We live in a time when we can easily send messages by smartphone or by computer, and whether you're writing a job application, an essay or a work report — you are probably going to type it. So it may seem like there isn't much need to write things by hand these days. But actually, studies have shown that writing by hand is one of the best things you can do when you're learning something. For example, a 2014 study from the US compared students who took notes on a laptop computer and those who took notes by hand. They found that students who took notes by hand learned more, understood what they had learned better, and were better able to use what they had learned. The study's authors suggested that because writing by hand is slower, it forces students to think about what they need to write down, which helps them to understand and remember it better. And a study from Norway in 2024 found higher levels of activity between different areas of the brain when people wrote by hand. The evidence suggests writing by hand engages us visually, mentally and physically in a way that promotes learning. So how can we use writing by hand as part of our English studies? Ukrainian polyglot Olha, of the YouTube channel Language Stories, says that writing by hand is the most important thing she has done when studying the six languages that she now speaks fluently. She says language learners should write as much as they can, for example, by "copying entire exercises" and not just filling in the blanks. She suggests writing down words and their meanings, example sentences, and favorite quotes. Olha also recommends keeping a journal in the language you're studying. She says learning first to express your thoughts in writing will help you to express those thoughts when speaking too!