5 Tips for Keeping a Language Learning Diary and Why You Should

A language learning diary is where you keep a record of what you learn on your journey to fluency.

You’ll want to use your target language as much as possible to write regular updates, review language points, reevaluate your learning methods and so much more.

And while every journal is personal, the tips below will help you use your language learning diary to the fullest extent for maximum benefit.

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1. Make It Easy to Keep

If you don’t obey this tip, the rest of the tips don’t even matter. The most important thing about your language learning diary is discipline, and to get that discipline, it needs to be easy for you to make it a part of your routine.

This means it has to be both convenient and enjoyable!

Some of this comes down to the format you choose to use:

• A notebook: You can decorate it, doodle in it and carry it around at all times
• The notes app on your phone: For those who prefer digital storage or want to include audio and video
• A cloud-based tool: Access your diary from any device at any time
• A blog: Easily share your progress with classmates, friends and teachers

Another nice way to make your diary fun is to take the opportunity to play with the language.

Remember, you’re not being graded on this! For example, maybe you want to remember some similar sounding words in Spanish, so you write…

El papa empapa las papas de papá. (The Pope soaks dad’s potatoes.)

It’s silly, but you’ll remember it—and perhaps laugh when you read it back later.

2. Make It Multimedia

Another excellent way of making your diary interesting for yourself is to mix up the media you’re using.

This could be as simple as sticking newspaper or magazine clippings onto pages of your notebook. However, you can think bigger!

Not only do phones have notes functions, but most will allow you to record audio and save video, too. Practice your speaking and listening, and leave little notes for your future self.

There also are lots of multimedia language learning methods out there that you can use alongside your diary while you take notes on what you hear and see. For example, FluentU is an app and website that teaches languages using authentic videos.

I’m also a huge advocate of using music as a tool to learn language. Rhythm and rhyme are some of your best friends.

Make notes of the songs you listen to in your target language so you can go back to them later—and hopefully understand them even better.

3. Write Down Your Goals

A diary doesn’t only need to be backwards-looking. Use it to record your ambitions, too.

For example, my goal in Italian is to be able to sit at a dinner table with my girlfriend’s friends and family and have them not have to speak a single word in English—and that’s noted in my diary so I can hold myself to it!

This means I can check in on my progress and tailor my learning accordingly.

For instance, a few weeks ago I recorded in my diary that I had been more confident listening to a conversation where I knew what the topic was, as well as answering basic questions. In that case, it was a conversation about Italian politics.

I then noted that my goal the next time I met with friends was to ask their opinion on politics—and understand the answers.

4. Involve Other People

Obviously a diary is personal… but you’re not writing about your high school crush here. (Well, maybe you are, but at least you’re doing it in Arabic!)

Getting other people involved can help you discipline yourself as you have someone else to hold you accountable as well as improve your language skills.

Challenge a classmate or language buddy to keep a diary, too, so you can meet up and compare your progress.

If you’re keeping your language learning diary as a blog, like this one, allow and encourage others to comment on your entries and share their experiences.

If you’re taking classes, you could get your teacher to look over your diary on occasion. However you do it, sharing is caring!

5. Review Your Diary Regularly

Of course, the act of writing things down will itself be helpful to you, but only a fraction as helpful as if you read over it again later.

Make time every month to read back over what you’ve written.

You might just read through the previous week or two. But it’s also worth occasionally going back to the very beginning and reminding yourself of some long-forgotten language points.

Rereading the highlights of your journey will help the language stick in your mind better.

It will also allow you to revel in your progress—what a motivator!

Benefits of Keeping a Language Learning Diary

There are huge benefits in dedicating the time to a language diary, whether you’re learning in classes or independently.

For guided study, a diary can help you:

• Keep track of materials studied. Sure, you have a syllabus, but we often tend to remember far more of what we write than what we read or hear.
• Memorize and review information. More than just an exercise book, this is your living, breathing narrative of learning a language—all written by and for you.
• Practice in a different way. Your diary is for you, and not for a grade, which allows for much freer practice than doing a worksheet or exercises from your book.
• Place into a new class. A teacher may be able to use your diary to help them understand where you’re at, what you may be struggling with and which level course you should be in.

For independent study, your diary is still a great tool. It can:

• Improve your study discipline. If you commit to writing in your diary once a week, that blank page will help you stay regular in your learning and make progress towards your goals.
• Help structure your learning. Keeping a diary with regularity gives the feel of a class without having to be in one. Remember to date each entry so you can track your progress.
• Show you areas you might be neglecting—and ones in which you’re particularly strong. Use your diary entries to inspire additional practice of a tricky grammar point or a new topic for later conversation with a native speaker.

 

Keeping a language diary can help you document your struggles and successes, track your progress, boost your confidence and so much more.

So what are you waiting for? Write your first entry today!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)