{"id":9869,"date":"2017-11-22T11:55:45","date_gmt":"2017-11-22T16:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/?p=9869"},"modified":"2025-02-24T23:45:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T04:45:13","slug":"language-learning-diary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/language-learning-diary\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips for Keeping a Language Learning Diary and Why You Should"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A language learning diary is where you<strong> keep a record of what you learn\u00a0on your journey to fluency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p>And while every journal is personal, the tips below will help you use your language learning diary to the fullest extent for maximum benefit.<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<h2>1. Make It Easy to Keep<\/h2>\n<p>If you don&#8217;t obey this tip, the rest of the tips don&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p>This means it has to be both <strong>convenient and enjoyable<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p>Some of this comes down to the format you choose to use:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A notebook:<\/strong> You can decorate it, doodle in it and carry it around at all times<\/li>\n<li><strong>The notes app on your phone:<\/strong> For those who prefer digital storage or want to include audio and video<\/li>\n<li><strong>A cloud-based tool:<\/strong> Access your diary from any device at any time<\/li>\n<li><strong>A blog:<\/strong> Easily share your progress with classmates, friends and teachers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Another nice way to make your diary fun is to take the opportunity to <strong>play with the language<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, you&#8217;re not being graded on this! For example, maybe you want to remember some similar sounding words in Spanish, so you write&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><em>El papa empapa las papas de pap\u00e1.\u00a0<\/em>(The Pope soaks dad&#8217;s potatoes.)<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s silly, but you&#8217;ll remember it\u2014and perhaps laugh when you read it back later.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"YJL6heUJZo\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/language-journal-ideas\/\">Not Sure What to Write in Your Language Journal? 6 Ideas<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Not Sure What to Write in Your Language Journal? 6 Ideas&#8221; &#8212; FluentU\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/language-journal-ideas\/embed\/#?secret=tPXfKAAhTk#?secret=YJL6heUJZo\" data-secret=\"YJL6heUJZo\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>2. Make It Multimedia<\/h2>\n<p>Another excellent way of making your diary interesting for yourself is to mix up the media you&#8217;re using.<\/p>\n<p>This could be as simple as sticking <strong>newspaper or magazine clippings<\/strong> onto pages of your notebook. However, you can think bigger!<\/p>\n<p>Not only do phones have notes functions, but most will allow you to <strong>record audio and save video<\/strong>, too. Practice your speaking and listening, and leave little notes for your future self.<\/p>\n<p>There also are lots of multimedia language learning methods out there that you can use alongside your diary while you <strong>take notes<\/strong> on what you hear and see. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU<\/a> is an app and website that teaches languages using authentic videos. <p><strong>FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<p>You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/fluentu-learn-language-videos\/id917892175\">the iOS app<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.fluentflix.fluentu&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US\">Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p><i><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/try-fluentu-for-free.jpg\" alt=\"FluentU Ad\" \/>\r\n  <p style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n    <button class=\"btn-blue\" style=\"border: none;font-size: 18px;text-align: center;padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;cursor: pointer\">\r\n      Try FluentU for FREE!\r\n    <\/button>\r\n  <\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m also a huge advocate of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/learn-language-through-songs-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">using music as a tool to learn language<\/a>. Rhythm and rhyme are some of your best friends.<\/p>\n<p>Make notes of the <strong>songs you listen to<\/strong> in your target language so you can go back to them later\u2014and hopefully understand them even better.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Write Down Your Goals<\/h2>\n<p>A diary doesn&#8217;t only need to be backwards-looking. Use it to <strong>record your ambitions, too<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>For example, my goal in Italian is to be able to sit at a dinner table with my girlfriend&#8217;s friends and family and have them not have to speak a single word in English\u2014and that&#8217;s noted in my diary so I can hold myself to it!<\/p>\n<p>This means I can <strong>check in on my progress and tailor my learning accordingly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>I then noted that my goal the next time I met with friends was to ask their opinion on politics\u2014and understand the answers.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"CW6mTffltv\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/language-learning-goals\/\">How to Set Realistic Language Learning Goals<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;How to Set Realistic Language Learning Goals&#8221; &#8212; FluentU\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/language-learning-goals\/embed\/#?secret=NtMhwSNUex#?secret=CW6mTffltv\" data-secret=\"CW6mTffltv\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>4. Involve Other People<\/h2>\n<p>Obviously a diary is personal&#8230; but you&#8217;re not writing about your high school crush here. (Well, maybe you are, but at least you&#8217;re doing it in Arabic!)<\/p>\n<p>Getting other people involved can help you discipline yourself as you have <strong>someone else to hold you accountable<\/strong>\u00a0as well as improve your language skills.<\/p>\n<p>Challenge <strong>a classmate or language buddy<\/strong> to keep a diary, too, so you can meet up and compare your progress.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re taking classes, you could <strong>get your teacher to look over your diary<\/strong> on occasion. However you do it, sharing is caring!<\/p>\n<h2>5. Review Your Diary Regularly<\/h2>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Make time every month to read back over what you&#8217;ve written.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You might just read through the previous week or two. But it&#8217;s also worth occasionally going back to the very beginning and reminding yourself of some long-forgotten language points.<\/p>\n<p>Rereading the highlights of your journey <strong>will help the language stick in your mind better<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It will also allow you to revel in your progress\u2014what a motivator!<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"qxIvjVEPpd\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/language-study-plan\/\">How to Create Your Own Effective Language Study Plan<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;How to Create Your Own Effective Language Study Plan&#8221; &#8212; FluentU\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/language-study-plan\/embed\/#?secret=D2hgcgswDK#?secret=qxIvjVEPpd\" data-secret=\"qxIvjVEPpd\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Benefits of Keeping a Language Learning Diary<\/h2>\n<p>There are huge benefits in dedicating the time to a language diary, whether you&#8217;re learning in classes or independently.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For guided study<\/strong>, a diary can help you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Keep track of materials studied.<\/strong>\u00a0Sure, you have a syllabus, but we often tend to remember far more of what we write than what we read or hear.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Memorize and review information. <\/strong>More than just an exercise book, this is your living, breathing narrative of learning a language\u2014all written by and for you.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Practice in a different way.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Place into a new class.<\/strong> A teacher may be able to use your diary to help them understand where you&#8217;re at, what you may be struggling with and which level course you should be in.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>For independent study<\/strong>, your diary is still a great tool. It can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Improve your study discipline.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Help structure your learning.<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Show you areas you might be neglecting<\/strong>\u2014and ones in which you&#8217;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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Keeping a language diary can help you document your struggles and successes, track your progress, boost your confidence and so much more.<\/p>\n<p>So what are you waiting for?\u00a0Write your first entry today!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>And One More Thing...<\/h2>\r\n<p>\r\nIf you're like me and love learning languages through real-world content, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FluentU is a game-changer<\/a>. With FluentU, you're not just memorizing words\u2014you\u2019re learning how native speakers actually use them. \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nWith our newest feature, you can now <strong>bring FluentU\u2019s interactive tools to any subtitled content on YouTube or Netflix<\/strong>\u2014or even import YouTube videos directly into your FluentU account!\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-interactive-subtitles-on-youtube-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"learn-a-language-with-music-videos-fluentu\" width=\"600\" height=\"390\" \/><\/a> \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nYou\u2019ll also get access to a huge variety of content in our curated video library, from movie trailers to news clips, music videos, and more. The best part? <strong>FluentU makes this native-language content accessible for learners of all levels.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-Spanish-video-library-on-app.jpg\" alt=\"fluentu-video-library\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a> \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nWhile you watch, you can <strong>tap on any word in the interactive subtitles<\/strong> to see a definition, an image, audio, and useful example sentences. Want to practice new words later? Add them to your flashcards with one click. No more pausing to look up and write down new words! \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-French-vocab-gens.jpg\" alt=\"learn-vocab-with-fluentu-interactive-subtitles\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a> \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nAnd FluentU helps you <strong>actually remember what you learn<\/strong> with personalized quizzes, plenty of example sentences, and extra practice with the words you find difficult.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-korean-vocab-quiz.jpg\" alt=\"learn-a-language-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"600\" height=\"390\" \/><\/a> \r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n<strong>Ready to start learning in a more natural, immersive way?<\/strong> Try FluentU on your computer or tablet, or download the FluentU app from the App Store or Google Play. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a>\r\n<\/p> \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A language learning diary is where you keep a record of what you learn\u00a0on your journey to fluency. You&#8217;ll want to use your target language as much as possible to&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":252122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"5 Tips for Keeping a Language Learning Diary and Why You Should | FluentU Language Learning","description":"A language learning diary is a tool that can help you approach your target language in a fun and logical way, whether you're a solo studier or enrolled in a course. Click here for five tips to help you start your language diary today\u2014as well as all the reasons this practice will benefit you."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[],"coauthors":[136],"class_list":["post-9869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-learning-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9869"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":248339,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9869\/revisions\/248339"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9869"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=9869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}