Keeping a language learning journal is a great way to practice writing in a foreign language. But…what do you write about? That’s where these foreign language learning journal ideas writing prompts can come in handy.
You can only write about what happened in your day so many times, especially if your day consists of waking up, going to work, and going to bed, essentially.
Keep reading to find 27 useful foreign language writing prompts that you can start writing about today. Want more prompts? Get 30 more prompts (57 total!) in this free list of writing prompts. Sorted by language learning level and ready to use ASAP.
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Foreign Language Writing Prompts: Getting the Most Out of Them
My favorite way to fill my language learning diary is to start writing, and then look up words I’m lacking as I go. After I have the definition, I add the new words to my flashcard deck to reinforce later.
This can work regardless of how far along in your language learning journey you are, so long as you pick a prompt to fit your current level.
Depending on where you are in your journey to fluency, different language learning journal ideas will be more helpful than others. That’s why I’ve gathered 9 prompts for each stage in your language learning journey.
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Beginner A1-A2 Language Learning Journal Ideas / Prompts
- Interview questions. Create five questions you’d ask in a hypothetical celebrity interview. Use the five question words: who, what, when, where, and why. For an added challenge, answer the questions with complete sentences while restating the question.
- Describe yourself. This can be your appearance, what you’re wearing, your personality, etc. This is pretty broad and you can hone in on particular vocabulary you’d like to focus on.
- Describe where you live. Do you live in the suburbs, a big city, or the countryside? A house or a home?
- Describe your favorite season, and what about that season’s weather you love.
- Make a shopping list with the foods you need right now. If you don’t need anything, write what you typically purchase from the grocery store.
- What’s the most exciting thing that happened to you today and the least exciting thing that happened? What made each one exciting or not?
- Describe the main points of your day, and then for A2 level learners, repeat this in the present and future tense.
- Describe your family. This is a good way to practice family/relatives vocabulary as well as personality vocab words.
- Discuss what you do on the weekend. What are your hobbies? Do you read or bake? Write a paragraph or so covering what you love to do in your free time.
Intermediate: B1-B2 Writing Prompts
- Job interview questions. Come up with 5 questions and answers you’d hear/say in a job interview. This will focus more on office vocabulary, and depending on your line of work, specific industry vocab words as well.
- Write about your opinion on something. Do you agree or disagree with a hot topic in your country? Back up your stance with your opinions as to why you feel the way you do.
- Describe a recent dream. If you can’t remember a recent dream, write about a dream you wish to have.
- Write about where you’d like your life to be in five years. Will you have a family? What kind of job will you have? What will your hobbies look like?
- Describe a day in your life at work. What do you do from the time you get to the office to when you leave?
- Write directions on how to make a simple meal. This doesn’t need to be super complex; just cover what ingredients you need and how to craft the meal.
- Give the advantages and disadvantages of a popular topic in the third person like a journalist, this time trying to stay unbiased in your analysis.
- Write down your favorite memory. This prompt allows you to flex your past tense skills.
- Describe a picture. What colors are in it? What’s happening? What’s the mood being portrayed?
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Advanced C1-C2 Writing Prompts
Note: These prompts are more topic based, less so around different types of writing. At this stage, you can discuss a range of topics in detail, and you can freely express yourself. The challenge here is to use more technical or obscure vocabulary words that wouldn’t necessarily come up with more intermediate writing topics.
- What is a major world problem you see today? Who or what is causing it and how would you suggest fixing it?
- Explain one aspect of your job as if you were teaching a new hire. Be as detailed as possible. This allows you to use professional vocab words, relevant words to your own life, and specialized vocabulary words specific to your field.
- Do you think the drinking age should be raised in your country? Why or why not? What are the pros and cons of this decision? This prompt allows you to use legal terms you may not otherwise use.
- What are the benefits of meditation, if any, in your opinion? Use specific reasons to back up your argument. This allows you to use more philosophical vocabulary words.
- Do you think elementary school (or primary school) should use letter grades? Why or why not?
- Write a proposal for a new digital newspaper. What will it be about? Why is it needed? Who will benefit from it? These are just a few questions you could answer.
- Write a short story. This is a great way to use more obscure vocabulary that you can at times stumble upon in fiction.
- Make a case for why your city should build a new building or store you’d like to have. Back up your opinion with specific benefits, and try to rebut any points they might say to deny your request. This prompt allows you to use conditional tenses.
- How can working from home be beneficial? What are the mental and physical benefits of the change? Any impact on home life? Cover all the angles you can think of in a short essay.
All in All…
Writing is an excellent way to practice learning a new language. With these language learning journal ideas, what’s stopping you from breaking out your language learning journal and getting started now?
This post provided 27 language learning prompts you can use today. If you’d like 30 more prompts to choose from, download all 57 writing prompts by filling out the form below. Completely free and customized for which level you’re currently at.
