Many people who want to learn Russian don’t achieve their goal because of a very common reason. They have no time to learn Russian. Are you one of these busy people? Then this article is for. I am going to tell you 5 daily activities everyone can use for learning Russian. Even when you have no time to learn Russian!
Really no time to learn Russian?
Before I reveal the 5 daily activities that everyone can use for learning Russian, I want to ask you a question. Do you really have no time to learn Russian? I know that all of us are busy nowadays. How can you learn a difficult language such as Russian when you must work, study, exercise, meet friends, be on social media, read a self-development book, and watch a show on Netflix? The answer is simple but not popular: Prioritize and sacrifice!
We all have 24 hours a day and can decide how to spend this precious time. In the end, everyone is equally busy or not. It only depends on your priorities. Consequently, you must be honest and decide how important learning Russian is to you. How bad do you want to speak Russian? Maybe you will need to sacrifice something else in order to achieve your goal and speak Russian. I always recommend this option first because learning a new language requires concentration.
Thus, it is more useful if you carve out some time and do a “focus-session” than relying on multitasking. Please, take a moment and ask yourself, “Is it possible to sacrifice a few minutes of social media, Netflix, chill time, or even work?” You should know that the reward is speaking Russian. It definitely is a huge reward. Okay, let’s say you asked yourself and came to the conclusion that it’s impossible to prioritize your Russian studies. Then you should make use of the following 5 activities.
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1. Use commuting for learning Russian
This activity may not be necessary for many people now. However, I am sure that it will become a regular activity again after the time of lockdowns, home office, and homeschooling. As long as we cannot beam ourselves to places, we must commute.
This is a good opportunity to learn Russian. I see that many people take out their smartphones when they are on a train, bus, or metro. This is valuable advice for all busy people who have no time to learn Russian. Whenever you take out your smartphone, you should ask yourself, “Do I need to write an important text message, email, or make an important phone call?” If you answer this question with no then you can use this time for learning Russian.
I prefer listening to a podcast when I commute. More challenging tasks such as repeating vocabulary or learning Russian grammar are not efficient during commuting. There are too many distractions on the metro that prevent you from concentrating.
2. Busy people make use of small activities
Now you probably want to know what small activities are. I define them as the things we do to get ready for main activities. For example, grooming or dressing yourself.
When you get ready for a date then there is a high chance that you spend some time in the bathroom. Use this time for learning Russian. You can talk to yourself in Russian. This means that you just say words that are related to the small activity. This is a great exercise to learn new relevant vocabulary. However, the small activities don’t last very long and so limit your study volume.
3. Cooking is a common activity
Cooking definitely demands more time than changing pants. I use this activity to improve my listening skills with the help of podcasts. But you can also improve your Russian speaking skills by mentioning what you do. Cooking is a great topic to be creative and invent funny stories. You can imagine being the host of a cooking show and tell the audience about your cooking performance.
Admittedly, some people prefer to eat out or have the privilege that their mom prepares some tasty oatmeal every morning. If this is the case then I recommend that you consider using the next activity for learning Russian.
4. Eating offers many opportunities to busy people
This is indeed a necessary activity. This one is very difficult to avoid. It is one of my favorite situations when I learn Russian since it is easy to create a habit. For example, I have a morning routine that allows me to watch Russian videos during eating my breakfast.
Generally, you can use many different learning methods besides eating. Busy people can apply the classic “no time to learn Russian” methods such as podcasts and YouTube videos. However, you can also do reading or grammar exercises while enjoying fresh Pelmeni. Consequently, eating is a powerful activity to establish a diverse Russian routine.
5. Being on the toilet is almost a fous-session
Finally, I can introduce you to my favorite activity when there is no time to learn Russian. Similar to eating, I wouldn’t recommend skipping the activity “being on the toilet” for too long. As a result, everyone can make use of this inevitable behavior.
Furthermore, you are able to focus only on Russian. There are no noticeable distractions compared to commuting for example. Moreover, you can choose from a pool of learning methods. Basically, there are no limits.
Being on a toilet is very close to a real focus-session. You can listen to a podcast, watch videos, talk to yourself, read a book, revise vocabulary, or do grammar exercises. Consequently, this activity is a great opportunity for everyone who has no time to learn Russian. Especially, people who prefer longer toilet meetings will benefit from this activity.
No "no time to learn Russian" anymore
Don’t forget that the most valuable activity will always be a focus-session. Therefore, you should try to change your priorities when possible and carve out some time for learning Russian. When you came to the conclusion that you have no time to learn Russian, then you can make use of the 5 daily activities everyone must do. These are commuting, small activities, cooking, eating, and being on the toilet.
