WHAT is a Learning Diary? To begin discussing this question, we will define a Foreign Language Learning Diary as a journal, record or diary of what one has listened to, viewed, read, discussed or written in the target language. The diary is a personal document but can be shared with the learner’s instructor and/or fellow classmates.
WHY? The Learning diary is a tool for intermediate to advanced and ESP students to help increase their involvement in learning. The practice of keeping a Learning Diary will provide language learners with opportunities to increase their learner autonomy, develop metacognitive skills and allot time to reflecting on their learning experiences.
This practice is motivating as it reinforces the learners’ sense of achievement, encourages them to establish goal setting and increases the time that they spend on revision. In addition, when learners share their diary entries, they are writing fluently and purposefully – an actual use of English for communication.
HOW TO START? The best way to explore the use of a Learning Diary is to start one yourself. In it, you can record any variety of experiences related to your teaching/learning.
WHEN and HOW OFTEN? The one important requirement is that you set a “Time to Write”. This can be a quick 3 minutes after each lesson or a more leisurely 10-15 at the end of the week; the options are varied. What is important is to be consistent about the time agreed upon.
WITH WHOM? Another consideration is if the Learning Diary is to be shared. In the spirit of communicative production activities, we’d suggest that you share an entry with your learners as an example of what they can write in their journals and that learners allow you, at least, to read the entries upon request.
HOW TO USE? Please notice that no corrections have been made in the sample entry from an intermediate learner’s Learning Diary below:
Title: 2nd Day in English Language Course
Today we discussed some new subjects and we did some new things in the classroom. At first, we checked our homeworks with the teacher. After, we discussed about the different parts of speech, which are noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, verb, preposition and linking words. We also did some exercises in the dictionary.
At the second hour we did speaking exercises for practice. I discussed with my classmates and then I told what I learned to the lecturer. Furthermore, we did one on one corrections with the professor on our essays, which we wrote yesterday.
At the third hour we did an exercises to get a result about how good is our notes. At last, Ms. Pappas said us to prepare a presentation for tommorow where we are going to present ourselves and some expression that we like in English.
If the student is sharing his diary entries with Ms. Pappas, she reads it for content only. If he writes something unintelligible or ambiguous, his instructor can reply by asking for clarification and/or recasting the language he used incorrectly. Direct correction by the teacher would destroy the fluency practice that writing diary entries provides.
Once used successfully, with the learners sharing diary entries with their instructor, you could encourage sharing between pairs. An excellent website for such Learning Diaries is www.penzu.com.
