An English Check-Up: 3 Ways You Can Measure Your Progress
Find out how to use simple scales to help you visualise progress on your English learning journey.
How motivated are you feeling today on a scale of one to ten?
This simple question is one of my favourite ways to start a business English coaching session. It gets the conversation going, helps me understand my clients’ energy levels, and allows me to adapt our session accordingly. This is known as a scaling tool, a simple yet powerful technique that can help you focus, reflect, and add an extra expressive dimension to your language learning journey.
I like to add some sketches with typical English sayings or idioms to add a little bit of fun to the scale.
Scaling tools can be used alone or with a language coach to track progress, measure confidence, and make learning more relevant or personal. Below are three practical ways you can use scales to think more deeply about your English communication skills. I encourage you to draw a scale, add some sketchnotes, and visualise your progress. This makes it more fun and memorable!
1. The Progress Line
Learning a language is like a journey with many stations on the way. Which station have you reached? What actually is your destination or goal for your English skills?
Where are you on your language learning journey? Imagine a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is "just getting started" and 10 is "completely fluent and confident." Ask yourself:
Where do I think I am today?
What would it take to move one step along on the line?
What small actions can I take this week to progress?
Feeling creative? Imagine taking a train journey toward fluency. Along the way, there are different stations that mark your progress, such as "Casual Conversations," "Handling Meetings," and "Presenting with Confidence."
Ask yourself:
What station am I at right now?
What’s the next station I need to reach?
What can I do to keep moving forward on my journey?
Is there a strict timetable? Or do I have time to ‘get off the train and enjoy some sightseeing’?
By thinking of your progress as a train moving along a track, you can set realistic, achievable goals and celebrate every stop along the way. Try drawing your own journey map to make it more engaging! You could base it on your favourite city’s transport map (like London’s iconic tube map).
2. The Confidence Thermometer
You could choose different words or emotions to fit to your context.
(Image inspired by Draw a Better Business, Cara Holland)
Before an important business meeting, presentation, or even a casual conversation in English, ask yourself:
How confident do I feel about my English right now? (Scale from 1-10)
How stressed am I about using English in this specific situation? (Scale from 1-10)
If your confidence is low and your stress is high, think about what might help shift the balance. Do you need more preparation? A moment of mindfulness? Some key phrases to support you? If you’re working with a language coach, share your scale with them and discuss strategies to build confidence and reduce stress. (I’m here to help you feel secure and relaxed when speaking English).
3. The Usefulness Scale
You can use this scale to assess how effective your English language learning activities are.
Not all learning activities are equally effective for everyone. A usefulness scale helps you evaluate your learning and make small changes to suit your needs.
After a session, ask yourself:
How useful has this session been? (Scale from 1-10)
How useful was this particular activity or technique? (Scale from 1-10)
If something scores high, keep doing it! If it’s lower, consider tweaking your approach. Share your scores with your language coach or business English trainer to refine your learning plan. I like to get feedback from my learners to find out which activities they find most helpful.
Final Thoughts
Using scaling tools for language learning is a great way to engage with your progress visually and reflectively. Whether you're working alone or with a business English coach, these tools help you build awareness, track improvement, and boost confidence in real-world situations.
I encourage you to draw your scales, add sketchnotes, and have fun with it! And remember, if you ever need a guide on your journey, I’m here to help.
If you're ready to take your business English skills to the next level, please get in contact.
🚀 Book a free discovery call with me and let’s create a personalised learning journey that fits your needs.
Resources:
A Comprehensive Language Coaching Handbook, p.239 ‘Scaling’ (Gabriella Kovacs, Pavilion Publishing, 2022)
Stress Thermometer, p. 65, Draw a Better Business, Cara Holland (Practical Inspiration Publishing 2018)
Hello,
I’m Jane Carvell, a business English trainer, language coach and visual thinking enthusiast. I help German-speaking professionals improve their English communication skills, so that they can build better connections in an international working world.
