“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison
For non-native English speakers, learning to write well in English is a challenging task — and it is a task that most English-learners are afraid of failing. I have had numerous students ask for advice about how they can improve their writing skills, and unfortunately there is no easy solution. There are a few tried-and-true methods that one can use, however. These methods only take perseverance to show good results.
The most important activity you can do to improve your writing skills is to read.
This seems like strange advice, but consider why: when reading you have time to see how sentences are constructed, and how punctuation is used. You, the reader, are being shown examples of correctly formulated sentences again and again and again. Subconsciously, you will begin to absorb these structures, and — if you read for the purposes of improving your writing — you will be able to think about why the writer chose to punctuate a sentence in a certain way, or to use a certain type of word order.
Additionally, your understanding of vocabulary will improve. As you read, you see how different words are used correctly, and in which context. As you see these words used repeatedly, you will develop an innate understanding of how and when to use those same words.
Your spelling skills will also improve. You will be able to see how words are correctly spelled, and after continual exposure to correctly spelled English, you will begin to absorb those words, to notice patterns of spelling, and, in turn, be able to correctly spell those same words.
One challenge, however, is where to find material to read.
Some countries don’t have readily available English-language books, magazines or newspapers. Additionally, if you are busy professional or student, you may not have much time to surf the web, and it may be difficult to find the kind of content that interests you. Further, if you only have a few minutes to read during lunch-time at work, or perhaps before bedtime, you may end up just watching TV, or scrolling through Facebook.
So, how can you fit daily reading in English into your already busy schedule? One solution is to subscribe to a daily email which provides you with a short piece of writing. And the good news is that there are a number of different kinds of writing in English available in a daily email format. Here are some of my favorites:
Delancyplace: “Delanceyplace is a brief daily email with an excerpt or quote we view as interesting or noteworthy, offered with commentary to provide context. There is no theme, except that most excerpts will come from a non-fiction work, mainly works of history, are occasionally controversial, and we hope will have a more universal relevance than simply the subject of the book from which they came.”
A word of warning: occasionally the subjects chosen may be offensive, but more frequently than not, they will be interesting.
Dailylit: “Make great fiction a habit. Thousands of people are already using DailyLit to read the books they never thought they had time for. We’ve already delivered more than 50 million installments—that’s hundreds of thousands of books! It’s easy to set up. Just pick your book and what time of day you want your installments delivered and you’re set. Don’t want to carry Anna Karenina on the train? DailyLit sends you just enough for your morning commute or coffee break. Find yourself with some extra time? Can’t wait a whole day for the next chapter of Moby Dick? Just tap “Next installment” and it’ll be on its way.”
There is no better way for you to improve your English skills than to read English and American literature. And here it is, painlessly and delivered — free of charge.
The Poetry Foundation: “The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience.”
Have a daily poem delivered to your inbox! Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the link to subscribe daily.
Do you prefer the news? Have the news delivered daily via email. There are a number of different sources:
– Try the BBC for a British point of view.
– CNN provides a more typical American perspective. “Follow stories that matter to you. We’ll alert you when stories are posted about topics you select.”
– The Skimm has a more controversial American angle. “TheSkimm is the daily e-mail newsletter that gives you everything you need to start your day. We do the reading for you – across subject lines and party lines – and break it down with fresh editorial content.”
So, no more excuses!
If you have time to read an email, you have time to read an email in English. And, you will get much-needed practice as well as an enjoyable break. Further, you will improve your grammar, your vocabulary, and your writing skills — all at the same time.
What’s stopping you from becoming a better writer, today?