How Can Journaling Improve English Writing and Speaking? With Earl Grey – S04E15

How can journaling help you or your students improve English writing, vocabulary and speaking skills?Gav and Em explore how English learners can use journaling to express their thoughts, develop more personal vocabulary and reflect on their language-learning journey. Unlike a traditional writing assignment, journaling can be free, flexible and led by the learner’s own interests, without strict word limits or prescribed outcomes.Special guest Earl Grey shares how journaling and shadowing have supported her English-learning journey. She explains how writing about her thoughts and feelings, reading her work aloud and recording herself have helped her practise both written and spoken English. Earl also discusses motivation, perfectionism and discovering another side of her personality through English.Drawing on their classroom experience, Gav and Em consider practical questions for teachers:• How can you encourage learners to start journaling?• Should teachers correct journal entries?• How can personal writing reveal gaps in vocabulary?• Can learners turn journals into blogs, recordings or videos?• What makes free writing different from traditional homework?You’ll also discover adaptable journaling prompts covering memories, personal strengths, future goals, daily observations and subjects learners genuinely care about.The episode finishes with Learn-a-Word, as Gav tests Em on some wonderfully uncommon English words, including biblioclept, meldrop, octothorpe, nauseant and agelast.If you find the show useful, you can send us a thanks at https://ko-fi.com/howtoenglishpodVisit https://howtoenglishpod.com for practical English teaching ideas and resources ready to use.GuestEarl Grey on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/earlgreyinseoul/Earl Grey’s website:https://earlgreyinseoul.art.blog/ResourcesJournaling ideas for English learners:https://www.eslactivity.org/journaling-english-learners/Surprising uncommon English words:https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/surprising-uncommon-wordsChapters00:00 Welcome to How to English00:42 What is journaling?01:45 Shadowing and introducing Earl Grey02:54 Earl’s English-learning journey08:19 Motivation, mistakes and finding your learning style11:32 How journaling supports language development12:28 Building personal vocabulary through writing15:13 How can teachers encourage journaling?18:11 Practical journaling prompts for learners24:55 Should teachers correct journal entries?27:01 Learn-a-Word: uncommon English vocabulary31:50 Supporting the podcast and closing thoughts