By Poupeh Missaghi
I am a writer who writes primarily in English and a translator who translates in both directions between English and Persian (my first language). I came to discover the joy of writing in English through the long process of learning English as my second language. When I was a young kid in Tehran, Iran, my English tutor would have us write book reviews, summaries, and essays on different topics. Later on, my French tutor asked the same of us. Each month we would watch feature films or documentaries and write film reviews. Writing is how I developed a love not only for other languages but also for writing in them. And that is why I continued to study translation for my undergraduate and first graduate degree and then creative writing for my second M.A. and Ph.D.
Having worked for years now as a writing consultant and professor, many of the insights about language learning that I share with my students are the same ones that I have benefited from myself over the many years of my own learning, translating, and writing.
Below are a few suggestions for ELL students to help you reimagine your relationship with English. This new relationship will not only help you to enjoy your language learning process but also to find and use more effective tools to improve your language skills while you continue to read and write for your classes.
Important reminders about language learning
- Shift your perspective about English being your second language. Being a language learner is not a lack, and it’s important not to let anyone make you think it is. Rather, remember that you are adding English to your other language(s). Not all English speakers can boast to having knowledge of other languages—including studying, working, and living with them. From our first languages, we also bring other worldly experiences, knowledge of cultures and places. This deep knowledge can help us to offer different viewpoints into discussions and ask critical questions from different angles. We need to use this knowledge to our benefit instead of trying to set it aside or forget it.
- There is no perfect English and no end to language learning. Language learning is a continuous process, and at every stage, everyone still has more to learn. Even native speakers of English are constantly developing their linguistic skills as they continue to read and write—even if they don’t do so consciously as language learners. I still keep a dictionary handy whenever I’m reading a text or editing my writing. I love continuing to learn new words and structures or copy from models I find exciting. I find going back to my earlier works and seeing how much I have grown as a reader and writer very satisfying.
- Effective communication is more than just perfect grammar. I have heard many ELL students start a writing center session by saying, “I am not a native speaker. I don’t know grammar well.” It is a myth that native speakers automatically know the rules of grammar and are therefore better writers. Think about your own relationship with your first language(s)—you probably don’t know all the rules! And sometimes we might not even speak grammatically “correct” sentences in our native language, but those are just considered part of the organic life of language, thus welcomed or disregarded. It is the same for English speakers. Oftentimes, when we learn a language as an additional language, we learn its grammar and rules more systematically and might thus have more knowledge about why something is written in a particular way. Sometimes when I explain grammar rules to native English speakers, they are quite surprised to learn about it. The key is to find a balance between theoretical knowledge and practical usage and to not be afraid of trying things out. We can communicate a lot without having “perfect” grammar because expression happens through complex interconnected layers of various linguistic elements. Within those layers, our ideas, perspectives, and creativity are equally as important.
- Allow your other language(s) to inspire you to use English more creatively. For example, I have before right-aligned some of my texts or skipped using capital letters because I want to bring in elements of my first language, Persian, which writes from right to left and doesn’t have capital letters, into my English writing. Taking such kinds of liberty might be harder for academic essays, but you can try it for more creative classes and assignments. Even if you don’t ultimately implement these choices, the idea is to let your first language inspire you in the ways you use the English language and push the boundaries of what English can be.
- Finally, continue to be curious and playful. Remind yourself of the times you did not speak any English. Remember how far you have already come. And know that with every word, sentence, or text that you read and write, you are continuing to improve. Constantly comparing yourselves to others and aiming to arrive at an imaginary ideal—the ideal speaker, the perfect English— will only stress you out and inhibit learning. Instead, use this space of imperfection as a playground. Tell yourself, “Since I can’t be perfect, let me see what is possible here, what I am capable of and can do here.” Believe me, this is so liberating! It allows you to explore and be curious, and these are the most important ingredients to learning and getting better. Much of my writing success has come out of this mindset. I remind myself, “English is my second language, and whatever I do in this language as an ELL is already an achievement.” This has allowed me to think outside the box and experiment with modes of thinking and language use.
While this advice can be liberating, I know it can be challenging to implement, especially when you are writing for a class and worried about grades. However, having a different approach to language learning does matter. First of all, the stress won’t do you or your paper any good. Second, as a writing consultant, I can assure you that “correct grammar” might sound like the key to getting a better grade, but it actually is just a very small part of the work. Even when professors say grammar is important, they are often thinking about a much more complex set of linguistic elements at work that would allow you to express your ideas clearly.
Here’s what I suggest: Think about improving your reading and writing skills as a long-term process. Taking small, gradual steps has a much more expansive impact than trying to “fix” everything in one paper before a deadline. With this extended timeline in mind, here are some practical suggestions to help you throughout this growth process.
Strategies and Tools
Use a range of dictionaries
All of us multilinguals use First Language <–> Second Language (L1 <–> L2) dictionaries a lot. It is fun to see all possible equivalents of a word in one’s native language in a different language and to realize how there never is an exact one-to-one correlation. But there is only so much a bilingual dictionary can do. To access more subtleties of language use, we actually need a more diverse toolbox of dictionaries.
- English-English dictionaries: Working with English <–> English dictionaries is key. Many students consider a dictionary a tool to go from L1 to L2 or vice versa—to find the equivalent to an L1 word to use in L2 or to find the meaning of a word in L2 that they encountered in a text. The danger of limiting oneself to L1 <–> L2 dictionaries is that it is easy to miss context and, as a result, misuse words and phrases. Even for tools like Google Translate, the reliability and accuracy of the translation depends on different factors, such as the pair of languages you are working with, the discipline, etc. Make sure that you double check meanings in an English <–> English dictionary and read sample sentences to get a sense of usage and the contexts the word is used in.
- Collocation dictionaries: A collocation dictionary, such as The Oxford Collocation Dictionary, shows you words in context as they are used by real language users. This helps, for example, with learning what prepositions come after a verb, what kinds of adjectives are used with a noun, what contexts a word is used in, etc. Check for example, the page for the word “attention:” The entries tell me all the different verbs I can use with this word to create different meanings, from “devote” or “give” to “get” or “receive” to “divert” to phrases such as “vie for” or “bring something to someone’s attention.”
- Thesaurus: A thesaurus is a dictionary that offers synonyms and antonyms. This is most helpful if you want to avoid repeating the same word or if you want to use a different register of language—for example, more formal or more colloquial—but you’re not sure of the right word for your context. Some thesauruses even use color coding to show how closely related a synonym is to the word you searched.
- Wikipedia: You can use Wikipedia to find preliminary answers to many questions about language and culture. You can choose to read entries in English, or you can switch languages between your L1 and L2, depending on your questions. Similarly, doing an image search can sometimes lead to answers as well. For example, if you come upon a word in a text and you know it is a part of a machine, you can search for a picture of that machine; even if you don’t know the word in your L1, you can better understand the English text and move on with your reading.
Write using all available language resources
Translanguaging means using any of the languages you have in your repertoire and moving back and forth between them to fulfil the task at hand. You can benefit from translanguaging strategies at different stages of the writing process.
For example, translanguaging can be very helpful when you are brainstorming, outlining, and exploring different aspects of a topic. At this stage, the text on the page is just for your own readership, and since you have access to multiple languages, there is no need to limit yourself to just one. The same is true for your first draft. When you are mainly thinking about what ideas you want to discuss in your paper, you don’t need to find the right word, phrase, or even sentence in English if that hinders your process. Use a mix of English and other languages and you can just go back and replace those in your later draft.
There are many resources about translanguaging, but a good one I recommend is the Baruch Writing Center’s handout on additional ways that you can use your native language to read and write in English.
Work with other students
Pair up with another student or put together a writing group—the other people do not even need to be native English speakers! Different readers and writers have different strong suits, and by working together, you can help each other clarify issues or find the right language for expression. For example, discussing an assignment prompt with a friend can help you decode it and have a better sense of the task before you begin to write. If you work with a partner who shares your first language, you can use both your L1 and L2 to further discuss the ideas of the text. Or if you pair up with someone whose English is stronger than yours, they can help you understand the language you are unsure about. And once you have a final draft, having another set of eyes read and review your work can help with language clarity and editing.
Try different revision strategies
- Do multiple rounds of targeted revision: The key here is to not try and do everything at the same time. It’s hard to polish your language while you are still developing your ideas or organizing paragraphs. Thinking about grammar, sentence structure, and word choice can be your last stage of the writing process. During this phase, you can also narrow your focus even further, for example, by reading your whole paper once for verb tense and then rereading a second time only for subject/verb agreement. Separating areas of concern will take away the pressure and let you notice issues more easily. Even though it might sound like a lot of work, dividing your revision into multiple rounds actually can make things go smoother and therefore faster.
- Keep lists: Create a list of issues you notice repeating themselves as patterns in your writing that will help you in your revisions. For example, if you notice you have a hard time with organization, make a note about that and add some strategies that have worked in earlier assignments. Or if you know you have issues with verb tense, jot that down in your list, so you know to look out for verb tense inconsistencies in your proofreading stage. Keep your personal list handy and refer to it whenever you are writing or editing.
- Read aloud: Reading out loud works especially well during proofreading and final stages of editing. For example, reading out loud might help you to notice a gap in your analysis that you didn’t see while reading silently. It might also help you notice and resolve grammar or wording issues, even if you don’t necessarily know the rules.
Learn as you read
- Compare and model: One useful strategy is to compare choices made in the English text you are reading with your L1. What is similar? What is different? What choices would you make in your other language? You can do these comparisons on the word, sentence, or passage level. The awareness you gain will help you decide whether you can simply transfer something from L1 to L2 or if you need to transform and change it. However, sometimes this comparison might actually make things more complicated or confusing. In these moments, it can be helpful to approach the text in front of you as a model to follow and learn from. The important thing to remember here, however, is that you don’t want to just imitate the writers you are reading; you want to learn from them and move on to develop your own voice and make your own choices.
- Learn one sentence at a time: Make an intentional plan for your language learning. For example, you might decide that for every text that you read, no matter what the class, you will examine one sentence or one paragraph with the intention of language learning. After choosing this narrow focus, you can separate that unit of language, read and reread it closely, and deconstruct it: What is the subject? What is the verb? What is the relationship of the different parts of the sentence? If a paragraph, how are sentences connected to one another? What transitions are used? What is the tone? One sentence or paragraph might sound like nothing. But remember how many readings you do every week for all your classes. Language learning happens gradually, and this intentional practice will help you not only learn words or grammar points over time, but also notice the differences of language use (tone, rhetoric, norms, etc.) for different disciplines of knowledge.
Further Resources for ELL Students
Baruch Writing Center | Short Guide for Practicing English Productively
Purdue OWL | English as a Second Language
English for Academic Purposes Foundation | Writing Guide
EAL (English as an Additional Language) Journal | Website (This resource focuses on younger learners, but a lot of the material is relevant for adult learners and speakers as well)
Published June 3, 2021
