You have some good foreign language skills and are thinking: how can I maintain these skills long-time? How can I maintain language learning on a daily/regular basis? I’ll share with you today some tips on how to include language learning into your daily routine and ways to maintain this habit long-term.
Follow your interests
I think we learn best if we’re interested / passionate about the learning subject. When we start learning a foreign language, we’re interested in the grammar (oh yes, some people are J) new vocabulary, unusual cultural habits, etc. After some time all of those aspects can become known and more ordinary. To keep the learning process going well, we may need to include our general interests in our language learning routine. For example, I enjoy watching stand-up comedy and cabaret. I usually watch it in Polish or English, but recently I’ve started doing so in Czech (as I want to maintain those language skills). In other words, you can follow your interests in the language you want to maintain.
Just do it
You may analyse, think about it, research about it, but never actually do it! So, one day, just start listening / reading / watching something in the language you want to maintain (one activity). It’s as easy as that. It may not be perfect, you may not be ready, you may not understand much. Don’t worry, just take that first step.
Keep going
Finally, every time you want to read the news, listen to a podcast, or watch a documentary, try to find it the language you want to maintain until it becomes habit and you naturally follow it every time in the language you want to maintain. Now I watch stand-up shows only in Czech & then torture my family by making them join me 😉
To inspire you further, I’ve written about getting back to language learning here and there’s another post by my colleague here I’ve also reviewed a book about maintaining language skills here.
How do you maintain your foreign language skills? What’s your secret method? Please let me know in the comments below.
BTW, Learn more, pay less this summer: What?! A new offer?! Yes!! Taking into account the current global situation, we’ve created a new fee offer: you can claim £5 off when enrolling on our September and Autumn courses and paying £135 or more. The promotional code is bls20. The offer is valid throughout July and August (till 31/08/20). Enrol now and pay less!
Kinga Macalla