Academic writing: specific conventions

Academic written English is a very specific style of writing. It demands its own conventions: formal language, reference styles, and more. This can be difficult enough for native speakers. When you are not a native speaker or writer of English, it can be even harder.

So how can you improve your written academic English? Let’s take a look.

Five problems for non-native writers

• English grammar is influenced or confused by native grammar
• Lack of vocabulary
• Problems with colloquial and idiomatic language
• Lack of self-confidence in written English
• Imposter syndrome (see below)

The number one solution to all these problems?

Practice, practice, practice.

Learning English as an additional language involves a lot of rehearsal. Writing highly-formalized works in it demands a high standard. So how can you get there?

Four ways to improve your written English

Using a language is not limited to writing in it. Reading, writing, listening and speaking are four interconnected skills. So practicing in any one area will improve your skills in the other areas. Here are ways to work with each of the areas.

• Speak a lot–with colleagues, friends, family, native and non-native speakers
• Listen a lot–conversation partners, tutors, audiobooks, podcasts
• Read a lot–don’t limit it to writing in your professional field. Read fiction, nonfiction, Web copy–anything you can get your hands on
• And write a lot–your book manuscripts, articles, and papers especially, but again, anything counts as practice

A word about imposter syndrome

Many writers, whether native or non-native speakers of English, experience feelings of self-doubt and insecurity about their writing. No matter how good you objectively are, you may feel unsure whether you are really worth any objective successes. If this sounds like you, here’s an article on imposter syndrome. Interested? Read more next week.

And remember… practice, practice, practice!

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