Should we start with a round of 20 questions or should I just tell you. You’d be surprised to know that’s extremely simple. My favorite Language learning tool is Pen and Paper. No matter how much technology advances, for me, nothing replaces pen and paper.

So why pen and paper? Well it’s amazing versatile. It does whatever I need it to do and I don’t have to go buy a specific program or have access to a computer to use it. Pen and paper also connects you with the words you are learning. Although making associations, no matter how wild as long as they make sense to you, are important you still need to be able to relate the words you are learning to say with their authentic visual form. Another reason why I love pen and paper is because they are extremely portable and quick. No PDA to turn on or dig out of my bag just pull out an index card or small notebook and a pen from my pocket, jot down a note and back to what I was doing.

So what do I use pen and paper for? Well like I said before it can be used for whatever your personal language learning needs are. So don’t limit yourself to my list but I will tell you mine as long as you promise not to limit yourself to my needs.

- Learning new words - When I’m out and about I am very observant. I look at every thing around and think of all of the items for which I don’t know the name. For example I’m out walking in the streets and I see a balcony and I don’t know what it means. So I just write down balcony and I will look it up later.

Another way I use this same technique is if I hear a new word and I don’t know what it is. I’ll either ask the person right then, “what does “X” mean?, or I’ll write it down and look it up later.

- Remembering new words - When I’m learning new words I try and use them as quickly as possible as long as it’s a useful word. Sometimes though it takes a couple of times of looking it up before it sticks so instead of hauling out the dictionary I write a brief definition of the word in my notebook and then I just quick reference it while I’m in the act. That way it’s immediate and I can use it right away.

- Make Believe - Although I hate workbooks that make you fill in the blank I love to write my own fake conversations or letters. Possibly even keeping a personal journal in your new foreign language. Warning: The first couple of months maybe complete gibberish until you start making progress but it will give you great experience in making real sentences as if you were having conversation. You can also look back on it and “‘obviously” see your progress.

- Repetition - When I was learning French I was the slowest learner in my group. Although I eventually passed all of my contemporaries in ability it was not an easy thing. I have piles of paper where I have wrote and rewrote the different French conjugations until I had memorized all of them and they were like second nature. I no longer had to think about conjugating and I could actually become fluent in conversation. Fluency is different than accuracy and fluency is achieved when you no longer have to think about what you are saying just like a native. That doesn’t mean you won’t make mistakes ( that’s accuracy ) but you will be able to hold extemporaneous conversations.
If anyone else loves Pen and Paper as a language learning tool or has other favorites feel free to post them in the comments. If you enjoyed this post then subscribe to our RSS or receive email notifications of new blog posts.

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