7 Ways to Improve Your Written English Through Blogging
Do you want to improve your written English? I’ve got you covered! What if I told you 7 ways to improve your English through blogging?
What can blogging do?
First, let’s look at the statistics. Here are just a few of the blogging statistics to help you understand the importance it has in helping you improve your writing skills.
There are more than 572 million blogs on the internet today!
This number is constantly growing!
This information is based on activities reported by WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, Wix, Squarespace, and Medium as of 2022.
Over 7 million blog posts are published daily.
(Source: Internetlivestats.com )
Impressive, isn’t it?
There are different kinds of blogs:
English Study Helper gives tips and strategies to study English on your own.
Travel Addiction Unicorn gives tips and resources for travelers.
Mental Health Memo teaches people how to improve their mental health.
Did you get my point?
I am trying to convince you that there are ways to improve your English through blogging.
How can you achieve that goal?
- Reading blogs helps you to study English on your own
- Blogs make great learning resources for English learners
- Reading blogs can be an exciting, funny, and entertaining learning journey.
These are some of the powerful benefits of reading blogs. You will learn what are the benefits of starting a blog and what are the ways to improve your English through blogging if you continue reading.
Convinced yet? So, I am.
Here you go! I will give you 7 ways to improve your written English through blogging!
How can you improve your English through blogging?
Do you remember the Simon & Garfunkel song “Fakin’ It”?
There, Simon sings, “And I know I’m fakin’ it, I’m not really makin’ it.” This quote is a twist on the old saying “Fake it till you make it.” It means you pretend you are confident in your English skills until you are good at English.
I live in an English-speaking country now and often hear this phrase. Is this sound advice? I don’t think so!
I have my philosophy: Grind it to make it!
Which means that you need to work hard to get what you want to achieve.
If you want to improve your English writing skills more quickly, practicing is key.
Have you heard the phrase “practice until you perfect it” (credit Rich Palmer)?
No doubt this is true! It is valid for any skill or goal you want to achieve.
Whether you learn to drive a car or you want to become a public speaker, the more you practice the better you become.
During the years when I have been studying English myself, I realized that the language is a communication skill and I need to practice it actively.
The ability to communicate effectively in writing (emails, social media, letters) is crucial in our days, isn’t it? I developed my own rules on how to improve my writing skills.
Do you want to hear my secret?
Okay!
My secret will be revealed.
Here are my Rules of success:
RULE 1. Grind (work hard) to achieve your goal
RULE 2. Practice writing
RULE 3. Practice writing daily
RULE 4. Love writing
Are you ready to follow these rules? If you do, your written English skills will improve.
Let’s be honest, practicing something daily is not easy and sometimes could be boring and embarrassing. That’s why writing a blog is a brilliant way to get the practice needed. It can be such a fun activity to do!
What are the benefits when you improve your English through blogging
Blogging can provide many benefits such as:
- Giving you a sense of purpose and reason to write
- Allowing you a space to write about a topic you are passionate about
- Developing your creativity
- Making you read more as you need to research your topic
- Learning new vocabulary and grammar
- Establishing collaborations and meeting like-minded people
- Receiving feedback on your writing from your readers
- Determining which parts of your writing skills you need to improve
Sound intriguing? What are you waiting for? Go and do it!
7 ways to Improve your English through blogging
You have decided to start a blog! Amazing! Here are my 7 ways to improve your written English through blogging :
1. Practice writing daily
How to Develop a Daily Writing Practice?
Please, practice these strategies:
Make a schedule
Making a schedule is the first step in getting into a routine. It will help you to organize your time and to have better time management.
Be specific: I will write every day from 7-8 a.m. or
I will write every day from 6-7 p.m.
Pick whatever works for you as long as you can stick to it.
Following such a writing schedule every day is a challenging task, but I did it. I am sure you can do it too.
Set a daily goal
How to set a daily goal?
Start with small writing goals.
Doing things one small step at a time is an easier way to begin.
I had a bad experience when I started my website English Study Helper.
What happened?
I set a plan: to write my content in one week!
As it required a lot of work, I didn’t finish it on time. My motivation was down. I felt overwhelmed and tired. Also, I felt anxious and wanted to procrastinate (delay or postpone tasks for a later time).
I thought of giving up. It took me time to overcome my disappointment and continue my work. However, I learned so much by doing things incorrectly!
I would advise you to start with a small step. Let’s say: I will be journaling every evening for 15 minutes.
Don’t forget to reward yourself for every goal achieved and for every single success. It works! Make it a habit to give yourself a small gift – a cup of coffee, and buy yourself something nice when you get things done as you had planned, especially your most important tasks.
Make your goal measurable
How to make a goal measurable?
Instead of saying “I will write every single day”, you need a specific, measurable goal.
How many words or pages will you write each day?
How many minutes or hours will you write each day?
Will this goal increase each week, each month?
Practice this technique: Count the number of words or pages you need to write every day.
For example:
I will write 2 pages each day.
I will write 50 words each day.
I will write 100 words in an hour today but tomorrow I will write 300 words in an hour
This strategy will help you set reasonable expectations for your progress.
A goal is more likely to be achieved when it is specific and measurable. Use smaller mini-goals to measure progress.
You also may consider developing a learning action plan on how to study English on your own and setting up a time for practicing writing. What is a learning action plan? I go over this in detail in my book How to Create a Learning Action Plan. You can find it here:
Set a daily reminder
If you experience difficulties organizing your time, forget your tasks, or need an extra push each day, you need to set a reminder. For example, setting the alarm and waking up at 7 a.m. to write every day while drinking your morning coffee. Or in the evening, set a reminder to write before you go to bed.
Those are just examples. You can make it your way but please remember: whatever your day looks like, ideally it should include the bare minimum of 30 minutes of writing practice. Identify your “writing time” and don’t allow any interruptions or distractions.
Here are some super useful tools that can help you to get into the flow of writing, and stay in it.
Easy-to-use apps to keep you organized:
- Microsoft To Do –. This is a cloud-based task management application. You can organize lists and tasks, and get reminders. They say: it” gives you focus”. You can download it on Android, Windows, and iOS
- Remember the Milk –This is another fun mobile app that helps you manage to-do lists across multiple devices and users. They say it is “The smart to-do app for busy people.” The Milk now works with your Google Assistant! It is free.
- Any.do –This is an easy-to-use productivity platform that helps you to organize your tasks. It is available on mobile and online. It includes planners, reminders, calendars, and virtual assistants. It’s free.
Bonus Tip:
Create a great writing space that inspires you
Creating your own writing space should be a fun endeavor. Give your personal touch and design it based on your taste. You can even have decorations and greenery to help inspire you to write. Just make sure your room is distraction-free and you will be able to focus and be productive in it.
Hey, dear readers! How is your day going? I would love to have you on my website. It’s called English Study Helper and it is where you can find tips, strategies, and resources on how to improve your English faster and more effectively. Hope to see you there!
What are the benefits of starting a daily writing routine?
Writing improves with practice, and writing daily means a lot of practice
Better Self-discipline
Do you remember my Rule#4? No?
It is Love writing! I LOVE writing, I do it every day, but I know not everyone is that way. But!
Remember! Even if you are not in love with writing or you have one of “those bad days,” you have to discipline yourself and still write. Even if it is for 30 minutes you need to do your practice.
I know, it is easier said than done but try your best to make writing a part of your daily routine so much so that you don’t think about it, you just do it as naturally as washing your face in the morning.
This is all about self-discipline. It is how it works: no self-discipline = no results! The sooner you get in a habit of writing every day the sooner you’ll reap the benefits like being a published author:
Writing makes us more self-aware.
When you are self-aware you recognize your strengths and your challenges. By making writing a habit, you can even improve your self-esteem. Practicing self-discipline, to work productively every day is not an easy thing to do, but when you do it that is such an accomplishment that you can be proud of. Praise and acknowledge accomplishments.
Why is self-esteem important?
- Self-esteem increases motivation
- Makes you more confident
- It helps you understand your potential
- Make you feel inspired to take on new challenges
Through writing, we train our brains to think faster and more efficiently.
A writing routine may be hard work at first, but if you stay consistent, you’ll see your writing skills improve.
Check out my Free Study Planners&Tools Bundle
Recommended reads:
Study Helper: How To Create a Healthy Daily Routine
Better Your Virtual Health with Effective Strategies & Maximize Productivity
Fluency Unleashed: The Name of the Game is Consistency
3 Great Actionable Tips for Successful English Studies
Unlocking Successful English Learning: Beyond Grammar and Vocabulary Rules
5 Best Daily Morning Practices for Successful Language Learners
Language Learning Magic: Uncover the Benefits of Swipe Files
Powerful Techniques for Effective Language Learning: Quick & Lasting Results
From Procrastinator to Achiever: Proven Strategies to Boost Productivity
Study Habits That Hinder Your English Progress & Proven Solutions
7 Admirable Qualities Of a Highly Successful English Learner
How to be a successful English learner? Personality matters
How to learn English best? Discover your Learning Style
7 Enjoyable and Creative Ways to Practice Your English
Proven Strategies for Applying Emotional Intelligence in Language Learning
Emotional Intelligence: A Powerful Tool for Language Learning Success
Unlock Your Full Potential: Self-Improvement Tips for Language Enthusiasts
3 Essential Keys to be Confident English Learners
5 Proven Tips for Overcoming Burnout & Revive Your Motivation
Swipe Files In Daily Routine and How to Organize
Take a moment and check my Guides at Resources.
2. Write about fun stuff
The second way to improve your English through blogging is to write about fun stuff. You can write about everything you are passionate about. This is going to be so much fun!!
Write about:
- Movie/book/song you liked
- Funny childhood memories
- A person who was your mentor
- Your last trip
- What you wanted to be when you grew up
Bonus Tip :
Write a compelling blog post about something that makes you smile.
Here is a topic:
In The Mind of a Mind Reader
Before you start writing think about:
How can I attract my readers?
How can I retain my audience?
Have fun!
3. Write something new
Need writing prompts? I would recommend starting a journal. These can be helpful if you’re writing just to get into the habit.
What is journaling?
Journaling is when you write about your thoughts and feelings. You can record your everyday life or track how you improve your written English.
Which learning strategies work for you, and which ones don’t?
How do you feel? Are you stressed and anxious?
Figuring out what makes you overwhelmed may help to identify and find a way to resolve the issue.
How does everyday journaling improve your writing skills?
- Journaling will get you into the habit of daily writing
- A great way to increase your vocabulary
- Better spelling and grammar
- Better sentence structure
- Improves your fluency in writing
- You have the freedom to write about your dreams, desires, fears, or goals. No rules to follow.
Journal Prompts Examples
- My English study improvement
- My writing skills improvement
- My time management improvement
- My self-esteem improvement
- How I deal with anxiety and depression
Helpful journaling apps
- Diarium is combined with daily reminders, for Windows users but is also available for iOS, macOS, and Android
- Dabble Me for private journaling over email, WEB
- Day One for everyday life, for Mac and iOS Users
Bonus Tip:
As you are blogging for better written English, take the opportunity to practice newly learned words or phrases. If you have difficulties understanding a grammar or spelling rule, write about it.
It is simple!
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Write. Write. Write
And that’s it!
Make sense?
4. Write an academic blog post
Another powerful way to improve your English through blogging is to challenge yourself and write an academic blog post.
How to write an appealing academic blog post?
Let’s do it together. First, we need to pick a topic. What about this one?
Stop Using Child Soldiers
The first step is to research the topic.
Gather the information and answer the questions below:
- Who are child soldiers
- How are child soldiers recruited
- What are the nations involved in the military use of children
- What are the armed groups that recruit children that are used as soldiers
- Physical, psychological, and economic harm
- Is the use of children by armed forces or armed groups a violation of child rights and international humanitarian law
The next step is to add images that reflect the topic to break the text up. Use alt-image text (alternative text) to describe the image.
Hint: UNICEF website is another good place to start your research.
Bonus Tip
Use paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing to avoid plagiarism, and create a reference list to cite your work.
If you did write a blog post to say “Stop using child soldiers” good for you! Please post it so we can raise our voices to fight against injustice.
5. Set up a collaboration
Collaborating with other bloggers and English learners is a fantastic way to practice your writing.
How to build a collaboration?
- Follow other people’s blogs
- Start conversations with other bloggers
- Comment on posts
- Invite friends and other English learners to read your blog
- If you have native English-speaking friends, ask them to follow you. If you want to improve faster, ask them to correct your mistakes and you will see amazing results
- Find people who enjoy reading your blog posts, so your blog can have an audience
- Once you have readers, ask them to correct your English
- Join Social Media Groups – You can improve your written English by mingling with like-minded people in groups like Creative Writing.
Bonus Tip:
A lot of the bloggers are non-native English speakers. This kind of blog will inspire you to develop yours. There are also a lot of blogs about how to study English. You can find tips and strategies to implement in your learning process. Also, this is a perfect way to find ideas for your blog.
6. Proofread and edit your writing
Why are proofreading and editing so beneficial for you to improve your English through blogging?
Proofreading and editing are essential steps to improve your English through blogging.
And I will tell you why.
Do you remember the phrase “practice until you perfect it” by Rich Palmer, which I mentioned above? That is so true. When you correct your mistakes, you are more aware of what areas you need to work on!
Allow yourself to make mistakes. It is a part of the learning process. The important thing is that you learn from them.
I have to rewrite one of my books three times. Also, I hired professionals to proofread and edit it. I learned a lot going through this long process that took me two years to get this result:
Bonus Tip:
Find an editor
I am very strict with my writing and always have an editor to check my blog posts.
Here is a piece of advice from my editor Lina:
Hi readers. How are you doing today? My name is Lina and I am an editor at English Study Helper.
I highly recommend people who want to improve their written English through blogging proofread and edit their blog posts. Why? Fixing grammatical errors can make a huge difference in the quality of your work. It is beneficial not only because your readers will enjoy reading it, but also will show the weak spots that you need to work on. You can also find more tips for non-native English bloggers here.
Happy writing, everyone!
7. Rewrite old blog posts
Remember, you can always come back and check on your old blog posts.
Is rewriting old posts worth doing it?
Yes. It does. This is a strong way to improve your English through blogging. If you have been blogging for a while, stop for a moment, read your previous work, and rewrite it implementing your newly learned skills. The new blogs will be much better than the old ones.
The more you practice, the better you become.
When you rewrite your old blogs, you can see how your skills improve over time. You can write about your learning experience and help other learners to achieve their goals. Do the work to keep improving, and you’ll yield great results!
Bonus Tip:
The best way to make your writing unique is to tell a story.
What are the benefits of writing a story?
I can list a few:
- You get an audience of readers
- It’s a way to challenge yourself
- Change minds and perspectives
- Inspire and motivate
- Make people like you and appreciate you
- Are remembered and shared
Can you think of more?
So…
What is your story? I can’t wait to read it!
Concluding thoughts: 7 Ways to Improve your written English through blogging
English is the universal language offline and online. If you want to master your written English blogging is the best tool for you to use.
I just focused on 7 ways to improve your written English through blogging. To summarise the main points: practice writing daily, write about fun stuff, set up a collaboration, proofread and edit your writing, and rewrite your old blog posts.
I have some final words of encouragement for you, dear reader. The more you write, the better you become. Do the work to keep improving, and you’ll get excellent results.
That’s what blogging can do!
I hope these tips have inspired you and will help you to improve your written English through blogging!
Good luck!
Thanks for reading!
With love and respect,
M.K.
.
