Welcome, aspiring polyglot! It turns out that what you may consider “old school” is something I happen to view as effective. Interestingly, as we approach the moment when technology actually will have the ability to translate in real time, we seem to be losing the ability, or perhaps the desire, to teach foreign languages. As with most things, the further we get from their inception, the less we understand why they existed as they did.
It can therefore be helpful if, from time to time, we venture back and do things as they were once done so that we might understand why they were done. For this reason, and many more, I encourage you to write a letter this week. Even if it isn’t in your target language, though it should be, just write one. Irrespective of the person for whom you write it, the simple act will, theoretically, bring you a moment of serenity.
Writing things down on paper
Writing has always been an outlet of mine. As far back as I can remember I was writing short stories, letters, books, and anything in between. For me, sometimes it is the only way to actually think. In fact, I would be willing to wager that for a great many of you reading this, if you gave it a chance you would find the same solace in it that I do. Unfortunately, through one mechanism or another, writing has gone the same way as reading.
That is to say, fewer and fewer people are reading and writing today than in years past. Whether that is because cellphones have become commonplace or because people have negative associations with reading and writing is irrelevant. What matters is how many tangible benefits are being missed out on by choosing to avoid these things, not the least of which is the ability to hone one’s own ability to actually think.
It has been said before, by people far more intelligent than I, but at its core, writing is thinking. When we attempt to think inside our head, our own wires get crossed and, more often than not, we end up settling on irrational explanations justified through rational thought. Writing removes this barrier and allows us to break down what is truly going on inside on paper. Perhaps this is another reason so many people tend to avoid writing.
Still, I believe it is worth your time and effort to become an efficient and precise thinker. The world is more competitive than ever and the ability to think is being diluted every single day by technology (wow I sound like a grumpy old man). Observing existing phenomena, however, is not endorsement nor condemnation of said phenomena. It simply is true that technology is creating a competency chasm. Fortunately for you, soon to be polyglot, you have clearly chosen to prioritize your education and your ability to think therein.
There are, in addition, benefits to your language acquisition to be found within these domains, especially writing. Improving recall is one of the more challenging parts of learning a new language. Yes, you can remember the word, but can you recall it instantaneously on demand? That is what will separate the A2 and the B2 learners. The ability to speak hinges greatly on the ability to recall words quickly and accurately and writing trains this skill without the pressure of speaking.
Not only will it improve your recall ability overall, but it will change the way that you approach speaking altogether. With more time to think, you will inevitably find that the words you know are not sufficient to express the things you want to express. While writing, you can simply look up new words and add them in real time. This is not the case when it comes to speaking. Unless, of course, you took the time to write new words down before they became a necessity.
Why we write in pen
For those who are taking their language acquisition seriously, writing is crucial. At least if one hopes to achieve a level of proficiency within a reasonable time frame. While writing there are some tips that can be used to enhance both your thinking and writing in every language that you know. The first is to always write in pen. If you wrote it down, it meant something, even if it was incorrect.
Starting out this will make almost no sense. Why would you want to preserve something that is so obviously incorrect? Well, the answer is quite simple. At one point that was not such an obviously incorrect thing. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all that goes into learning a new language. With a written record of all the dumbest mistakes you have ever made, you have a visual reminder of how much more you know now than you did when you made those mistakes.
More importantly, with a record of your mistakes, you can find out what your most consistent weaknesses are. Avoiding problems does not solve them. But you cannot even avoid things you do not know exist. When you write, especially in pen, you cannot escape your mistakes. Though this may feel demoralizing at first, you will soon realize that you have all you need to overcome these weaknesses.
The final step is to begin improving upon the old writing you have saved from the very start (ideally) of your language learning journey. Improve upon it, expand and build upon it. Turn what was once a loss into a victory. Conquer the challenges of the past and move forward in your learning process to new and more difficult challenges knowing that the language may not be any easier, but you are better.
Conclusion
This article may have gotten away from me a bit, but I simply cannot overstate how much writing will accelerate and enhance your language learning experience and, by proxy, your life. There are a lot of ways to do it right and so few ways to do it wrong. Even if it is only 10 sentences, try writing out 10 every day for 30 days and see if you can’t come up with a coherent storyline to follow throughout. Disjointed sentences are no fun anyway.
Complexity is up to you, though strive to be the best you can. Length is up to you, but you should strive to be the best you can be. Consistency is up to you, but the only victim of your inconsistency will be you. Many people don’t even believe you need to be able to write in order to be considered bilingual, but I tend to disagree with that. After all, if I couldn’t write in my native language, I wouldn’t consider myself fluent in it, either.
Give it a try and see what happens. It may play out that it simply doesn’t work for you, but at least you will have proved it to yourself. On the other hand, it is entirely possible that you kick yourself because you read a year ago on some obscure language learning newsletter that writing helps with language learning but neglected to start until now. Either way, it is going to be difficult. You can do difficult things and be great, though. So do some difficult things and become great. I am rooting for you.