How to trick your brain into loving English

For many of you, English isn’t a hobby. It’s a necessity. It’s the thing you need to survive in corporate life — in meetings, negotiations, and in conversations with foreign colleagues, when there’s simply no other way to communicate.

At some point in your career, your professional knowledge, your qualities, and your experience are no longer enough. You need English — a skill that, unlike your expertise, is learned gradually, across years. It takes time. It takes energy. And when that moment comes, you’re left with two options: hit the glass ceiling, or start learning.

Many of you choose to learn. But here’s the thing — it’s not your passion project. It’s not something you’d do for fun. You approach it more like a chore than something you truly want to do. And yet, you are hard-working, ambitious, motivated. You usually keep up with English for a while. And then it comes:

– *I know I should, but…

– *I’m tired, I’ll do it tomorrow… (and you don’t)

– *I’m too busy for homework…

– *I’ve got no energy left, I’m sorry…

Recognise yourself?

I know you don’t feel good about your performance. I know it bothers you.

But what if I told you… it’s not about willpower? What if your brain just needed a bit of smart trickery?

Here’s the truth about motivation: it isn’t about wanting to do something — it’s about your brain expecting a reward. The key player is dopamine, and interestingly, dopamine isn’t released when the reward arrives. It’s released when your brain anticipates it.

Your brain doesn’t crave hard work. It craves small wins, novelty, and the feeling of progress. So to stay motivated, you don’t need more discipline — you need to help your brain look forward to it.

Right now, your brain links English with effort, correction, and stress. So when you sit down to practise, your brain says no thanks. And it’s not because you’re lazy — it’s actually your brain trying to protect you from discomfort. It resists because it remembers: English = hard work.

Why does this happen? The reasons vary. For some, it’s unclear progress. For others, long sessions, repeated failure, the lack of an instant reward… or simply bad memories from school. But whatever the reason — we can work with it.

Here’s how:

1. Make it tiny.

Try micro-practice (30 seconds to 5 minutes). One word. One sentence. Whisper it while walking. Answer a message in English. These micro wins trigger dopamine. They feel doable. And your brain starts to want more.

2. Make it predictable.

Use habit stacking. Add English to something you already do: coffee time = vocab review. It’s not about deciding — it’s about connecting. Once it becomes automatic, your brain relaxes. It feels easier.

3. Make it fun — and personal.

Translate your favourite memes. Shadow a YouTube video. Talk to your dog. Read about your hobbies. If it feels like you, and emotions are involved, your brain pays more attention. And memory improves.

4. Make it visible.

Use notebooks, apps, whiteboards — whatever helps you see progress. Brains love visual feedback. It makes success feel real.

5.Reframe it.

Stop punishing yourself. Stop thinking “I should”. Just see it for what it is: biology. You’re not broken. You’re not lazy. Your brain just needs a different strategy. Trick it gently. Encourage it. Don’t pressure it.

And my last piece of advice?

Don’t build discipline. Build desire.

You can’t force yourself forever. But you can create a system your brain actually likes.

Tiny steps. Tiny wins. That’s how motivation returns.