aisha

So this kind of journal/diary is pretty useful if you:

are introvert

are anxious when you have to talk to others

you want to practice your writing

want to see what vocab you use the most

learn new vocab

hate people

think in their target language

want to use your language in a relaxing manner

There are a few “rules” to have such a journal/diary:

You need to decide if you want to write daily, weekly or monthly in it. (or just write when you feel like/have time) Based on this you change the amount of how much you write because if you write weekly in it, you’ll need a bit more than 5 sentences in order to improve your target language.

You need to feel comfortable writing down stuff since not everyone enjoys writing what they feel or think.

You need to decide if you want a digital or a paper journal.

Decorations

You can decorate your journal with stickers/pictures/doodles but you can also leave it plain. 

I used to have a very messy journal because i didn’t use a notebook. I just used random A4 sheets of paper and wrote on 1 what happened in a day. I didn’t decorate them. I usually just attached a sticky note with the new words that i used and from time to time i added a sticky note with a motivating message because i took the time to write and improve.

It’s up to you if you want to decorate it or not. 

Important details

Since i write in a foreign language i developed a system so i can learn with my journal.

I color-coded certain terms.

red = i’m not sure of its meaning and i need to ask on HiNative if it’s correct light blue = new word that i should use more/add to quizlet/flashcard app green = focus more on the word because i couldn’t remember it even if i learned it

Because i’m more focused on studying and learning than appearence, i don’t mind having mistakes in my writing but since many people mind them, you can use wipe-out and then some stickers, doodles or decorative tape. 

You need to make a deal with yourself and write kind words from time to time. Every once in a while, if i didn’t write in my journal something motivational, i’d have just added a sticky note with a quote or just a “congrats ^^”. The point to this is that if no one says how productive you are, just say that to yourself. No biggie. I have entire paragraphs where i just tell to myself that it’s worth what i’m doing even if no one sees it. 

Bonus: if you manage to write at least 2-3 motivational sentences daily, you’ll be more motivated

Don’t be afraid to write whatever you want. No one will take your journal and if they do, it’s in a foreign language, they won’t understand it. 

What you write in it, it’s your work. You can adjust it to your personality, needs or/and preferences. Don’t think “oh, mine isn’t like hers”, the point is to practice and use your language, not to win a contest.

Try to decide how much you write. I never thought in lines, i always chose tasks as “write for 30min” but if your task is to write 10 lines daily, that’s amazing! Do it. Take 5 minutes out of your day to clear your mind.

It’s difficult only in the first minute, once you start writing, you won’t stop too soon.

Decide if you use 1 journal for all  languages or 1 journal for 1 language. (this ofc, if you study more than 1) You can choose in which day you write in which language or you just go with the flow and write in what you feel like. 

Make a rule not to use your native language or English. Even if your texts sound weird, try to re-organize the phrase/sentence and use only your target language.

If you can have the journal with you everywhere you go, that’s a very good way of practicing at any given time.

Journals

Daily ones where you write about your day, dreams, preferences.

Journals for practice where you focus only on language learning.

A to-do list kind of journal where you write your responsabilities/reminders for the next day.

A combination of everything.

Activities

Some suggestions:

Write about your day.

Translate a poem/song.

Make a mini vocab list related to something.

Review a book/movie/app/site.

Develop a story. You have a thing for vampires? Writes a story where you are the main character and date a vampire. You like singing? Write a story about how you became a star overnight. Fanfiction is amazing because it makes you write for hours.

Write poems/songs.

Write/translate recipes.

Keep some studying methods in there./Resources

Imagine a certain scenario and try to write a short story. You’re in Grey’s Anatomy, write some medical terms because i bet you don’t know how to say painkillers or jawtooth or ribs.

Do whatever you want, it’s yours.

Some Topics:

Odds and Ends

Literally nobody at all:

Jude: