Impress Me with Your Questions!
Why Asking the RIGHT Questions Matters!
One of the easiest ways I can tell how serious someone is about learning is by the kinds of questions they ask.
Every day, I get messages like:
“How can I be good in English?”
“How can I improve my pronunciation?”
“How can I improve my writing?”
These are not bad questions. But they are vague ones. And vague questions usually reveal vague intentions.
A question like “How can I improve my English?” could fill an entire bookshelf. It is too broad to be useful because it shows that you have not yet thought about what part of English you actually want or need to improve.
The Curious Driver
Let me give you an example.
Imagine your car starts making a strange noise while you are driving.
Now there are two kinds of people in this world.
The first kind gets curious. They start listening closely:
“Where is the sound coming from? The front? The back? The engine? The radiator?”
They might take a photo or video, google the problem, or ask a friend who knows about cars. Maybe they even check YouTube for similar sounds.
By the time they go to the mechanic, they can ask a smart question like:
“Does the transmission in this model often make that kind of noise?”
That is a good question. It is specific. It shows effort. It invites a meaningful answer.
Then there is the second kind of person, the one who just says:
“My car is broken. What’s wrong with it?”
The mechanic will look at them and think, “This person doesn’t know anything about cars and doesn’t really care to learn.”
A vague question tells the expert that you have not invested any curiosity of your own. It tells them that you are expecting them to do all the thinking for you.
What That Says About You
It is the same in learning English.
When you ask me, “How can I improve my English?” it tells me that you have not thought deeply about what you struggle with.
But when you ask questions like:
“How can I use commas more naturally when I write?”
“Can you explain the difference between past simple and past perfect?”
“Is it better to speak and make mistakes, or wait until I can speak perfectly?”
Now that tells me something.
It tells me you have been working. You have noticed your problems. You have tried to understand them. You have done your homework.
It shows me that you are not just interested in English. You are serious about improving.
The Rule My Teacher Taught Me
My teacher once told me:
“Any question that requires a book to answer is not a good question.”
A good question is focused. It shows that you have already done some thinking and investigating before you ask.
Teachers love students who come with good questions because it means you are not waiting to be taught passively. You are actively learning, discovering, and taking responsibility for your growth.
So if you really want to impress your teacher, your coach, or your mentor, do not just say, “How can I get better?”
Show that you have already started the journey and that you are ready to go deeper!
So next time you come to my live stream, my class, or my private lessons…
Impress me with your questions!