Writing English can be a difficult task for ESL writers. Many people are under the illusion that writing is an easy task and every one can do it. According to them you just have to join words and make sense of them. However, writing is not as easy as it seems. There is a lot more going around in the background. You need to know the language well enough to write it. You must be acquainted with all the grammar rules, figures of speech, spellings and what not. Writing is even more difficult if the writer is not a native speaker and has learned this language as a second language. They are usually the one who struggle with writing the most. They do not have the expanse of vocabulary to be able to write impressive content. Their grammar skills are weak which makes it more difficult for them to be able to write a grammatically correct script. They also are not very apt at using punctuations or other linguistic aspects. To be a better writer, ESL writers have to put in immense efforts to make their writing stand out and of good quality. If you are an ESL writer then this is for you. We have brought forth five tips that will completely change the way you write and will make you a great writer.
The first and the most basic tip is to read. Many people do not give importance to reading but reading is a great way to enhance your writing skills. When you read different things from different writers you get a variety of writing styles, learn different sentence structures and the uses of different words. It is true that we learn from example, when you read you get examples and your brain picks up on how language is used to express different things. This is the rule of language acquisition everywhere; children acquire language by listening to what other people are saying. Similarly, ESL writers when read can follow the pattern called observation and repeat. They observe how the writer has written the content and then they try to repeat it when they are writing about anything. To become a good writer you must first become an avid reader. Go to your closest library and get different books that appeal to you, reading books that are of your interest will motivate you to keep reading. You don’t need to take out a big chunk of time to read, you can easily do it when you are commuting on public transport or right before you sleep. Within a few weeks you will see that reading has improved your writing. Your sentences will be of different structures, and grammatically correct plus you will also increase you vocabulary.
The second tip is to write. Practice makes perfect, to become a better writer you must practice writing. Write freely whenever you get time. Choose a topic that is interesting and appeals to you. Find out where your interest lies and read something based on that. For example, if you enjoy reading novels of a particular genre then you can try writing it. We are not asking you to write publicly, first write for yourself and then go through it find all the mistakes and then finally share it with whoever you want. You can even ask them to share their opinions and constructive criticism. Start off by making a mind map; this will help you gather all your thoughts in one place. It will be a great brainstorming activity that will make your creative juices flow. Then write freely as per your liking. Write as much as you can, when you keep on writing, you will be able to explore different types of writing and self learn. Once you have written something, write it again. This will also help you learn as you will be able to explore how you can write about one thing in different ways. You can even ask a native writer to go through your writing and give you tips on how to improve on it.
Vocabulary is a very important aspect of being a good writer. To be a good writer you must have a wide expanse of vocabulary. You need to express your thoughts into words, how will you able to do it of you have a very limited vocabulary? To be able to clearly express yourself you must know a vast variety of words that will aid your writing and make it more compact. There are many ways you can improve your vocabulary such as reading. Reading will help you learn new words that you can add to your treasure box and use them in your writing. Moreover, if you want additional things to help you expand your vocabulary then you can do the following things:
- Use a thesaurus. A thesaurus is a great way for you to expose yourself to new words. Put in extra effort when you write and avoid using common words. Instead of using staple words look for the synonyms and use them. By doing this you will be able learn so many more words along with spellings and meanings. If you make this a habit, you will be able to improve your vocabulary in a very short amount of time. You can buy a pocket thesaurus and carry it around or you can even use an online thesaurus.
- Download an online dictionary. Most online dictionaries now have this feature called word of the day. They will send one new word every day. This way you will be introduced to a new word every day and expand your vocabulary.
- Play word games. You can find many word games online. Play them to get to know new words. The best part about it is that you can play these games wherever and whenever you want. It is like entertainment and learning all in one game.
Listening is also a great way to acquire writing skills. As the basic learning here is to learn language. To be able to write you must first have a complete command on language, listening is a great way to learn. Listen to different audio books, watch movies and listen to songs in English. Keep all your entertainment needs set in the language English. This will help you acquire English much faster than conventional ways. You can also turn on the subtitles so that you are able to enhance your learning. Most ESL speakers learn language this way as it is very effective. You will be able to learn the usage of tenses, the choice of words and much more.
Develop a habit of proofreading and editing your work. No writer has ever been able produce a master piece in just one draft. It is very important for every writer, be it native or ESL to review their work after they have written it. There are several mistakes we make that go over looked. These mistakes can be grammatical errors, spelling mistakes or even follies in the structure of the text. It is very easy to correct the mistakes, you just have to read your text with a fresh mind and identify all the errors. Do not start reviewing it right after you have finished writing it as your mind at that time will be tired and won’t be able to pick up on the mistakes. Do it when you are refreshed and can do it with complete attention. You must read it multiple times, and each time you read it look for specific errors such as first look for grammatical mistakes, then in the next go look for spelling errors. This is a great way to improve on your writing skills, remember a diamond only shines when it is scrubbed so keep polishing your skills and improving your content.
It is possible for ESL Writers to up their game and challenge their difficulties. You just need to work hard, nothing is impossible. Adopt these tips and give it all you have got, you’ll definitely be able to improve.
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