Have you ever had the lyrics to a song stuck in your head? Have you ever read a line in a poem that has made your heart stop?

As we read, watch and listen, we collect language, words and phrases and all those words and pieces of language stay with us! Think of how something you Mum or Dad when you were small always stays with you or how a funny line from a film always makes you laugh.

The great thing about language is that the more you collect, the better you become at understanding the world and saying how you feel.

Reading is a great to find new words, but good language can come from everywhere! You might be reading a comic book, watching a film or you might overhear two people talking. You might listen to a new album by your favourite band and some of the lyrics just stay with you!

Your task:

For the rest of this week, I’d like you to write down any words, sentences, phrases, song lyrics, memes you like and stick out to you in your language diary. It might be something your Nan says on the phone or a song you hear on the radio! 

You can collect all these lines in a notebook or on paper - the important thing is that you can go back to them later. Sometimes, one line can be the thing that inspires a whole story or poem!

Tips for filling in your language diary:

• Keep your language diary and a pen with you so you can make notes if you hear something interesting!
• Try writing a few notes as soon as you wake up and write down any words that come to you from your dreams.
• Try and write at least one thing every day. If you can’t think of anything, ask a sibling or parent to say whatever is on their mind and write it down. See where it leads you!
• Language can come from anywhere! If you’re playing a game, write down things people say why playing. If you’re watch a comedy show, write down the lines that make people laugh or that you find interesting.
• Try writing a few notes just before you go to sleep. What did you think about the things you heard that day? What is your brain saying to you at the end of the day?

Remember that there is no wrong way to fill in your diary! Write down whatever you want!