At English Services, we use the Points of You® method to help our students develop as persons and as professionals in a productive, dynamic, and innovative way. In our Points of You® workshops, our certified facilitators lead activities that improve language fluency while developing power skills.
Let’s talk about this innovative method.
The Beginnings of the Points of You® Method
The inspiration for the Points of You® method comes from the film Pay It Forward. Israeli coaches Efrat and Yaron met in Israel in the early 2000s. Both had seen the movie and were deeply moved by it. Inspired by the story, they wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and created a namesake nonprofit. The nonprofit’s aim was to make personal development tools available for the underprivileged.
The project took off and they decided to make a few changes to the coaching process and make it more intuitive and less deductive. And more fun as well. It took Efrat and Yaron nine months to develop the game, which sold out fast. The English version came out in 2009. Since then, they have created workshops and the Training Certification Program.
Everything around us has countless pints of view. When we don’t understand something or someone, it is probably because our perspective is too limited for us to see.
What Is the Points of You® Method?
In a nutshell, the method consists of reacting to images and metaphors. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds. The blend of images and words followed by a question elicits new associations, feelings, and insights that mark the start of the participants’ discovery journey.
One of the cornerstones of the Points of You® method is the interaction between the intuitive and emotional right brain and the logical and analytical left brain. This collaboration occurs when an image stimulates the creativity of the right brain, and the accompanying word motivates the analytical left brain.
As a result, participants begin to see new points of view, and consider different aspects of an issue. They connect with themselves and with others, engaging in an open, meaningful conversation. They work out their disagreements and cooperate rather than compete against each other. This method can be applied to any situation, even English lessons, where students learn new vocabulary while expressing themselves.
The Method, Step by Step
Pause
Pausing allows us to silence the inner chatter and turn off the autopilot, so that we can look deeper.
Expand
We get out of our comfort zone and embrace new opportunities and insights.
Focus
Guiding questions help us shift our perspective and focus on which of the new possibilities is right for us.
Doing
We outline the steps of our new action plan.
We use the Points of You® method in our double impact workshops. Participants develop soft skills, acquire new vocabulary and language structures, and improve fluency in a safe and motivating learning environment.
