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Does English note-taking really improve speaking skills? The correct method discovered through 5 years of self-study and a 30-day practice program

2026年7月10日 21:02

Have you ever had an experience like this?

Every time you study English, you organize your notes neatly. You copy down new phrases, underline them with a red pen, and color-code them. Every time a notebook is filled, you feel a sense of satisfaction, thinking, 'I studied well today.' But when you actually try to speak in English, nothing comes out of your mouth.

I repeated this for five years.

Even though I took notes every single day without fail, I never became able to speak English. In fact, the more notebooks I filled, the deeper my anxiety grew, wondering, 'Why can't I speak even though I'm supposed to be studying?'

Does taking English notes really lead to speaking skills? Or is it just a feeling of having studied?

In this article, I will write as concretely as possible about the fundamental problems with note-taking that I realized during my five years of self-study, and the correct way to use them to improve speaking skills. I hope that after reading this, you will feel like saying, 'Okay, I'll try this starting today.'

You take notes but can't speak. The reason lies in a 'misalignment of purpose'.

Many people who study English on their own take notes at the beginning of their studies. This is by no means a bad thing. However, in many cases, the 'purpose' of taking notes is wrong.

For most people, the purpose of taking notes is to 'memorize' or 'organize.' But from the perspective of English conversation, taking notes itself has almost no direct effect on training speaking skills.

Think about it. Speaking English is a skill where you instantly select knowledge from your brain and output it through your mouth. This uses completely different muscles than reading and writing. The act of 'organizing and storing' information and the act of 'instantly retrieving and using' information are different things.

If you spend your time neatly organizing your notes, you might feel like you've 'inputted' information. But that is the same as feeling like you've understood the content of a book just by reading it; the knowledge remains dormant and unusable in real-life situations (when you actually have to speak).

I realized this painfully about two years after I started self-studying. Even though I had over five notebooks of English study materials, when a foreigner asked me for directions, I could only say, 'I... um... sorry, I don't know well...' and my mind went blank. Despite writing so much, nothing came out in a real situation. That was the first time I truly realized that 'something was missing from my notes.'

Taking notes is not the problem. You just need to rethink 'what you are taking notes for.'

The '3 wrong ways' to use English notebooks

Specifically, let me organize some common mistakes.

Mistake 1: Just copying the meanings of words

A common practice in the early stages of learning is taking notes by copying words and their meanings from vocabulary books or study materials. Writing them down in a vertical list like 'anger: fury,' 'confuse: to bewilder.'

This might have some meaning in terms of memory retention. But just because you wrote it down doesn't mean that word will pop into your head when you need to speak; that's a completely different story.

Words only become 'usable knowledge' when they are used repeatedly in context. Just copying the meanings only piles them up in your head as 'words I know but can't use.'

Even if you remember the word 'confuse' with its Japanese translation, whether you can naturally use it in conversation as 'I'm confused about...' is a completely different matter.

Mistake 2: Making a clean copy of textbook content

This is a notebook where you carefully transcribe important phrases and grammar explanations while reading or listening to English learning materials. Making a clean copy gives you a sense of accomplishment, and when you look back at it later, it feels like you have 'properly done the work'.

However, this also has a problem. You almost never actually look back at the clean notes you made. I was the same way. I was often satisfied with just writing the notes and ended it there.

Even if you think you understand it the moment you write it down, if you don't practice outputting it, the memory will quickly fade. The assumption that 'writing equals learning' is actually a big pitfall.

The 'feeling of having studied' in English learning is not equal to actual speaking ability. Clean-copy notebooks are the format most likely to create that 'feeling of having studied,' so you need to be careful.

Mistake 3: Spending time making beautiful notes to look back on later

Using colored pens, writing headings neatly, adding diagrams... Notes that are carefully organized over time are certainly beautiful. But when you look back at them, you often end up just feeling like you've studied something.

If you spend too much time making notes, the time you can spend on the original goal, 'practice to speak English,' decreases. This is putting the cart before the horse.

If you study for one hour a day and spend 40 minutes of that organizing your notes, you only have 20 minutes to actually speak English out loud. Notes are just a means to an end. The goal is to be able to speak English.

So, what is a notebook that helps you speak?

I have written about 'wrong ways to use notebooks' so far, but that doesn't mean 'you shouldn't take notes'.

If used correctly, an English notebook can be a powerful weapon for speaking skills. The key is to use the notebook not as a tool for input (organizing/saving), but as a preparation tool for output (using/speaking).

Specifically, you write in the notebook not to 'organize knowledge,' but to 'actually use it when speaking'.

Just by changing your awareness of this one point, the way you use your English notebook will become completely different.

Three types of English notebooks that lead to speaking skills

There are three ways to use English notebooks that are truly effective, which I arrived at after 5 years of self-study.

1. Phrase collection notebook (writing down expressions you want to use)

This is a notebook where you write down phrases you come across while listening to English materials, movies, dramas, podcasts, etc., that you think, 'I could use this expression' or 'It would be nice to be able to say this smartly in English'.

The point is 'not to organize it neatly.' Just make a simple note of the meaning and use it only to practice saying the phrase out loud.

For example, you write it like this.

"I totally get what you mean."

→ Useful when you want to express "I understand." A variation for backchanneling.

"It's a bit of a long story."

→ Useful to use at the beginning when a story is complex to make it go smoothly.

"That's actually a good point."

→ Useful to use casually in meetings or discussions.

Like this, it is important to add the usage context in your own words. Practice the phrases you wrote down by saying them out loud multiple times that same day. You can just keep the notebook as a record.

Regarding "where to collect phrases from," content you enjoy and can stick with is best. Lines from movies or dramas, expressions that caught your attention in podcasts, or sentences from English books or news. It's fine to just pick up things that you feel are "nice."

2. Reflection Notebook (Recording your English mistakes)

This is a notebook where you write down things you "couldn't say" or "didn't know how to say" in situations where you used English (online English conversation, practicing talking to yourself in English, actual conversations).

For example, if you were practicing talking to yourself and thought, "I wanted to say 'something feels off' in English, but it didn't come out," you make a note that later, when you looked it up, "Something feels off" or "It doesn't quite sit right with me" would have been useful.

This flow of "experience of not being able to say it → look it up → make it so you can say it next time" is extremely effective. Because there is a context where you actually tried to use it, it is easier to remember, and you can concretely imagine the timing for using it.

This is study material unique to you that you absolutely cannot get just by learning from ready-made textbooks.

I believe the difference between people who "study English aimlessly" and "people who can speak" lies unexpectedly here. People who can speak have developed the habit of learning from their failed experiences. They don't just end their failures as "embarrassing memories," but use them as "material to apply next time."

3. Play-by-Play Notebook (Writing about your daily life in English)

This is a notebook where you write about events that happened that day or your own thoughts in English. It is close to an English diary, but since I get nervous when I think of it as a "diary," I call it a "play-by-play notebook."

Just like when speaking, it is practice for converting your thoughts into English. It is fine to start with just 1 to 3 sentences at first.

For example, if you want to put "I forgot to get my change at the convenience store today. I was kind of spaced out" into English, it would be: "I forgot to take my change at the convenience store today. I was kind of out of it."

If it's "The train was delayed and I almost ended up being 10 minutes late for work," it would be: "The train was delayed and I almost ended up being 10 minutes late for work. I was kind of panicking."

If you continue this every day, the speed at which you can turn what you want to say into English will gradually increase. And when you speak in similar situations, the sentences you wrote will naturally come out of your mouth.

However, this notebook is not intended to make your English writing "perfect." It is okay to make mistakes. The important thing is to develop the habit of trying to express what you want to say in English.

Even if your grammar is not perfect, as long as what you want to convey is in English form, it counts as practice. The key is to keep writing and, above all, keep speaking out loud.

3 Principles of Correct Note-Taking I Discovered Over 5 Years

Regardless of the type of notebook you use, there are principles I want you to keep in mind.

Principle 1: Always Speak Out Loud After Writing

Writing in a notebook and speaking out loud are a set. Once you write a phrase, say it out loud three times on the spot. Also, say the phrases you wrote in your reflection notebook out loud after writing them.

Whether or not you do this will completely change the effectiveness. There will be a huge difference in speaking ability after six months between those who are satisfied with just writing and those who speak out loud.

From the perspective of brain mechanics, using multiple senses simultaneously—writing, reading, speaking, and listening—significantly improves memory retention. Writing alone only uses "vision" and "hand movement," but speaking adds "hearing" and "mouth movement." This makes a world of difference.

Principle 2: Keep the Notebook Simple

Do not try to write neatly. Even now, my notes are scribbles. I don't worry about margins or color-coding. It is much better to spend time practicing using the phrases you wrote than spending time on the act of writing itself.

The notebook is not for "enjoying later," but for "using in today's practice."

Handwriting or a smartphone memo app are both fine. However, I slightly recommend handwriting. Because handwriting takes a little more time, your brain has time to organize thoughts while you write. But a hybrid approach—taking notes on your phone while out and transcribing them by hand at night—is ideal.

Principle 3: Repeat the Same Phrase for 3 Days

Once you write a new phrase in your notebook, practice saying it out loud the next day and the day after that. Repeating it for three days will help it stick significantly.

Human memory does not solidify after just one encounter. As known from the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, learned content is forgotten rapidly over time. The first 24 hours are especially important, and it is said that reviewing within 24 hours of learning significantly increases memory retention rates.

Do not just leave it written in the notebook; keep speaking and using the same phrase for three days. This is the key to solving the problem of "I wrote it in my notebook, but I still can't speak it."

How I Actually Use My Notebooks Even Now

Here, I will introduce how I actually use my notebooks every day.

In the morning (10–15 minutes), I open my phrase collection notebook and practice saying 3 to 5 phrases I wrote yesterday out loud. If there are new phrases, I add them.

At night (10–15 minutes), I open my reflection notebook and jot down things I couldn't say or didn't know how to express during that day's practice. I also write down any phrases I looked up. In my play-by-play notebook, I write 2–3 sentences in English about what happened that day. Things like "I was really tired today" or "Lunch was better than expected" are enough.

A total of 20 to 30 minutes a day. By continuing this routine, after six months, you will start to feel that your English has moved from your notebook to your mouth.

You might feel that the study time is short, but continuing for 20 minutes every day is far more effective than doing two hours all at once once a week. In language acquisition, 'frequency' is more important than 'quantity'.

Mindset for Continuing English Note-Taking

Even if you learn the correct way to use a notebook, it is meaningless if you cannot keep it up. I will write a little about the mindset for continuing.

First, 'do not try to make a perfect notebook.' Perfectionism is the greatest enemy of English learning. 'I only wrote one phrase today,' or 'I only wrote two sentences of live commentary.' That is fine. It is far better than zero.

Next, 'do not feel discouraged when looking back at your notes.' When you open an old notebook after a while, you might feel like, 'I wrote so much, but I don't remember any of it.' But not remembering is natural. That is how human memory works. The important thing is to practice saying it out loud again. Do not let yourself get discouraged and quit there.

And, 'do not make the amount of notes your goal.' 'Filling one notebook this month' is a goal of quantity. The goal in English learning is 'to be able to speak,' not 'to fill a notebook.' Try to focus not on the amount you wrote, but on the number of times you said it out loud and the number of phrases you can use.

Tips for Solving the Problem of 'Not Being Able to Keep Up with Note-Taking'

After reading this far, some of you might be thinking, 'I understand the method, but I probably won't be able to keep it up anyway.'

Actually, the cause of 'not being able to keep up' is often setting the initial hurdle too high.

For example, if you try to complete a perfect program from the start, such as 'write 3 phrases every day, say them all out loud, and write a live commentary notebook,' you will feel like you 'failed again' and quit if you break the routine even for one day.

That is why I recommend setting a 'minimum rule.'

Set a minimum rule: 'No matter how busy I am, I will write just one phrase in my notebook and say it out loud.' You can do this in just 2 to 3 minutes. Even on days when you are tired or on business trips, you can keep this minimum rule.

The important thing is 'not to make it zero.' By continuing even with one phrase, the thread of habit will not break. On days when you have time, write 3 phrases and do the live commentary. On days when you don't, just one phrase is fine. If you continue with this feeling, you will find that you have been doing it for half a year or a year before you know it.

To Make Even Better Use of English Notes: I Am Creating an App Called Lexion

This is a bit of a promotion, but I am currently developing an app for English learners called 'Lexion'.

This app is designed to be like a digitized version of a 'phrase collection notebook,' where you can stock expressions that catch your interest, and the AI proposes practice problems and conversation practice using them.

I want to make it a tool that seamlessly connects the act of taking notes with the practice of actually using the phrases. It is still in beta, but please take a look if you are interested. Feedback is also welcome.

https://lexion.onrender.com/

30-Day Practice Program: Cultivating Speaking Skills Through Note-Taking

For those who say, "I understand the method, but I'm worried I won't be able to keep it up," I have written out a program for the first 30 days.

Week 1 (Days 1-7): Focus solely on collecting phrases

For the first week, focus only on your phrase collection notebook. Write down 1 to 3 phrases each day that you think you might use, and say them out loud the same day you write them.

The notebook can be handwritten or a memo app on your smartphone. The important thing is to do the "write down -> say out loud" set every day. Don't overthink it; just pick up expressions you like while watching dramas or listening to podcasts.

The goal for this week is to build the habit of saying phrases out loud. There is no need to aim for perfection here. Even one phrase a day is fine. Just think about continuing.

Week 2 (Days 8-14): Add a reflection notebook

Starting in the second week, you will also begin a reflection notebook. After practicing English (talking to yourself, reading aloud, trying to talk about the content of a podcast, etc.), take just 5 minutes to make a note of "things you couldn't say."

Look up only 1 or 2 expressions that you couldn't say. You don't need to look up everything. Looking up one thing and practicing saying it out loud is enough.

The goal for this week is to experience the cycle of "experience of not being able to say something -> look it up -> use it." When you run this cycle, your weaknesses in English will become clear in real time. Once you know "where you get stuck," the direction of your study will become clear.

Week 3 (Days 15-21): Add a live commentary notebook

Starting in the third week, you will also begin a live commentary notebook. Every night before bed, write 2 or 3 sentences about the day's events in English. If you can't think of the English, it's okay to think in Japanese first and then translate it into English.

You don't need to try to write perfect English sentences. Even if the grammar is a bit off, it's fine as long as you can convey what you want to say. Once you finish writing, read it out loud.

The goal for this week is to build the habit of turning what you want to say into English. At first, Japanese-style English is fine. You can gradually get closer to natural English.

Week 4 (Days 22-30): Integrate the three and create your own routine

In the fourth week, you will rotate through phrase collection, reflection, and live commentary at your own pace. Don't try to do it perfectly every day; just aim to do any two of them.

The goal for this week is to find a routine that makes you want to continue keeping a notebook even after the 30 days are over. It is important to adjust the amount so that you can continue without strain.

If you can think, "I did it for 30 days, and I think I can keep doing this," rather than "I worked hard for 30 days, now I can stop," then this program is a success. You won't be able to speak English in 30 days, but you can definitely acquire the habit of using a notebook correctly in 30 days.

What changes when you keep a notebook?

I will be honest. You won't become able to speak dramatically well in 30 days.

But after 30 days, there will definitely be changes.

The first is that the number of "phrases you can use" will increase. As the number of usable phrases grows, the state of "not being able to find the words" when you try to speak will gradually decrease. You will feel the stress of speaking English start to lighten.

The second is that you will develop a habit of "learning from experiences where you couldn't say what you wanted." Every time you practice English, your weaknesses become clear. Once you know your weaknesses, it becomes clear what you need to practice, making your study more efficient.

The third is that you will become able to "view your own English objectively." You will start to see the differences between the English you write and the English used by native speakers. This is proof that your English proficiency is improving.

And the fourth. This may be the most important: you will get a sense of "the distance between you and English shrinking." The feeling that English is gradually changing from a "foreign language" to "something of your own." When this feeling emerges, it becomes easier to continue learning English.

Week 3 (Days 15–21): Add a Play-by-Play Note

Starting in the third week, you will also begin a play-by-play note. Every night before bed, write 2–3 sentences in English about the day's events. If you can't think of the English, it's okay to think in Japanese first and then translate it into English.

You don't need to try to write perfect English sentences. Even if the grammar is a bit off, it's fine as long as you can convey what you want to say. Once you finish writing, read it aloud.

The goal for this week is to develop the habit of turning what you want to say into English. At first, Japanese-style English is fine. You can gradually move closer to natural English.

Week 4 (Days 22–30): Integrate the Three and Create Your Own Routine

In the fourth week, you will cycle through the three elements—phrase collection, reflection, and play-by-play—at your own pace. Don't try to do everything perfectly every day; just aim to do any two of them.

The goal for this week is to find a routine that makes you want to continue using the notebook even after the 30 days are over. It is important to adjust the volume to an amount you can continue without strain.

If you can think, "I did it for 30 days, and I think I can keep going," rather than "I worked hard for 30 days, now I'm done," then this program is a success. You won't be able to speak English in 30 days, but you can definitely acquire the habit of using a notebook correctly in 30 days.

What changes when you continue using a notebook?

I will be honest. You won't become able to speak dramatically well in 30 days.

But after 30 days, there will definitely be changes.

Answering frequently asked questions

I have compiled the most frequently asked questions about English notebooks.

The most common question is, 'Which is better for English notes: analog (paper) or digital (smartphone)?' The answer is that either is fine. However, I recommend analog. Handwriting takes a little more time, which gives your brain time to organize information while you write. While you can write quickly on a smartphone, it is easy to get distracted by notifications from other apps or to feel satisfied just by writing down a phrase. The ideal hybrid approach is to take notes on your smartphone when you notice a phrase while out and about, and then transfer them to your handwritten notebook at night.

Regarding 'Where should I look for phrases to write in my notebook?', the best recommendation is English content that you enjoy. Lines from movies or dramas, expressions from podcasts, or sentences from English books or news. You will retain information best by picking up things that make you think, 'I could use this' or 'I wish I could say it like that.' The key is not to copy example sentences from textbooks, but to collect expressions that you personally feel you want to use.

Another common question is, 'What should I do if I can't keep it up every day?' Please don't blame yourself if there are days you can't continue. What matters is not 'continuing perfectly,' but 'not quitting.' If you miss three days, it is no problem to start again on the fourth day. If you would like to think more deeply about maintaining English study, please refer to this article as well.

If you find that you cannot get the words out, the cause is often the gap between the 'situation where you are practicing' and the 'situation where you are actually speaking.' I recommend not just saying the phrases out loud, but practicing by specifically imagining the 'situation where you would use this phrase.' Also, this article, which delves into the relationship between writing and speaking, is a helpful reference for how to connect the English you write to your speaking ability.

English notebooks are 'meant to be used'

Finally, I will write the most important thing.

Notebooks are not meant for writing; they are meant for using.

No matter how beautiful a notebook you create, if you never say the phrases written in it out loud and use them, your English ability will hardly improve. Conversely, even if your notebook is tattered and messy, if you continue to say the phrases you wrote in it out loud every day, you will definitely gain speaking ability.

'Compiling notes' and 'becoming able to speak English' are two different things. This might be the thing I have learned most deeply over the past five years.

I used to think that compiling was studying. I believed that as my notebooks grew, my English ability would improve. But in reality, I couldn't speak English at all until I started 'saying out loud and using' the contents of my notebooks.

Please take a fresh look at the English notebook you have now as a 'tool to be used.' Try spending more time saying things out loud than writing them down.

That slight change in awareness should significantly change who you are in six months.

Let's do this together for 30 days. You can start from today. At first, just writing one phrase and saying it out loud is enough. Just by doing that, the way you use your notebook will change starting today.