Tips & Tools
Getting Organized

Create with the Language

Getting Organized

Keep a journal in the target language:

  • Write a paragraph or dialog using the new vocabulary/expressions/grammar you found in your listening and reading that week.
  • Write out a detailed description of characters or speakers from the material.
    • What can you say about their physical appearance, their clothing, the way they speak or move? 
    • What words can you use to talk about their personality, mood, emotions? If you know basic words like sad/angry/happy, challenge yourself to learn new words: is the person agitated, anxious, ebullient? 
    • Compare and contrast one character or speaker to another.

Create a reference guide for the material(s):

  • Create a flow chart:
    • On the left side of a piece of paper or digital document, list the sections of the material as they occur one after the other. You may also include how long these sections are (1 paragraph, 2:30 minutes, etc.)
    • On the right side, list what happens or is said/written in those sections, as well as anything else you find notable.
    • This is an excellent way to understand the structure of different types of spoken and written material.
  • Draw a timeline of events.
  • Create a family tree or a similarly structured graph showing the people involved in the material and their relationships to one another. Use arrows and labels.
  • Create a map or floor plan related to the material and label it. 
  • Practice presenting the reference guide to someone. 
    • What are the major landmarks? Can you give directions between them? 
    • What is the historical significance of the events?
    • Who are the main characters? What is the nature of their relationships?

Build on the material:

  • Write your own recipe using similar ingredients to a food you read about. Record yourself narrating the preparation and cooking process. 
  • Imagine yourself taking the same trip as a character in the media you studied. Where would you go? What would you like to see? Where would you sleep or eat? Who would you meet? What tickets will you buy?
  • Imagine what happens next in the media you studied. Write out a dialogue or scene where the characters decide what to do. This can be a complex reaction to a difficult situation, or it can be as simple as planning where to go for coffee. Use as much future-oriented grammar as you know (e.g., future tenses, conditional clauses).