Welcome back to the Vocabulary Showcase! We say that someone shows ‘potential’ when we believe they are able to do more, or understand more, in future. There are of course many other ways we can say the same thing. Let’s have a look at some synonyms for ‘potential’:

• Capability – “Kevan has the capability to create much more complicated programs for us in future”

• Capacity – “I would say Alice has the capacity to eat at least 3 more apples!”

• Ability – “I believe you have the ability to do better next time”

• Talent – “She is so talented. With that talent she can go to the Olympics”

• Aptitude – “I have the aptitude to complete my studies, but do I have the motivation?”

• Possibility – “When I look at Freddie, I see a lot of possibilities”

• Promise – “Cookie is showing real promise in his dog training!”

Think about your own potential, and the capability you have to improve your English skills. Now think again! 99% of the people I teach think they are less talented than they really are. Languages are difficult to master. They are difficult to use at all!

What talents do you want to nurture (help them grow)? Are you a budding artist? A dancer? A fantastic speech maker? Let me know in the comments! What advice do you have for other learners to help them realise their potential (get to their maximum skill level)?