How to succeed with your English journal

Writing a journal in English is a great way to practise your skills, reflect on your English learning, and motivate yourself to keep learning more. It seems like a lot of work, though. If you’re struggling with your English journal, try these tips to help you succeed.

Find a good time

Most people think of a journal as something you write in the evening. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Write your journal at a time that suits you – maybe when your house is nice and quiet, or maybe during your morning or evening commute. Make sure you write at a time when you can think clearly and reflect on the day.

Get into a routine

Writing a journal is most effective when it becomes a habit. Once you’ve found a good time to write your journal, stick to it and do it every day for a month. It’s OK to catch up if you don’t have a chance to write one day but try not to miss a day too often or the habit won’t stick.

Don’t try and write too much

A blank page can be intimidating so start with a smaller space. A journal with the days of the week on one side and a blank page on the other is a good starting point because you don’t need to write much to fill a day but still have space to expand if you need to.

Focus on one aspect

Trying to write about the whole day can be overwhelming so just focus on one aspect for your journal. The best thing to focus on is something that you want to improve so writing about your English classes or practice might be a good idea. It’s also great to write down happy events or successes in your journal so that you have something positive to look back at when the end of the year comes.

Look back through for motivation

Writing is an important part of the journal but reading it is important, too. Take a look back through previous weeks to find out where you have improved and how you are getting closer to your goals in life. Seeing progress is a great motivator and reflecting on your learning or life is a powerful tool.

So, what’s stopping you, now? It’s cheap and easy to get started writing journal. And with these tips, you’ll be able to make sure it is a success. Take the first steps today and let us know what you are going to write in your English journal using the comments section below.