How I went from thinking 'English diaries are pointless' to changing my life

Are English diaries really effective?

I think many people who are learning English have thought this at least once.

In fact, I was the same way at first.

Looking up words is a hassle
I don't know what to write
I don't see the point of writing a diary in English in the first place
I feel like there are more efficient ways to study

My past self thought exactly like this.

But looking back now, I can say for sure that keeping an English diary was one of the habits that significantly changed my English ability.

And what's interesting is that although I initially intended it as practice for writing English, before I knew it, it was connected to all of these:

English conversation
Listening
Vocabulary
Instant English composition
English brain

It was connected to all of these areas.

In this article, I will explain the following in great depth based on my own experience:

Why English diaries are powerful
Reasons why beginners give up
How to actually write them
The method I used for three years of self-study
Tips for continuing
The ultimate study method using AI

I will explain these in great depth based on my own experience.

If you want to move beyond just thinking that English diaries seem good and actually use them to improve your English skills, I think you will find this very helpful.

An English diary is not 'English composition'

First of all, there is something that many people misunderstand.

That is the belief that:

English diary = practice for English composition

Of course, that is not wrong.

But that is not the essence of it.

But that is not the essence of it.

The true value of an English diary lies in

the training of 'converting your own thoughts into English'.

This is incredibly important.

For example, people who are bad at English conversation

do the following process:

in their heads

Japanese
↓
convert to English
↓
speak

This is the process they go through.

However, this conversion is actually quite heavy.

That's why you freeze during conversation.

'Um... how should I say this...'

is what happens.

I used to be like this too.

But by doing an English diary every day, little by little,

'I would say this emotion like this in English'

'A native speaker would probably use this word in this situation'

these kinds of senses accumulate.

In other words,

a 'circuit for thinking in English'

starts to grow.

This is huge.

When I first started keeping an English diary, I was truly terrible.

Looking back at my early diary entries now, they are laughable.

For example, it was something like this.

It really was at this level.

But that is fine.

Actually, you should start exactly like this.

Many people try to

"write natural English"

from the very beginning.

That is why they don't stick with it.

But even babies can only speak in single words at first.

English is the same.

There is no need to aim for perfection from the start.

What is important is

"outputting English every day."

that is it.

If you misunderstand this, it becomes difficult all at once.

Why English diaries are effective for English conversation

This part is very important.

People who can't speak English actually, in many cases,

the number of words they know

is not the problem.

The problem is

a lack of experience in explaining yourself in English.

That is it.

For example,

what you did today, what you felt, what annoyed you, what you enjoyed, what you are currently into.

You use these things a lot in English conversation.

But you almost never do this in school English.

That's why you suddenly get stuck when it comes to conversation.

On the other hand, people who keep an English diary are strong.

Because every day,

they are practicing explaining their own life in English.

This is very directly linked to English conversation.

In fact, in English conversation, I have

often thought,

'This is an expression I wrote in my diary.'

It happened so many times.

In short, an English diary is

“a rehearsal for conversation”

.

However, there is a big pitfall with English diaries.

I will be honest about this too.

If you do it the wrong way, an English diary is generally ineffective.

A particularly common mistake is this.

1. Looking up too many things

Looking up a dictionary for every single sentence you write.

If you do that, you'll spend 30 minutes writing only two sentences.

This really won't last.

Moreover, it puts too much strain on your brain.

At first,

“writing only with words you know”

is enough.

For example,

even if you can't write

“I was exhausted,”

is perfectly fine.

First, making output a habit is the top priority.

② Trying to write about difficult things

This is also very common.

But a diary should originally be much simpler.

For example,

・Went to the convenience store
・Drank coffee
・Work was a drag
・The cat was cute

This is fine.

In fact, you use everyday topics more in English conversation.

Even if you only write about difficult themes, you surprisingly don't use them in practice.

③ Not getting corrected

This is super important.

If you keep writing incorrect English, you will naturally develop strange habits.

In the past, this was quite difficult.

Because I had to have someone who could speak English check it every time.

But now, we have AI.

I really think the times have changed because of this.

In this day and age, English diaries have evolved rapidly thanks to AI

Honestly, the current English learning environment is quite blessed.

In the past, I used:

・Google Translate
・Dictionaries
・English forums
・Asking native speakers

I was studying desperately while going back and forth between them.

But now, we have AI.

This is truly revolutionary.

For example,

Correction to natural expressions
Native-like paraphrasing
Grammar error correction
Explanation of more natural nuances
Word suggestions
CEFR level analysis

You can do all of this in an instant.

And it's available 24/7.

This was unthinkable in the past.

About 'Lexion', which I am developing

Let me take a moment here to introduce the app I am currently developing.

I am currently developing an AI-powered English diary correction app.

The reason I decided to create this app is quite simple:

'Because my past self wanted it'

is the reason.

English diaries are inherently a very powerful learning method, but

Correction is difficult
It doesn't last
Motivation is hard to maintain
I don't know what to write
I can't learn natural expressions

There are many such barriers.

That is why,

'An environment where you can continue writing English diaries more easily and practically'

I wanted to create.

Currently, I am focusing on developing:

• AI correction
• Natural paraphrasing
• Learning history management
• Vocabulary learning
• Review support
• Learning analytics

and other features.

What I am particularly conscious of is:

“A UI that makes writing in English painless”

is what I aim for.

In the end, those who keep at it win when it comes to learning English.

That is why I place a great deal of importance on ease of continuation.

It is still under development, but I plan to further enhance the features in the future.

Characteristics of people whose lives are changed by English diaries

This is quite clear.

People who improve through English diaries are:

“Those who are not perfectionists”

that is who they are.

Conversely, people who struggle to improve tend to:

• Worry too much about grammar
• Fear making mistakes
• Try to write perfect English sentences
• Aim for native-level proficiency from the start

They have these tendencies.

But English is, by nature, much messier than that.

You learn by making mistakes.

Correct it while you use it.

This is natural.

I have also written incredibly strange English.

But that accumulation is what connects to where I am now.

'Even if it's short, do it every day' is the strongest approach

This is the most important thing in an English diary.

Consistency over quantity.

For example,

3 sentences every day × 365 days

is quite powerful.

Conversely,

a super long entry once a week

is surprisingly hard to keep up.

It's the same as strength training.

What's important is making it a habit.

I was a busy working professional too, so

'write at least one sentence for now'

was something I was very conscious of.

Even if I was tired from work,

There were days when I just wrote that and went to sleep.

But even so, I never lost contact with English.

This accumulation is truly significant.

Tips for continuing an English diary

I will talk about practical matters here.

1. Fix a theme

It is tiring to think from scratch every day.

So, for example,

Things I did today
Emotions
Things I learned
Things I ate
Work
Hobbies

It is easier if you stick to one of these.

2. Fix a time to write

I recommend before going to bed.

It goes well with keeping a diary.

It is easy to turn into a routine.

3. Don't aim for 'Instagrammable English'

You aren't posting it on social media.

It is for your own learning.

So it's okay if it's unpolished.

4. Always check the corrections

This is super important.

Don't just get it corrected and call it a day,

look at 'why that expression is used'.

This will drastically change your absorption rate.

An English diary becomes the 'mothership of English learning'.

I truly believe this.

Because an English diary contains:

vocabulary,

grammar,

English composition,

English conversation,

a sense of word order,

expressiveness,

and an English-speaking brain.

It includes everything.

Moreover, because you are writing about your own life, it is easier to remember.

It is far more practical than school English.

For example,

sentences like 'My boss yelled at me yesterday and it was the worst' carry emotion.

English that carries emotion stays in your memory.

This is very important.

However,

I was overwhelmingly lacking in 'using English'.

That is why the knowledge wouldn't stick.

I believe that keeping an English diary is one of the best habits for filling that gap in output.

Plus, it's low cost.

You can start today.

That is a huge advantage.

Finally,

if you are currently thinking,

'I want to be able to speak English,'

then I truly recommend keeping an English diary.

At first, one sentence is enough.

It doesn't have to be perfect.

In fact, making mistakes is fine.

What's important is,

'using English every day.'

And we are in the age of AI now.

It is far easier to learn than it used to be.

I was overwhelmingly lacking in 'using English'.

That is why the knowledge wouldn't stick.

That is precisely why I believe this is an era where those who take action will see significant growth.

If you want to continue writing English diaries more efficiently, please try out the tool I am currently developing.

It makes writing in English a little more fun.

I am continuing to develop it with the goal of creating such an app.

I myself took quite a long, roundabout path through self-study.

That is exactly why,

I am seriously creating

what my past self wanted.

Let's build up our English skills little by little together.

For those who have read this far and thought,
'I want to shift to an output-centered approach too,'
'but I don't know specifically where to start.'

In my paid magazine, I have summarized the specific learning steps I actually took to master English conversation through self-study.

・30-day English diary themes
・How to use AI correction
・Shadowing practice steps
・A 15-minute-a-day menu for working professionals to keep going
・Output design to break through the intermediate plateau

If you want to break out of the state of 'studying but still unable to speak,' please read this first.