"One of the hardest things for non-native writers to master is writing. But how do you improve your writing? Here are some quick fixes you can try to take your writing up a notch overnight!"
One of the hardest things for non-native writers to master is writing. Chances are, if you’ve made it to middle- or upper-level management, you can hold your own when it comes to speaking or drafting up a quick e-mail. But how do you improve your writing? Besides taking a course or reading several novels, here are some quick fixes you can try to take your writing up a notch overnight!
Write What You Know
The Golden Rule for writers is to write what you know. This goes for vocabulary, too!
Don’t use words that sound sophisticated unless you really, truly understand the word and all of its nuances. This way you are sure to use the appropriate place. Simple, well-placed words are so much more powerful than an inappropriate word choice.
Shake Up Your Sentences
Non-native speakers tend to use the same sentence structure, which makes for boring reading. It’s hard to vary word order if you are not a pro, so one thing you can try is to get a list of phrases to start sentences with in order to help vary the order of your words. For example, If you are referring to an article or a study, you can start your sentence with “According to the author” or “According to this study,” and then begin your sentence. By starting your sentence with a phrase followed by a comma instead of the usual subject, you vary the word order of your sentence and the rhythm of the paragraph. Jot down, say, 5 such phrases that you can use to pepper up your sentences. Go to articles from reputable news sources, for examples of such phrases.
Keep to the Culture
Corporations and companies often have a lingo of their own, so be sure to tap into this and use it to your advantage. Go to the company mission statement or scour the websites for repeated phrases and words. Here, you are looking for phrases or vocabulary that the company embraces to echo in your own writing. Even if it’s your own company, chances are, the published material has been edited by a copywriter, so make sure to mine what you already have for your own personal benefit to improve your writing!
Enlist a Mentor
Don’t be afraid to ask a native speaker to proof-read your work (better yet, contact me HERE). Your native-speaking colleagues will be flattered at your effort to improve your writing in their language. Another pair of eyes, especially native-speaking ones, will make all the difference. So treat them to a coffee and let them read away. Then, make sure that you learn from their edits, as, chances, are, you are making mistakes based on how you think and speak in your own language.
Maintaining a strong command over your vocabulary, cultivating a list of phrases to vary your sentences with, using company literature to cue your own writing, and finding a native-speaking mentor, are all quick ways to write better in ’22!
Ani Gabriel is mom of a teen boy and crazy desert-dog, and loves to travel the world and learn about new languages and cultures.
For more help with speaking, writing, and presenting better in English, contact Language Solutions today!
February 8, 2022
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