Introduction

This question is one that I get all the time. Many clients want to know how much time they should spend learning English and what types of activities will help them get better at it. In this article, I’ll answer both questions and give you some tips to get started.

Ten minutes a day but the more you practice, the better you’ll become.

You should spend time practicing English every day, but there is no one-size-fits-all answer on the exact number of hours you should devote to studying. Instead, you need to find a way that works for you and stick with it. The most important thing is to be consistent. It’s not just about the amount of time you spend studying English but also how often you do it. Your goal should be to practice at least 3-5 times a week so that your brain will get used to the language and eventually “automatize” your knowledge (this means making the neural connections needed to communicate fluently using new grammar and vocabulary).

If you can only find 10 minutes a day, that’s ok! Set aside those 10 minutes to  practice and you WILL see progress. However, if you really want to see improvement, you’ll need to dedicate a bit more time than that to your learning.

It’s important to make it a habit you can stick to.

We want to develop a habit that is easy to stick to so that we are consistent with it over time. It may do more harm than good to study for 3 hours one day and then feel so exhausted and frustrated with your progress that you don’t study again for months! So to develop consistent habits, we want to make practicing and learning English as natural and easy as possible. We want to remove all obstacles from our paths so we create a positive habit.

Create an English-Ecosystem.

One way to develop a consistent habit is to create something I call an “English-Ecosystem.” I’ve found that the most effective language learners I know change their “habitats” to include as much English as possible. For example:

• They only watch series and films in English (with subtitles)
• They often read books in English
• They use their commute times to listen to English
• They jump at every chance they have to practice speaking with other English speakers
• They make friends with English speakers and socialize in English
• They put their phones and computers in English
• They keep journals in English
• They talk to themselves (rehearse conversations) in English at home

You could try incorporating some of these practices in your “habitat” and easily make English-learning a habit.

Try to make practicing English something fun and enjoyable.

Another key to developing and English habit it to make your studying more enjoyable and fun. The best way to do this is by finding ways that make it something challenging or competitive or social, rather than just sitting down alone in your room doing exercises for hours on end. This can be something like playing games online with other people who are learning English as well, taking part in competitions where you have to write an essay or give an interview about something, or even playing games together like charades or boggle while everyone else studies! By having these other activities mixed into the studying process instead of just staying in your room all day by yourself without any distractions, it will make everything seem less boring and more worthwhile overall!

Be sure to USE English as much as possible, not just memorize it.

Although consistency is important, you won’t learn as much or as quickly if all you’re doing is memorizing vocabulary lists or completing grammar exercises. Quality practice is essential, so be sure to USE the language as much as possible.

• Use English in your daily life: talk to people at work, use it on the bus or subway, order in a restaurant, etc.
• Use it with your family: if they don’t speak English well enough to understand you, then teach them! If they do speak English well enough and you can’t understand them because of their accent or dialect — that’s even better!
• Use it with friends: try out new phrases and words on them; ask for help when you need some clarification about a word or phrase that’s unfamiliar to you; play games where one person speaks only in English while everyone else tries their best not only to understand what he/she is saying but also guess what he/she might be trying say next (this was actually an activity I used once while studying abroad).

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, the amount of time you spend studying English every day is up to you. The more you practice, the better you will become. But don’t forget that it’s important to make this a habit that you can stick to. Create an English-Eco-system by completing your daily tasks in English and try making practicing English something fun and enjoyable!

Tell me in the comments: How much time do you spend practicing English?