The 5-Day Challenge Phenomenon
In this blog, I answer 7 frequently asked questions about 5-Day Challenges.
Before I answer them, I’d like to point out what a great source of real, live English they are for L2 speakers – no matter what the subject.
Anyone looking for authentic English practice can search for a free challenge with a theme within your work (or interests) – and follow along. You’ll gain work-based vocabulary, expressions and conversation practice.
There’s likely a Facebook group to chat and connect with people too.
Here’s what you need to know about 5-Day Challenges!
Q. 1 What is a 5-Day Challenge?
A 5-Day Challenge is an established online format which gained popularity in the Covid era online training boom. They expand on a Webinar format to give you a chance to participate, do homework and make progress.
5-Day Challenges are opportunities to upskill in one area.
They are normally structured with daily challenges to help to make, do or learn something. Support & free training is provided by the host – an expert in a particular field.
Challenges can be a great opportunity to get an introduction to a particular subject – or learn in-depth one aspect.
Q. 2 Why do coaches give away 5-Day Challenges?
5-Day Challenges are most often run to give people a free taste of what it is like to work together in paid services.
Q. 3 Are challenges worth my time?
If the host is good and the topic is relevant to you, they can be life-changing.
You can read about the 5-Day Challenges I’ve taken, in my blog post How to (Not) Grow an ELT Business.
Q. 4 What Pre-Challenge Advice Can You Give?
Not all challenges are equal in quality, but when you pick a good one – what you get out of a challenge is exponential to what you put in.
Clear a space in your diary and get ready to give it your all.
Whatever the challenge theme is – it will be your chance to work on that thing, with an expert, for these 5 days.
Q. 5 Do I have to buy something at the end?
No. It is quite likely that the host will tell you about an offer they have (this is the ‘pitch’) but there is absolutely no obligation to buy at all.
The job of the host throughout a challenge is to change your life a little bit.
It is completely up to you if you would like to invest in changing your life some more or walk away with the knowledge you have.
Q. 6 Is Your Amplify. Festival a 5-Day Challenge?
Yes, it is. Although I’m calling it a Virtual-Artist-Residency-Workshop-5-Day-Challenge-Thingie™️, Amplify. is a 5-Day Challenge.
Unlike most challenges, it has a very creative practical art-making side, but that’s because I’m an artist and I coach artists.
A challenge to learn Microsoft Excel would have you in front of your computer using spreadsheets.
Q.7 What 5-Day Challenge do you recommend?
It depends on what you need to learn. In today’s internet age, there are challenges for absolutely everyone. Some have general appeal (like Amplify.). I recently heard of one for healthcare workers who knit, which is a lot more specific.
Helen Tudor regularly presents a Get Leads From LinkedIn Sprint Challenge, which takes novices on LinkedIn and teaches them how to make money on the platform.
Within Helen’s challenge, there are brilliant tips for artists and other creatives on growing your network.
Pronunciation coach Jennie Reed often runs challenges for L2 English users to give their pronunciation a boost. You can find out about forthcoming challenges here.
Have YOU got YOUR ticket to Amplify.?
Our language hub tries to run at least one free online event per year.
If you are an artist, designer, maker and/or creative thinker – the Amplify. challenge is for you!
Make sure you are on our Mailing List to be first to hear about the next one.
5-Day Challenges for English Learning
Hopefully, this blog has given you an overview of the format and inspired you to use the phenomenon of 5-Day Challenges to get an English workout, as well as all the good information they can bring.
If you select the right challenge for you well, you’ll not only get Engish practice, you’ll get loads of good – even life-changing advice.
