Can Chinese Students Master Academic Writing in English? continued

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FINAL DRAFT

Good enough!

 

You have now carefully reviewed your essay. It is as good as you can get it on your own. Now what?

  • Ask for help from your teacher or your advisor.

  • Find out whether your school has other resources such as student tutors or a writing center.

  •  Ask someone to read your essay—maybe your roommate, a fellow student, or your partner.

  • Consider hiring an editor. 

 

GETTING NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

Do not despair!

 

3 SAMPLE PAGE ORG ISSUES copy.jpg

You have now turned in your essay. You are unhappy with the feedback you get. It has many markups. Your teacher has recommended that you “use an editor” or writes that your writing “needs improvement.” You pass “with concern.”  You feel discouraged. You’ll never learn to master writing in English. You are at such a disadvantage compared to the other students, all of whom are native speakers. Do they even realize how much extra time and effort it takes you to write an essay? 

What do you do now?

Don’t become disheartened. Learning to writing in English, especially when your own language is so different, is not easy. Learning to write an academic essay is not easy, even for a native speaker. 

  • Learn from your mistakes. Review your paper carefully and compare your first draft to your first draft. Keep in mind that the more time your instructor spent in correcting your essay the better your chances are of improving your writing. So, welcome the feedback! 

  • Make note of one or two takeaway lessons from this assignment and take heart that your next essay—although it will undoubtedly continue to have issues—will be better than the preceding one. 

Eventually, you will be amazed at how far you have come. One may never gain the ability to write or speak as well as a native speaker, but with effort and perseverance, you can make great strides. And you must also appreciate how hard it is to master a language that you did not grow up hearing. You are, indeed, brave and worthy of admiration for your efforts.