Use it or lose it: Keep a writing journal

“I need to write in English for work. That’s hard enough. Why should I spend more time writing in English after work hours?”

People often ask this question when I suggest that they keep a regular writing journal in English. My short answer is ‘practice’.

Let’s assume that you have identified target phrases and sentence structures that are useful to you in your work. You aim to use these phrases and structures correctly and easily in your own writing at work.

To achieve this aim, you need to practise. Think back to when you learned to ride a bike, to swim, to drive a car, or to write in your first language. If you can now do these activities fluently and accurately, you must have practised and practised them at some stage.

If you’re reading this, you’ve already practised English for years and are very good at it. But if you’ve identified some problems with your writing and you want to improve, you need to do some more practice.

A writing journal is a good place to practise your target sentence structures. You’re writing for yourself, so you don’t need to worry about your audience. Also, the only purpose for this type of writing is to write. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about your message. This should free you up to practise, practise, practise those target sentence structures. And practice makes perfect.

In summary, try to write regularly in English in your own time.

1. Why?

To practise and reinforce sentence structures that you need to use fluently and accurately.

To write without the burden of worrying about purpose and audience.

2.How often?

Every day if you can manage it, but at least three or four times per week in your own time.

Make it part of your daily routine to sit down for ten minutes and write. Do it on the bus or the train if that’s the only time you have. Ten minutes most days is probably more useful than an hour once a week.

3. About what?

Any topic that interests you. Start by writing about the best movie you ever saw. On the other hand, if you like the idea of a work journal, you might reflect on your day at work.

4.How to start?

Try these ways:

• Freewrite: just write anything for five minutes.
• Don’t look back! Keep writing without looking back at what you’ve written until you’ve completed one page.
• Write about why you’re having trouble writing.
• Bounce an idea off friends or family and then write about it.
• Read someone else’s writing and respond to it. For example, choose a story from the news media or one of the ‘what’s in the news’ stories on this blogsite.