"I keep writing English journals but don't see any improvement"
"I want to know how to write effective English journals!"
For those with these concerns, this guide explains effective English journal writing methods and characteristics of journals that don't yield results. Whether you've already started English journaling or are planning to begin, please use this as a reference.
Note: While these strategies work for various languages like French, Spanish, and others, this article focuses on English learning as an example.
Characteristics of Ineffective English Journals
Let's first examine characteristics of English journals that don't yield results. If you're thinking "I keep writing English journals but don't see improvement," you likely fall into one of these two categories:
- Trying to write only with familiar expressions and grammar
- Leaving written journals as-is without review
Trying to Write Only with Familiar Expressions and Grammar
Using expressions and grammar within your knowledge range is very important when writing in English.
For example, suppose you want to write: "I changed my diet to oatmeal to successfully lose 5kg this year." If you don't know direct vocabulary for "lose 5kg" or "changed to oatmeal," many people would change it to expressions like "diet" and "decided to eat oatmeal," wouldn't they? While the technique of changing expressions without changing nuance is important, this makes it difficult to acquire new vocabulary and expressions.
English journals are ultimately output—a place for practice. Don't try to write only with familiar expressions and grammar. Actively learn new vocabulary and expressions by looking them up in dictionaries. Meet new vocabulary through English journals, then output them in English journals—this repetition helps you acquire vocabulary and expressions.
Leaving Written Journals As-Is
Leaving journals untouched after writing is another characteristic that prevents English improvement. Writing does provide a good opportunity to understand vocabulary you know and expressions you don't, helping assess your current level.
However, without correcting mistakes, you might memorize incorrect forms. You might miss spelling errors or remain unaware of more native-like expressions. It's true that just writing English journals makes it difficult to achieve significant improvement.
To step up to the next level, have your written journals corrected. Get mistakes corrected and learn expressions that natives use. Make "write journal → get correction" a habitual cycle.
How to Write Effective English Journals
Next, let's explain how to write effective English journals. If you don't know how to write English journals, or you're already working on them but don't feel improvement, try writing journals following these 3 steps:
- First write what you want to say in your native language
- Translate the native language text into English
- Get it corrected
Some people start writing journals directly in English, but this method isn't highly recommended. This is because you end up limited to vocabulary and expressions you "can write." Since you inevitably write with familiar vocabulary and grammar, it becomes difficult to build vocabulary. Instead of trying to write directly in English, follow these steps.
1. First Write What You Want to Say in Your Native Language
First, write the content you want to record in your English journal in your native language. The key point here is not to consider whether you can write it in English. Focus on content you "want to write in English" rather than content you "can write in English."
That said, it's safer to avoid topics with high difficulty in both vocabulary and content, such as environmental issues or political topics. We recommend writing about daily events or weather in 2-3 lines. If it's too long, the burden becomes large and continuing daily becomes difficult.
2. Translate Your Native Language Text into English
Next, translate the text you wrote in your native language into English. Try translating on your own first, and use dictionaries for unfamiliar vocabulary or expressions. We don't recommend relying entirely on dictionaries from the start. First think "What would be a good English expression?" with your own mind. It's fine to be wrong at this stage.
The important work is "thinking for yourself," so write as you think best.
3. Get It Corrected
Finally, have your written text corrected.
- Native English-speaking acquaintances
- Language exchange apps
- Correction services and apps
If you have native English-speaking acquaintances nearby who could help, you might ask them. However, most people don't have natives they can ask. In such cases, we recommend using language exchange apps or correction services. Don't leave mistakes as-is—learn correct English.
Points for Improving English Through Journals
In addition to the effective English journal writing method explained above, be conscious of these 3 points:
- Continue daily
- Read written journals aloud
- Gradually increase writing volume as you get comfortable
Continue Daily
One important aspect of English learning is "continuing daily." Are there people who studied English as students but now forget even simple vocabulary? In fact, many people have experienced "not being able to recall kanji characters because they write less frequently." No matter how much you study, you easily forget without continuation.
Just 2-3 lines daily is fine. Build habits with an amount you can continue without strain!
Read Written Journals Aloud
Make sure to "read aloud" journals that have been corrected. By not just writing but speaking aloud, you can also memorize through "sound."
Also, when you actually read aloud, you might notice you don't know pronunciation or how to read certain words. Even if you understand individual pronunciations, many people struggle with English-specific sound changes. By incorporating practice reading aloud rather than just writing English journals, you can expect further English improvement.
Gradually Increase Writing Volume as You Get Comfortable
The final point is to "gradually increase writing volume as you get comfortable with English journals." While 2-3 lines are fine initially from the perspective of continuing study without strain, it's good to gradually increase to 4 lines, 5 lines... to a reasonable extent. We also recommend strategies like writing longer passages just on weekends or once a month! Increasing writing volume definitely improves writing skills.
Building such habits also prevents you from feeling intimidated by writing sections in English qualification exams.
Summary
This article introduced characteristics of ineffective English journals and effective English journal writing methods. Even if you're writing English journals, the effects become difficult to achieve if you proceed with incorrect methods or leave them untouched after writing.
- Actively use unfamiliar expressions
- Get correction after writing
- Follow 3 steps (native language → English → correction)