New Lawyer: “I Have No Time To Learn English”

Read this article in English | 11-05-2010| How to Learn Spanish

A student of mine, with her new law degree and a two new jobs in two different lawyer’s offices, morning and evening, and who until recently was advancing very nicely in her weekly English class here in Murcia, sent me an e-mail this weekend to tell me about problems she’s having with her new schedules:

No Time?

Hi!! Having lots of problems with my English

Since I started in the office, I don’t have time for anything, I’ve got a REALLY TOUGH SCHEDULE from 9 to 2 and from 4:30 to 8;30….I get home around 9.

There giving me a hard time on my Master’s too. We’ve got ourselves into work groups and I have extra homework I have to try and to during the week and I haven’t got any time.

It makes me very angry, because I’d got a good rhythm going and I think I could really advance this time and even manage to really speak English, one day.

I don’t know, I’ve still got lots to learn at work.

I don’t really know what I’m going to do with my English, Matthew….

Learning English Takes A Long Time

First of all, don’t get over anxious about not being able to have your English class for the moment because of the demands of your new timetables – the effort you’ve already put in is worth a lot.

You’re only going to get discouraged if you start to worry because you think you’re going to forget what you’ve learnt, as well as trying to juggle two new jobs and a Master’s. You’re very intelligent, you’ll see how you keep learning!

Learning English is not exactly like learning to ride a bike, but it’s similar in that you’re not going to forget everything you knew before you started having classes with me (as we’ve seen during the classes) nor will you forget what you have learn over the last few months.

Learning a language is a long-term project, some would say as long as your whole life. You cannont learn one in a day, a week or even a month so don’t worry, you’ll learn.

Many People Don’t Have Time, And Make Progress

Your new schedules are more complicated but I would tell you that all of my students have the same problems. Almost all of them are doctors, lawyers and businessmen so you’re in good company!

It has even occurred to me lately that if it weren’t for me going to their offices and interrupting what they were doing, they wouldn’t learn any English at all – simply because they have no time outside of their work and they need someone to go along and encourage them.

Apart from their jobs, they have their children, their house, their husband or wife, their mother-in-law, the cat and the gym.

So there’s another option for you, at the start of your new professional life – I could go and give you your class in one of your new workplaces if you can find a moment.

And if not, just let time go by for a while and have a good look at your new schedules, you’ll see how a new gap appears so that you can start your English classes again and we can go back to the old plan.

English Exercises For Those With Busy Schedules

In the meantime, in your current situation, I recommend you try and do some of the following exercises:

• have a look at the news in English, either on the internet or on TV;
• watch a film in English once a week;
• listen to songs you like in English and buy an mp3 player to carry in your handbag;
• grab an English novel, paperback size, also to carry in your handbag. It doesn’t matter what it’s about, the most important thing is that you feel like reading it. I have another lawyer student who, for as much serious work she might have every day, loves to read romantic novels in English because it helps here to relax a little as well.

If at the same time you can jot down the phrases and words you don’t understand, all the better but don’t stress about it – just doing some of these activities will be enough to maintain your English and even make some progress without really realising.