Hina Javed Malik
Have you ever found yourself in a really good language learning flow and then have a couple of days where it seems you are completely off the wagon? It does happen to everyone because learning a new language isn’t easy. But you can set yourself up for learning a new language by writing a journal. Journaling is a great way to encourage yourself to write in a foreign language and can have the best results.
Following are a few journaling exercises that can help you get started:
Practice different verbs:
Through journaling, you can practice different tenses because many languages require you to use different verb tenses such as the past, present, and future. You can use tenses by writing about your plans, activities, and desires. For learning the present tense, you can write about your activities on a given day. For future tenses, you can make an entry about your goals and for the past, you can write about your childhood or even the past week’s activities.
Use your new vocabulary:
When you are learning a new language, you get to learn new words. Don’t just learn them instead; use them in a paragraph or a description. Once you write, it will help you retain the new words in your memory.
Create an imaginary conversation:
In your journal, create an imaginary conversation with the words that you have learned and it will help you make use of your tenses as well. Write about how you would greet a stranger and how they would respond to you. Do it many times, and even change the topics for imaginary conversations.
Write reviews or a summary:
It is always best to watch films in the language you want to learn. Once you see the movies or documentaries, write reviews or descriptions about the topics. In your reviews, discuss your observations and opinions about that specific matter and it will help you learn more easily.
Express yourself by developing rhymes:
You are forced to use the words that you have learned when you try to make rhymes. It helps to develop your phrase-making sense which helps you to have a meaningful conversation. Write rhyming poems that will help you recall all the words that you have learned in a new language.
Write for vocabulary building:
You cannot learn all the languages in a foreign language at once but writing can help you get to know each word with time. You can even look up words for the activities you want to write about and use them in your writing.
