8 Ways to Improve English Writing Skills for Foreign Students

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As today’s multicultural and universal language, English has become a pathway to the modern world for most people, as well as their tool for realizing their objectives and goals. There are no borders that limit the expansion and popularity of Shakespeare’s language much, as there are boundaries in how to explore English and gain better insight into it. Learning the most admired and craved language of today is a bit of a challenge for people, and yet it is one of their biggest needs. And things get especially challenging when it comes to learning to write in English, not only using it as a means of spoken communication.

Getting the proper hang of English writing has proven to be an intricate and painstaking process that requires a specific approach from students. To be able to write in English like a native speaker, you need to be armed with a number of vital techniques and principles we will introduce you to right now!

Read a Lot!

No one will be surprised at the undeniable fact that to write well, you need to read sedulously. Yes, if you want to write as impressively as the writers working for services like WritingCheap, you need to dive hard into someone else’s writing first! And it goes without saying that you have to read writing in English. Make sure to find outstanding pieces of literature by renowned writers and start binge reading, paying close attention to how the authors express themselves professionally. The literature you check out to enhance your writing skills can be represented by various types, from science publications to fiction. As for scholarly literature, you can use it for two purposes: getting new information on writing, and improving your writing skills through reading in English.

When it comes to fiction literature, it can serve as a great aid in enhancing your writing. As you read in English, your mind automatically notes and captures the writing techniques of the author, focusing on the native English text and thus transforming it into a new skill, which is your English writing skill.

Practice on a Daily Basis

Another highly effective activity for boosting your writing skills is practicing. Through accurate everyday practice, you expand your confidence and become more resilient and adaptable. Be sure to dedicate an hour or two to writing anything, from penning a short essay to putting your thoughts down to paper. Many students, however, undervalue the importance of practicing, mainly ignoring this activity and giving it up to other techniques that are also effective but can never compensate for practicing. That being said, you should hold in proper regard the possibility to practice English writing whenever you have inspiration and a good mood.

Fill Your Gaps

As a non-native English speaker who writes in this language, you must have certain difficulties and issues with the use of English. And, to improve your ability, you need to eliminate the gaps you have in writing. Make sure to find out what problems you encounter when writing in English and start working on them – do your best to reduce the shortcomings of your writing by learning more, practicing more, and turning your shortcomings into your advantages!

If you have trouble writing, it’s better to focus on fixing the issue rather than aiming for something bigger with your writing goals and grasping new rules and principles of writing. Yes, you can later expand your boundaries and boost your competence, but only once you’re done with fixing the problems you currently have with your writing.

Enrich Your Vocabulary

Without a strong and rich vocabulary, you won’t be able to develop compelling, worthy writing. Good writing requires extensive knowledge of language and being able to use it in practice. Thus, you have to boost your vocabulary as much as you can, getting to know new words and phrases, and learning them within the context. How to enhance your vocabulary, then? There are multiple ways you can deepen your knowledge and contribute to improving your mastery. One of the most popular ways of learning new words is reading, the practice mentioned at the beginning of our article. Through reading, you can grasp many new words within the context, which is far more effective than learning them outside of the context like many unaware learners do.

Another effective way to learn new words is watching video content in English such as interviews, films, animated pictures, series, and other types of video content. Among these types of content, learners prefer movies the most. When watching films, make sure to note new words and then learn them, keeping in mind the context they were used in. With films, things work quite differently than with reading books. Here, the inconvenience lies in the rapid flow of speech that characters utter, which makes it difficult to keep pace with their speaking and take notes on new words.

Talk to Native Speakers!

Verbal communication with native speakers is known to increase mainly your speaking skills, but it can also be of great avail in improving your writing abilities. Communicating with the people whose mother tongue is English will help you push your use of language to the limits and develop your skills at large, including your writing skills, of course. As you talk to an English native speaker, you augment your command of English in many ways, benefiting your vocabulary, as well as the ability to construct sentences, express your point of view, and think in English.

Improve Grammar

Grammar is the foundation of any language. That being said, you have to strain yourself to polish your understanding to the fullest – cultivate your grammar skills so that you experience no difficulty using any grammar construction or building any sentences. To improve your grammar skills, you need to make good use of different grammar exercises aimed at practicing the use of grammar constructions and learning the peculiarities of grammar.

You can find many useful tests online to try out your grammar skills and check your grammar knowledge. However, you should remember that not all of the tests available online are good enough, as there’s a chance that they might have been created by people who aren’t completely knowledgeable. In this regard, you should be highly discreet when choosing the test to take and experimenting with the assignments you find online. Another effective way to improve your English grammar is to check out guidebooks, handbooks, scholarly materials, or other useful tools where you can find helpful information regarding grammar.

Note the Sentences and Phrases You Like

To enhance your proficiency in writing, you can also keep track of the phrases that might come in handy in the English content you watch, listen to, or read. Be sure to put down the phrases and sentences that you happen to notice in the film you’re watching, the text you’re reading, or video you’re checking out. This will help you expand your use of English, adding some new colors to your writing style and the way you employ the language. Create the list of phrases you like that seem relevant to you, and gradually start using them in your writing, making it more versatile, multifaceted, rich, and informative. You should also keep in mind that having all the phrases and other units at hand is not enough to improve your writing and make it impressive – you also have to learn how to use them properly, just like with using vocabulary.

Ask Someone to Check Your Texts

Having someone proficient to take a look at your writing and provide their feedback on your technique is always a good idea. Make sure to find a knowledgeable person like your friend, parent, or an acquaintance who will take a careful look at your text and provide their unbiased opinion on the progress you make and what needs to be improved. Ask that person to be open with you, without taking pity on you as they comment on your writing and staying objective no matter how bad your skills may be and how slowly you may be proceeding through your writing endeavors. All you need from your supervisor is objectivity.

In a Nutshell

With our vital tips at hand, improving your English writing performance doesn’t seem to be as big a problem, does it? Developed by professional writers who have cultivated their writing skills to excellence, these suggestions will serve you as your ultimate guide to success in writing, even if you aim for great things with writing in English when it is not your native language.

All you need to keep in mind is that using these tips and tricks has to be supported by your own willingness and enthusiasm to get better with your writing! Yes, no information or teaching will work out unless you are fueled by your desire to become one of the prominent English writers who paved their way to success by themselves!