Fixed Journaling

spiritual learner | intermediate-advanced | disciplinarian

Fixed Journaling is the next step on from Broken Journaling.  While brojken journaling focusses on trying to introduce the language, by using small, potentially broken sentences when scribbling notes.  Fixed/Full Journaling is the next step up and aims to push the language learner into really challenging and maintaining their level by conistently journaling

HOW: Journaling is not rocket science, but we do have a few strategies which we like to consider when journaling.

1. Frequency of journaling

How often are you journaling?  It doesn’t have to be every day, but ideally there is some consistency, for example every second day or twice a week.  Consistent journaling allows us to consolidate the words, which we are learning for the first time.  In the case of languages which use a different script, it’s really good to get the hours of practice in writing in the new script, as it’s only by doing this that we can ever get comfortable enough to write at full pace.

2. Testing your vocabulary

Once you’ve gotten into the swing of journaling with consistency, you might want to think about how you can start to integrate tactics for expanding and maintaining your vocabulary in order to avoid getting into a rut, using the same words over and over again.  Two simple but effective options are as follows:

(a) The choice to use a dictionary or translating website or not.  

Both have benefits, but it’s good to be intentional in this choice.  Not using a dictionary will expose your weakness and make you very aware of the gaps in your vocabulary, or words you are not sure how to spell properly.  It can also help in keeping these journaling sessions a bit shorter, which can be beneficial for your consistency.  The choice to use a dictionary, on the other hand gives you the chance to learn, and use, a few new words with each session.

(b) Notating all the unknown words which arise.

Whether you choose to use a dictionary or not, you will learn a bunch of new words through this journaling practice and this can be easily integrated into other learning techniques you are using.  If using Memrise or Anki, then be sure to add these words to your course and continue to practice them.

(c) Task yourself with using your ‘Difficult Words’ 

The converse of (b) is setting yourself the task of using your ‘difficult words’ while journaling.  This is a great challenge, but requires some preparation.  If you have a Memrise course, you can only access your ‘Difficult Words’ if you are a paying member.  If you are using Anki, it’s possible while studying to mark cards with different colour flags.  Afterwards it’s quite easy to browse and only look at certain colour cards.  

3. Spicing it up

In the self-improvement / efficiency-sphere online, journaling has becoming something of a sensation for Self-improvement Guru Youtubers (search: how to “journal”).  While the Institute has a somewhat conflictuous relationship with such Youtubers, it can’t be denied that there is some inspiration to be found there.  Such ‘how to’ videos provide specific techniques for how to structure a journal, and though the idea of rules for journaling is questionable, just as questionable as rules for language learning, following such structures could be helpful in pushing the language learner to use new words and grammatical structures, which they otherwise wouldn’t have used.*

* Ahilan Ratnamohan has committed to testing this method as of June 2024