm talking about having this intro person on knowledge because the more you know about yourself, the better you can put yourself in situations where you have the highest chances of thriving. So get to know yourself better as a person, as a learner, because you're going to put yourself in situations and positions that your English will just benefit, but you've got to know yourself. Maybe the reason why you haven't been successful at learning English well yet is because you have been working in environments that are not favoring your essence, your true nature, and how do you discover that by being with yourself, by spending time alone. And remember that, I'm talking about intro personal, not inter personal. Interpersonal knowledge is the ability to relate with other people. That is important, but that's not what I'm talking about here. Intrapersonal is knowledge about yourself. I find that learners who truly get to mastery levels of English, high levels of proficiency, they are in tune with themselves. Habit four, they are humble, and humility is not what most people think it is. You know, the more I learn, and the older I get, the more I realize how much I still don't know. The realization, you know, that genuine sense of intellectual humility, is something that comes with time. In my trainees, for example, I was always very adamant about everything. I had strong opinions, I had strong positions. I was convinced that I had the truth of things. But the truth is that that was just arrogance, youth arrogance, dressed up as confidence. And I want to give you my definition of humility, because this is important. To me, being humble is not about acting modest in public, necessarily. Because in my experience, you can be perfectly modest on the surface, and still be deeply arrogant underneath inside. How? Simply by not following the advice you receive. I mean, in 20 years of teaching, I have met all kinds of students, all kinds of students. And I had some students who on the surface were very modest. You could say that they were humble people. They were modest. They didn't brag about themselves. They were self-spoken. In theory, in appearance on the surface, they were humble. But they rarely did. The things are recommended. The things I suggested. That to me is not humility. It's arrogance. You have a teacher that you paid for, by the way. You have a mentor, a coach that is giving you advice to help you reach your goals. And you don't follow the advice, the tips, the suggestions you receive. That to me is arrogance. Not acting. Overconfident. I can think of Michael Jordan, for example. You know, Michael Jordan always had this fame of being very intense, right? As a player, sometimes even abrasive. Some people might call Jordan at the time, maybe arrogant, sometimes, you know. But he had tremendous respect for his coaches. And he did the things that his coaches asked him to do or suggested doing. To me, that is real humility. It's about doing the work, even when your ego resists. You know, so remember that. Be humble, intellectually humble. Understand that you have gaps. And if somebody is helping you feel those gaps, you better listen to it. You better apply it. All right. That is true humility in my experience. Not acting modest, not acting humble, but being humble, doing the work. Habit five, they are lifelong learners of English. They never stop. This one might hurt a little, but the truth is that learners who truly reach C1 and C2 levels never view English as something finite, something temporary. You know, something they study for a few months or a few years until they get the job they want and then stop. They love the language. They are always in touch with it. They generally enjoy learning more and more about it. I mean, in my case, I've always loved English. I love speaking it. I love reading it, writing it, listening to it. I love the sound of it. English allows me to belong to the world, not just one country. And here's the honest truth. If you view English purely as an obligation, you will likely plateau at B1 or B1 plus level. You might be able to tapping to B2, but you will never be a solid B2. Let alone C1 or C2 level. Habit six, they enjoy the process. They are not chasing a destination. You know, I have always been skeptical of promises like, be fluent in English in 12 months. Can you believe that I even saw a video on YouTube a few months ago where the title was how I became fluent in English in three months? Three months. Can you believe that? Getting good at English and I mean real good, okay? It's not a sprint with a finish line. It's a long game. And since it's a long game, you're better enjoy it. You're better enjoy playing. So here's the truth. If you don't enjoy learning English, if you don't like it, you should have an honest conversation with yourself because either you should find a way to start really liking it or just admit that you don't. You hate studying English. It's a pure obligation for you and accept that English will always be something purely operational for you. And just redirect your energy towards something that actually captures your heart. But you know, in that case, it should be content with a B1 or B1 plus level at best. Harley, you will be a solid B2 level with that attitude towards English learning. And again, I think it's nice to reinforce now that my channel is for learners who are in it for the long haul, who are in it for the long game, who want to keep developing themselves, and who enjoy learning English, who enjoy practicing it. Habits have been, they are now victims. They work with what they have. 25 years ago, I had no money, no premium resources, no internet, no apps, no AI. I borrowed course books and grammar books. I used DVDs, music, magazines. And I made it work with only those resources. Nowadays, if you have an internet connection, you have access to more English learning resources than any learner in history. Let me say that again. Remember that. So successful learners don't blame their circumstances. They don't blame their lack of money, their country, their accent, their age. They look at what they have and they use it. Victimhood and English mastery don't go well together. Have at eight. They take full accountability for their learning. They never outsource the result. There is an important distinction. Most people miss responsibility versus accountability. I love this word accountability. In my native language, for example, in Brazilian Portuguese, you don't even have a word for accountability. I have to explain it with a concept, you know, because accountability is not responsibility. Responsibility is just being responsible for something because it's an obligation. Responsibility is the obligation to do something. And it can be delegated. So for example, imagine you go to work every day, right? If you go to work every day, you are being responsible. Why? Because that's what you have to do. You are just to know performing the obligation that you have, which is working every day. Now, accountability is owning the final result. And that cannot be delegated. Okay. So when you are accountable, you own your result. You understand that you are responsible for learning, for mastering the language if you so want. My or teacher, not the book, not the course, nothing else, nobody else. A teacher can guide you. A course can structure you. A nap like the B2 edge can support you. But the person who needs to learn is you. So successful learners invest in resources as aids, you know, things that accelerate the journey. Courses, classes, mentorship. But they never confuse the aid with the engine because they know they are the engine. If you don't want to do it, like really do it, nobody can help you. Habit nine, they invest. They invest time, energy, and money in that order if necessary. You know, when I started learning English, I didn't have money. But I had time. So I invested my time one hour a day every day. I invested my energy thinking about English constantly. And as I progressed to my career, as I started to make more and more money, obviously financial investment also followed. I invested my money on proficiency certificates, teaching certificates, courses, books, paid mentorship. You know, when I quit my job to start my own business, I actually invested a lot of money in paid mentorship so that that transition could go smoother for me. And I'm glad I did because it really helped me at the time. Now I am about to start another course that Cambridge offers specifically for teachers. It's a four month course. It's very expensive and it's going to demand hours of my week to read and study all the materials of the course. So not only am I investing time, but also my money. So remember that you get out of something whatever you put into it. So the more your time, your attention and your resources go towards something, the more that something becomes part of her life. And that is exactly the point. English has to become part of your life. So how much time have you been spending on your English? How much energy have you been setting aside for your English? And if you already have the means, how much of your money have you been investing on your English? And you know, about investing money in English learning resources, you know, like courses, apps, mentorship, whatever, exchange programs, you know, some of you might question that and say, but Chad, I have all I need for free nowadays. You know, I can use Chad GPT. I have all the information that I need about English learning. I can use YouTube, you know, I have all the information I need here for free on YouTube. Or remember that when you invest your money in a paid resource, you're not just buying information. You are buying expertise, experience, structure, because the learning without structure is not going to get you very far. You will plateau, you will feel the ceiling. But here's another reason. And I think maybe that's the number one reason why you should start investing more of your money in English learning. You know why? Because when you invest your money, you commit more. It's about having skin in the game. If you are just using free resources, you don't have much skin in the game. The minute you're starting investing, you're hard earned money. And especially if you invest a significant amount of your money, if it hurts her wallet, if you feel that you know wallet, you commit more. So when you invest money, you're also investing yourself. Because then you're going to be more committed. Think about that. You know, I saw this phrase, this line, you know, last time that I took a few months ago and I really enjoyed it. It goes like this, people who pay pay attention. People who pay a lot pay a lot of attention. And that's true. That's just the truth. So remember that the more you pay for your English development, the more of your time you pay, the more of your energy you pay, and the more of your money also you pay, the more you will get out of it. Because the more committed, the more skin in the game you will have. Remember that. Habitat they cultivate a rich inner world. They are intentional about what they consume. Look, there's nothing wrong with silly stupid lie-hard content. There's nothing wrong with scrolling for a few minutes at the end of a hard day. It makes a laugh. It helps you relax and decompress. But if that is all you regularly feed your mind with, you will struggle to reach a true advanced level of English. Because advanced communication is not just about grammar and vocabulary. It's also about having something to say, something meaningful to say. Advanced learners engage with dense, demanding, interesting content. Like existential questions, well-written films, books that challenge them, that challenge their intellect. They build a rich inner world. And when they speak English, they have something worth saying. Because they have spent years feeling their minds with things worth thinking about. So do a little auditing. What kind of content have you been consuming lately? Has it just been short, silly stupid videos? You will never reach advanced English like that. So start consuming more challenging content. Habitat 11, they are into English media and pop culture. This one might seem obvious, but in my 20 years of teaching, upper intermediate and advanced learners, it's become very clear. The students who truly reach solids, C1 and C2 levels of proficiency are almost always the ones who are genuinely into English media. They love films in English, TV shows, music in English, books, pop culture, you know, the pop culture that surrounds the English language. They don't consume these things as a study exercise. Only. They actually enjoy them. On the other hand, learners who only enjoy media in their native language, who watch films dubbed, who listen exclusively to music in their first language, rarely make it to advanced levels. Not because they are less capable, but because they are missing the daily voluntary joyful immersion that quietly compounds over years. And it just cannot fake that kind of engagement. I've already touched on this today. If you don't particularly enjoy learning English, find something about it. Find something about English culture that you enjoy, that you like, because that's going to make the process much easier. It's going to be very hard for you to master a skill. You're not passionate about. So find something to enjoy. About English, about English pop culture, about English culture. Find something to enjoy it. Habit 12, they read and reading serves far more than their English. Reading is one of the most critical habits and advanced learners can develop. Through reading, you internalize spelling, punctuation, grammar, and vocabulary, all that ones, and in context. But reading does something even more important than that. It makes you a better communicator in the deepest sense. Because communication is not just about words, it's about ideas. It gives you ideas to work with, to carry into conversations. It fills your mental library, your inner world, like I just discussed. It makes to the person who always has something to say. Not because you talk a lot, but because your inner world is rich. So you always have positive contributions, relevant contributions to make in conversations, in meetings. So advanced English learners read, not because they have to, but because they understand the person who reads widely becomes the person worth listening to. Habit 13, they are genuinely curious about English. They go beyond understanding. Most learners ask one question when they encounter English in their lives. Did I understand it? Advanced learners on the other hand ask a second question. Did I learn something from it? Advanced learners notice the sophisticated word choice, the vivid metaphor, the colorful idiom, the sentence structure that feels different in a live at the same time. Because they are not just worried about the meaning of what they hear, what they read. They are studying craft. Every conversation, every article, every film is simultaneously something to enjoy and something to learn from. And here's something worth saying. Listen closely to this, okay? I talk about the plateau all the time here on the channel, right? Stuck at the intermediate plateau. How to get out of the intermediate plateau. Like free from the plateau. But hear me out. Curious learners almost never hear the plateau. Curious learners almost never hear the plateau when they're learning. And if they ever do, they don't stay in it for too long. Remember that. Because if you are truly curious about English, the language, the pop culture around it, you will always find something interesting and engaging to learn with. And you will never feel stagnant. You will always feel progress, all right? And even in the rare moments, you do feel a little bit stagnant. It's going to be easier for you to get out of it because you are curious. Habit for a thing, they review. Which has to be revisited to stick. Successful learners balance learning new things with consistently reviewing what they have already studied. They don't chase vocabulary for the sake of it. They select the words they want in their active vocabulary, the ones they want to remember and use. And then they revisit these words until they become truly automatic. The brain forgets what it doesn't encounter repeatedly. New learning without review is like filling a bucket with a hole in it. Review is what closes that hole. So how much of your time have you been dedicating to revision? Think about that. Habit 15, they learn vocabulary in context. They're always on the lookout. These learners are immersed in English daily. And they treat that immersion as an active hunt, not passive consumption. When a word or expression catches their eye or ear, they write it down. They check it later. Vocabulary is not studied in isolation from a list. It is encountered in the wild, noticed, captured and revisited. That is the difference between vocabulary that sticks to your memory you never forgot and vocabulary that disappears. Habit 16, they listen to English. They don't just hear it. Hearing is passive. It happens automatically whenever sound enters your ears. So for example, I might be filming this video here now and I might just hear a noise from the outside coming from the street. But it's just sound coming through my ears. I'm not really paying attention to what's happening there. You see, that is hearing. Now listening on the other hand is active. It requires attention, intention and engagement. Most learners think they are practicing English when they watch a film or listen to a song. But if your attention is elsewhere, you are hearing English, not listening to English. So here's another question. When you watch a favorite TV show or movie, when you are listening to a podcast on the buzz, inside the Uber, are you listening to English in those moments? We're hearing it because your mind is actually paying attention to other stuff. Habits have a teen. They are active learners. They are proactive, not passive. These learners don't sit back and wait for information to come to them. They use resources, videos, teachers, courses and apps, but they don't stop there. A teacher introduces three phrasal verbs in class. The active learner goes home and looks for 10 more. A YouTube video explains the grammar concept. The active learner doesn't stop there. The active learner pauses the video, searches for more examples and tries to use these structures themselves. Nobody has ever reached an advanced level of English by waiting to be taught. They went and founded themselves. So again, be an active learner. Go after the information you need. That's exactly what my app does, the B2 edge. I'm not going to teach you everything there about every topic. I'm going to give you the topics every day that you have to focus on. But it's your job also to get the topic that you need to master and go look for more information yourself. Learners who do that benefit tremendously from the app and the really see progress. Habit 18, they prioritize quality over quantity. 30 focused minutes beats four distracted hours any day. Advanced learners are not necessarily the ones who study the longest. They are the ones who study the best. 30 minutes of laser focused, intentional practice, targeting a few specific things, extracting real learning from every minute is worth more than four hours of passive, unfocused exposure. This connects directly to what Ericson's research on the Libre practice suggests. I've already shared that research here in a previous video. It is not the amount of time that drives improvement. It's not more classes that you need more hours. It's the quality of attention you bring to the time you do have. Advanced learners also develop the ability to extract learning from anything. A short clip, a paragraph, a conversation, they waste nothing. That actually reminds me of my community, the fluency hub. This past week I was interacting in the community a little bit and then I saw a post that one of the members shared there. She shared this interview with a famous actress and the interview was eight minutes long. It wasn't even ten minutes long. This member watched the interview and shared with us there in the community feed a bunch of colloquial expressions and idioms that she realized she noticed from that interview. Then when I saw the list, I even told her, wow, that's amazing. It's amazing how much you can learn with a very short clip like that. That's not even ten minutes long. You see, that is the mindset of extracting every ounce of possible new learning from every minute, every paragraph that you have as resource. Habit 19, they engage in deliberate practice. They go beyond work and play. Again, this connects directly to the research of Anders Erickson, whose 1993 paper in the Psychological Review suggests that most people confuse three very different types of activity. Work, which is about performing in real conditions, play, which is about doing things that are enjoyable, you know, spontaneous engagement with no specific improvement target. And third, the deliberate practice, which has structured effortful activity, specifically designed to push up performance. above its current level. Most learners only do work and play. Advanced learners, the ones who truly master English, do all three. And the third activity, which is delivery practice, is the one that actually moves the needle at higher levels of proficiency. If you saw my video on the intermediate plateau, you already know these concepts. But if you haven't seen it yet, I want to leave the link in the description of the video so you can watch it later. But here's a quick reminder of delivery practice. Delivery practice has four components and all four are necessary. You need to have a specific target. Not, I will practice English today. But I will work on the present, perfecting spoken English because I always use simple past when I shouldn't. You see, that's an example of specific target. Full concentration. Not background listening while commuting, while doing the dishes, but full undivided attention. Immediate feedback. Knowing in real time or closer, real time, whether whatever it is you're doing is right. And limited duration. Even elite performers can only sustain genuine delivery practice for two to four hours a day. So remember, better hours, not more hours. Habit 20, they seek structured learning. They know when self-study is not enough. From A1 to B1, self-study can take you a long way. I've even met some successful B2 learners who got to be too entirely under owned. But to reach C1 and C2 levels, you need structure. You need guidance. Jumping from your tube video to your tube video, consuming content without a clear curriculum, will not get you to C1 and C2 levels. And I can attach to that from personal experience. Most of my English was self-acquired. But when the time came for me to pursue C1 and C2 levels, I had to change my approach. I had to do things differently. So when I was about to go for C1, I had to take prep classes with more experienced teachers. I needed more experienced teachers who had already been there, who had already gotten the C1 and C2 level that I was trying to reach. And then, when it was time for me to prepare for C2, the same thing. I needed the help of an experienced teacher to look at my writing, correct it, give me feedback, even the most independent learner, which is a point where outside structure is the smartest investment they can make. Habitat 21, they pay attention to grammar. They embrace it rather than resist it. To reach C1 and even a solid B2, I would say, you need to pay attention to grammar. But studying grammar is not about memorizing dry rules. Forget about that. It's about gaining a deeper understanding of how the English language is actually structured. Remember this. vocabulary helps to communicate ideas. Grammar helps you structure those ideas effectively. Let me say that again because you know what, you don't need one or the other, you need both. Both are important. I mean, in my case, I've always paid attention to grammar throughout my learning journey, not as rules to memorize, but as architecture to understand. True advanced proficiency requires range. And range is not just about words, about more vocabulary. It's also about structure. It's about being able to deploy different sentence structures with precision and confidence. So don't neglect grammar. You will not reach C1 and C2 levels properly if you neglect, if you forsake grammar. Habitat 22, they work on all four skills, not just speaking and listening. Most learners obsess over speaking and listening. Understandably, because those are the skills that feel most immediately useful. But, reading and writing are equally part of your communicative competence. And neglecting them creates a ceiling. The more you write, the better you think. The more compelling your ideas become. The stronger your critical thinking develops. And, as a dear ad consequence, the better you communicate those ideas through speech. So, just like vocabulary and grammar are not two separate things that you have to choose. One over the other, you need both. Writing and speaking, very similar. Writing and speaking are not separate skills. They feed each other. So, if you want to speak better, you need to learn to think better. And to think better, guess what? You need to write. It's that simple and that demanding. Habitat 23, they think in chunks, not one word at a time. Advanced learners process language in chunks, phrases, expressions, motel word units, not word by word. This does two things simultaneously. First, it builds fluency because your brain stops translating and starts retrieving whole units of meaning. And also, this trains your ear for fast-paced, natural speech because native speakers speaking chunks all the time, not individual words. You know, English is full of two word expressions, three word expressions, phrasal verbs, idioms, which are whole phrases that carry a figurative meaning. So, by not trying to decode word for word, you put yourself in a better place, in a better position. So, gay used to learning and processing language in chunks, in groups. All right? Because that's going to help you understand these expressions more naturally. Learners who think word by word will always feel one step behind. Habba 24, they know there are two kinds of vocabulary and when to use each. Advanced speakers understand that vocabulary is not a single uniform system. There are two distinct layers. Standard vocabulary, which is more precise, professional appropriate for formal writing, professional settings and academic contexts, and colloquial vocabulary, which is more casual, natural, conversational, you know, the language of everyday life, any formal interaction. Knowing both standard vocabulary and colloquial vocabulary is what gives advanced speakers their range. But knowing which one to deploy in a given moment is even more important when it comes to fluency. So, let me give you some examples here. Advanced runners are comfortable with both tabs of vocabulary here. Listen, standard English, I will consider it. Colloquial English, I'll think it over, or I'll sleep on it. Standard English, the situation deteriorated. Colloquial English, things went south fast. Standard English, I disagree with your point. Colloquial English, I'm not buying that. Standard English, she is very talented. Colloquial English, she's got her real gift. Standard English, I'm feeling unwell. Colloquial English, I'm feeling off, or I'm feeling under the weather. Habitat 25, they use advanced vocabulary and structures. They know when to deploy them. I sometimes got comments here on my channel saying things like "Chag, nobody speaks advanced English in daily life, not even native speakers, so why bother learning it?" Well, first of all, this is a weak argument, dressed up as pragmatism. Native speakers do use advanced language, but they use it when the moment calls for it. When they want to drive a point home, or when they want their argument to stand out. Here's an analogy, advanced English is like spice. Know the spice to put in the food when cooking? Too little, and the food doesn't taste as good as it could. Too much, and it spoils the dish. Advanced vocabulary and structures use the right moment and in the right proportion, elevate your communication. But safe, bland, basic English. Use exclusively all the time, makes you sound uninspiring and boring. Remember, if you want to get to advanced level C1 and C2, you need range. The goal here is range. Habit 26. They know how to connect their ideas. Their speech and writing have cohesion. Language speakers don't communicate in isolated, disconnected sentences. They have internalized a rich repertoire of linking words and phrases. Words that add, contrast, concede, elaborate, conclude, and they deploy them naturally in both speech and writing. Ideas don't just follow each other. They build on each other. They push back against each other. They lead somewhere. Cohesion is what separates someone who speaks English from someone who truly communicates. In it, Habit 27. They are comfortable with longer, multi-clawed sentences. Advanced speakers and writers are not limited to short, simple sentences. It's worth clarifying the difference. A simple sentence contains just one clause, one subject, one verb, one idea. For example, I enjoy learning English. Now, a multi-clawed sentence combines two or more of those units, ideas that are layered, qualified, and connected within a single flowing hole. So for example, the sentence I just gave you, I enjoy learning English. That's a simple sentence with just one clause. A multi-clawed sentence could be something like this. Could sound something like this. While I've been learning English to better my career, I also understand the importance of using it for personal development. You see, so longer sentences with more clauses inside them, like, you know, with more ideas, multiple ideas inside them. The more advanced you get, the more comfortable you should be with sentences of that length. Habit 28. They know register. They know which language to use and when. Advanced users of English understand that language is not one size fits all. They are fluent in both informal and formal register. And more importantly, they know which one the situation calls for. A casual message to a friend and a job application letter are not just different in tone. They are different languages within the same language. So word choice, sentence structure, level of directness, degree of formality, everything shifts. Advanced speakers make that shift naturally and automatically. They never sound too casual in a professional context or unnecessarily stiff and robotic in a relaxed one. Another awareness is one of the clear markers of genuine advanced proficiency. It's one of the main things we look at when analyzing whether a person is already tapping to see one or still stuck at B1 and B2 levels. Habit 29. They are comfortable discussing abstract topics. There is a clear and important distinction between concrete topics and abstract topics. When concrete topics are grounded in the immediate and the personal, in all your daily routine, your job, your hobbies, these are the topics that most learners practice first and most learners stay comfortable with. Now abstract topics require a different kind of thinking and a different kind of language. These are opinions, hypotheticals, new ones, qualification. Let me give you some examples. concrete topics could include your daily routine, your hobbies, your weekend plans, your food preferences. Now a few examples here of more abstract topics could be will AI replace teachers? What makes a society free? Is ambition a virtue or a curse? You see, so the more advanced to get, the more comfortable you should be thinking about and discussing abstract topics as well. Because advanced learners can discuss their weekend and then pivot to a philosophical question without losing their footing. Habit 30. They know how to paraphrase. They never get stuck for words. Being an advanced English speaker doesn't mean being a walking dictionary. Vocabulary range matters. What matters even more at this level is your ability to navigate conversations fluidly. When you don't know a specific word, you find a way around it. You describe it. You use an analogy. You approach the idea from a different angle. The conversation never freezes. Never feels awkward and never breaks down. Advanced speakers are resourceful. They work with what they have and they keep moving. The ability to paraphrase, in order to express an idea in multiple ways, is one of the clearest signs of genuine fluency. And that is one of the reasons why I love the Cambridge exams because the Cambridge exams test disability specifically. There is a part in the reading of New South English paper that's part four in both B2 and C1 levels and also C2 levels where you have to paraphrase sentences. They give you a sentence. They give you a word. You have to rewrite the original sentence using the word they give you and keeping the meaning the same or as close as possible to the original. That's a great way to analyze your ability to paraphrase because that shows how much range of language you have, how much grammar range you have, how much vocabulary range you have. Habit 31, they read between the lines, they infer meaning, not just to code it. Advanced learners are able to infer meaning to understand what is being communicated without it being explicitly stated. They read a metaphor and extract the argument behind it. They listen to an analogy and understand the point it's making. The process what is implied, not just what is said. And again, that's another reason why I love the Cambridge exams because that's exactly what happens at Cambridge B2 first, C1 advanced, and C2 proficiency. Let's say for example you are taking the listening paper for the Cambridge exam, okay? You have the questions to answer written on paper. Then you have to listen to an audio passage in order to answer those questions. The audio passage will give you the answers to the questions, but using different words. You've got to be able to infer meaning from that passage, connect that meaning with the words written on the text, and finally answer the question. The same thing happens in the reading paper. You have a text to read, you have questions to answer. The text will give you the answers for those questions, but in different words. You cannot expect to see the same words in the questions showing up in the text. So advanced speakers are very good. They have enough range to infer meaning and to identify meaning in paraphrasing. Have a 32. They understand connotation. They think about how their message lands. Advanced speakers have moved beyond a simple question. How do I say this in English? They have added a second more sophisticated question. What effect do I want this to have on my listener? They understand that how you say something is as important as what you say. And sometimes how you say something is even more important than what you say. Connotation is the emotional charge that words carry beyond their literal meaning. Advanced speakers choose words not just for accuracy, but for effect. They think about tone. They think about impact. They're not just communicating information. They are shaping an experience for the person listening. At number 33, they study the art of communication. They go beyond just English. Advanced English learners understand that communication is a skill in its own right. One that transcends any single language. So they pay attention to things most learners never think about. Paws is, you know, knowing when to stop talking and add an idea land. This projection, making sure you are heard clearly and with authority, articulation, moving your mouth enough to produce sounds cleanly, gestures, using your body to reinforce and amplify your message. These are not just English. skills. These are human communication skills. And when you work under communication skills in English, you become a better communicator in every language, in every context, in every area of your life. Advanced English is just the arena, but communication, true communication skills. That's the real prize. Habitat 34. They have clear, intelligible and well-paced speech. Advanced learners actively work on how they sound, not to erase their identity, but to be understood effortlessly. You don't need to sound like a native speaker. You can speak with your own voice, your own history, your own accent, but clarity is non-negotiable. Clarity is non-negotiable. A foreign accent is absolutely fine, as long as it doesn't interfere with communication, or as long as it doesn't put unnecessary strain on your listener. And here's another thing, don't get political about it. I see people, even teachers in the space, getting so political about this stuff, but in my view, we shouldn't politicize that. What do I mean by getting political? I mean arguments like, oh, I speak the way I speak. I don't have to sound American. At least I speak two languages. English is such an imperialist language. You know, these arguments, they take something neutral, which is clear communication in general, and turn it into an ideological debate, an ideological battle. So don't do that to yourself. Just work on your clarity for communication sake. And that's it. Habitat 35. They are antifragil. They don't just survive sad backs. They grow from them. You know, a few years ago, I would have used the word resilience here. We're talking about this habit, but there is a better word. One that was coined by the writer and philosopher, Massim Nicholas Talab, in his book, antifragil. Talab identifies three categories, fragile things that break under pressure, like glass, resilient things that are robust and withstand pressure, but stay the same, like a rock and antifragil things. They do something remarkable. They not only withstand pressure, they actually get stronger because of it. So, advancing English learners are antifragil. They make mistakes and mine those mistakes for information. They hit up at toe and use it as a diagnostic. They get corrected and they get better. They don't just bounce back. They bounce forward. So I prefer this term nowadays, antifragility rather than simply resilience. I mean, I think resilience is still an important quality in some situations. Just gotta be resilient. But antifragil is deeper than that because it's about not only suffering setbacks and recovering from them, but growing because of the setbacks, coming back better, more adaptable, stronger, more intelligent. So, antifragility, that is a great concept for you to learn more about. Habitat 36, they understand that confidence is built, not born. Nobody comes into the world naturally confident. Confidence is not a personality trait that you either have or don't have. Confidence is something you build, slowly, deliberately, through repeated exposure to the things that frighten you. So, if you are afraid of speaking English in public, if you are afraid of presenting in English or going to a job interview in English, the only way through that fear is through it. Even if you fail, even if you don't get the job you wanted, even if you stumble through the presentation, you have given yourself something invaluable. You know what it is? Evidence. Evidence. Evidence that you tried. Evidence that you survived. And that evidence builds the confidence that you need, one small act of courage at a time. So, the more you step out of your comfort zone, the more evidence that you can do things in survive, you accumulate. And the more evidence to give yourself that you're able to withstand these things, the more confident you will be. Naturally. Habitat 37, they view English as part of their personal development, not just a career tool. The learners who truly reach solid C1 and C2 levels are not primarily motivated by career advancement. They are motivated by growth, by becoming more, by expanding who they are. And here is a non-less truth. Most English teachers will not say it out loud. For most professional purposes, the truth is, you don't even need a solid C1 or C2 level. For most professional contexts, I've seen B1 level speakers, B1+ level speakers, navigating work situations just fine. So, I would say that B2 already covers the vast majority of professional contexts. So, if your only motivation for learning English is career related, you will probably stop long before you reach advanced levels. Because you will reach good enough English and your brain will flag that mission as complete. The learners who go all the way to C1 and eventually C2 are the ones who have internalized English as part of who they are. For them, Gatney-Battery at English is not just a means to an end, like Gatney-Battery job. It is an end in itself. Habitat 38, they manage their time and energy with intention. In our turning 40, has made something very clear to me. Both time and energy are finite. And both are non-renewable. And most people spend years, sometimes decades, without ever stopping to ask where those two precious things are actually going. Advanced English learners are deliberate about where their time goes and what their energy is spent on. But here's the thing, you don't have to wait until your 40 to have this realization. If you are in your 20s or in your 30s, your time and energy are at their peak. That is your most valuable asset, not money, not connections, but time and energy. And this is especially true at the higher levels of English. Once you are at a B2 and aiming for C1 and C2, vague general studying will now get you there. You need to know exactly what to study, how to study, and when. You cannot hope your way to C1. You have to engineer it. So the order I get, the more I realize the importance of being able to properly manage where your time is going and where your energy is going. For your TIGAT to see one and see two levels, you need to be spending your time and energy on the right things. Otherwise, you're just going to be wasting time and you're not going to get where you want to get. You're just going to get frustrated. Habitat 39, they are lifelong learners, not just of English, but of everything. Advanced users of English are not just passionate about the language. They are passionate about learning itself. They love ideas. They love knowledge. They love growing. In my experience, the learners who truly reach C1 and C2 are almost always the same people who read widely, think deeply, ask questions constantly, and never feel like they know enough. And here is something worth saying directly. I sometimes get comments like "Chagav", again, "Native speakers never use advanced English anyway, so why bother?" The person who thinks that way is not a lifelong learner. And that person will never reach a C1, let alone C2, level of proficiency. I would dare say even reaching a solid B2 level. Because comments like that reveal something important that these people are not curious. They just want enough English for a specific goal. And the moment they reach it, they stop. And stopping is exactly what keeps people permanently stuck at intermediate. It's just like getting fit to run a marathon. If the only reason why you're getting fit is to run that marathon, you know what's going to happen? You're going to get fit. You're going to run the marathon. As soon as the marathon is done, you will go back to the old habits. And then again, all the way back, you become sad and terry again. It's very similar to this idea here. But if the reason why you want to get fit is because it's for your life, it's for your personal growth and development, you will never stop doing it. Here's what I propose. Treat English the same way. As a matter of fact, I'm making these videos for learners like this, you know, who want to make English hard of their lives, not just something finite. Are they study? They reach their goal with it and then they quit. And finally, habit 40. They reflect on their journey. They take stock of how far they've come and where they're going next. You know, every year around my birthday, I do the same thing. For me, my birthday is a moment of reflection, it's a moment to think, to reflect. Think about the things that I accomplished in the previous years, the things I said I was going to do, but didn't do, the things I did do. And also think about what I want the next year to look like. But now that I've turned 40 years old, just thinking about the next year is not enough. Like I said previously, now I'm thinking about the next decade. What do I want the next 10 years of my life to look like? These are not simple questions, you know, or small questions. They deserve time, silence and honesty. So remember, life happens in seasons. Some seasons of your life will be busy, some grueling, and some will be more calm and serene. Advanced English learners understand that this is normal. And it also applies to their learning journey. They don't measure progress day to day. They zoom out. They look at the arc. And when they do, they almost always find that they have come much further than they realized. That perspective, the ability to see the whole journey, not just today's frustration, is what keeps them going when motivation is not there, when progress feels invisible, when the plateau hits eventually. All right, 40 habits, 40 lessons, 40 years of life. Some of these lessons are about English specifically, some about learning, some even about life itself. And if there is one thread running through all of them, one thing that connects every single habit on this list is this, the people who reach advanced levels of English are not just studying a language. They are building a better version of themselves. Let me say that again to close the video. The people who reach advanced levels of English are not just studying a language. So I'm Chagu and I've just turned 40. And honestly, I've never been more excited about what comes next in my life. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. Thank you so much for your support here on YouTube. And again, if you want more help, more of my help reaching B2 and C1 and C2 levels, first thing, download the B2 edge. The B2 edge is great for self-study practice powered by AI. If you want to practice speaking English with real people at B2 and C1 levels and get to know other cultures and nationalities, join my community, the fluency hub, limited spots. And if you want to work directly with me as your 101 coach, the first step is booking a fluency discovery call with me so I can get to know you, give you some feedback on your English and then we take it from there. Link also in the description. Thank you so much for your attention today and if you want to keep learning more, I highly recommend to check out this video next that is showing on screen. I'll see you soon.