If you wanna learn something, just name it. Human beings have the ability to absorb all sorts of information and develop any skill they wish. So, when someone is genuinely willing to put effort into learning something new, the sky is the limit. However, when it comes to refining our knowledge or abilities, things get tough, and the sky seems real close.
Take, for example, a novice runner or someone who's obese and has just started on a diet. Both experience tremendous progress at the beginning of their journey. The runner soon gets only a few seconds behind the record they're aiming at. Similarly, the obese person loses a great deal of fat within the first months. Going from nothing to something substantial does not require as much effort as surpassing 1 second of your record time when you're at an advanced stage of training or getting rid of localized fat deposits when you're already lean.
The same goes for language learning. Avid C2 learners always reach a point at which they get stuck. Either knowingly or not, they're on dangerous ground. Learning is a continuous and never-ending process, and C2 users of English gotta watch their backs and take action to avoid learning loss before it's too late. Unfortunately, "use it or lose it" may not be the only motto to follow at this level.
1. Learn your own language first
If you're passionate about languages and linguistics, chances are you already know plenty about your mother tongue. Either way, get hold of a good, unabridged (L1) Grammar book and read it thoroughly. While doing so, if there's anything you don't feel entirely in tune with, study that part, and don't forget to make notes. When you finish, keep the book and your notes for reference. Being able to compare both languages is an essential step in the process of language acquisition - and further consolidation.
2. Question yourself
Most of the time, teachers or native speakers won't correct you, even if you ask them to. Because they are tiny-tiny mistakes (e.g., wrong preposition usage), which do not hinder communication, people tend to turn a blind eye to them so as not to break conversation flow. In fact, most won't take notes and/or will forget to talk to you about any of your mistakes later on. Errors, mistakes, fossilized errors... You'll never know! As a result, even if you frequently ask others to correct you, big chances are they will not. Since detail should be your goal at this point, question yourself whenever you produce - or are about to produce - language, and if you're unsure, look it up!
3. Be curious and attentive
Watch out for new vocabulary as language comes along. Actively observe 100% of the time. Also, don't be lazy: whenever you come across something new, look it up in an English (monolingual) dictionary. If that's still not enough, look for examples. Remember you can use any online or offline dictionary or tool, just pick the one that suits you best.
4. Translate when necessary
If examples are still not doing their job or you can't see the difference between the new piece of vocab and a common synonym, try translating and comparing examples. Although many claim that translation could hinder communication and shorten vocabulary retention span, it is undeniable that this is not the case for C2 learners/ users of the language. Instead, it helps them comprehend and understand the nuances that distinguish different - but very similar - meanings. Being a synonym doesn't mean being the same; words exist for a reason, and each conveys a specific meaning, connotation, and/or feeling within context.
5. Keep a vocabulary record
Create a database and engage with new vocab as much as you can. Use it productively, and whenever an item becomes consolidated knowledge, move it to a secondary database, to be used for reference. Besides that, you can always move items back to the primary database if necessary.
6. Study
If English is part of your job or you're going to sit for an exam, you have to study. Sometimes, you want - or feel you need - to review something. My advice is: study at least 20 minutes - and no more than 1h15m - a day. Make the most of this time. Use it especially to learn grammar and produce language.
Moreover, if you can't study every day, make it a weekly goal. For instance, if you decide to study 30 minutes a day, then your weekly goal is 30 x 7, that is, 3h30m. You could set a timer on your phone and use it during the week to make sure you've reached your goal.
7. Produce language
Keep a journal in English and write at least twice a month (700-1500 words total). Practice different styles of writing and register. This means you can either free write or write an essay, article, letter, report, academic paper, etc. Use a language checker or find someone who can proofread for you.
As for speaking practice, prepare and present one talk per week (5-10 minutes each). Find something meaningful to discuss and vary the language (register, specific jargon, vocabulary, etc.). If you don't have anyone to speak/ present your talk to, record yourself and listen back later. As you do so, try to identify any mistakes you may have made. But if you have someone to talk to on a weekly basis, all the better!
And as mentioned above, you can use your study time for language production practice.
Finally, think in English whenever possible and look up anything you don't know how to say.
8. Be exposed
Surround yourself with authentic language. TV series, podcasts, YouTube videos, movies, news, TED talks... the more, the merrier! No subtitles, or if you still need them, try closed captions/subtitles in English only! Vary your series by theme: medical, legal, crime, sports, etc. Set your smartphone to English and have it with you while watching so you can quickly look up new vocab if needed. Lastly and most importantly, read as much as you can! Using an e-book reader is also a good way to go, mainly because looking up words can be much more practical.
9. Don't overload yourself
Do what you can according to your schedule. If you never get to study the amount of time you'd set out for the week, reduce it. Just make sure you're all in the whole time. And if you're tired, rest; take a nap. Also, have a good night's sleep. That's when new information is consolidated in your brain. So, don't feel guilty and let go of the results. Do your part and have fun during the process of learning. Be patient. After all, you'll be learning for your lifetime.
On the whole, these are just guidelines and tips for you to consider and choose from according to your routine and learning style. Repeat/imitate, think in English, breathe the language: whatever your preference is. Just don't stop!
Finally, I'll leave you with this great TED talk on the subject:
Image by Наталия Когут
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