There is more to learning a language than just learning how to speak it. Not every language uses the same alphabet, so not only do you need to learn how to speak a language, but you must learn a whole new alphabet in order to read and write in the language. Even languages that use the same alphabet may have a few symbols that attach to certain letters to signify a different pronunciation. Since knowing how to read and write in a language is important to acquiring the skills necessary to speak fluently in the language, you need to find activities that allow you to practice both reading and writing.
To begin learning a new alphabet, you should practice each letter individually before attempting to write. Practice makes perfect, so take the time to learn the language's alphabet thoroughly before reading or writing in the language. Once you have the alphabet down, start with small words to help you assimilate to reading and writing in the new language. Once you've moved onto writing small sentences, you can take advantage of essay writing to practice the language.
Some language courses will assign certain essays to you as you advance in the course. Others won't require any heavy writing at all. It's really up to you if you want to take advantage of essay writing as a means to learn a language. An essay is basically a short written work on a particular subject. It's generally between 500 and 1000 words, and the purpose of writing an essay is to prove a point about your topic. When writing an essay in a foreign language, you're focus may be more on writing it correctly in the language but you still need to focus on writing cohesively and proving your point. Most writers will create a rough draft and then type up a final draft before submitting it for a critique.
There are online companies that specialize in reviewing essays and providing critiques. You can really get an idea of how well you're grasping a language by having someone else show you where you're making mistakes and how to fix them. Many critique services will provide you with the corrected essay and allow you to rewrite and resubmit it to see if you understand how to rework the language and write it correctly.
When writing an essay or writing a resume, choose a topic you're familiar with and that you like. If you choose an essay topic that you think the reviewer will want to read, you'll have an even harder time writing the essay. Make sure that you write about something that interests you so that you don't become bored or frustrated with the essay. Remember that writing exercises help you practice more than one aspect of the language, so start out slow so you don't burn out. Once you feel that you've mastered the language, write a longer, harder essay that will really show you if you're still lacking in any areas or if you've truly mastered the language.