And the question is, how can I maintain my level of English if I don't have time for it?

I think it's a very relatable and relevant question because we're all busy.

And not only do you have to make time for your work, family, leisure, but also for your English if you want to maintain your level.

It's absolutely necessary, otherwise you lose it.

Our brains operate by the principle, if you don't use it, you lose it.

So let's talk about it.

I'll suggest my tips on what, in my opinion, will work best.

And share tried-and-true ways based on our experience, my husband's and mine.

And you guys, feel free to share your thoughts, advice, and experiences in the comments.

I think it'll be very helpful for everyone, so let's help each other out.

First of all, the higher your level of English is, the easier it is to maintain it.

And the things you will do to maintain it will also depend on your current level.

The higher the level, the more options you'll have to play around with and try.

When you can't find time for working on your English at all, you need to either a. reconsider your daily activities.

There might be some things you do that consume your time without giving you any value, like spending hours scrolling through TikTok.

Many people use this habit as a form of escape, thinking that they're relaxing by watching funny videos.

I'm guilty of this myself.

There are many reasons why it's not good for you and is unhealthy, but I won't get into that now.

Let's just agree that it's a waste of time.

I'm not saying that you should use this time to study English per se, but you could at least spend it more pleasantly and valuably by, let's say, watching shows in English as an alternative.

This way you can improve your listening and speaking skills in English by repeating what you hear in those shows.

Or there might be something else consuming your time that you could get rid of to free up some time for working on your English.

Another issue might be that you don't feel like working on your English after a long day of work or activities, even if you do have a couple of free hours, and that's normal.

We are human beings and we need rest, especially our minds, even after a fun and active day off.

In this case, there's option B, incorporate English into your life seamlessly.

Squeeze it into your schedule between the cracks, so to speak.

This is also known as passive learning or passive acquisition, which absolutely works.

It won't bring you the same results as active learning, but it'll work perfectly for maintaining your current level in English.

I mentioned my husband at the beginning for a reason.

He absolutely passively brought his English from zero to a very good level, where he could even speak it and was able to express himself in a way that others could piece what he was saying up and understand.

And where he could understand almost everything he heard in English.

Now he's actively trying to improve it, of course.

And the only thing my husband did for years was just listen.

When I was on my active English learning journey, I had a rule for myself.

At one point, I started doing everything in English, including, but not limited to, watching movies and shows.

I'd watch a lot and so did my husband with me.

He wasn't very pleased with this at first, but he came around after a little while.

And eventually he didn't mind and even loved it.

Anyway, most of the time English was in his background.

And believe it or not, but this was enough for him to develop not only his listening skills, but also his speaking skills.

To a certain extent, of course.

And for someone who has at least some level of English, this will be very helpful.

So if I were you and didn't have time for English, but wanted to maintain the level I had, I'd start with this.

I'd always have English in the background.

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Let's make a scenario about ordering coffee in a coffee shop.

Hi there.

What can I get for you today?

Okay, so here you have to improvise and just speak.

Good morning.

Can I get a latte with dairy-free milk?

Of course, we have a few different dairy-free milk options available.

Which one would you like in your latte?

What kind of options do you have?

We offer almond milk, soy milk and oat milk as dairy-free options.

What would you prefer in your latte?

Do you happen to have coffee?

Great job.

How did you feel during the role-playing activity?

Was there anything that you found challenging or anything that you particularly enjoyed?

Well, I enjoyed that I didn't have to pay money for my latte.

Haha, yes, that's definitely a perk of a role-playing activity.

Okay, well that was really, really cool.

I loved it.

You guys should definitely try it.

Another thing you could do is listen to English podcasts or audiobooks while commuting, cooking or exercising.

This way you can make use of the time when you're physically busy but also utilizing it for some mental work.

You can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

Another way to effortlessly incorporate English into your busy daily life could be by making shopping lists or to-do lists in English, if you make them at all.

It'll help you stay fresh with your vocabulary, use English daily and it'll also help you think in English.

You could also do something as simple as counting in English or naming numbers in English.

This might sound insignificant but it's a very good way to work on your speaking skills and also make your brain think in English.

I've noticed that whenever people need to name numbers in English, they automatically do this in their native language either in their minds or out loud because it's a very automated process in their heads.

They don't even think twice about it.

But if you start practicing naming numbers and counting in English, you'll notice that it's not that easy at first but eventually it'll give you some positive results.

You can count money in English, count in English when exercising, you can name a phone number in English, etc.

Read, read, read.

I'm not suggesting you start reading books in English because obviously you need to have free time for this unless you're an avid reader and you often read books.

In this case, I'd suggest switching to reading books in English.

But if you're not, there's another way.

We all use the internet daily to find information on various topics.

So try to search for that information in English.

Why read?

Because not only does it increase your vocabulary but it also improves your grammar and helps you start thinking in English without even realizing it.

Another thing you could try is texting with a friend in English.

My friend does this with me and it helps her practice her English daily.

And last but definitely not least is speaking.

However, this one is very tricky.

It'll probably be the hardest thing to maintain if you really don't have time for English.

And I honestly don't have a practical and effective suggestion for maintaining your speaking skills in English at your current level without making time for it.

The one thing I can think of is shadowing.

You could practice shadowing in English and it would definitely help you with your speaking skills.

Not only to maintain your level but also to improve it.

However, again, it does take some time and effort.

So if you guys have any suggestions on how to maintain your speaking skills in English at your current level without making time for it, please share with us in the comments.

And of course, if you have any other ways or ideas on how to maintain your current level of English in general, please also drop them in the comments.

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And that would be it from me.

Thank you for your questions and for watching my videos.

And I'll see you in the next one.