What happens when you stop studying English? Iโm sure many of you have thought about this before.
Will your English get worse? Will you still be able to have conversations? And what can you do to prevent this from happening?
Today I want to look in more depth at language attrition (the opposite of language learning), and at the same time demonstrate some incredibly useful English conjunctions.
This episode will focus on subordinating conjunctions (I also have two other episodes on coordinating conjunctions and paired conjunctions). Subordinating conjunctions allow us to connect sentence clauses together.
Letโs practice using these conjunctions and discuss English learning in todayโs episode of Thinking in English Grammar!
Listen Here!
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTubeInteractive Transcript!
You Can Now Read and Listen at the Same Time With an Interactive Transcript!
Grammar Lesson
A subordinating conjunction is a word (or group of words) that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause.
A dependent clause is not a full sentence (like โyou studyโ). An independent clause can be a full sentence (like โyou wonโt pass the examโ). And subordinating conjunctions join these two things (โUnless you study, you wonโt pass the examโ).
There are too many subordinating conjunctions in English to discuss them all, but here are some of the most common:
1. Because (shows reason)
- I stayed inside because it was raining.
2. Although / Even though / Though (shows contrast)
- Even though itโs expensive, many people buy it.
3. If (shows condition)
- You can go out if you finish your homework.
4. When (shows time)
- When I was a child, I loved cartoons.
5. While (can show time or contrast)
- She cooked dinner while I set the table. (time)
- While I like pizza, I donโt eat it often. (contrast)
6. As soon as (immediate time)
- Iโll call you as soon as I get home.
7. Until (up to a point in time)
- Donโt leave until you finish your work.
8. Before / After (sequence of time)
- We ate dinner before we watched the movie.
9. Since (time or reason)
- I havenโt seen her since last year. (time)
- Since youโre here, letโs start the meeting. (reason)
10. Unless (negative condition)
- You wonโt pass unless you study.
11. Where / Wherever (place)
- He follows her wherever she goes.
Structure
Youโll notice there are two different patterns when using subordinating conjunctions.
[Independent Clause] + [Subordinating Conjunction + Dependent Clause]
- I went home because I was tired.
[Subordinating Conjunction + Dependent Clause], [Independent Clause]
- Because I was tired, I went home.
Both are correct, but make sure to use a comma when the sentence starts with the subordinating clause.
What happens if you stop studying English?
This is a question that many English learners, probably all English learners, will eventually ask themselves, especially when they’ve reached a point where communication feels natural.
Because you can understand movies, hold conversations, and write emails in English without too much difficulty, you might believe you no longer need to study.
But is this true?
I [00:06:00] want to talk about this today. Learning English is not the same as riding a bicycle. While you never truly forget how to ride a bike, you can forget how to speak, write or understand a language, even though you once used it fluently.
This is due to a natural process called language attrition, which describes the gradual loss of language ability over time. It happens when you no longer practice or use the language regularly.
Studying, Using, and Maintaining English
But first, I think I need to take a moment to clarify something important. What does it actually mean to “stop studying English”?
Whether, you are reviewing grammar, watching English news with subtitles, writing notes in English, or actively learning new vocabulary, you are studying.
So when I say “stop studying”, I [00:07:00] mean stopping intentional and structured learning, not just skipping a lesson or two.
It’s also important to distinguish between studying and using English. While these two activities often overlap, they have different purposes.
Studying is focused, targeted, and designed to improve specific skills.
Using English, on the other hand, refers to applying what you already know in real life conversations, emails or on social media.
Although using English in your daily life helps maintain fluency, it doesn’t always help you grow. For example, you might speak with friends in English every day, but if you are always using the same simple phrases, your grammar and vocabulary may stop developing. You won’t grow unless you [00:08:00] challenge yourself with new input and new situations.
Because studying often introduces you to unfamiliar language, it pushes your boundaries. Using English without studying can help preserve your current level, but it rarely takes you to the next one.
Also, it’s very important to mention that people experience different effects if they stop studying. The consequences of stopping depend greatly on the depth of your current knowledge and experience.
If you are a beginner or lower intermediate learner, stopping your studies can lead to rapid loss. Since your foundations are not yet strong, your brain hasn’t had enough time to store language deeply. Before you know it, words and grammar structures disappear, and you may feel like you are starting from [00:09:00] zero.
Even though advanced learners are more stable, they’re not safe from decline either. You may retain your basic skills, but your academic vocabulary, precise grammar and listening comprehension can still weaken over time, especially if you are not exposed to high level English regularly.
While some people might think they finished learning English, language learning is never truly finished. You may be fluent, but there’s always more to learn. New words, expressions, cultural references, context specific phrases.
Unless you keep pushing your limits, your English won’t grow, and in time it may even shrink. After you’ve reached a certain level, it’s okay to focus more on maintaining than advancing, but even maintenance requires effort.
As soon as you stop making time [00:10:00] for English, you are at risk of losing progress, whether that’s your vocabulary, pronunciation, or motivation.
Where you are on your learning journey also matters. Wherever your current level is, beginner, intermediate, advanced, you should develop a realistic plan.
Some people need daily practice. Others can simply read or listen regularly.
What Actually Happens?
So, what actually begins to change as soon as you stop studying.
First, your vocabulary starts to fade.
Because languages are made up of thousands of words, your brain needs to regularly refresh those words through use.
If you stop engaging with English even briefly, the first thing that tends to disappear is vocabulary. The more complex or less frequently used words will go first. You might forget a few synonyms here and [00:11:00] there or struggle to recall idioms.
Before long, you may find it difficult to describe your thoughts clearly. You’ll pause, hesitate, or even switch to your native language. This can happen even though you once had strong vocabulary skills.
While vocabulary is usually the first to go, fluency is not far behind. Fluency is your ability to speak or write smoothly without too much effort. When you are constantly surrounded by English through conversations, books, podcasts, or lessons, fluency improves.
But if that input disappears, your fluency suffers. Although the change is gradual, it’s very real. You’ll start forming sentences more slowly. You may forget how to structure complex ideas.
Since fluency depends on speed, rhythm, and confidence, any pause in [00:12:00] your learning can have effects.
Another effect of stopping studying is the return of old grammar mistakes. Even though you once mastered the past perfect or conditionals, you might start second guessing yourself.
Because grammar rules are often deeply tied to repetition and reinforcement, they fade quickly if not practiced. Unless you practice these structures regularly, your writing and speaking will slowly become less accurate.
You may revert to simpler sentence patterns, even though you used to express yourself with much more sophistication.
Some learners assume that passive skills like listening and reading are safer from decline, but this isn’t entirely true. While these skills are more resilient, they’re still vulnerable.
After a few months without reading [00:13:00] English texts, you might find certain articles harder to understand, and when you return to listening to fast-paced podcasts or news reports, you may feel overwhelmed.
This is particularly true if you haven’t been regularly exposed to different accents or informal speech. As soon as you stop surrounding yourself with English, your brain starts forgetting how to process it effectively.
And perhaps the most painful impact of stopping your English studying is the loss of confidence. Even though your skills might not have disappeared entirely, the feeling that they have can be just as damaging.
You begin to avoid situations that require English. You hesitate to speak in meetings. You feel anxious when someone unexpectedly asks you a question in English.
This happens because [00:14:00] confidence comes from practice, not just ability. And since we are emotional learners as well as intellectual people, that confidence must be maintained like any other skill.
Is It All Bad?
Although everything I’ve discussed so far sounds negative, the truth is much more hopeful. You can stop the decline and in many cases reverse it and keep improving.
The key is to study smarter.
While full-time classes and hours of homework can certainly help, they aren’t always realistic. Whether you are working full time, taking care of family, or dealing with other things, you can still maintain your English through small, consistent habits.
Because the brain responds well to repetition and variety, try mixing listening, speaking, reading, and writing into your week.
[00:15:00] Listen to a podcast while cooking. Watch a YouTube video after dinner. Read a news article before bed. Speak to yourself in English when no one’s around. Or write a short journal entry every few days.
Do these things, even if you are not taking a formal class. They might seem small, but they add up. Unless you make English part of your life, it will slowly disappear from your mind.
So what happens if you stop studying English?
You forget vocabulary. You lose fluency. You make more mistakes. You understand less. You feel less confident. And perhaps most importantly, you are disconnected from a skill that you took years to build.
But none of this is permanent.As soon as you recognize the risk, you can take steps to protect [00:16:00] yourself. And since you are listening to Thinking in English right now, you are already doing that.
Final Thought
Today I’ve introduced you all to some important English subordinating conjunctions. After explaining how to use these conjunctions, I tried to demonstrate the grammar through a discussion of language attrition. What happens when you stop studying English?
Now you have listened to this episode and the grammar lesson, let’s practice your English.
Why not try to answer the following questions in the comments on Spotify or on my blog or on YouTube or Patreon? Use the grammar you’ve learned today!
What will happen to your English ability as soon as you stop studying?
Extended Vocabulary List
Become a Patreon Subscriber to Access the Extended Vocabulary List!
Vocabulary Games and Activities!
Learn and practice vocabulary from this Thinking in English episode.
Practice using 5 different study games and activities – including writing, listening, and memorisation techniques!
Flashcards
Matching Game
Learning Game
Test Yourself
Listening and Spelling
Do you want to Think in English?
I’m so excited that you found my blog and podcast!! If you donโt want to miss an article or an episode, you can subscribe to my page!
