Let me just switch on my psychic super-skills for a minute and guess who you are. Are you a
language learner
who spends an hour or two online every day
and likes getting new tips and ideas for your language learning?
If that is you, then this article is for you more than ever.
I don't see enough of real people dedicating time to language learning along their normal lives. If you're learning a language in the evening, at the weekend, in your lunch break, make your voice heard because you will inspire so many others.
Well guys, here we are nearly half way through the year. It's time to talk to you about this blogging. Have you started yet? If not, here are some quick and easy tips to get you started. Leave a comment and share your blog. I can't wait to see it and hope to share the best of them right here on Fluent!
Where to Start Your Blog
There are many dedicated websites out there showing you how to start a blog, and in fact most website builders come with blog facilities are built in. The core message for your personal blog as a language learner won't be included though, because there's only one step to take: Get Started!
It doesn't matter if you sign up to Wordpress, Weebly or Squarespace, or what your domain name is. You could even blog on Instagram! All that tech stuff can be changed later, but getting started should not wait. So here are the steps:
Create an account on a blogging website
Write an article
Put a picture on it - and you can have lots of fun with your images using apps like Canva
Publish
What to Include In Your Blog
It is not easy to answer the question of what you should include, but I know how tough it is to be staring at the blank screen or page when you are first getting started. So here are five articles I would like to see on every language learner's blog. Link to them permanently if you can, for example from your homepage, so that all new visitors to your page can easily learn more about you.
Which language(s) are you learning - why those?
What do you find really annoying about language study?
What do you find really awesome about language learning?
Do you have a favourite place to study? It would be so interesting to see pictures.
What was the first time you spoke to a native speaker like?
These ideas are of course not a "must write" list, but if you are short of inspiration why not pick one and just get going? Even 500 words of writing could be the start of a truly excellent blog. For example, if you look all the way back to the start of Fluent you will find a pretty quick note - my commitment to grammar. Good job it hasn't damaged my business!
Inspiration is easy to find on the web, but don't feel as if you must hold yourself to the high standards of quality that an established blog produces. The really big names, even in language blogging, have a lot of help with planning, editing and producing great posts. That might be where you're headed, but right now it's just about getting something out there.
Which language is best for blogging?
You can write your blog in your native language or in the language that you are learning. Or why not combine both and create a multilingual blog? I have often done this with my multilingual podcasts, and they brought me
a chance to practice the language I’m learning, AND
the ease of processing my thoughts and expressing myself most confidently in English
So in a blog article, you could switch between languages too and make it bilingual!
If you want to attract a big readership from a specific area of the world, it will be helpful to use the local languages and even write about places in the region.
How to Start a Language Learning Podcast
Maybe writing and reading isn’t for you, but you love to talk? I started my podcast The Fluent Show in 2013 and it was one of the most brilliant projects I ever created.
Read more here about how you can even boost your language learning by creating your very own podcast.
Share Your Blog
It is no fun to be writing when no one sees your articles, so let me help you find new friends and readers.
Here's what to do:
Write a comment in response to this blog article
Include a link to your blog and your own favourite article
Tell me in a few sentences why you started the blog
The best submissions will be featured on the Fluent blog in future and invited to submit a guest post too. Can't wait to hear from you.
Thanks for reading this article on Fluent - The Language Learning Blog. Don't forget - if you sign up to our newsletter, you will receive my best tips from 10 years of language blogging, podcasting and teaching in your inbox every Thursday.