Author Profile
Lilia Kuroki (English Literature Major)
Started writing English diaries as a required assignment in her first year of university. Maintained the practice 4+ days per week for about one year and experienced the benefits of English diary writing through practical application during language study abroad in the UK. Currently continuing English language studies.
Writing an English Diary
I was writing English diaries during my first year of university. I was majoring in English literature, and as an assignment for a required English course, I wrote English diaries 4 or more days a week for nearly a year. Although it was a course assignment, I personally enjoyed it very much and feel it became a factor in improving both my English ability and thinking skills. I'd like to share my real experience of why I was able to enjoy writing English diaries and how I was able to develop my abilities.
Becoming Friends with Your English Diary
When I was told I had to write English diaries, the first thing I worried about was "How can I continue this properly?"
I was originally the type of person who didn't mind writing. However, I was not good at steady, consistent studying, and the English diary assignments during summer vacations in middle and high school were quite difficult to maintain, so continuity became my biggest concern with this assignment too. Moreover, since I knew I had to continue for half a year this time, I was very worried about whether I could keep it up.
What I practiced to continue my English diary was to become friends with the diary.
When I was wondering how to approach writing my English diary, I suddenly thought of Anne Frank's "The Diary of Anne Frank." This world bestseller is characterized by beginning with "Dear Kitty." This "Kitty" is generally said to be Anne's imaginary friend. Anne wrote about her harsh wartime experiences to her friend "Kitty," sometimes frankly, sometimes candidly.
Remembering this, I decided "I'll try writing my diary thinking of it as a friend too." This approach worked well for me.
For example, there were times when I would tense up thinking "I have to write about proper topics" and couldn't make progress. At such times, I could shift my perspective by thinking "But I talk about silly things with friends too," which allowed me to relax and proceed. Also, when I panicked thinking "I don't have any material worth writing about in my diary," I would reconsider by thinking "But I tell friends even the most trivial stories," and would write at length about small events in my diary.
If I thought of my English diary as my friend, continuing to write became surprisingly easy and enjoyable.
Developing the Ability to Organize My Thoughts Through English Diary
As I continued with my English diary, I realized that English ability wasn't the only thing I needed.
Have you ever experienced getting caught up in grammar or vocabulary when trying to write English sentences from scratch? I had this experience many times. Every time I faced this wall, I would feel down thinking "I really lack English ability" or "Despite memorizing so many words for university entrance exams, my vocabulary is still insufficient," which would lower my motivation for the English diary.
However, as I learned "good ways of expression" to express what I wanted to write, I gradually began to realize that what I lacked wasn't knowledge of grammar or vocabulary, but the ability to organize my thoughts and creative thinking.
Japanese is an emotional language, but English is a logical language. Logical thinking is essential to master English. No matter how much grammatical knowledge you have, no matter how extensive your vocabulary, if the logic doesn't flow, English sentences won't work. And what's necessary for that logic is having your thoughts and what you want to write "properly organized."
For example, English often states the conclusion first. To do this, you need to understand the conclusion yourself first. So before writing sentences, you need to clearly find your conclusion and organize the process of reaching it step by step. When you actually try this, your thinking becomes organized. The pleasure of that moment when the path of what you want to say becomes crystal clear, like when Moses parted the sea, was so addictive that once you taste it, you want to experience it again and again.
Once I developed the ability to organize my thoughts to some degree, writing English sentences became much easier.
Without obsessing over difficult grammar or vocabulary, I could express what I wanted to say using only grammar and words at the level learned in middle school, which greatly reduced the mental burden of continuing to write English diaries. It's also helpful not only when writing in English, but also when writing in Japanese, and I feel it's very useful for understanding things in general. It's even helpful for understanding chemical formulas, mathematical formulas, and code, so it's one of the essential abilities that's useful in various fields.
Experiencing the Benefits of English Diary Writing Abroad
About half a year after continuing my English diary, I had the opportunity to participate in a language and cultural study program abroad, where I also experienced the benefits of English diary writing.
I traveled to the England region of the UK, the home of English, for my study program. I participated in a language learning course offered at a local university for about a month, and I keenly felt the effects of English diary writing in many situations.
The most significant effect I felt was that English output became much easier. Some people might think writing and speaking are completely different, but aside from the difference in output method (hand vs. mouth), everything else felt almost the same. The fact that words came out smoothly in my head was a phenomenon that occurred because I had been continuing my English diary. Also, since I had been writing my diary as if talking to a friend, I could speak with just the feeling that the listener had changed from diary to person, which was a big plus.
The first time I felt the effect was during the placement interview test I took on the first day at the local university. First, I was relieved that what I wanted to say clearly came to mind in English immediately. Furthermore, I could answer questions logically, starting with conclusions. Partly because the interview had a casual atmosphere, I was able to have a relaxed conversation, even getting excited talking about favorite book characters with the interviewer. I thought this too was a result of continuing my English diary.
The fact that I had been constructing sentences with simple grammar and vocabulary when writing my English diary was also very helpful.
At the local university, I took classes with people who came mainly from non-English speaking European countries, not just Japanese students. What I noticed in conversations with them was that Japan's level of grammar and vocabulary is very high. The difficult grammar and vocabulary I had desperately learned for university entrance exams didn't get through to people from other countries more than I had imagined. I want to make it clear that their overall English level was by no means low. They took the same test, were judged to be at the same level, and were placed in the same class.
In conversations, when I avoided difficult words or potentially confusing vocabulary and used easier grammar and vocabulary as much as possible, the smoothness of communication improved dramatically. Also, during classes, local teachers often said things like "Japanese students know difficult words well" or "You know such difficult grammar well. That's old-fashioned though - everyone uses this simpler version now." I felt firsthand the difference between academic English and practical English. Academic English with correct grammar and comprehensive vocabulary is very important. However, I realized that practical English is essential for interacting with various people around the world, and I deeply felt that my ability to develop that skill was thanks to my English diary.
English Diary Writing Works Better When You Run Alongside Someone
Having someone's help as a companion is also important for continuing English diaries.
As with everything, it's difficult to continue something alone. Sharing concerns and teaching each other tips through cooperation with someone leads to improved motivation. In fact, since my English diary was a class assignment, I frequently talked about English diaries with friends in the same grade. Sometimes we complained to each other, sometimes we gave advice, and this contributed to maintaining motivation. Friends who were originally not good at writing had an even harder time continuing their English diaries than I did, but ultimately everyone was able to complete the task, which was good. Having someone to run alongside like this is very important for continuing English diaries.
Also, showing English diaries to friends or doing them in an exchange diary format helps with continuing English diaries.
In my case, at the teacher's suggestion, English diaries after summer break were written by exchanging with someone in the class. Since we didn't reveal our names, there was excitement from not knowing who our exchange partner was, and everyone enjoyed doing it. Guessing the exchange partner from the diary content was fun, like experiencing the feeling of being detectives like Holmes or Poirot.
Until then, I had been writing my English diary as if talking to a friend, but writing with the assumption that someone would actually read it was a new sensation. I was nervous at first, but gradually became able to write more relaxedly. Having a partner meant I could get corrections on my incorrect grammar, vocabulary, and expressions, which led to improvements in both English ability and logical thinking. Also, since I could hear the other person's opinions, my knowledge expanded.
Let's Try Writing an English Diary
Compared to people who practice English diary writing daily, my experience of continuing about 4 days a week for about a year might have been somewhat brief. However, that experience was very valuable and still forms the foundation of my English ability and thinking skills today. By continuing my English diary, I was able to develop various abilities while having fun.
Continuing an English diary is certainly not easy, but it brings only positive benefits, so if you're interested, I'd like you to first try it. I hope my experience story can be of some help to you.