English is a language that is taught in many parts of the world. It’s taught as a language and is also a medium of communication amongst academics around the globe. Obviously, not every English speaker is a native one. Many use it as a second or third language. However, English speaking and English writing are two distinct genres.
Writing English can look like a pretty dull and mind-numbing task, especially for non-natives. And when you talk about academic writing, there’s no escape at all. You need to improve your English essay writing skills at all costs. Whether you’re answering questions, writing dissertations, or presenting any other written task, your writing skills are put to the test.
To prevent feeling avoidable embarrassment, here are a few English essay writing tips:
Give Yourself Enough Time to Read
As a non-native English speaker, you may need to spend more time reading and researching through the literature you find. After filtering out irrelevant stuff, give yourself an ultimatum, and avoid all distractions while reading for your research. You’re not just gathering material for your essay; you’re also subconsciously picking up different writing styles.
Author and researchers who are published have worked hard on their English language and literature. While you collect data for your English essay, you can also pick up new words, phrases, metaphors, idioms, and analogies. You should also pay attention to the grammatical structure that the writer uses.
Essays in English have particular criteria for judging the writer’s language fluency. Therefore, you need to make the best efforts while reading.
Ask Native Writers to Help You Out
Even those who speak English as a first language struggle to come close to being the best writer in the UK. After all, one can’t be completely perfect in a language. That’s a fallacy, yet everybody tries to get as close to the ideal speaking and writing skills as possible. And who would know the English language better than its natives?
You can try to find someone native to help you with your English essay. If that’s a dead-end, you can go online to find an essay writing service with native writers. These native writers of the UK can help you with crafting plagiarism-free dissertations and essays. Finding an essay writing service is great for non-natives and lightens their burden.
Avoid Translating Your Thoughts
As a non-native, you cannot think in pure English. So, while you’re writing an English essay, you are likely going to switch between your mother tongue and English. It’s okay to think in one language and write in the other, as long as you don’t sound odd or unnatural. You see, each language has a particular essence and tone.
What you say in one language won’t really have the same effect in another language. This language barrier is often a reason why many people fail to convey their thoughts effectively.
To overcome the problems that you face as a non-native English speaker, you can do a few things.
First, try picking up cues from the literature you’ve read. This will help you write a good part of your essay without juggling different languages. Second, avoid taking things in a literal context. If there’s a metaphor in your native language, you might not want to translate it in English. The literal meaning will ruin the effectiveness of your entire essay, and it’ll all go in vain. Instead, find replacement words and phrases to translate your thoughts into a concrete English essay.
Understand the Formats
There’s no single format of essay writing in English. There are multiple formats, such as:
- Narrative.
- Descriptive.
- Argumentative.
- Expository.
- Reflective.
Each essay format has a different structure, tone, and writing requirements. Based on the type of essay you want to write, you need to make alterations in your writing style.
Your Vocabulary
While writing, try to use words that people are usually familiar with. You don’t want to sound like a dictionary. Use phrases that easily depict your picture without complicating the entire story. An English essay for students mainly tests the eloquence in writing. Filling it with mouthful words won’t do much good.
Conclusion
Essay writing in English requires you to use both your left and right sides of your brain. It would help if you made sure that every word you write makes sense and doesn’t sound unnatural. By reading smartly and picking essay writing tips, you can excel in English essays even as a non-native.
