As a language learner, you may find writing in your foreign language difficult. As you’re thinking more carefully about how you’re writing, it’s easy to get hung up on every mistake you could be making.
These hacks are designed to help you overcome these barriers, and start writing in your foreign language naturally. Give them a try and you’ll see your writing improve.
Read as much as you can
Children learn to write by learning how to read, and the same goes for you. It’s easier for you to get to grips with the written word if you’re reading it first. Try picking up some books in your chosen language and reading as much as you can. The more you read, the more you’ll become familiar with your language as it’s written.
Work on your grammar
It’s easy to get hung up on grammar, as you’re having to think more carefully about it. Make sure you have the basics down, so you can get back to writing. When you first start out, focus on creating shorter, simpler sentences. The better you get, the more complicated you can get in your writing.
Don’t go overboard too quickly
It’s easy to decide to get fancy with your writing. After all, you want to impress by writing in a foreign language. However, you can’t run before you can walk. Focus on writing shorter, easier pieces first. When you feel you’ve mastered them, take a step to slightly more difficult pieces. Keep making these steps up gradually, and you’ll get the hang of writing.
Keep a journal
One of the best ways to practice writing is to keep a journal. These are great as you can write as much as you like, and the writing is private. No worries about anyone seeing any possible mistakes! Make a habit of writing in your journal every day, and you’ll get lots of practice in.
Have a friend check your work
Are you friends with a native speaker of your chosen language? If you are, you could ask them to check your writing. They’ll be able to find any errors that you missed as you were writing, and explain where you went wrong. This input can be really valuable when you’re looking to improve.
Don’t worry too hard about mistakes
Speaking or errors, don’t beat yourself up if you make them. You’re not going to be perfect right off the bat, as it’s impossible. Like everything, writing will come with practice. If you do make mistakes, the best thing to do is see them as learning opportunities.
Be patient
Everything will come in time. Don’t worry too much if you feel you’re not improving fast enough. Every time you sit down and write, you’re making a little more progress. Be patient with yourself, and the skills will come.
These tips should help you get writing in no time. Give them a try, and you’ll soon feel confident about writing in a different language.