Although this article focuses on second language writers, most of the suggestions here will be useful for native English speakers as well.
People who have never tried to write in a second language cannot understand the frustration, agony, and helplessness second (or plus) language writers face, at least before they become proficient, as they attempt to put their thoughts in English.
Ideas that seem so bright and crystal clear in their heads appear dull and confusing when they take the shape of English. The sentences come out too short or too long, and expressions that should be hilarious do not make people laugh.
How do we change the situation and turn the tide around?
I am a second language writer. I came to the U.S. at age 24, after attending college and graduate school in Shanghai.
Now I teach reading, writing, and literature at a community college in Northern California, and my Ph.D. in Education focused on reading and writing of community college students, many of whom second language writers in English. In my spare time, I write historical fiction and essays.
How can second language writers become more effective and proficient in English composition? The suggestions below come from my own experiences as a writer and a professor of reading and composition.
1. Participate or form a writer’s group
Writer’s groups are beneficial for everyone, native speaker or not. They allow you to learn from your fellow writers and receive feedback, help to identify mistakes you might not realize on your own, and enable you to avoid errors that other writers make.
In addition, at least for me, these groups force you to write. I am part of a group that meets once a week. That means every week I need to produce something to share.
Ever since I joined the writer’s group, my productivity has increased tremendously, so have my writing abilities in fiction. I used to write mainly for academic purposes.
Within a year of finding my writing community, I finished writing a historical fiction book based on my grandma’s experiences during World War II in China under the Japanese invasion. My fellow writers helped to shape the book into its current form. I am infinitely grateful to all of them.
I recommend all writers to join such a group. Choose one that is supportive, positive about your work, and can provide constructive criticism so you grow as you share. If you cannot find such a group, look for some like-minded people and form one. Everyone will benefit from it.
2. Read at least half an hour every day.
If there is one prescription every writing teacher can make, it will be to read, read, and read, a minimum of 30 minutes every day. The more, the better. There are no shortcuts. In fact, this is the shortcut.
This is much more effective and economical than watching videos, attending conferences, hiring writing coaches, or reading self-help books on how to write.
Both of my children’s soccer coaches always emphasize: ten thousand touches. Constant reading is your ten thousand touches.
Reading on the internet provides exposure to the language, and you are most likely reading subjects you are interested in, so it increases the volume of your exposure.
But I would also recommend books or academic journals in your areas of interest because internet articles are often written in lower lexical and linguistic complexity than you need to become a good writer.
Some people contend they are too busy to read. True, most of us are. The key is to find, not large blocks, but slivers of time where you can squeeze in 10 to 15 minutes of reading. Have a book with you at all times.
Why is reading so important? You acquire expressions, vocabulary, sentence structure, concepts, and ways of organizing ideas.
Second language writers often have issues with grammar. Explicit instruction of grammar rules is important, but without reading, it will be like learning to swim on land. Immersion in the language enables you to know how the rules work and how to apply them in real life.
3. Reread books or passages that you like.
This is something readers often neglect. You hear people say, “I read ten books last month” or “fifty books last year.”
Chances are they have not slowed down to study how the author put ideas together or why a specific passage is written as it is. It is almost like finishing a meal within a few minutes: you may have gulped some substance down, but your body has not gotten the opportunity to take in the nutrients.
I had a friend in college who loved the Chinese classic Red Mansion Dreams. “I only allow myself to read one page a day,” he said. “I read and reread that page.”
The author of Red Mansion Dreams spent years and years writing that one book. The result is a masterpiece that no matter how many times you read it, you learn different things and never get bored. For such books, rereading is almost mandatory.
Less is more.
Research has shown that reading contents two or more times is a powerful but underused strategy, often more beneficial than sophisticated tools like outlining and note-taking. Participants who read materials twice performed better in immediate or delayed tests on both free factual recall and higher-level questions.
Sounds obvious, right? But most of us often do not repeat our reading. For writers, to get more out of a good book or article, rereading can be critical.
That is when we learn an author’s craft. How does she enable us to visualize a scene? Make the characters come alive? What are things she could do better? One reading is often not enough to capture all.
I go over each of George Eliot’s books three or four times. Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Shakespeare also fall into this category (you can tell I am a classics fan).
In rereading these works, I absorb many more details, language, and author’s crafts than I would otherwise have.
4. Pause in the middle and write
We are often tempted to read nonstop, especially if a book is engrossing. But one strategy I found useful in helping second language and developmental writers, and myself, is to regularly pause in the middle and write.
This pause-and-reflect strategy is beneficial for two main reasons.
First, you will always have something to say. You can write down what you remember, “recall,” and record how you react to the contents, “response.” You can also write down predictions of what might happen next, what you have learned about a concept, and what you would like to know.
Writing regularly like this can help you get into the habit of transferring ideas from your head to paper. This is part of the ten thousand touches in writing.
Second, this strategy increases your reading comprehension and retention. Research has shown that when you pause and reflect on what you read, your understanding and memory increase.
I had a student in my reading class a few years ago named Jamie (pseudonym), a woman in her 50s whose first language was Spanish, and who came back to college after raising her children.
She liked reading but did not do well on tests because she had problems in understanding and retaining information. She seldom wrote and did not consider herself a good writer. She was placed in level I, two levels below college, in both reading and writing.
In the class, besides the textbook, I gave students a list of books from which they chose one to read throughout the semester. She chose Nelson Mandela’s autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.
It is a thick 630-page book full of difficult words and political references but also moving stories and details about what Mandela and his family went through in his struggle against apartheid. Jamie liked the challenge and fell in love with the book.
I taught the class many reading strategies, one of them was pause-and-reflect. We practiced it as a class and in groups, in which we read a passage, closed the book, retold what we remembered, and responded to the events, concepts, and characters.
Jamie took to this strategy and applied it to this book. She wrote a one-page journal for every 20 pages she read. The result was that she not only finished the book within the semester — a big feat because she had not read a book for many years — but also filled a full notebook with summaries and reflections.
“My comprehension increased so much that reading becomes actually enjoyable. I started to take long baths so I can read this book,” she laughed. When she retook the assessment at the end of the semester, she scored college level in both reading and writing.
I must add that besides this regularly practiced pause-and-reflect method, other factors played a role in her progress that you might also want to consider implementing in your routine.
- Students wrote journals twice a week during class meetings, about 30 minutes each time.
- We had a literature textbook with a variety of genres. Therefore, besides Long Walk to Freedom, she was also reading short stories, essays, and poetry.
- I gave the class a long list of books to choose from. Research in reading and writing engagement shows that when people have choices, they are more engaged.
- I suggest you choose books you are interested rather than those you feel obligated to read because they are classics (even though I am a classics fan). Jamie said, “I can’t put my book down.” That kind of flow will more likely facilitate your reading and writing.
5. Listen to books
I used to listen to books on CD when I commuted to my University of California Ph.D. program for classes. The books made the driving much more enjoyable. I resumed the listening habit lately.
When I cook, clean, or walk, I listen to audiobooks from the Librivox app, which covers most classics. For contemporary authors, I borrow from the library. Both are free, and both are invaluable.
Listening to books greatly supplements my reading time. It doubles the number of books I am able to read. The theatrical element of audiobooks also adds additional pleasure.
6. Regard your first language as an asset, not an interference
Before thinking in English becomes automatic, second language writer’s knowledge of vocabulary and sentence structure in the first language often stand in the way, making their expression in English not totally English-like.
In linguistics, this is called “interlanguage,” like a bridge between the two languages. Some writers might feel their first language hinder their writing and wished they were native speakers of English.
I suggest you let go of that negativity towards your first language. Having an additional language is an immense treasure.
Research shows bilinguals often have longer attention spans, can multitask more easily, have reduced risks of having a stroke, and can delay dementia for at least four and a half years compared to monolinguals.
For me, I find that the rhythm, cadence, concepts, and the cultural knowledge that comes from my Chinese language are invaluable in my writing. The Chinese books I read all the years ago when I was in China not only strengthened my Chinese but also find their way into my English writing.
Sometimes when I cook or have spare time, I watch the New Voice in China competitions from the last few years on my iPad.
So far I have three favorite singers. Accidentally or not, all are ethnic minorities in China, two from the mountainous regions in Sichuan Province, and one from the high altitude in Tibet.
All three incorporate their own language and music traditions in their singing. The integration makes their music different, yet spectacular.
Granted, they need to possess all the skills a good singer needs, but the fact that they have another music and language tradition to draw from makes them stand out in the crowd and elevate their work to a higher level.
Our first language could serve the same purpose. There are stories only people from a particular language and culture can tell.
Not many others can describe how my grandma survived the Japanese invasion in the 1930–40s China. It took me decades to realize the stories within me and that only I could tell.
I hope it does not take you that long.
In short, writing in a second language is a challenge, but it comes with its blessings. If you are persistent in reading, writing, and cherish the heritage inside you, you will become an outstanding writer.
I hope you realize yours through similar or other channels. I look forward to reading all the stories you produce!
If you enjoyed reading this article, please clap below.
If you would like to read more articles like this, follow me.
What are your strategies to improve your writing? Do you have tips for second language writers? I would love to hear from you.
No comments:
Post a Comment