A student or working professional should master writing as a second language skill, especially as an English as a second language learner. Since writing is a lasting form of language acquisition, unlike speaking exercises, you leave a permanent record. There is an immediate awareness of spelling, grammar, and word choice errors.
Despite knowing a lot of information about the subject matter, poor writing skills can lower a student’s grade, even if they have excellent literacy skills. If you send poorly written and mistake-filled emails in a professional setting, then you need to make the largest list of adjectives ever. People may view you as lazy or untrustworthy.
Furthermore, they may assume you speak English poorly, although this may or may not be true. Therefore, you must improve your writing skills in English before they limit your ability to succeed in school or at work.
It is important to note that the more often you write, the easier it will become for you to access the English you want and to express yourself in an accurate and fluent manner. A strong writer in your first language is likely also to be a strong writer in English if you are a strong writer in your second language toonily.
How Do Writing Skills Work?
During reading, an individual must make sense of the language input they are exposed to. Learning to write involves creating meaning and producing language on their own. Even native English speakers find writing difficult. In order to be able to follow your train of thought, you must translate your ideas into language and move them around.
The revision follows to find the most precise and persuasive wording that conveys ideas clearly and concisely. You should also ensure your writing is free of grammar, spelling, and formatting errors that could distract your reader.
Tips to Improve Writing Skills
You need to take a closer look if you want to develop strong English writing skills!
1. Create a Mind Map
Setting the stage for a piece of writing begins with brainstorming ideas related to your topic and activating all of the English you will need. Create a mind map by listing any prior knowledge you have on the topic in bullet points and specifying any facts or opinions you would like to include. Making a vocabulary list can also help you articulate your ideas more effectively.
2. Make an Outline
There is something intimidating about a blank page, even for seasoned writers. Outline the structure of your piece in advance so that you have something to work with. Then use your mind map to fill in the details, including an introduction, several paragraphs supporting your thesis, and a conclusion.
3. Write or Type
How long does it take us to think versus how long it takes us to write? In handwriting or by hunting for individual letters one at a time, translating ideas into language can be tedious and time-consuming.
If you are not familiar with the mechanics of writing, you can lose your train of thought or feel frustrated. You can automate the process and help your thoughts flow freely through your fingertips and onto the screen if you learn how to touch type.
4. Revise
Creating a sentence involves rereading what came before it in the writing process. It’s important to make sure your ideas make sense in a specific order and that you use a variety of vocabulary words and phrases.
Writing on a computer allows you to create a mind map, outline, and initial draft from the same document. You can make revisions much easier by copying, pasting, and deleting.
5. Check Grammar & Spelling
The use of automatic spelling and grammar checks may be considered cheating by some learners since they prevent them from catching their own errors. While these checks are not a substitute for tutoring, they can be very useful when it comes to identifying problems with your English grammar and/or spelling. You should use the content that they share as a learning experience and weigh their suggestions when revising errors.
6. Use Productive Vocabulary
There is a larger receptive vocabulary among English language learners than productive vocabulary. A word may appear in your writing although you may not understand it when you see it. One way to increase your productive vocabulary is to purposefully use words you’ve recently learned. To improve your vocabulary, you need to watch sports broadcasting.
