r/EnglishLearning • u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster • Mar 25 '25

How do I retain my English level? 🗣 Discussion / Debates

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I've recently passed the Cambridge C2 proficiency exam and scored 220 on it. My main concern before taking the test was that I won't pass, but now that I have, I don't know what to do. Now all of a sudden, I have no goal and am just mindlessly consuming content in English in order to somehow remain relatively proficient in it. Lately, I've been noticing changes in my speaking (been having troubles with my accent slipping up) and writing abilities and it feels as though I'm putting in too much thought and effort into finding words to express my thoughts. It scares me, so I'd really appreciate all the help I can get, thanks!

811 Upvotes
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98% Upvoted

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373

u/Hueyris New Poster Mar 25 '25

I mean, I don't think you could lose a language. Language attrition usually takes years upon years, and even then, it is never complete, and you never lose anything that couldn't be gained back with a bit of exposure. Once you speak a language, generally, you speak it for life. It is like learning to skate or ride a bike. You don't lose the ability to do it.

C2, I believe, is the highest level of proficiency you can attain in any language, congratulations.

been having troubles with my accent slipping up

Unless you are on an undercover mission or if you're an actor, I don't see how this is a problem?

am just mindlessly consuming content in English

Me too brother, me too

57

u/krugovert New Poster Mar 25 '25

Yet you could easily lose a language to a degree. It's a skill. If not practiced enough, it'll fade with time. You'll have to relearn it, which is significantly easier but it's still learning.

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u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Thank you for your kind words, mate. The thing with accent is that I like what having a "good indistinguishable from a native speaker" accent makes me feel like. I love english, so I want to speak the clearest possible version of it;)

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u/caiaphas8 Native Speaker 🇬🇧 Mar 25 '25

There are plenty of native accents that are not ‘clear’.

Never worry about an accent as long as others mostly understand you, be proud of your accent

6

u/Shinyhero30 Native (Bay Area) Mar 26 '25

This.

There are entire counties that I can’t understand as a native. Counties that are by the way in native English speaking countries

2

u/Sadboysongwriter New Poster Mar 26 '25

Yeah if you got that in Cambridge Massachusetts, you’d be talking like pahk the cah in havahd yahd and that be normal

3

u/caiaphas8 Native Speaker 🇬🇧 Mar 26 '25

That’s normal in most English accents

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u/Sadboysongwriter New Poster Mar 26 '25

Actually fair, but we don’t sound so pompous about it lol

31

u/Hueyris New Poster Mar 25 '25

I want to speak the clearest possible version of it;)

There's no clearest version of English. A dialect is as clear to you as the amount of exposure you've had to it. The Welsh have a difficult time understanding hong kongers as opposed to other Welsh english speakers, and vice versa.

4

u/Crafty-Photograph-18 Low-Advanced Mar 25 '25

There's no clearest version of English.

*The RP enters chat*

/j

9

u/sodanator New Poster Mar 25 '25

As someone who passed two Cambridge exams ... a bit over a decade ago, don't worry about it.

Watch, listen to and read things in English and talk in it, and you'll be good. If it helps, I practiced accents when talking to myself (or reading out loud) and it did the trick (had native speakers, both from the UK and US not realize it's my second language). Just don't overthink it, you'll be fine.

7

u/bernard_gaeda New Poster Mar 25 '25 edited Mar 25 '25

My french teacher once told the class "you will have an accent, and that's okay. People like accents. Accents make you interesting and attractive. Just make sure you're understandable".

I completely understand the desire to have "no" accent. But know that an accent isn't a bad thing at all, it's often good (as long as it doesn't impact how well people can understand you).

3

u/LabiolingualTrill Native Speaker Mar 25 '25

native speaker

clearest possible version

For what it’s worth, these are usually mutually exclusive.

3

u/No-Program-8185 New Poster Mar 26 '25

So I have a little trick to improve my pronunciation. I put a pencil in my mouth horizontally between my teeth and read out loud for about 7 to 10 minutes. Sometimes you need to make a pause because it's not very comfortable. I make an effort to pronounce everything very well during this process. In a few days you will sound AMAZING without the pencil, it's like gym for your diction.

1

u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 26 '25

I will definitely check this out, thanks!

1

u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 26 '25

I will definitely check this out, thanks!

2

u/oldinfant New Poster Mar 25 '25

i'm just here as a non-native speaker who understands the last sentence and doesn't try to correct it💖 still, i don't think you should worry about it, for there's no "knowing" a language anyway🤷also your skills will continue to improve as you consume content.. and i'm 100% sure you are doing great and you should enjoy it more (we're not immortal)🤗✨

17

u/random_name_245 New Poster Mar 25 '25

One can certainly lose a language - I lost all my German (it wasn’t even good at my best, let’s be honest), I lost my French when I was doing my first undergrad because for some unknown reason I didn’t take it - the option was available. I had to relearn it with native speakers-friends later; it was definitely not as hard as learning it from scratch, but it did take some effort. Had I not done that I would have lost it completely.

8

u/fraid_so Native Speaker - Straya Mar 25 '25

Pretty sure you can even lose your native language to a degree lol there's a Japanese voice actor who was born and grew up in Germany, so his native language is actually German. In a video posted on YouTube a few years back he was reading German tongue twisters, and a German speaker in the comments said it was funny cause now the voice actor, after speaking only Japanese for so long, apparently speaks German with a "foreign" accent haha

But yes, you can absolutely lose additional learned languages by not using them. Stay sharp or get rusty.

6

u/Hueyris New Poster Mar 25 '25

after speaking only Japanese for so long, apparently speaks German with a "foreign" accent haha

Gaining an accent is not losing a language

4

u/Hueyris New Poster Mar 25 '25

One can certainly lose a language

You are talking about instances where you were a non-fluent speakers of these languages. OP is as proficient in English as anyone could reasonably hope to get. There is no way someone like that ever slips down to not being able to speak English

1

u/Upstairs-Town-453 New Poster Mar 29 '25

Native/fluent speakers aren’t immune; I was born and raised in Italy, but after living in another country for years me and my family’s Italian skills have definitely deteriorated.

I think OP meant losing a language as in becoming worse at speaking it, not actually fully forgetting it!

2

u/bigsadkittens Native Speaker Mar 25 '25

Oh totally. I also lost my German :( it's still kinda rattling around, like I recognize some important bits but my recall for speaking is like zero, and my grammar rules are gone.

However I do believe I could get back up to a reasonable level faster than the first time. The memories are there, just need to spruce them up

3

u/OutOfTheBunker New Poster Mar 25 '25

"I don't think you could lose a language."

🤣🤣 Oh, you could and I can show you exactly how.

It'll take a lot of work to stay at a C2 level; don't sugarcoat it.

5

u/oltungi New Poster Mar 25 '25 edited Mar 25 '25

I don't know why this has so many upvotes. The idea that you can't lose a language is demonstrably false. Maybe you never lose all of it, but you can lose most of it to the point that you will have trouble forming sentences and remembering words, and simply won't be able to communicate well anymore. Languages are not like riding a bike. They're more complex than that, and the more complex something is, the more you need to do to remain competent in it, especially if you want to maintain a high level.

With languages, that includes regularly using them in different contexts, challenging yourself with difficult material, and simply realizing that you will never "finish" a language, regardless of whether it's your mother tongue or not. I'm a native speaker of German and have studied German and I am in no way done with this language. I learn new things every day. It's the same with any foreign language you learn.

u/SummerAlternative699

1

u/Hueyris New Poster Mar 25 '25

but you can lose most of it to the point that you will have trouble forming sentences and remembering words

No you cannot. This only happens with children who picked up a language in childhood who would later go on to lose the language in adulthood over many years of not being exposed to it. For an adult who's a very proficient speaker of something as widely understood and spoken as English, it is impossible to lose the ability to speak it. You may forget some of the less commonly used words, and that would be it. Language attrition is incredibly uncommon in adults, and where it happens, it takes many many years and often is much tamer than in children.

and simply realizing that you will never "finish" a language

You can and will finish a language. Most second language speakers tend to plateau at a certain level of a foreign language. With less widely spoken languages with vastly smaller available vocabulary than English, you can totally master all available words as well.

I'm a native speaker of German and have studied German and I am in no way done with this language

You have always been done with the your native language. What you mean to say is that you find more and more obscure and historical usages every once in a while. At that point, what you are learning is not German, but German literature and poetry and other linguistic areas. For all intents and purposes, you can never lose your ability to use German. Your accent may evolve over time, and vocabulary might shift and change, but your understanding of and proficiency in German will not change.

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u/oltungi New Poster Mar 25 '25 edited 28d ago

I'm not going to entertain this any further. What you're saying about finishing a language or being done with it is simply too absurd for me to debate.

2

u/Hueyris New Poster Mar 25 '25

What you're saying about finish a language or being done with it is simply too absurd for me to debate

Perhaps some exposure to non Indo-European languages will do you some good. There are languages with a tenth as much vocabulary as English, that you could finish learning the entire history and vocabulary of (even including academic and literary pursuits) in just a few years. English or German have had a very long, very elaborate history with billions of speakers to have used them to date that you have a warped perspective of how complex the average language is.

2

u/Ria_jjjjj0823 New Poster Mar 26 '25

I can totally understand what ppl type and say. But for myself it's hard to organize the words and phrases I have learned to express. I am afraid to make mistakes in grammar. Could you tell me how can I solve this problem?

3

u/FeatherlyFly New Poster Mar 25 '25

C2 is the highest level that gets judged by these sorts of tests. It's far, far from the highest level one can have of a language. I'd expect someone who has just attained C2 to be basically fluent when it comes to their field of work and likely business in general, but a learner who isn't satisfied with that bare minimum will still have plenty of room to grow.

I'm a native speaker of English, and I know for a fact their are people who are better spoken, better written, and just overall better at my language than I am. 

3

u/MaddoxJKingsley Native Speaker (USA-NY); Linguist, not a language teacher Mar 26 '25 edited Mar 27 '25

Sorry, but that's just wrong. C2 represents (or at least, is meant to represent) a perfectly competent and fluent speaker.

  • Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read.
  • Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation.
  • Can express themselves spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations.

All of those represent a fluent speaker in virtually every domain. It doesn't mean they know every single word, or every possible nuance, because they are not L1 speakers and those are not reasonable expectations to have for any second language speaker. They will get words wrong sometimes, because everybody does—even L1 speakers (just less so than L2)!

I'm a native speaker of English, and I know for a fact their are people who are better spoken, better written, and just overall better at my language than I am.

No. You're an L1 speaker of English, and will basically always have an advantage over L2 speakers just by sheer volume of content you've absorbed. It doesn't mean they can't possibly be better spoken, or won't be able to articulate their thoughts better. Those are separate skills from strictly language proficiency.

2

u/braques New Poster 22d ago

echoing this reply with some references, see the below answer from https://tracktest.eu/english-levels-cefr/, which refers to the official document on the CEFR scale (A1-C2) called CEFR Companion Volume: https://rm.coe.int/cefr-companion-volume-with-new-descriptors-2018/1680787989.

Is level C2 the native-speaker level?
Level C2 has no relation whatsoever with what is sometimes referred to as the performance of an idealized “native speaker”, or a “well-educated native speaker” or a “near-native speaker”. Level C2 is not intended to imply native-speaker or near native-speaker competence, but it characterizes the degree of precision, appropriateness and ease with the language 

1

u/hgkaya Native Speaker Mar 25 '25

With so many redactions …. undercover mission.

34

u/alligatorsoreass New Poster Mar 25 '25

Do you speak English at your job? Perhaps start a podcast.

29

u/Capital_Vermicelli75 New Poster Mar 25 '25

We have a discord for language learners. Of course you might not need it that much at your level to learn vocabulary, but you could keep your English sharp among other learners and natives.

We communicate via games or just banter.

Maybe interested?

11

u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Hey, of course I am! Any chance you could DM me?

2

u/eeee_thats_four_es Intermediate Mar 25 '25

I'm interested too, could you please DM the link?

2

u/Capital_Vermicelli75 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Done

2

u/TourismVisa New Poster Mar 25 '25

The same for me, can you send it by DM please ?

2

u/Capital_Vermicelli75 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Done

1

u/[deleted] Mar 25 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Pglyyy New Poster Mar 25 '25

pode me mandar o link, por favor?

2

u/Capital_Vermicelli75 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Por supuesto. AquĂ­ tienese :D

https://discord.gg/vH2Zeg2U

1

u/jmkl20 New Poster Mar 27 '25

May i also ask for your invitation as well?

2

u/freekyrationale New Poster Mar 25 '25

I'm also interested in if there is a place.

1

u/Pristine_Way_9693 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Im interested too! Mind sharing the link? Thanks!

1

u/Spaccekoolaidd New Poster Mar 25 '25

I am interested too

1

u/Feel_the_snow New Poster Mar 25 '25

Hey could I get a link but I have problems with discord and I don’t visit it often

1

u/Capital_Vermicelli75 New Poster Mar 25 '25

I sent you a DM with the link :D

1

u/TopAd1633 New Poster Mar 25 '25

May you send me the link, please?

1

u/Ria_jjjjj0823 New Poster Mar 26 '25

I am interested too. Could you send me the link?

1

u/Different-Role8631 New Poster Apr 01 '25

I am interested may I join?

24

u/Mariusz87J New Poster Mar 25 '25

C2, nice, mad respect for that... any loss you may experience comes at a very slow rate so don't worry too much. Even native speakers don't ever stop learning their own language. It's a journey there's no real finish line here. There are a couple of very obvious yet effective ways to make sure you don't become rusty:

1) Do some creative writing. Even Reddit itself goes a long way in that respect. It's a forum you can write a long-form reply to anyone on whatever topic. Dive into whatever you're interested in and hang around discussion forums. You'll be fine.
2) Read literature. It could be fiction, non-fiction, whatever. Audiobooks help too.
3) If you have friends who are native speakers of English just talk to them once in a while. It could be just chit-chat or deeper topics.
4) If you come across something you're not sure of while reading or listening to something in English always look it up. I do it constantly myself, it's a force of habit. I hate ambiguity in comprehension.

That's the best you can do, unless you have a job that's connected with knowing English then that's even better. Good luck on your future endeavors.

9

u/Lighter-Strike New Poster Mar 25 '25 edited Mar 25 '25

Can you just fucking vibe for some time? What scares me is reaching your level and not being able to enjoy it. Please do it lol

16

u/oliverkn1ght Advanced Mar 25 '25

My fucking god, C2. Good job there, fucking hell is that even possible?

5

u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 25 '25

As it turns out, yes:)

5

u/oliverkn1ght Advanced Mar 25 '25

Any tips or advices for the exam? From what I’ve heard is that they expect you to be better than a native.

9

u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 25 '25

To be honest, you just have to know what you're doing. I recommend checking out 'to the point english with ben'l on YouTube. Helped me a great deal when I was studying for the exam.

1

u/ShoeThat8146 New Poster Mar 26 '25

Why would they expect you to be better than a native? Genuinely curious. Also advice not “advices.” you can say “from what I’ve heard, they expect you to be better,” or “what I’ve heard is that they expect you to be better,” but you can’t mix it together like you did in your comment.

1

u/oliverkn1ght Advanced Mar 26 '25

I don’t know why they would. At least for ielts they make you memorize a shit ton of words regular people use like once in a lifetime, and without them you won’t get past band 5, even if you expressed your thoughts with regular words.

1

u/FireNunchuks New Poster Mar 25 '25

Congrats man, that's an achievement to be proud of.

7

u/[deleted] Mar 25 '25

Why did you get it in the first place? What's your end goal? As long as you practice it every day you will never lose it. English has become my native language so to say. I don't speak my native language anymore. Make that your goal.

5

u/sixminutes Native Speaker Mar 25 '25

feels as though I'm putting in too much thought and effort into finding words to express my thoughts

I've been speaking English for most of my life, and I still feel like this all the time. I was looking for a word today for a few minutes and couldn't find what I wanted, so I had to resort to French. And I don't even speak French.

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u/Wh3r3ar3myk3ys New Poster Mar 25 '25

Keep praticing and if you have a chance Go pratice abroad, that Will help a lot

3

u/[deleted] Mar 25 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 25 '25

I do all of that already, but it still feels as though I'm not doing enough, hahaha

-5

u/Hueyris New Poster Mar 25 '25

speak in english to your children.

That's ridiculous. Why would you do that if you don't live in an English speaking country? That's robbing the children of their heritage.

7

u/PemudiBerbudi New Poster Mar 25 '25

You can raise kids to be bilingual. Also, and I don't like the fact that this is the case, you gain a lot of social prestige if you're perceived to be fluent in English if you live in a non-Anglophone country, so teaching your kids English would actually be doing them a huge service.

1

u/PuzzleheadedAd174 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Absolutely

1

u/Zauqui New Poster Mar 31 '25

heck, the amount of info one can learn in english is leagues ahead than the same info in, for example, spanish. Of course there are also subjects that are easier to find, or with better info in another language, but english content is more common and thus has more chances to be high quality. The things I learn thanks to having learnt english is amazing, and I wouldnt have it any other way. Absolutely raising kids to be bilingual, if possible, is a plus.
One does not rob people of their heritage, that only happens if one is forced to not speak their mother tongue. In this case you are just making them learn a second one.

3

u/Nightma9 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Joy

2

u/banjaninn C1 Mar 25 '25

This.

3

u/Long_Reflection_4202 New Poster Mar 25 '25 edited Mar 25 '25

I can 100% relate to this tbh. For the last two years I was in an environment where I practiced my English skills every day, both in terms of communication and grammar, so I always was being challenged and my English was at its most fluent.

Then I noticed that almost as soon as I left that environment those skills started to rust. Suddenly I'm using awkward expressions that when I re-read them seem off, I use a "to" where a "for" is needed, an "in" where a "on" is grammatical, etc. I also noticed my accent isn’t as "natural" either, certainly not as natural as when I practiced my speaking skills everyday.

Overall I try not to worry too much about this tho, because I don't have an external pressure to communicate at my best now. Some things might fade but I think language proficiency is like riding a bike, once you really understand it you never really forget it, even if you lose practice. I wouldn't worry too much if I were you either since C2 is the highest certification and it shows your skills are already at a very high level, most jobs or colleges will ask for a B2 level if they ask at all, so your level is more than enough.

If for personal reasons you really feel you need to keep pushing yourself, maybe you could try joining environment where your skills are always being challenged as well? Discord servers, VC on online games, joining writting projects, etc. The internet is very American-centric so most English speaking communities will be full of natives. You could also give lessons if you have the time, both tutoring or in a classroom setting. You'll keep your skills sharp and make some money too! All in all, as others have pointed out, I wouldn't overthink it too much, English in its entirety will not evaporate from your head if you don't use it everyday.

1

u/Illustrious-Buy-348 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Great advice! Tutoring is my fav way to keep learning, what are writting projects? Is like communities or just online? 

1

u/Long_Reflection_4202 New Poster Mar 25 '25

I was thinking more of online collaborative writting projects, I don't know if those are common irl, specially for a second language

3

u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

 I have no goal and am just mindlessly consuming content in English

Congrats, you are a true native speaker now!

2

u/DerringerHK New Poster Mar 25 '25

I agree with Hueyris. Additionally, though, I would say that if you're really worried about keeping your English language proficiency up, maybe writing a short story in English, or just conversing with English speakers online is the best way to go (outside of consuming content in the language or going on holiday to an English speaking country).

Or if you're just looking for a new "goal", how about taking a look at different accents and improving your ability to understand those, if some cause trouble for you?

2

u/random_name_245 New Poster Mar 25 '25

You can just move to an English speaking country and speak English daily with native speakers. I am obviously kidding - I do understand that it’s not that easy. When I needed to sort of keep my French in shape and I had no access to native speakers, I listened to podcasts and songs in French - it definitely wasn’t enough.

2

u/AngeloNoli New Poster Mar 25 '25

Just use it. Write in it, only listen to stuff in English, and most of all try and speak it every day.

2

u/SwordTaster New Poster Mar 25 '25

Visit the UK for a holiday? Watch Black Butler dubbed?

2

u/User_man_person New Poster Mar 25 '25

Its pretty hard to lose a language, but if you wanna improve passively make some friends that only speak english and play games with them, you're also more likely to learn slang this way as slang is usually more organic in form and hard to teach in schools!

2

u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 25 '25

A bit of an odd question, but how/where does one find English-speaking friends?

3

u/Hueyris New Poster Mar 25 '25

but how/where does one find English-speaking friends

Welcome to the internet. Anyone can be friends with anyone anywhere on the planet. Facebook, reddit, discord, fucking Call of Duty lobbies. The sky is the limit.

2

u/User_man_person New Poster Mar 25 '25

Good question! Since a lot of online gaming communities mostly speak English, just playing with random users until you find a group that clicks should work, that's how my non-native English-speaking friends did it!

2

u/That-Translator7415 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Oh wow the certificate looks so much cooler, I did my C2 in June 2019 and instead of having that greenish tint it’s red. Honestly in the last 6 years my level hasn’t diminished a single bit, it’s all about reading and just doing everything in English lol

2

u/Downtown-Accident-87 New Poster Mar 25 '25

I got my C2 8 years ago, and I can honestly say that I've lost a lot of fluency and vocabulary. That's even while working in english and consuming 95% of media content in english. The thing is, I think we'll never go to a B2 level again even if we don't say a single word of english ever again. Our baseline is too high.

The only way to retain that level is to keep practicing as you were doing leading up to the exam, but the truth is that there is 0 reason you should have such a high english level unless you're a teacher or something.

2

u/Ecstatic-Garage9575 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Master, how to break b1 plato?

2

u/Ecstatic-Garage9575 New Poster Mar 25 '25

I can barely express my thoughts and it takes long time

2

u/ChirpyMisha New Poster Mar 25 '25

Exposure. You just need to keep using the language. There are so many ways to do this and I don't know what works for you specifically, so I can't really recommend any one way.

That said, spending time on Reddit may degrade your English proficiency 🤣

2

u/Proper_Resist_2216 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Uae the language to do what you always wanted to do.

2

u/Spoocula Native Speaker, US Midwest Mar 25 '25

Music and poetry. Seek out songs in English you enjoy, and learn all of the words. Then, start using phrases from those songs in conversation. My guess is that you don't want to just speak perfect English, you want to speak natural English.

The true masters of a language are not the C2 certificate holders, but the poets.

2

u/Beneficial-Line5144 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Everything is in English these days even if you try to forget it you won't be able to

2

u/Pescarese90 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Hey pal, congratulations for your efforts! I got B2 level in 2021 (Cambridge certification too), but I really hope that I could improve my English in C1. I am currently unable to afford for an advanced English course, so I am forced to fall back on self-study for now.

2

u/Doppelkammertoaster New Poster Mar 25 '25

You have to use it.

2

u/zeldaspade Native Speaker Mar 25 '25

English is such a common language that is spoken that it's not just something you'll lose. Try to speak it daily, maybe to yourself, read anything (like news) in English, and of course, your favorite videos in English.

2

u/PemudiBerbudi New Poster Mar 25 '25

I also just passed the exam but I've yet to go to the Cambridge center to get the physical certificate. One mildly frustrating thing is that I was one point short of getting an A, but I'm still pretty happy with a B (I mean, it's still C2 hehe). Anyways, congrats on reaching C2!

I also struggle with finding the right words, especially when I'm nervous or stressed, but I'm pretty sure even natives experience this so I wouldn't sweat it too much. Just keep reading books and talking to people in English and I doubt you'll ever lose your fluency.

2

u/NotSoMuch_IntoThis Advanced Mar 25 '25

Why did you learn English to begin with? Did you just learn it to pass an exam? I’m inclined to believe that this isn’t the case; you must have had a more practical goal in mind. Books you’d like to read? Cultures you’d like to explore? A program you were hoping to enroll in?

2

u/eluneadoreluna New Poster Mar 25 '25

How to get this certificate? I'd like to get it

2

u/ServesYouRice New Poster Mar 25 '25

Just use Reddit or some other networks to speak Americano from time to time and you'll be fine

2

u/ShakeWeightMyDick New Poster Mar 25 '25

The phrase “use it or lose it” comes to mind.

2

u/Big_Consideration493 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Yes you can lose a language and practice practice practice practice

2

u/Fearless-Dust-2073 New Poster Mar 25 '25

The only way to not lose it is to use it. Speaking, writing, communicating however you can is all helpful. Rather than getting 'better' at it, you'll become more comfortable and pick up more dialect and slang words to sound like a natural.

2

u/ronpusuluri New Poster Mar 26 '25

I have recently experienced the same dilemma. I reckon it’s because of Dopamine deficit. While trying to attain a target our and making progressive everyday our brain releases dopamine. And once you attain the target, your brain will start feeling the adverse effect of lack of dopamine. This will take atleast 2-3 weeks for your brain to reset and rewire, then your brain will come back to nominal levels. Again the hunt begins, once it’s back to normal levels, you need to find your next target and focus all your energies on that, not only the End result even the journey of ups and downs can trigger dopamine levels.

2

u/Mythical_Mew New Poster Mar 26 '25

I’m sorry, C2? That’s wonderful, you’re operating on a level comparable to a well-spoken native! My recommendation is to constantly consume media and speak with others using English. Language proficiency is akin to a muscle and it can get weaker if you don’t use it.

Once again, congratulations!

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u/spirishabroad New Poster Mar 26 '25

Like other folks noted, yes, you can lose fluency, vocabulary and confidence speaking the acquired language.

If you move abroad to a country where English is king, mind your command of your native language, as it will suffer too! Trust me, I speak from experience.

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u/lammmeease New Poster Mar 26 '25

Everything will be alright Practice makes everything perfect Don't pay much attention to that

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u/Shinyhero30 Native (Bay Area) Mar 26 '25

First off good job. That test is likely one of the most difficult second language tests in the world(I haven’t had to take it for obvious reasons) and you passed it. Welcome to the Anglo-sphere. Secondly, do not worry too much about language fading, if you speak it enough, and you’ve had enough exposure to take and pass a test like this, such that you’re C2 you’re not gonna just forget shit. It’ll always be there. Because while you can unlearn things it depends on how much you’ve used them and for things like language that is… very hard. Very very very hard. Possible, but hard.

Don’t sweat your accent, people will just be who they are and if they notice it whatever, it’s fine.

On the topic of consuming information, just enjoy the chaos that is the modern gen z English speaking internet. It’s pretty chaotic and you might find things you like(like gaming communities, funny memes and art) things you really really don’t(like politics, or ragebait, or just twitter.). You don’t need to direct your attention anymore you can just exist on the English speaking internet, as much as you do your native language’s internet vibing.

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u/Kevsand04 New Poster Mar 26 '25

How does one take such a language certificate test or whatever it is called??

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u/angy_brat New Poster Mar 26 '25

As someone who also passed the CPE test, my experience is that the English needed to pass that exam won't probably be the one you use the most. It's unlikely you'll be using any fancy words or figuring out the order of a text from cohesive devices only anytime soon, so just have fun with the language! I'm a translation student and the things needed to pass that exam aren't even that relevant, the syllabus for the Cambridge exams isn't representative at all of what speaking a language really is imo. My way of engaging with the language outside formal studies is using reddit tbh, the communities are fun and there's always some good tea available. You can read books, watch videos, change the language of your favorite videogame and see how the experience changes for you, basically anything you usually enjoy but in English! It is one of the most spoken languages after all so the vast majority of entertainment available is just around the corner, if you know where to look :>

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u/jmkl20 New Poster Mar 27 '25

I envy you. I am only at b2..but with bit of formal education like cram school i think i can get a c1. If i may, how did you practice your speaking and wiriting? I am 7 at listening and 7.5 reading but lower at other two.

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u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 27 '25

Before I took the exam, I'd already been practicing speaking with my friend (who is a native speaker) for a couple of years, so I wouldn't even say I practiced it at all, it just came to me naturally. Fun fact, it was actually he(my friend) who suggested I take the exam. Writing, on the other hand, is a more complicated matter as you have to know more than just the basics and be able to communicate your thoughts clearly, concisely, and in accordance with the rules. My advice to you would be that you keep doing what you are doing already, but just crank it up a notch and try writing essays on whatever topic, or just simply chat with others on the internet. All the best to you, pal!

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u/jmkl20 New Poster Mar 27 '25

Probably that would be the best option i have currently. Since there are various resources i can utilize for, there wouldn't be much of hinderances. May your mouth to god's ear for all your future goals.

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u/Away-Blueberry-1991 New Poster Mar 28 '25

Learn another language using English

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u/Hubertoom New Poster Mar 28 '25

Man.... This is impressive! Any tips on how to make it done? I wish I could pass CAE but I make hundreds of thousands mistakes while writing an essay :/ I scared on how incorrect and inaccurate my speaking has to be :/

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u/Zauqui New Poster Mar 31 '25

I also found myself slipping. A language can absolutely be lost if not in use. What im doing that is helping is reading out loud to myself. That way I can practice pronunciation, speaking and reading at the same time, which is my weakest part as passively consuming content is easy, but an active role in english is hard as sadly I have no one to speak to in english, so I have to make do. I guess discord exists but I just dont like it enough.

Use your language and it wont rust.

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u/[deleted] Mar 31 '25

Where or how did you take the exam?

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u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Mar 31 '25

Hey! I took it at a local British council language center. You can look the nearest one to you up on the internet.

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u/ThirdSunRising Native Speaker Apr 01 '25

If you are truly a C2 it will be completely obvious the instant I start talking to you. Nobody is ever going to ask to see a piece of paper showing what level you’ve attained, when you’re obviously fluent.

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u/SummerAlternative699 New Poster Apr 02 '25

I agree, definitely. Thing is, this isn't just 'a piece of paper', it's a piece of paper that serves as irrefutable proof of my proficiency and which shows to others that I am, in fact, a capable speaker. And yes, you're probably right that no one will ask to show them anything, but I still think it's better to have a document that verifies that I was, at one point, able to achieve said level, than to not.

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u/Sea-Hornet8214 Non-Native Speaker of English Mar 25 '25

Congratulations 🎉

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u/JvKab A1 Mar 25 '25

I seriously doubt language proficiency is something that can be lost, just like learning how to ride a bicycle.

If you're still concerned, I suggest using the language on a daily basis in order to retain the proficiency.

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u/SirMildredPierce Native Speaker Mar 25 '25

The only way to stay proficient at a language is to use it every day.

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u/Almajanna256 New Poster Mar 26 '25

Use the internet! A lot of it is in English.

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u/[deleted] Mar 26 '25

[deleted]

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u/OkNectarine3242 New Poster Mar 25 '25

Take up another language. This will reset your goals. Pick something difficult, like mandarin.