Finding time for English
Practical ideas to get more English into your life
Hello!
Do you struggle to find time for your English? I’m not very good at finding the time for language learning myself so I know what it’s like!
In last week’s post, we talked about time management in general. Improve that, and you can find more time for the things you want to do in life, including learning English.
Read it here if you missed it. And to make sure you don’t miss any future posts, sign up below:
Now let me give you some practical ideas for how you can get more English into your daily life.
1. Do two things at the same time
💙 Listen to a podcast, audiobook or music while you’re cooking or cleaning.
💙 Listen to a YouTube video while you’re exercising. Some videos, like TED talks, don’t require you to look at the screen and you can just listen.
💙 Read or listen to something in English on the bus or train on the way to work.
💙 Talk to your family in English while you’re having dinner.
💙 While waiting at the bus stop or for your appointment, grab your phone and do a few minutes of Duolingo or your favourite learning app.
💙 Practise thinking in English while walking the dog, driving to work or taking a shower. Describe your day, plan tomorrow, or name things you see.
2. Activities that only take a few minutes
💙 Take your vocabulary notebook or flashcards to work with you and review new words when you have a coffee break.
💙 Watch a short video in English or read an article online during your lunch break.
💙 Start a mini journal. Every evening, write just one sentence about your day in English. (Or more if you have time!)
💙 Write a comment in English on a social media post.
💙 Use WhatsApp or a voice recorder to leave yourself a voice message.
3. Do your usual activities but in English
💙 Do some of your daily tasks in English, such as writing your shopping list, to-do list or journal.
💙 Do what you enjoy doing but in English. Watch a film in English, read about sport in English or look at social media posts in English.
💙 Change your phone, social media, or browser language settings to English.
💙 Next time you search for information on Google, try doing it in English.
💙 Follow a recipe in English when cooking - from a website or YouTube channel.
So which of these things are you going to try?
The key to success with English is consistency. Doing some of these small things every day will make a big difference over time. You don’t need to spend hours on your English every day.
See you next week!
Katie 💙
PS “She Speaks English” update
I’ve recently made some changes to my “She Speaks English” programme - including a lower price - to make it easier for more women to join. So now’s a good time to take another look!
If you’re a professional woman and you’d like to feel more confident speaking English at work - in meetings, interviews, or everyday conversations - this programme is designed especially for you!
Love this, Katie! So many practical ideas here - and I often say the same to my clients: it’s not about finding more time, it’s about using the time you already have differently. I especially love the “think in English while walking the dog or taking a shower” tip - so simple, but powerful.
And yes, consistency really is the magic ingredient. Thanks for sharing these bite-sized ways to make English part of everyday life!
I really like these tips! They're very useful and practical. I've recommended some of them to my students as well.