Can Chinese Students Master Academic Writing in English? (continued)

SECOND DRAFT

The ESL student encounters many more challenges than the native speaker.

You have a well-crafted essay. You have written something thoughtful and worthwhile, and you have taken care to present it clearly and cleanly so that your reader will be interested and can follow your ideas.

But you know that there are many grammatical and ESL issues, which will undoubtedly include incorrect choice of word or phrase, awkward sentence construction, and other errors with respect to articles, prepositions, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and correct use of singular and plural nouns.

Much of my editing has to do with how I hear the writing. Each language has its own cadence. Here, the advantage of the native speaker is significant over the student who is learning the language. Even if you have been studying English all your life, if you have not been surrounded by English speakers and have not grown up reading English literature, you will not have acquired an “ear” for the language. Nonetheless, read your essay out loud. You will be surprised by your own ability to pick up many syntax errors. In time, you will develop an ear for English if you are living in an English-speaking country and speaking English 24/7. 

In the second draft, the goal is to get your essay as close as possible to the final draft. ESL students can improve their second drafts using the tools and resources available to them. 

The areas to focus on are:

— Choice of phrases and words

— Your use of singular and plural

— Finding the correct preposition

— Using the correct verb tense

— Running a spelling and grammar check

1.          Choice of words and phrases 

•  You can improve your writing through careful reading. Everything you read in English can be considered to be a primer or textbook. So, when reading for your course or research, pay close attention to the writer’s choice of phrases and words and how the writer constructs sentences. 

• Get as much guidance as you can (even before you begin to write your essay). You may wish to ask your instructor to provide you with an exemplary essay that you can use as a guide—again, not just looking at the way the essay is structured but also the choice of words and phrases. 

• Use your Internet browser. Put the phrase you are considering into the browser. If it’s off a bit, you’ll see it immediately.

For example, I often use the phrase “first come first served.” But I’m not entirely sure that I know exactly how to write it (is it “first come first serve,” “first come first served,” first-come, first-served,” etc.), and as an editor, I have to be right. So, I type it into the browser, and instantaneously, several entries pop up. Although there may be some variation, the right way to write this phrase is abundantly clear by just looking at the first 10 entries. 

• Use the thesaurus, either in your word processing program or in the Internet browser. Look for synonyms. You will find out whether the word has your intended meaning or whether there is a better choice.

•  Create your own notebook of commonly used and acceptable academic phrases and words. Use a thesaurus but also ask other students in your class, your professors, and English-speaking friends to explain to you the meaning of different phrases and words. For example, have them explain to you why “assert” may be a better word than “mention” and when to use “describe” versus “define.” Take good notes. It’s also good for them because these questions prompt them to reflect on the meanings of these words. 

  To be continued next week.