How to write in a foreign language (even as a beginner)

Summary

The speaker discusses their language learning journey, highlighting their preference for reading and listening over speaking and writing. They admit to neglecting output in languages they've self-studied, such as Italian. To avoid this with Greek, they've developed a writing routine using a planner for daily practice, focusing on vocabulary and grammar consolidation. They emphasize the importance of input through reading and watching content in the target language and use a dictionary and translator for support. The routine involves choosing a weekly topic, compiling relevant vocabulary and grammar, and writing without the pressure of perfection. The speaker shares their progress, including improved spelling, reading speed, and speaking ability, and expresses interest in receiving feedback on others' writing practices.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker admits to being more adept at reading and listening than speaking or writing in languages they've learned in a classroom setting.
• 🇮🇹 With Italian, the speaker has focused more on reading and has neglected speaking and writing, resulting in a comfortable ability to read novels but difficulty in speaking or writing.
• 🔍 For Greek, the speaker is determined to balance input and output by incorporating writing into their learning routine, even as a beginner.
• 🗓️ The speaker uses a 2019 planner for writing practice, taking advantage of its daily sections and a special section for important notes.
• ✏️ Simple writing tools like a black pen and highlighters are used, with the latter to mark new phrases for easy reference.
• 📚 Resources for language input are considered essential for language output; the speaker uses books, YouTube videos, and online materials for inspiration and vocabulary.
• 📝 The writing process involves compiling a glossary of important vocabulary and grammar to minimize distractions during writing sessions.
• 📖 Writing topics vary weekly, allowing the speaker to avoid boredom and write about different subjects, improving their language skills incrementally.
• 🔤 The speaker chooses a weekly topic and records relevant vocabulary and grammar in the planner to practice throughout the week.
• 📈 Writing daily for a short time helps maintain consistency and sustainability of the practice, with the speaker noting improvements in spelling, reading speed, and language consolidation.
• 🔄 The speaker is open to repetition in their writing topics, using the week to master a specific subject by varying their approach and building on previous knowledge.
• 👩‍🏫 Future goals include typing up texts for feedback from native speakers and re-evaluating old entries with new linguistic knowledge.

Q & A

What is the main challenge the speaker faces when learning new languages?

The speaker's main challenge is that they are more comfortable with reading and listening than speaking or writing, especially in languages they have studied on their own without the necessity to speak or write.

Why does the speaker feel more comfortable reading Italian novels but struggle with speaking or writing in Italian?

The speaker has neglected output in their language learning process, focusing more on input, which has led to their ability to read but not to speak or write effectively in Italian.

What is the speaker's current language focus and why did they decide to start writing in it?

The speaker is currently focusing on Greek. They decided to start writing in Greek to avoid falling into the same pattern of being able to read but not speak or write, which was the case with Italian.

What tools does the speaker use for their writing practice and why?

The speaker uses a 2019 planner for writing practice, a black pen, highlighters to mark new phrases, and resources like books, YouTube videos, and online materials for language input. They also use DeepL as a translator and Glossb as a dictionary.

How does the speaker compile a glossary for their writing practice?

The speaker compiles a glossary by dedicating a couple of pages in their planner or using sticky notes to note down important vocabulary and grammar that they anticipate using frequently in their writing.

What is the speaker's approach to deciding what to write about in their practice sessions?

The speaker chooses one topic for the entire week, which could be related to a textbook chapter, content they've listened to, watched, or read. They write down important vocabulary and grammar related to that topic in a specific section of their planner.

Why does the speaker avoid committing to a specific writing format?

The speaker avoids committing to a specific writing format to prevent boredom and the repetitiveness that comes from writing about the same thing every day, which they experienced while journaling in Italian.

How does the speaker ensure that their writing practice is sustainable and not overwhelming?

The speaker keeps their writing practice sustainable by not spending more than 10 to 15 minutes per day on writing, focusing on writing rather than learning new grammar structures, and not expecting uniform quality across all writing sessions.

What are some of the benefits the speaker has noticed from their writing practice?

The speaker has noticed improvements in spelling, reading speed, writing fluency, and speaking ability. Writing has also helped them consolidate information and identify areas of difficulty in their language learning.

What are the speaker's future plans to improve their writing practice?

The speaker plans to type up their texts and potentially upload them to websites for corrections from native speakers. They also want to reread their older entries to spot mistakes with their current knowledge.