Learning a new language as an adult is one of the most challenging activities your brain can perform. There’s an overwhelming amount of information that you have to memorize, including grammar rules, potentially a new alphabet, and thousands of vocabulary words.
On top of that knowledge, your brain has to quite literally restructure itself to operate within an entirely different linguistic structure and learn how to think in another language.
Every aspect of learning a new language is difficult. Right off the bat, you often have to learn an entirely new alphabet and phonetic system. Then there’s the grammar, which may be entirely foreign to what you’re used to. And trying to nail down vocabulary can be like trying to pick up water droplets — eventually you get so confused that you wonder what on earth you’re doing and why.
Language learning is made even harder by the fact that most of us can’t go live in a native-speaking country for six months to really immerse ourselves in the language. Instead, we have to make do with textbooks, classes, apps, and guides. This makes language learning even more sporadic and puts a bigger strain on your poor memory.
For most people, learning a new language is intensive, complex, often isolating, and takes ages to become fluent. Your progress will often feel slow, and you may even find yourself backtracking as your memory wobbles. You may find yourself plagued with doubts about whether you are actually capable of doing this.
Or, you may start questioning whether it’s even worth doing in the first place — after all, how many opportunities are you going to have in your life to speak Italian? Maybe all of this effort will go to waste. You may find yourself completely discouraged at times and wanting to give up.
If this is you right now, I get it. You’ve been trying your best, but this language-learning stuff is hard! According to research on what are commonly identified by educators as the five stages of language learning, it takes most learners at least five years of study to become fluent in a language. That’s a long time to remain consistent and disciplined.
Maybe you’re even a note-taking enthusiast who loves colorful pens and cute little doodles. Taking notes while language learning helpslower your stress levels and give you greater control over your learning. It helps you to actively listen to the speaker and make sense of what they’re saying.
Of course, it’s also immensely practical because taking notes is one of the very best ways to learn a language effectively. But it’s not magic, and it’s not easy. Your methods may not be working for you, or perhaps you just want to see if there’s a better way. You’ve come to the right place.
You’ve been doing a great job so far, my friend. The trials are many and the journey long, but you have stuck with it and are even now looking for ways to improve your process. And you are absolutely right to give this blog post a read-through, because I am here to help! There’s a way to leverage your note-taking to make your language learning more effective, and I’m really excited to share it with you. It’s called a language learning notebook, and it will revolutionize your note-taking and turn your life around.
What Is a Language Learning Notebook?
A language learning notebook is really just a fancy name for the notebook in which you take notes while learning a new language. It could also be called a journal, diary, planner, or plain old notebook. However, it’s more than that, because it’s designed specifically for learning a foreign language.
It doesn’t matter what learning style you may have or how advanced your language skills are; even more advanced learners will benefit from these note-taking strategies. Note-taking is highly beneficial for any subject material because it encourages students to engage more deeply with the subject and gives them an effective way to review the material. This is even more true when learning a new language due to the sheer complexity of linguistics and the vast amounts of data involved.
Organization is critical for a language learning notebook; otherwise, your notes will make the process of learning a new language even more difficult, confusing, and discouraging.
Note-taking practices also heighten cognitive functions and promote mindfulness and well-being. It can be added that taking effective notes for your language learning adds another level of exhilaration because there’s nothing more thrilling than gaining comprehension in a language that was previously incomprehensible to you.
Language learning notebooks start out as blank canvases. You create the entire layout and content as you go, filling that notebook with daily achievements that mark your progress towards your language-learning goals. It serves as your all-in-one stop for learning your target language. You can include everything from vocabulary lists to habit trackers to daily challenges to grammar tips and sample dialogues.
Ideally, it should be complete with a table of contents and index to make it extra official and easy to use. You can use it as a journal, a language planner, and a writing system reference. These notebooks really are everything you need to learn a language. Isn’t that exciting? It’s like watching your own dream come true.
Why You Should Keep a Language Learning Notebook
In case it hasn’t been made clear, note-taking is one of the most useful tools learners have for understanding and remembering information. Learning a language is one of the most challenging activities for the brain to perform, which makes it doubly recommended that language learners keep a notebook.
However, some note-taking methods are better than others when it comes to learning a language. And the very best option that you have is to keep a language learning notebook, which is specifically designed for the task of learning a foreign language. If reading that isn’t enough, here are 8 more reasons why you should keep a language learning notebook.
#1: Aids You in Planning Learning Goals
By starting with a blank page, you start with a clean slate. Note-taking gives you control over your learning journey from start to finish.
To take notes effectively, you must first start by identifying your learning objectives. Why are you learning a language? Is it your dream to speak French? Do you have ancestors from Russia and want to feel more connected to them? Maybe you have family or friends living overseas. Or perhaps you’re interested in languages for the linguistics of them, really want to watch Kdramas without subtitles, or you’re just taking a class for the general education credits.
Whatever it may be, you need to identify your “why” so that you can better plan and develop your “how.” You can organize your notebook and approach language learning however you wish, but it will be most effective if these decisions directly serve and support your goals.
#2: Keeps You Focused on Learning
Language learning notebooks are very convenient because they act as a repository for everything you’re learning. It’s all in one place, organized, and easy to access. Instead of having a host of apps and learning tools spread across your devices, you have a single notebook with everything in it.
Even better, as a physical notebook, it keeps you from getting distracted by the internet, text messages, emails, and all the other tempting allures of the digital world. A language notebook will also keep you motivated and remind you of what you’re studying, what you’re aiming for, and why it’s important to you.
#3: Enhances Your Learning
Handwritten notes have been linked to more effective learning in students across all subjects as opposed to typed or digital notes. It aids comprehension and retention; students who take notes tend to perform better on exams.
The reason for this is quite simple: it’s more difficult. It’s slower, which forces the student to think more about the topic so as to better prioritize what to record. It involves motor skills and tactile information that typing on a keyboard does not. It requires greater spatial awareness to work with a notebook of paper than to scroll through a Microsoft Word document.
In short, it’s more challenging for your brain, which makes it more rewarding. A language notebook adds even more cognitive clout to handwriting’s benefits by being a repository for all of your ideas about language-learning; all of the types of content included (which we’ll touch on later in this blog post) together enhance your learning.
#4: Tracks Your Progress
Language learning notebooks double a bit as journals. You can look back through them and see what you learned every day (yes, you should be dating each entry) and how far you’ve come. This can be a really encouraging habit to practice when you’re feeling discouraged.
It’s actually a good habit to cultivate as a review technique, too. Tracking your progress can also help you to look back and identify the source of any mistakes or misunderstandings that you may have picked up in your journey to success so that you can understand where you drifted off course and how to correct it.
#5: Makes Review Easy
Having everything in one notebook makes it much easier to review it, especially since language learning progresses through very clear developmental stages. You start with the basics and slowly add to them, one concept and vocabulary list at a time. You can look for specific lessons, or you can simply read your language notebook from front to back for a comprehensive refresher.
Experts suggest always reviewing what you learned in a lesson directly after the instruction session ends, and also scheduling consistent review sessions at spaced intervals to keep embedding it further into your memory.
#6: Offers Room for Experimentation
Since your language notebook can be structured however you so desire, you can create room for more creative ways of language learning. For example, you can set pages aside for creative writing. Poetry, sentence stories, fan fiction — whatever you want to attempt at your skill level. It probably won’t be perfect, but it will get you using the language creatively.
You can also play around with sketching vocabulary words to encourage your brain to associate the word with the image rather than translate the word into your native language. Your language learning notebook can make room for whatever you feel inspired to try with your new language skills.
#7: Custom Dictionary
Any language learning notebook worth its salt is going to have a list of vocabulary words — probably a long and ever-growing list. But it doesn’t have to be a complete dictionary. You may be thinking that’s a negative thing, because what language learner doesn’t want to know all the words in the dictionary? But the fact of the matter is that you’re never going to learn all of the words in your target language. Just think about it: do you know all the words in your native language?
The truth is, you don’t need all the words. You just need the words that you use on a regular basis. Your notebook offers the best place to start creating your very own custom dictionary, where each word entry is relevant to your life and your learning journey. Don’t include words you’ll never use or hear; it only clutters up your notebook and your brain.
#8: Incorporates Variety
Anything and everything can go into your language learning notebook.
We’ve already mentioned creative outlets like poetry and sketches, but you can also include images, photos, and doodles. Mind maps can add a visual element to grammar rules. Jokes or memes in your target language will teach you less formal ways of speaking while also lightening the mood. Journal entries are great for practicing writing while also tracking your day-to-day experiences. You could practice translating dialogue from foreign films, quotations from famous people, or literature. You could practice brainstorming in your target language.
And this is only the beginning! Whatever helps you learn the language is fair game and has a place in your notebook.
How to Make a Language Learning Notebook
Are you convinced? Do you see all the benefits that come from having a learning language notebook? I hope so! If enhanced focus and enjoyable learning are what you’re after, then a language learning notebook might just be your solution. So let’s now turn our attention to how exactly we should go about making such a notebook: what supplies are needed, and exactly what goes into this little book of language mastery.
Supplies Needed for a Language Learning Notebook
The good news continues! Luckily, language notebooks are quite cheap; all you really need is a notebook and a writing utensil. As far as effective tools go, that’s a really good deal! And the notebook doesn’t have to be anything fancy; it could be lined, unlined, dotted, large, small, plain, decorated — whatever works for you. There are also some options out there that have been crafted especially for language learning.
Even though a good old pen and paper language journal is all you really need, you may want to add the following supplies:
- Pens or markers: color-coding is a recommended tip for making your notes more effective. Color stands out to the brain and makes things stick longer in your memory. Plus, it adds another layer of organization to your notes and makes them visually appealing. You can include as many or as few colors as you want, though experts suggest no more than two or three to avoid making it too chaotic.
- Highlighters: the same concept applies as for colored pens and markers, except that highlighters are primarily for the purpose of highlighting key words or concepts. They will help the really important information pop out and grab your attention.
- Stickers or images: feel free to add images for visuals or just for fun. The brain processes visuals some 60,000 times faster than it does text, which makes them a very effective note-taking tactic.
- Clippings: cut out any interesting clippings from magazines, photos, newspapers, or souvenirs from your travels to include in your language learning journal.
Supplies for a Digital Notebook
A handwritten learning notebook is recommended, but you can also take your language notes online if you choose. For this type of language notebook, you’ll need the following:
- Computer or tablet: You need a digital device in order to take notes digitally, and it’s recommended that you use a personal device rather than a public one.
- Stylus: You can use this for the more creative endeavors of note-taking, if you want to add some simple sketches or handwritten notes.
- Note-taking app: Apps like Keynote allow you to create digital journal pages and then convert them to PDF and either import it to your note-taking app or print it for a paper copy
The bottom line is that language learning notebooks are really easy to start, fun to do, and effective for your learning.
Organization Options
You can organize your notebook however you want, but there are two basic suggestions that you might consider. First, you can organize your language notebook topically. This means that you can divide it into separate sections for things such as vocabulary, grammar, cultural notes, examples, and exercises.
You can then divide those sections into more subsections, such as dividing your vocabulary lists by alphabetical order or by topics such as “kitchen” or “weather.” You could organize the grammar section into verb conjugations, prepositions, word order, and more. For examples, you might include dialogue, idiomatic expressions, or common phrases.
The second way that you can organize your language notebook is chronologically. This means that you record sequentially what you learn every day, just as you would if you were taking these notes in a conventional classroom for any other subject. This can be useful because language learning builds on itself, but it can also make it harder to find information since the categories are all spread out instead of compiled into distinct sections.
What Content Should Be Included?
This is all well and good, you may be saying, but what exactly should be included in your language learning notebook? I suppose “whatever you want” is too vague an answer for such a good question, so I’ll try to flesh this out a bit more and give you a better idea of what you should be including in your language notebook.
The first thing you should have is a table of contents in the front of your notebook. This will be extremely helpful when it comes to trying to track down specific pieces of information, especially as you keep adding to the notebook. It’s also important considering the variety of content and sections that you’re going to be including. You could also add sticky tabs so that you can quickly find certain pages. As an organizational tool, a table of contents can’t be overstated.
Include a language planner in your notebook so that you can be sure to stay on track with your learning objectives. Reserve a section specifically for a daily or weekly study schedule so that you remain consistent in your language learning journey, and don’t accidentally end up skipping days or weeks. Write down your learning goals to keep yourself motivated and on track. Write down any relevant deadlines that you have that relate to those learning goals, such as any upcoming exams, special lectures, or events.
It’s common to see habit trackers in bullet journals, but they’re also great for language learning by recording study times and topics. As you keep track of your habits and your learning progress, you will begin to see patterns in how well you study under certain circumstances. Maybe you get more distracted around lunch time or you need to be somewhere quiet, like the school library.
Whatever it may be, your learning styles, quirks, and needs will likely be reflected by your habit tracker. You can then use those insights to make your learning approach more productive.
Keep a running list of all of the language resources that you come across, whether they be textbooks or other mediums. You might want a separate list for book recommendations, podcasts, and blogs for English language learners (like this one!).
For social resources, YouTube, meetup groups, or language study groups are great places to start. You could also check out language learning apps to supplement your learning. And don’t forget about the wonderful world of entertainment — there are tons of options out there for music, television shows, and movies in your target language.
A vocabulary list goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway (or rather, say it again, because I’ve already said it at least once). You should be writing down all of the new words that you’re learning that you want to remember, along with their dictionary definitions and sentence examples of how to use them.
You can create a vocabulary log with a review counter. Separate pages for antonyms and synonyms might come in handy for teaching you how words are both similar and different in nuanced ways. You could include word clusters or mind maps to demonstrate groupings of vocabulary.
Create lists of verb conjugations. These are often the most tedious yet important parts of learning a language because they exist in nearly every sentence, and yet there are always multiple variations and exceptions to the rules. The most obvious way to group verb conjugations is by tenses, especially since you learn the tenses one at a time. You can also group verb conjugations by specific endings, such as “-er” or “-ir” verbs in French or Spanish.
Have a section for dictation exercises in which you practice and test your spelling and listening skills. Transcribe song lyrics or dialogue from a movie, podcast, or news broadcast.
Create sample dialogues using the vocabulary words in your vocabulary section. Having a section for this will let you see how much you improve over time!
Specific grammar points should all be compiled into a single place for easy comparison. You can also use mnemonic devices to help you remember the harder grammar rules.
As you learn a foreign language, you’re going to run into cultural differences. Note this in a special section so that you have a flavor for the culture and people who created the language you’re learning. Write down things such as formal and informal language use, tone, and appropriate forms of address.
Write down the alphabet of your target language, along with anything else that might be unfamiliar about the writing system.
Similar to a table of contents, you should also have an index to help you navigate the material in your notebook. This will be especially helpful if you use a chronological method of organization.
Be sure to include a section for journal entries. These are great not only for practicing writing but also for training yourself to see your target language in your everyday activities and to use it to explain your life.
Finally, you can create themed pages for different topics. For example, days of the week, fruits, animals, shapes, colors, restaurant themes, education themes, greetings, and more.
Conclusion
Here’s the takeaway: you can leverage your notes for more effective language learning by creating a language notebook specifically designed with your own learning style and goals in mind. This will help keep you focused, enhance your learning, and track your progress.
You can use your notebook for easier and more effective review strategies. It offers room for experimentation, for compiling your own custom dictionary, and for trying out a little bit of everything.
This very effective note-taking tool only requires a notebook and pen, making it extremely affordable for visual learners of all stages. But you can always make it fancier with colorful pens and highlighters, images, and clippings.
When it comes to what exactly should be in your language learning notebook, we discussed a dozen or so options. A table of contents and an index will help keep you organized. A language planner and habit tracker will keep you on track to accomplish your goals. A vocabulary list, verb conjugations, grammar points, themed pages, and alphabet chart will give you the nitty gritty of the language you’re learning. Sections for dictation, dialogues, and journal entries allow you to explore. And a cultural section and a resource list will give you better context.
From practicing basic vocabulary and unfamiliar words to learning multiple languages at once, a language notebook will encourage students to engage with their target language as if they were native speakers practicing their own language.
Whether multilingual learners, international students, or high schoolers in a general education Spanish class, the little extra time that it takes to put together a successful language notebook will be a great thing for your educational goals. It will give you confidence and the opportunity to interact with your target language in different ways, putting meaning where there was previously confusion.
As far as note-taking methods go, language notes are in a class of their own. You need to develop speaking skills, familiarize yourself with the most commonly used words, and practice active listening on an entirely higher level. It’s hard, but it’s well worth the effort. Give a language notebook a shot, and see if you can’t immediately improve your proficiency in language learning and reach that golden level of fluency all the faster.