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7 Tips on Writing an Essay In a Foreign Language

by Kelly Young

For some people, learning a new language is an advantage, while for others, it's a necessity. You may get a good opportunity to study or work abroad, or you may just want to communicate with people from other countries. When it comes to learning a new language, you can choose from among dozens of online sources.

You can learn another language yourself and talk to native speakers, practicing your conversational skills. The chances are that you will see some major improvements in your conversational skills pretty quickly. What can be much more difficult to improve, however, is writing.

Writing itself is a more daunting task than speaking. You should be good at spelling and understand the rules of punctuation in another language. Of course, informal conversations on social media allow you to ignore some of the rules and don't require you to use a sophisticated vocabulary. The situation gets much more complicated if you need to write an essay.

Some ESL students receive lower grades on writing assignments simply because English is not their native language. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why ESL students use essay writing services and resources like betterwritingservices.com . Essay writing is an integral part of most international exams, and it can also be required when applying for a job.

When writing an essay, you should know not only the basics of the written language but also how to use the right words, and phrases in each particular situation. Essay writing is a creative task, and it also requires you to follow strict rules. If you want to improve your essay writing skills, you should have a lot of practice.

To write better essays, you should write them often. Improving your writing is a continuous process, and it takes time. However, there are some tips that will help you achieve better results and make the writing process more efficient.

Although the connection between reading and writing is rather obvious, many people tend to underestimate the importance of reading for improving vocabulary and grammar. We recommend that you turn reading in your target language into a habit and read as much as you can. However, it's important not only to read but also to choose the right content. Given that your goal is to write better essays, the best solution is to focus on educational materials and articles dedicated to your subject.

Besides, we recommend that you take notes while reading. You may discover terms and phrases that you can use in your essays so make sure that you won't forget them. You can also write down idioms that can be very helpful when writing persuasive and narrative essays. Properly used idioms will make you sound like a native speaker and make your writing more diverse.

Brainstorm and research

You may or may not be able to choose a topic for your essay in different situations. If you have an opportunity to choose a topic, you can get more creative freedom, but sometimes, it can be difficult to come up with a relevant topic that would be interesting for both you and your readers. If you have a hard time trying to find a topic, brainstorm. Just write down any ideas that come to your mind so that you can evaluate them later and choose the best one. To make the brainstorming session effective, think in your target language.

You can also brainstorm on the content of your essay, writing down ideas that can be useful. You can even illustrate the connections between different ideas and their relation to the main topic with visual mind maps.

Once you've determined the topic and the key subtopics of your essay, do your research. When writing essays in a foreign language, you may often deal with topics related to another culture so make sure that you understand the whole context and the necessary background of your topic before writing the essay. Note the necessary details about your sources so that you can cite them properly.

Write an outline

You don't want to waste your time trying to figure out what you should write about during the writing process, especially if you don't have much time. Even if your time isn't limited, planning the content of your essay can help you stay focused on style and grammar.

A typical essay consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction, you should provide the necessary background information and present your thesis statement, which will serve as the basis for the whole essay. In the body section, address one key point per paragraph and include transitions between paragraphs to ensure a smooth flow of thoughts. In the conclusion, you should summarize the key points and restate your thesis statement. Make sure not to rewrite it word for word from the introduction.

Keep it simple and short

First of all, the essay format implies writing relatively short texts. You should keep it in mind even when choosing a topic because you must make sure that you will be able to address your topic properly within the required word count. Secondly, given that you're writing in a foreign language, make sure to keep it simple.

Don't use complex phrases and sentences if you can replace them with shorter ones. Your essay should be easy to understand, and you don't need to overcomplicate things to impress your audience.

Study grammar

Studying grammar is the least favorite activity for many people who learn new languages, but you won't be able to write better essays without improving your grammar. When writing, you don't want to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what form of a verb you should use. Besides, different languages have completely different grammar rules.

For instance, when writing in Spanish, if you use the subjunctive form of a verb where you would use it in English, your readers will immediately understand that you're a non-native speaker. Poor grammar can not only show your bad knowledge of the target language but also undermine your credibility and ruin your readers' impression of the entire essay.

Develop your writing style

Good writing is not only about creativity and grammar. If you want your essays to be appreciated by readers, you should write with style. Developing your unique writing style takes time, but the more you read and practice, the better your style will become.

When dealing with a foreign language, it can be especially difficult to understand what style of writing you should choose in each particular situation. Therefore, the best solution is to read essays on relevant topics so that you can learn from others. Don't copy someone else's style but look at what other writers have in common. This way, you'll be able to choose a style appropriate for your type of essay and academic area.

Edit and proofread

Editing and proofreading are as important as the writing process itself. Once you've finished the first draft, let it rest for a while, and then edit it. Check the overall logical structure and make sure that your thoughts are logically consistent.

Make sure that all of your sources are properly cited. Get rid of the unnecessary sentences and break down longer sentences into shorter ones. Make sure that your essay is easy to comprehend and well-focused.

A great solution is to show your essay to a native speaker so that they can tell you what sounds unnatural and suggest improvements. After this, fix grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. You can use various spell checkers, but keep in mind that there is no software that would detect and fix all types of mistakes. Therefore, you should always read your papers carefully.

Final Thoughts

Learning a foreign language takes some time, so be patient. Write essays as often as you can so that you can get used to the writing process. Read essays about your academic subject and take notes. Stay determined and don't let your mistakes stop you from learning and improving your writing.

It's virtually impossible not to make mistakes when learning a new language. The main thing is not to let mistakes discourage you from learning. Learn from your mistakes. Make a list of your most common mistakes and keep it in front of you when editing and proofreading your essays.

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How to Write in a Foreign Language [5 Steps]

Have you ever gotten an email full of spelling and grammatical mistakes?

Chances are you have, and chances are it didn’t leave a great impression .

When you write in a foreign language, you don’t want to be the person whose correspondence is riddled with errors.

That, among other reasons, is why writing well is an essential part of learning any language .

Why Writing Is So Important

Ways to improve writing at all proficiency levels, 5 steps to master writing at any level, building the foundation: 5 beginner-level steps to get started writing, 1. learn the rules, 2. master basic grammar, 3. focus on correct sentences, 4. keep subjects simple, 5. write longhand, moving forward: 5 steps to take as an intermediate writer, 1. move to more complex subject matter, 2. write longer texts, 3. start typing, 4. learn specialized writing styles, 5. read in your target language and write summaries, mastery: 5 steps to dominate writing as an advanced learner, 1. write for publication, 2. practice different types of writing, 3. retell stories or essays you read in your target or native language, 4. pay attention to style, 5. continue getting corrections, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Writing Is Essential to Long-distance Communication

Need to communicate with someone who isn’t sitting across from you? You’ll probably need to use some form of written communication. Even if you’re setting up a time to make a phone call or have a language lesson over Skype , you’ll probably be sending an email, instant message or text message. Using online chat rooms, forums and comment sections of articles, sending snail mail and even updating your social media in a foreign language all require writing skills.

Mistakes Make You Seem Uneducated

It won’t always be obvious that you’re not a native speaker of your target language, especially if you’re reaching out to someone for the first time. Errors in your writing will make you seem like you haven’t done your homework. People may doubt your ability to understand their reply. That’s not a good first impression to make.

Language Tests Measure Writing Ability

Do you need to prove you can speak your target language? If so, you’ll probably be asked to prove you can write it . Most language tests measure your ability to write, either by asking you to write something in the language or by testing your ability to fill in the blanks in a sentence.

Often the oral parts of language exams are less rigorous or they’re considered optional—I know that’s the case with the HSK, which measures Chinese language proficiency. So being an excellent orator will not make up for below-average writing skills on many language exams.

Writing Is Essential for Professional Communication

If you hope to use your target language in any remotely professional capacity, being able to write with relatively few mistakes becomes even more essential. The stakes are high in professional communication.

You don’t want to make any faux pas in an email to a client or supplier who speaks your target language, nor would you want to use the wrong greeting or make a glaring mistake in a cover letter to a potential employer.

Mistakes in Writing Can Lead to Miscommunication

When you speak, smoothing out a misunderstanding takes seconds or, at worst, a couple minutes of confused back-and-forth. But when you write, choosing the wrong vocabulary word or garbling your grammar can cause serious problems with comprehension that end up taking a long time to unravel.

There are less non-language clues for the reader to go by than for a listener—things like body language, gesture and context. Because of the nature of writing, back and forth communication is also slower, so it takes a longer time to figure out what you actually meant to say. It’s so much better to write it correctly the first time.

Learning to write in a foreign language isn’t that different from learning to write in your native language—which took you 12 years of formal schooling to master. In most cases, the difference is that you have to be  more self-motivated to master writing in a foreign language, because you won’t have 12 years worth of teachers forcing you to spell correctly. However, the same habits that make you a good writer in your native language will help you be a better writer in your target language.

Read in Your Target Language

Children who read have better language skills  and language learners who read in their target language have better language skills—especially better writing skills. The benefits of reading accrue from any type of reading, not just active reading. Even if you’re reading a romance novel or Harry Potter book in your target language and you’re casually skimming over anything you don’t understand, the increased exposure to the language in its written form will help you develop better writing skills.

Get Corrections on Your Writing

The best way to build a solid writing ability is to write and get corrected. Remember: This is how you learned to write in your native language. If you’re studying independently, you can get corrections on your writing on sites like Lang-8 . If you’re working with a private tutor, make sure he or she gives you written homework and corrects it, explaining any mistakes.

Once you’ve gotten your writing corrected, make sure to rewrite your text to incorporate the corrections. That will allow you to internalize and practice the correct grammar, vocabulary and style in your target language.

Pay Lots of Attention to Grammar

Writing well means having impeccable grammar. When you speak, it’s easy to slur declensions (in many languages, native speakers do just that) and generally hide a less-then-ideal grasp of grammar. There’s no way to hide poor grammar when you write—everything is black and white on the page. So becoming a better writer means a complete grasp of grammar rules.

Your first step as a beginner is to learn the building blocks of your target language’s writing system.

If the language has an alphabet (most do), that means both mastering the alphabet and learning spelling rules. Note that even if you’re learning a language that uses the Latin alphabet, you’ll still have to learn some new letters, accents and pronunciations.

If you’re learning French, for example, you’ll need to master the  accent marks  and to know when a c  should be written with a  cédille (ç) . 

If you’re learning Chinese or another language that uses characters , focus on learning both basic, common characters and the building blocks of those characters (radicals) .

When you’re a beginner, it’s easy to feel like the grammar rules you’re learning are boring and stuffy. But this stage is all about foundation building —it might not be super interesting, but it’s extremely important.

Take all of your grammar lessons very seriously. You should also make sure you do grammar exercises—which count as writing practice—and get corrections to make sure you internalize and master grammar concepts as they are taught.

When you’re a beginner, don’t try to write out huge compositions. Focus on writing simple sentences , but writing them correctly. Grammar exercises are a great example of a writing exercise for beginners. Don’t get caught up in the quantity of writing you’re doing.

At most, your compositions should be about a paragraph long. At the beginner level, it’s better to focus your energy on doing a little well than doing a lot poorly.

As a beginner, don’t focus on writing complex tales using constructions you don’t really understand. Beginner vocabulary and grammar concepts are generally very descriptive and concrete .

The nouns you’re learning are the kinds of things that you can point to or hold in your hand rather than abstract concepts. Grammar you’ve learned will be similarly concrete. Here’s some subjects that are well-suited for beginners’ writing:

• Descriptions of your family, your home, your bedroom or your hometown
• Descriptions of your routines—how you spend the weekend, what you do at work, how you make dinner
• Descriptions of what you did during the past day, weekend or on your last vacation

The bottom line is that you shouldn’t be trying to argue about the meaning of life—just focus on writing about simple subjects and doing so correctly.

If you’re like most people, you probably do most of your writing on the computer—in your native language or any other language. Your computer probably double-checks your spelling and might even have a grammar check as well.

If you’re learning a character language like Chinese, the experience of writing on the computer is substantially different (easier) than writing longhand. The only way to get good at writing—and to build a really solid foundation—is to practice writing by hand . Here are some things you can write out by hand:

• Diary entries
• Shopping lists

Remember, though—if you really want to master writing, you need to be not just writing for yourself, but getting corrections on your work. So don’t write anything so personal that you won’t be willing to share with a teacher!

At the intermediate level, you should start writing about more complicated subjects that require more advanced vocabulary and grammar.

Current events is a great subject to practice with, because there’s always something going on! You can also keep it personal by writing about experiences further in your past or your plans for the future.

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At the intermediate level, you should be trying to write more than a few sentences . Do at least some writing that hits the 500-word mark.

You should also start thinking about more than just whether or not each individual sentence is grammatically correct —make sure that you can write a coherent paragraph with sentences that relate to each other and flow correctly. This means learning to use pronouns appropriately and learning the phrases your target language uses to refer back to ideas that have already been mentioned.

Once you’ve established a strong foundation by writing longhand, you should move to typing .

You’ll need to change your keyboard to your target language. If your target language is Arabic, Russian or another language that doesn’t use the Latin alphabet, I would recommend getting keyboard stickers as well.

Typing well involves a lot of practice and is like learning a manual language, so it will take practice to get to point where you can type as fast in your target language as in your native language. Using the computer opens up a huge number of opportunities for writing in your target language, such as:

• Using social media. Pay attention to which social media platforms are used by speakers of your target language. If you’re learning Russian, for example, set up a VKontakte profile. If you’re learning Chinese, a Weibo account is basically a must.
• Commenting on blog posts . Reading blogs in your target language is a good way to get in plenty of reading practice, and participating in the online discussion is excellent writing practice.
• Utilizing relevant apps. Other apps that have a written component, ranging from dating apps to weight loss apps that force you to write updates.

Writing well, like speaking well, requires using the correct phrases, vocabulary and style for the circumstance. Different types of writing require radically different types of vocabulary and often have their own set phrases and formats that are quite different.

Using the correct greeting is remarkably important if you’re sending someone an email or letter. Here are some types of writing that most likely have specific formats that you should learn:

• Letters, both formal and informal
• Cover letters and resumes
• Internet slang
• Other types of writing, depending on your goals as a language learner, might include academic papers, news articles, reports or scripts.

You’ll also want to learn set phrases like “once upon a time.”

One of the best ways to practice writing is to summarize —in your own words—things that you read in your target language.

This type of exercise is ideal for writing something that can be corrected by a language exchange partner, teacher or tutor (remember you want to get corrections on at least some writing, and you’re less likely to be corrected on your social media posts).

The goal is to use the reading material as a way to learn new vocabulary and sentence structures and then to summarize the pieces—without referring to the original—so that the vocabulary and turns of phrase are internalized. Basing your writing on something you’ve read also eliminates the need to come up with a subject, which is surprisingly difficult when facing the blank page.

Want to become a really good writer? Make sure that your work is publicly available. The idea of a stranger reading your work is a powerful motivator to get it right. This doesn’t mean that you have to become a full-time writer in your target language (although there are certainly writers who write in a language that isn’t their native language), just that you should seek out opportunities to publish works of writing. Here’s a couple of ideas:

• Start a blog in your target language
• Guest post on other blogs in your target language (especially if you don’t want to commit to blogging yourself)
• Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper or magazine in your target language
• Submit a professional paper at a conference related to your profession.

At an advanced level, you’re working on more then learning set phrases used in writing. Instead, you want to master different types of writing .

There are surprising cultural differences in some types of writing—I had a French professor insist that an essay  must be five paragraphs and had to adhere to a very strict format in order to be correct. Here are some of the types of writing you’ll want to work on as an advanced learner:

• Persuasive essays
• Narratives of different lengths
• Correspondence
• Professional writing like reports and memos

Retelling stories (or other kinds of writing, depending on what type of writing you’re working on) is a great way to practice.

You read a piece of writing (of a manageable length, probably between 1,000 and 2,000 words), put the original aside and then try to replicate the piece of writing on your own. This exercise will both help you overcome writer’s block and teach you new vocabulary.

Retelling stories is a good way to internalize the turns of phrase, vocabulary and sentence structure that native speakers of your target language use in their writing.

You’ve moved beyond merely avoiding gross errors in your writing—so now it’s time to care about whether or not your writing sounds decent. This means varying your word choice by using synonyms and using sentence structures that aren’t only correct but that also sound good to a native speaker of your target language.

Once you get to an advanced level, it’s easy to assume that you don’t need any more instruction. But if you really want to master writing, you need to continue getting corrections on your written work—indefinitely. It doesn’t have to be on every piece of written work you produce, but periodic corrections will help you continue improving your writing.

Writing is one of the hardest things to do well as a non-native speaker of a language, because there’s no room to hide behind mumbled errors and because becoming literate—even in your native language—requires quite a bit of effort and instruction.

That doesn’t mean writing should be neglected, because your overall language ability will often be judged solely on the basis of how well you write. There are lots of ways to improve your writing ability, but they can be essentially boiled down to three key components:

• Write a lot
• Get your writing corrected

If you can do those three things, you’ll see your writing ability increase until you can genuinely consider yourself a master!

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing in a Foreign Language For Beginners

Writing is hard. Writing in another language? Maybe the word hasn’t been invented for how hard that is. But for those who do attempt it, both the challenges and rewards are many.Though you may become fluent in another language, there are always nuances, expressions and cultural references that will elude you. The French might say you have “long teeth” for attempting to write in another tongue - meaning you’re ambitious. And if you don’t do a good job of it, the Russians might say that you’re “hanging noodles on their ears” meaning you’re talking nonsense.But take heart. Some very celebrated works of literature were written in the author’s non-native tongue . Polish born writer Joseph Conrad studied both French and English and chose to write in English because, “English is so plastic - if you haven’t got a word you need, you can make it, but to write French you have to be an artist.” And Irish born Samuel Beckett chose to write in French because robbed of his native tongue and all the habits that come with it, writing in another language allowed him to write “without style” so that he could focus on the subject and not the words.Here are some tips and advice for those willing to attempt this feat:

Use Universal Examples

You can assume that most people know who the current President of the United States is. And figures like Shakespeare, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Michael Jackson are safe bets, too. But you probably can’t expect a reader in China to know the story of George Washington and the cherry tree or expect a student in Uganda to be well-versed in American sit-coms. Likewise, the average American won’t catch a reference to the mythical Mother Earth figure Pachamama but in Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru and Argentina they would. If you come across an unexplained reference to her in an article meant for English speakers, then the writer didn’t do a very good job of understanding his audience. And that’s the lesson: when you write in a foreign language, you also have to remember who your readers are. Be careful not to assume a cultural literacy they won’t possess or you’ll just end up confusing them. In this case, it’s better to think globally instead of locally.

Don’t Assume That Idiomatic Phrases Are the Same Everywhere

If I accused you of “walking around a bowl of hot porridge” or declared that I was “sweating carrots”, you might think I’m crazy. But a Czech person would know that first one meant I was telling you that you were beating about the bush, and the second one meant that I was sweating like a pig. And, in fact, “beating about the bush” and “sweating like a pig” are English idiomatic phrases that don’t make any sense in other languages when translated directly. If you’re using these types of phrases in your writing, be sure to check with a native speaker to see how this idea would be expressed in their language.

Focus on The Message

No matter what your fluency level, you probably won’t have flawless grammar or possess an encyclopedic knowledge of local expressions. If you write well in your native tongue, that doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to write at the same level in other languages. Don’t get hung up on that. Instead, try to think more conceptually. What is the message you’re trying to get across? When you were first learning the language, you had to rely on this quite a lot. Maybe you didn’t know how to say “I’m allergic to eggs, can you please leave them out?” Instead you might have said something like “Eggs bad. Please no eggs.” You knew enough words to get your point across, though not as eloquently as in your native tongue. Concentrate on that in your writing - what’s the essence of what you wish to communicate?

Write in the Targeted Language Right Away

You might think it’s a good idea to write your draft in English first and then translate it into the other language. I urge you not to do this. Use the knowledge you have and be courageous enough to compose your essay in that language. It will sound better and more natural. Otherwise, your essay is more likely to sound forced, awkward and, well, translated.

The Little Words Are The Ones That Get You

It’s often not the more sophisticated words that trip people up when writing in another language, but the little words like prepositions and articles. You’re “on the corner” not “in the corner” and you’re “in Los Angeles” not “at Los Angeles”. If the other language you’re writing in is a Romance language, then you have the masculine and feminine articles to deal with because, for some reason which is unfathomable to most English speakers, the word for “sea” is masculine in Portuguese, Spanish and Italian but feminine in French. And, of course, the word “table” is feminine in all of them because tables are just so…feminine? For an English speaker, these types of constructions aren’t intuitive and take a lot of time and exposure to the language in order to learn them. And therefore they will likely be the cause of most of the errors in your writing.

Study Examples of Writing

This is probably the most useful thing you can do in order to learn to compose well in a second language. Even in their native languages, writers read other writing to learn how to become better at it. The same applies double to foreign languages. Just as someone learning to write in English could read the New York Times or New Yorker or Atlantic Monthly in order to study good writing, you should be pouring over the pages of respected journals in your second language to understand what constitutes good composition.

Be Flexible With Your Style

You’ll not only pick up on grammar, cultural references and idiomatic phrases when you read in another language, but you’ll also learn more about how people write. For example, many writers agree that one of the qualities of good writing in English is simplicity. Saying a lot in a fewer number of words. One of the most celebrated authors of modern English is Ernest Hemingway whose style has come to represent what we consider good writing.Today, writers can download a Hemingway app to judge their writing by his criteria:1) short sentences2) simple vocabulary3) no adverbs4) no passive voice.

By comparison, many of the Romance languages, particularly Spanish and Portuguese, favor a much more formal and “wordy” approach to writing. If you’ve ever looked at English-Spanish translation side by side, you’ll notice the English translation is about 25% shorter than the Spanish. Many Arabic writers tend to use proverbs in their writing and it’s quite descriptive and ornate, making English seem comparatively Spartan. It may seem unnatural to try to adopt these styles, but, in fact, it’s probably more natural than trying to make Arabic sound like English. If you’ve reached the point of fluency where you can compose an essay, then you’ve probably also learned some of the communication styles common in that tongue, particularly if you happen to be living in the country where that language is spoken. Many polyglots claim to manifest a different personality depending on the language they’re speaking. That same connection is sure to be made in writing as well.

Don’t Rely on Translation Tools

Tools such as Google Translate have come a long way from their inception. But they don’t always get it right. When writing, use a combination of different tools, like Google Translate, Linguee (which shows examples of words and phrases used in context), and your dictionary.

Between these tools, you’ll get a pretty decent idea of what words mean and how you can use them. But even with these reinforcements, you might still get things wrong sometimes and that’s part of the process. You can write the phrases that are technically correct, but aren’t the way people would express the thought in that particular language. Which leads us to the final piece of advice…

Use a Native Editor

There simply is no substitute for a native speaker. They will understand the nuances of the language you’re trying to master in ways you can’t. They will know if something sounds strange or is difficult to understand. They’ll fix the little grammar mistakes that you made. They’ll find the right expressions to pass on your message to your intended audience. In short, professional writers will take what you’ve written, polish and perfect it and make sure it’s the best possible version of your writing. Besides that, it’s an opportunity for you see what needed correcting so you can improve your writing.Writing in another language can be intimidating, but it’s an excellent way to increase your fluency and learn how to express yourself more concisely in your second language. So we’ll “squeeze our thumbs for you” as the Germans would say, meaning we’ll keep my fingers crossed for you that your writing will be as clear as soapy water (Estonian for “crystal clear”) and that you’re not just pedaling in sauerkraut (French for spinning your wheels).

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Essays About Language: Top 5 Examples and 7 Prompts

Language is the key to expressive communication; let our essay examples and writing prompts inspire you if you are writing essays about language.

When we communicate with one another, we use a system called language. It mainly consists of words, which, when combined, form phrases and sentences we use to talk to one another. However, some forms of language do not require written or verbal communication, such as sign language. 

Language can also refer to how we write or say things. For example, we can speak to friends using colloquial expressions and slang, while academic writing demands precise, formal language. Language is a complex concept with many meanings; discover the secrets of language in our informative guide.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. a global language: english language by dallas ryan , 2. language and its importance to society by shelly shah, 3. language: the essence of culture by kelsey holmes.

• 4.  Foreign Language Speech by Sophie Carson
• 5. ​​Attitudes to Language by Kurt Medina

1. My Native Language

2. the advantages of bilingualism, 3. language and technology, 4. why language matters, 5. slang and communication, 6. english is the official language of the u.s..

“Furthermore, using English, people can have more friends, widen peer relationships with foreigners and can not get lost. Overall, English becomes a global language; people may have more chances in communication. Another crucial advantage is improving business. If English was spoken widespread and everyone could use it, they would likely have more opportunities in business. Foreign investments from rich countries might be supported to the poorer countries.”

In this essay, Ryan enumerates both the advantages and disadvantages of using English; it seems that Ryan proposes uniting the world under the English language. English, a well-known and commonly-spoken language can help people to communicate better, which can foster better connections with one another. However, people would lose their native language and promote a specific culture rather than diversity. Ultimately, Ryan believes that English is a “global language,” and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages

“Language is a constituent element of civilization. It raised man from a savage state to the plane which he was capable of reaching. Man could not become man except by language. An essential point in which man differs from animals is that man alone is the sole possessor of language. No doubt animals also exhibit certain degree of power of communication but that is not only inferior in degree to human language, but also radically diverse in kind from it.”

Shah writes about the meaning of language, its role in society, and its place as an institution serving the purposes of the people using it. Most importantly, she writes about why it is necessary; the way we communicate through language separates us as humans from all other living things. It also carries individual culture and allows one to convey their thoughts. You might find our list of TOEFL writing topics helpful.

“Cultural identity is heavily dependent on a number of factors including ethnicity, gender, geographic location, religion, language, and so much more.  Culture is defined as a “historically transmitted system of symbols, meanings, and norms.”  Knowing a language automatically enables someone to identify with others who speak the same language.  This connection is such an important part of cultural exchange”

In this short essay, Homes discusses how language reflects a person’s cultural identity and the importance of communication in a civilized society. Different communities and cultures use specific sounds and understand their meanings to communicate. From this, writing was developed. Knowing a language makes connecting with others of the same culture easier. 

4.   Foreign Language Speech by Sophie Carson

“Ultimately, learning a foreign language will improve a child’s overall thinking and learning skills in general, making them smarter in many different unrelated areas. Their creativity is highly improved as they are more trained to look at problems from different angles and think outside of the box. This flexible thinking makes them better problem solvers since they can see problems from different perspectives. The better thinking skills developed from learning a foreign language have also been seen through testing scores.”

Carson writes about some of the benefits of learning a foreign language, especially during childhood. During childhood, the brain is more flexible, and it is easier for one to learn a new language in their younger years. Among many other benefits, bilingualism has been shown to improve memory and open up more parts of a child’s brain, helping them hone their critical thinking skills. Teaching children a foreign language makes them more aware of the world around them and can open up opportunities in the future.

5. ​​ Attitudes to Language by Kurt Medina

“Increasingly, educators are becoming aware that a person’s native language is an integral part of who that person is and marginalizing the language can have severe damaging effects on that person’s psyche. Many linguists consistently make a case for teaching native languages alongside the target languages so that children can clearly differentiate among the codes”

As its title suggests, Medina’s essay revolves around different attitudes towards types of language, whether it be vernacular language or dialects. He discusses this in the context of Caribbean cultures, where different dialects and languages are widespread, and people switch between languages quickly. Medina mentions how we tend to modify the language we use in different situations, depending on how formal or informal we need to be. 

6 Prompts for Essays About Language

In your essay, you can write about your native language. For example, explain how it originated and some of its characteristics. Write about why you are proud of it or persuade others to try learning it. To add depth to your essay, include a section with common phrases or idioms from your native language and explain their meaning.

Bilingualism has been said to enhance a whole range of cognitive skills, from a longer attention span to better memory. Look into the different advantages of speaking two or more languages, and use these to promote bilingualism. Cite scientific research papers and reference their findings in your essay for a compelling piece of writing.

In the 21st century, the development of new technology has blurred the lines between communication and isolation; it has undoubtedly changed how we interact and use language. For example, many words have been replaced in day-to-day communication by texting lingo and slang. In addition, technology has made us communicate more virtually and non-verbally. Research and discuss how the 21st century has changed how we interact and “do language” worldwide, whether it has improved or worsened. 

We often change how we speak depending on the situation; we use different words and expressions. Why do we do this? Based on a combination of personal experience and research, reflect on why it is essential to use appropriate language in different scenarios.

Different cultures use different forms of slang. Slang is a type of language consisting of informal words and expressions. Some hold negative views towards slang, saying that it degrades the language system, while others believe it allows people to express their culture. Write about whether you believe slang should be acceptable or not: defend your position by giving evidence either that slang is detrimental to language or that it poses no threat.

English is the most spoken language in the United States and is used in government documents; it is all but the country’s official language. Do you believe the government should finally declare English the country’s official language? Research the viewpoints of both sides and form a conclusion; support your argument with sufficient details and research. 

Check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays .If you’re stuck picking your next essay topic, check out our guide on how to write an essay about diversity .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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✍️ 6 Ways to Practice Writing in a Foreign Language You’d Never Think Would Work [VIDEO]

And don’t forget! You can also head over to our MosaLingua Language Lab podcast to listen to this article:

Table of contents

Why is it important to learn to write in a foreign language, write every day, start small, stay away from “school-like” practice, get feedback on your work,  …but not too much feedback, be (or become), first and foremost, a reader, bonus video: how to practice writing in a foreign language, take it further.

We’ve told you time and time again to focus your efforts on speaking and listening when you first start learning a new language. Those skills give you the most bang for your buck because they allow you to communicate with people most quickly. And being able to do that gives you a major sense of accomplishment. Which in turn motivates you to keep learning. But it is worth your while to learn how to write well in your target language!

Writing in a foreign language can make new words stick like glue in your long-term memory ! It engages your kinesthetic memory—especially when you write by hand. According to the famous “ learning pyramid ,” the average retention rate for writing (also called “doing”) is 75% . Compare that to a passive activity like listening (5%) or reading (10%), and it’s pretty obvious why practicing foreign language writing is important.

Writing can also force you to think about the mechanics of your target language. For example, how sentences are built, when different tenses are used, and which turns of phrase are most natural. This also benefits your speaking skills.

Knowing how to write well in a foreign language is going to make you an important asset to your company or set your resume apart from the rest of the candidates in the applicant pool .

And last but not least, it can be a great creative release that relieves stress and anxiety and improves your overall mental health ! (If you’re interested, here’s a fascinating article on all of the ways learning a language is great for your brain .)

Start learning a new language today

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How to Practice Writing in a Foreign Language

If you didn’t think that learning to write was important before, hopefully now you’re convinced! Now, here are 6 tips on how to improve your writing, along with fun ways to put them into practice.

It’s no secret. To excel at anything, whether it’s chess, baseball, piano, or language, you have to practice a lot and practice consistently. However, it’s not always easy to find time to practice a language. So, I like to get it out of the way at the beginning of my day.

🖋 How to do it: I often start my day with 5 to 15 minutes of freewriting, which is somewhat like meditation. Don’t set any expectations for yourself, don’t stress about conjugation, and don’t go back and edit your work. Simply set a timer, put pen to paper—yes, I recommend doing this by hand)—and write continuously. Write about anything that comes to mind until the timer goes off.

Freewriting is a fun, stress-free habit for getting your daily writing practice in and to help your ideas begin to flow more naturally in your target language.

The best way to get overwhelmed and disenchanted with writing in a foreign language is by trying to take on too much at once. So if you’re having trouble finding the willpower to practice writing, put your plans for that Italian novel on hold, and instead opt for lots of shorter prompts.

⌨️ How to do it: One fun way to practice short but frequent writing bursts is by posting on social media. Especially Tweets, since you’re given a limited number of characters to work with! Tweet about your day, tweet at your favorite celebrities or brands, tweet your thoughts about news articles… just make it relevant to you.

Posting on social media can be a good way to keep yourself committed to your language practice through public accountability , which Luca has talked about in some of our videos. However, you can also create a separate account dedicated to your target language if you don’t want all of your followers to see your practice.

If you think you hate practicing writing, get as far away from “traditional” writing prompts as possible.

💬 How to do it: For you, I recommend chatting or instant messaging with a conversation partner ( click here to see the best websites for finding one) . It’s basically the 2021 version of an adult penpal! If you can find someone you click well with, the time will fly by when you’re writing back and forth, and it won’t feel like practice, just like you’re messaging a friend!

Some people even swear that dating apps are the reason they’ve gotten so good at writing in their target language! 😍 Hey, you never know! Wondering how to practice writing in a foreign language on your favorite dating app? Most apps let you search for matches in a particular city. Just choose one where they speak your target language.

Need to know how to change the language on your phone’s keyboard to text more easily in your target language? Check out our guide on changing your keyboard language settings right here.

That leads me to my next tip…

It’s best to get feedback about your writing from a human, but if you’re not comfortable with that quite yet, using free automatic writing checkers is another option.

LanguageTool is a good one to check out because it supports many different languages. Microsoft Word also has some built-in writing assistance features. Here are other programs and websites we recommend for specific languages:

• 🇪🇸 To practice writing in Spanish ( escribir ), we recommend SpanishChecker
• 🇫🇷 Check out BonPatron if you want to practice writing in French ( écrire )
• 🇩🇪 DudenMentor will be your best friend for improving your writing in German ( schreiben )
• 🇬🇧🇺🇸 And if you’d like to learn to write in English, we suggest Grammarly or Write & Improve a free tool developed by Cambridge English. Write & Improve is neat because it also gives you foreign language writing prompts for different levels if you’re not sure what to write about.

✏️ How to do it: A way to make this resource fun is to think of it like a competition with yourself. See if you can beat your previous score for the least amount of mistakes!

If you’re interested in how to best use these tools, check out our article on grammar check tools for language learners .

I should warn you that these automatic tools aren’t always accurate. Be sure to do your own research to make sure that they didn’t flag any errors by mistake.

You obviously want to know what you can improve on when you write, so feedback is important. But you don’t want to feel like you’re constantly being “graded.” Therefore, it’s good to keep some of your writing to yourself. Sometimes, you should practice just for the sake of practicing.

Like with freewriting, the simple act of writing a lot can help you improve. 

🖍 How to do it: I suggest keeping a personal blog, journal, or diary for this purpose. And you don’t have to only fill it with your own writing. For instance, I keep a notepad full of quotes, sentences, and expressions that I come across in things I read and particularly love the sound of, because it inspires me to want to be a better writer!

And on that note, to be a good writer in any language, you have to be a reader. Especially when you’re learning to write for a specific purpose, you need to read lots of similar texts written in your target language. Mimic the style rather than translating directly from your native language.

That said, translating can be another fun writing exercise—and I’m not just saying that because I’m a translator!

📖 How to do it: Pick a specific text genre to read and analyze. Business emails or memos can help with professional language, newspaper op-eds can help you work on your logic and argumentation, poems and songs are great for learning about rhythm and rhyme… Then, try to copy the style as closely as possible.

These can be good foreign language writing prompts if you can’t think of anything interesting to write about. We put together some more great reading suggestions for language learners here .

To sum up this article, here’s a list of tips and entertaining ideas about how to practice writing in a foreign language:

• incorporate writing into your daily language practice, and to do so, try freewriting;
• keep your practice sessions short;
• since you’ll be on social media anyway, write a few short Tweets or Instagram captions each day;
• find the practical side of writing;
• text a language partner or crush;
• get edits and feedback about your writing, for instance using an automatic writing help tool;
• keep some of your work private so that you don’t put too much pressure on yourself, with a personal blog or journal;
• read, read, read!
• and finally, imitate or translate different styles and genres.

I hope you have as much fun writing as I do! Did I manage to change your perspective about writing practice? Let me know in the comments 😉

Get all of my foreign language writing tips in the video below—which you can also watch on our YouTube channel . I recorded it in English, but there are subtitles in 6 different languages if you need them. Click the Settings icon (⚙️) to turn them on or to change the playback speed.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more tips on improving your language skills!

If you liked this article, you might also be interested in these related topics:

• Make Sure You’ll Pass the Writing Section of the Cambridge B2 First Certificate
• Ace the TOEFL Writing Section
• How to Succeed on the TOEIC Writing Section
• How to Write in Japanese: A Look at the 3 Japanese Writing Systems

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Abbe is a translator and English teacher from the US who loves sharing her passion for languages. She is always looking for new ways to help our language learners via our blog and YouTube channel. She speaks English, French, and Spanish.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Using Foreign Languages in Academic Writing in English

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This resource provides information on strategies that the students can use when incorporating languages other than English in their academic texts.

When writing a research paper, you might want to use a non-English language source to present original data that is not available in English. This data might take various forms: some of it might be literary work (lines of poetry or prose), original archival documents (such as a decrees, bills, chronicles, etc.), research articles that were written in a language you know, or any other information which is crucial for your project but does not yet exist in English.

This resource will provide you with discussion of general considerations for translation in academic writing as well as information on the MLA conventions of integrating foreign languages in academic texts. The specific issues include:

• General translation strategies
• Quoting foreign text and translating quotations
• Using foreign names and titles in English writing

In this section

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• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

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Academic Writing in a Second or Foreign Language: Issues and Challenges

Writing in academic contexts is an indispensable skill for scholars and college students, many of whom face growing pressure to write and publish in English. It is deemed the language of scholarship, hence, it has become a tool for writers to demonstrate their knowledge in a particular discipline. Given that English academic writing presents a tremendous challenge for those whose native language is not English, it seems fitting to explore the issue of academic writing in a second or foreign language and its potential difficulties.

Why Is Academic Writing in a Second/Foreign Language Challenging?

Many ESL/EFL writers, upon entering college, find academic writing particularly challenging. They usually have received minimal exposure to formal instruction of academic writing during their middle and high school education. Even if writing courses are offered in some high schools and tertiary institutions, most courses prove to be generic, namely, they fail to teach to the students’ individual needs or give them the writing skills they will need for their future discipline. One college student, whose opinion might represent other students’, said that her major difficulties in writing for her discipline had not been fully addressed in any of the writing courses she had taken throughout her study in college:

When I encountered problems in writing, I would approach my tutors. However, I was only given advice on the essential components I should include in my writing. No specific guidance on how I may improve my academic expressive ability was given…Our department does not value academic writing skills, and tutors only focus on the content (Ip & Lee, 2015, p.19).

Sometimes, writers or teachers believe that if someone has a high proficiency in English that it also implies having good academic writing skills. Although academic writing proficiency is somewhat related to general language proficiency, improvements in the latter do not necessarily lead to improvements in the former. 

Bhatia (2004) informed us that at the textual competence level, the focus is on linguistic accuracy, such as, how well one has mastered grammar and vocabulary and can construct and interpret texts; whereas, at the generic competence level, the focus is on academic skills including: 1) using academic conventions, 2) referring to sources, 3) quoting and paraphrasing, 4) note-taking and summarizing, 5) planning, drafting and editing, 6) writing clear and well-structured paragraphs, 7) improving text organization, 8) ensuring that the text ‘flows’, and 9) improving grammar and accuracy.

Due to the differentiation between textual competence and generic competence, writers can face different issues. A major issue of ESL/EFL student writing is grammatical inaccuracy, resulting from low English proficiency at the word or sentence level. On the other hand, even native English speakers can have unsatisfactory academic writing skills. They may have difficulty in applying the rules and styles of academic writing, and hence have complications in writing within a specific discipline. Others have experienced difficulty in writing for a publication, and have found tasks such as making proper references to the published literature, structuring arguments, and textual organization troublesome. 

For those whose first language is not English, not only do they struggle with the aforementioned nine generic competence writing skills, they also lack familiarity with the language features of English, its rhetorical structures, and its socio-cultural dynamics. Additionally, bilingual or multilingual writers tend to use a set writing approach when writing in different languages, without considering each language-specific approach, thus hampering their ability to write at an adequate academic level.

Extracts from Student Research Proposals

The following two extracts provide qualitative illustrations of several common problems encountered by ESL/EFL writers, and offer hints of what appropriate academic writing should be like.

Extract 1: Today extra-curricular activities have become an integral part of school life. Living in residential halls can be considered as one of the most popular off-campus learning activities in universities. It has provided vast diversity of experiences to students. In order to train themselves to be all-rounded students and sharpen their interpersonal skills, students no longer limit themselves to classroom settings only, but also maximize their exposure to various opportunities. It is believed that hall living to a certain extent has an impact on student’s development. In the west, many scholars have touched on the impact of dormitory living on academic performance of students (Reynolds, 2012; Terenzini, Pascarella, & Blimling, 1999). However, the history of investigating hall living in the East is relatively short, therefore not many studies have been done in the Asian context. Apart from the academic aspect, mental health among undergraduates has become a growing concern.

The above extract is from the only paragraph in the introduction section of a proposal about the impact of residence hall living, and it is directly followed by the method section. The literature review is vaguely embedded within this paragraph. Most are cliché statements without much reference to previous literature. For instance, the thesis statement generalizes the assumption that extra-curricular activities have become an integral part of school life. Phrases such as ‘one of the most popular off-campus learning activities’, ‘vast diversity of experiences’, ‘various opportunities’, and ‘to a certain extent’ are not well based in any literature. Sources are cited only when the student attempts to identify the research gap. All these demonstrate a weakness in material synthesis; academic writing requires not only mastering grammar and vocabulary at the sentence level, but also organizing a piece of writing at the discourse level.

Extract 2: Imagine the following scenario: A young woman notices that her boyfriend seems to be a little bit off recently and she is afraid that something is going on between them. Preoccupied with worries and uncertainty, she opens her boyfriend’s Facebook page only to find several ambiguous messages posted by other girls on his wall. She also finds him tagged in a photo with another pretty girl yesterday afternoon, when he told her he was visiting his parents. After reading through his page, she feels jealous, anxious and insecure. She logs on an hour later to check his page again (adapted from Marshall, Bejanyan, Di Castro & Lee, 2013).

Extract two illustrates another common problem of novice writers. The imaginary scenario is the beginning to a research proposal which aims to investigate Facebook surveillance and relationship dissatisfaction. While the use of a casual scenario may be appropriate if writing a psychology magazine article, it does not fit well into the genre of academic research. Although the student successfully maintains an academic tone in the remaining sections of the research proposal, the blending of academic and casual writing style implies the writer’s lack of awareness of appropriate academic stylistics.

How Should We Approach Academic Writing?

1) What Can Writers Do?

Two pieces of advice are offered to ESL/EFL writers, especially novices. First, they should expose themselves to academic texts as much as possible. The ability to write well academically is a skill that has to be developed. Learning through experience allows a writer to become familiarized with the academic writing style and what an essay structure typically looks like. 

Second, during the writing process, writers may refer to the following steps:

Stage 1: Pre-Writing

• Critical evaluation of literature
• Formulation of problems/research questions

Stage 2: Writing

• Critical synthesis of literature to support arguments
• Appropriate use of linguistic and discourse features in accordance with discipline-specific requirements

Stage 3: Post-Writing

• Editing and proofreading, especially checking if academic conventions are followed and sources are appropriately cited

2) What Can Teachers Do?

It is generally assumed that writing skills are teachable. Studies have suggested that the features associated with academic register in writing change, with an increase in impersonality, formality and hedging in student writing, after the completion of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course. With a better understanding of the rules and style of academic writing, students will refrain from using a generic English writing style they have adopted for a variety of writing purposes, and will instead write within the parameters of the genre.

In response to students’ concern with the lack of emphasis on academic writing in most courses, language teachers are encouraged to employ genre-based pedagogy, which is characterized by switching the emphasis from the ‘study skills approach’ to the ‘academic literacies approach’. The focus of the former lies in identifying and rectifying explicit language problems such as grammatical and spelling errors, while the latter is more about demystifying the rhetorical structure of a text with reference to its writing genre.

Using this genre-based approach with an aim of raising students’ awareness to appropriate academic writing stylistics, students uncover and interpret the writing conventions of the genre they are learning. Teachers need to be careful though, with using a standardized template for writing with students, as it may harm the fluidity of students’ academic discourses. Students also need to be able to transfer the skills they have acquired from writing in one genre to another. For instance, the ‘report genre’ within the social science discipline is comprised of various report sub-genres. The laboratory report, written in the field of psychology, presents the procedural steps, major findings and implications of an experimental study. The assessment case report used in social work serves record-keeping and evaluation purposes. A journalistic news report documents newsworthy events. All of these report sub-genres, while sharing common features of documenting a past event, have rhetorical structures substantially different because of their contrasting communicative purposes, writing contexts, and intended readers.

Concluding Remarks

Academic writing goes beyond a general understanding of simple English language rules, to a higher level of understanding which involves interpreting and delivering subject content in writing. It is not an easy task for students, especially ESL/EFL students, to master, even with a few years of training during college. It is hoped that this article provides some insights for writers with English as a second or foreign language, who are looking to develop their writing to academic level standards. 

Bhatia, V. K. (2004). Worlds of written discourse: A genre-based view . London, UK: Continuum.

Ip, T., & Lee, J. (2015). Difficulties in mastering psychology writing: A student perspective . Frontiers of Language and Teaching, 6, 12–21.

Types of Essays: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Different Essay Types

When it comes to academic writing, essays are one of the most common assignments you will encounter. Essays are a way for you to showcase your understanding of a particular topic, and they come in various forms. Each type of essay has its unique characteristics, and it is essential to understand the differences between them to produce a well-written piece. In this article, we will explore the different types of essays you may encounter in your academic journey.

Types of Essays: Your Ultimate Guide to Essay Writing

Understanding Essays

Definition of essay.

An essay is a piece of writing that presents an argument or a point of view on a particular topic. It is a formal piece of writing that is usually written in the third person and is structured into paragraphs. Essays can be written on a variety of topics, ranging from literature to science, and can be of different lengths. They are often used in academic settings to assess a student’s understanding of a particular subject.

Purpose of Essay

The purpose of an essay is to persuade the reader to accept the writer’s point of view. Essays can be used to argue for or against a particular position, to explain a concept, or to analyze a text. The writer must provide evidence to support their argument and must use persuasive language to convince the reader of their position.

There are four main types of essays: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive. Each type of essay has its own unique characteristics and is written for a different purpose. Understanding the different types of essays is essential for writing a successful essay.

Types of Essays

Narrative essay.

A narrative essay is a type of essay that tells a story. It is often written in the first person point of view, and it can be either fictional or non-fictional. This type of essay allows you to express yourself in a creative and personal way.

When writing a narrative essay, it is important to have a clear and concise thesis statement that sets the tone for the rest of the essay. The thesis statement should be specific and should reflect the main point of the essay. It should also be interesting and engaging to the reader.

One of the key elements of a successful narrative essay is the use of vivid and descriptive language. This helps to create a clear picture in the reader’s mind and makes the story more engaging. Additionally, it is important to use dialogue to bring the characters to life and to show their emotions and personalities.

Another important aspect of a narrative essay is the structure. It should have a clear beginning, middle, and end, and the events should be presented in chronological order. This helps the reader to follow the story and understand the sequence of events.

Descriptive Essay

In a descriptive essay, you are required to describe something, such as an event, a person, a place, a situation, or an object. The primary objective of a descriptive essay is to provide a detailed and vivid description of the topic. By using sensory details, such as sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste, you can create a picture in the reader’s mind and make them feel as if they are experiencing the topic themselves.

When writing a descriptive essay, it is important to choose a topic that you are familiar with and have a personal connection to. This will help you to convey your emotions and feelings effectively and make your essay more engaging and interesting to the reader.

To write a successful descriptive essay, you should follow these steps:

• Choose a topic that you are passionate about and have a personal connection to.
• Brainstorm and create an outline of your essay, including the main points you want to cover and the sensory details you will use.
• Use sensory details to create a vivid and engaging picture in the reader’s mind.
• Use figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to add depth and complexity to your descriptions.
• Use transitions to connect your ideas and create a smooth flow of information.
• Revise and edit your essay to ensure that it is well-structured, organized, and error-free.

Expository Essay

An expository essay is a type of academic writing that aims to explain, describe, or inform the reader about a particular subject. This type of essay is based on facts, evidence, and examples, and it does not require the writer’s personal opinion or feelings. Expository essays can be written in various styles, including compare and contrast, cause and effect, and problem and solution.

Compare and Contrast Essay

A compare and contrast essay is a type of expository writing that involves comparing and contrasting two or more subjects. This type of essay aims to provide the reader with a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the subjects being compared. To write a successful compare and contrast essay, you need to identify the similarities and differences between the subjects, organize your ideas, and provide supporting evidence.

Cause and Effect Essay

A cause and effect essay is a type of expository writing that explores the causes and consequences of a particular event, situation, or phenomenon. This type of essay aims to explain the reasons behind a particular occurrence and its effects on individuals, society, or the environment. To write a successful cause and effect essay, you need to identify the causes and effects of the subject, organize your ideas, and provide supporting evidence.

Problem and Solution Essay

A problem and solution essay is a type of expository writing that focuses on a particular problem and proposes a solution to it. This type of essay aims to inform the reader about a particular issue and provide a viable solution to it. To write a successful problem and solution essay, you need to identify the problem, explain its causes, propose a solution, and provide supporting evidence.

Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay is a type of academic writing that aims to persuade the reader to accept the writer’s point of view. In this type of essay, the writer presents their argument and supports it with evidence and reasoning to convince the reader to take action or believe in a particular idea.

To write a persuasive essay, you must first choose a topic that you are passionate about and can argue convincingly. Then, you need to research the topic thoroughly and gather evidence to support your argument. You should also consider the opposing viewpoint and address it in your essay to strengthen your argument.

The structure of a persuasive essay is similar to that of other types of essays. It consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you should grab the reader’s attention and clearly state your thesis statement. The body paragraphs should present your argument and evidence, and the conclusion should summarize your argument and restate your thesis statement.

To make your persuasive essay more effective, you can use various persuasive writing strategies, such as appealing to the reader’s emotions, using rhetorical questions, and using vivid language. You can also use statistics, facts, and examples to support your argument and make it more convincing.

Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is a type of essay that requires you to present a well-researched and evidence-based argument on a particular topic. The aim of this essay is to convince the reader of your stance on the topic by using logical reasoning and factual evidence.

To write an effective argumentative essay, it is important to have a clear and concise thesis statement that presents your position on the topic. This statement should be supported by strong evidence, such as quotations, statistics, and expert opinions. It is also important to consider and address potential counterarguments to your position.

One key aspect of an argumentative essay is the use of logical fallacies. These are errors in reasoning that can weaken your argument and make it less convincing. Some common logical fallacies include ad hominem attacks, false dichotomies, and straw man arguments. It is important to avoid these fallacies and instead rely on sound reasoning and evidence to support your argument.

When writing an argumentative essay, it is also important to consider your audience. Your tone and language should be appropriate for your intended audience, and you should anticipate and address any potential objections or concerns they may have about your argument.

Analytical Essay

An analytical essay is a type of academic writing that involves breaking down a complex topic or idea into smaller parts to examine it thoroughly. The purpose of this essay is to provide a detailed analysis of a particular subject and to present an argument based on the evidence gathered during the research.

When writing an analytical essay, it is crucial to have a clear thesis statement that outlines the main argument of the essay. The thesis statement should be specific and concise, and it should be supported by evidence from primary and secondary sources.

To write an effective analytical essay, you should follow these steps:

• Choose a topic that interests you and that you can research thoroughly.
• Conduct research to gather relevant information and evidence to support your thesis statement.
• Create an outline to organize your ideas and arguments.
• Write an introduction that provides background information on the topic and presents your thesis statement.
• Develop body paragraphs that provide evidence to support your thesis statement.
• Write a conclusion that summarizes your main points and restates your thesis statement.

When writing an analytical essay, it is important to focus on the analysis rather than just summarizing the information. You should critically evaluate the evidence and present your own interpretation of the data.

Critical Essay

A critical essay is a type of academic writing that involves analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating a text. In a critical essay, you must make a claim about how particular ideas or themes are conveyed in a text, and then support that claim with evidence from primary and/or secondary sources.

To write a successful critical essay, you must first read the text carefully and take notes on its main ideas and themes. You should also consider the author’s purpose and audience, as well as any historical or cultural context that may be relevant to the text.

When writing your critical essay, you should follow a clear and logical structure. Begin with an introduction that provides background information on the text and your thesis statement. In the body of your essay, you should provide evidence to support your thesis, using quotes and examples from the text as well as other sources.

It is important to be critical in your analysis, examining the text in detail and considering its strengths and weaknesses. You should also consider alternative interpretations and counterarguments, and address them in your essay.

Reflective Essay

A reflective essay is a type of academic essay that requires you to analyze and interpret an academic text, such as an essay, a book, or an article. Unlike a personal experience essay, a reflective essay involves critical thinking and evaluation of the material.

In a reflective essay, you are expected to reflect on your own learning and experiences related to the material. This type of essay requires you to think deeply about the material and analyze how it relates to your own experiences and knowledge.

To write a successful reflective essay, you should follow these steps:

• Choose a topic that is relevant to the material you are reflecting on.
• Analyze the material and identify key themes and concepts.
• Reflect on your own experiences and knowledge related to the material.
• Evaluate and analyze the material and your own experiences to draw conclusions and insights.
• Write a clear and concise essay that effectively communicates your reflections and insights.

Remember that a reflective essay is not just a summary of the material, but rather an analysis and evaluation of it. Use examples and evidence to support your reflections and insights, and be sure to use proper citation and referencing to acknowledge the sources of your information.

Personal Essay

A personal essay is a type of essay that involves telling a story about yourself, your experiences, or your feelings. It is often written in the first person point of view and can be a powerful way to share your unique perspective with others.

Personal essays can be used for a variety of purposes, such as college admissions, scholarship applications, or simply to share your thoughts and experiences with a wider audience. They can cover a wide range of topics, from personal struggles and triumphs to reflections on important life events.

When writing a personal essay, it is important to keep in mind that you are telling a story. This means that you should focus on creating a narrative that is engaging and compelling for your readers. You should also be honest and authentic in your writing, sharing your true thoughts and feelings with your audience.

To make your personal essay even more effective, consider incorporating descriptive language, vivid imagery, and sensory details. This can help bring your story to life and make it more memorable for your readers.

Synthesis Essay

A synthesis essay is a type of essay that requires you to combine information from multiple sources to create a cohesive argument. This type of essay is often used in academic writing and requires you to analyze, interpret, and evaluate information from various sources to support your thesis statement.

There are two main types of synthesis essays: explanatory and argumentative. An explanatory synthesis essay aims to explain a particular topic or issue by using different sources to provide a comprehensive overview. On the other hand, an argumentative synthesis essay requires you to take a stance on a particular issue and use evidence from multiple sources to support your argument.

When writing a synthesis essay, it is important to carefully analyze and interpret each source to ensure that the information you are using is relevant and accurate. You should also consider the credibility of each source and evaluate the author’s bias or perspective.

To effectively write a synthesis essay, you should follow a clear structure that includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should provide background information on the topic and include a clear thesis statement. The body paragraphs should each focus on a specific aspect of the topic and provide evidence from multiple sources to support your argument. The conclusion should summarize your main points and restate your thesis statement.

Review Essay

A review essay is a type of academic writing that involves analyzing and evaluating a piece of work, such as a book, movie, or article. This type of essay requires you to provide a critical assessment of the work, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. A successful review essay should provide the reader with a clear understanding of the work being reviewed and your opinion of it.

When writing a review essay, it is important to keep in mind the following guidelines:

• Length: A review essay should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words. This length allows for a thorough analysis of the text without becoming bogged down in details. Of course, the specific length will vary depending on the nature of the text being reviewed and the desired focus of the essay.
• Structure: A review essay should follow a clear and logical structure. Start with an introduction that provides some background information on the work being reviewed and your thesis statement. The body of the essay should provide a summary of the work and a critical analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. Finally, end with a conclusion that summarizes your main points and provides your final thoughts on the work.
• Evidence: A successful review essay should be supported by evidence from the work being reviewed. This can include direct quotes or paraphrases, as well as examples that illustrate your points.
• Critical Thinking: A review essay requires you to engage in critical thinking. This means that you must evaluate the work being reviewed in a thoughtful and analytical manner, considering both its strengths and weaknesses.

Research Essay

When it comes to writing a research essay, you must conduct in-depth independent research and provide analysis, interpretation, and argument based on your findings. This type of essay requires extensive research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition.

To write a successful research essay, you must follow a specific structure. Here are some key components to include:

Introduction

The introduction should provide a brief overview of your research topic and state your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should clearly state your argument and the main points you will cover in your essay.

Literature Review

The literature review is a critical analysis of the existing research on your topic. It should provide a summary of the relevant literature, identify gaps in the research, and highlight the significance of your study.

Methodology

The methodology section should describe the methods you used to conduct your research. This may include data collection methods, sample size, and any limitations of your study.

The results section should present your findings in a clear and concise manner. You may use tables, graphs, or other visual aids to help convey your results.

The discussion section should interpret your results and provide a critical analysis of your findings. You should also discuss the implications of your research and how it contributes to the existing literature on your topic.

The conclusion should summarize your main findings and restate your thesis statement. You should also discuss the limitations of your study and suggest avenues for future research.

Report Essay

A report essay is a type of essay that presents and summarizes factual information about a particular topic, event, or issue. The purpose of a report essay is to provide readers with a clear and concise understanding of the subject matter. It is important to note that a report essay is not an opinion piece, but rather a neutral presentation of facts.

When writing a report essay, it is important to follow a structured format. The typical format includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should provide background information on the topic and state the purpose of the report. The body should present the facts in a logical and organized manner, using headings and subheadings to help readers navigate the information. The conclusion should summarize the key findings and provide any recommendations or conclusions.

One of the key elements of a report essay is research. It is essential to conduct thorough research on the topic to ensure that the information presented is accurate and reliable. This may involve reviewing academic articles, government reports, and other sources of information. It is also important to cite all sources used in the report essay using a recognized citation style, such as APA or MLA.

Informal Essay

An informal essay, also known as a familiar or personal essay, is a type of essay that is written in a personal tone and style. This type of essay is often written as a reflection or commentary on a personal experience, opinion, or observation. Informal essays are usually shorter than formal essays and are often written in a conversational style.

In an informal essay, you are free to use first-person pronouns and to express your personal opinions and feelings. However, you should still strive to maintain a clear and concise writing style and to support your arguments with evidence and examples.

Informal essays can take many forms, including personal narratives, anecdotes, and reflections on current events or social issues. They can also be humorous or satirical in nature, and may include elements of fiction or creative writing.

When writing an informal essay, it is important to keep your audience in mind and to use language and examples that will be familiar and relatable to them. You should also be aware of your tone and style, and strive to create a voice that is engaging and authentic.

Short Essay

When it comes to writing a short essay, it is essential to convey your thoughts and ideas in a concise and clear manner. Short essays are usually assigned in the range of 250-750 words, and occasionally up to 1,000 words. Therefore, it is important to focus on the most important elements of your topic.

To write a successful short essay, you should start by selecting a topic that is interesting and relevant. Once you have chosen your topic, you should conduct thorough research to gather evidence and support for your argument. This will help you to develop a clear and concise thesis statement.

When writing your short essay, it is important to structure your ideas in a logical and coherent manner. You should start with an introduction that provides background information and a clear thesis statement. The body of your essay should be structured around your main points, with each paragraph focusing on a specific idea or argument. Finally, you should conclude your essay by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis statement.

To make your short essay more engaging and impactful, you may want to consider using bullet points, tables, and other formatting techniques to convey your ideas more clearly. Additionally, you should use strong and clear language, avoiding jargon and unnecessary words.

When it comes to academic writing, a long essay is a common type of assignment that you may encounter. This type of essay typically requires you to conduct extensive research and analysis on a specific topic.

The length of a long essay can vary depending on the assignment requirements, but it is usually longer than a standard essay. In general, a long essay can range from 2,500 to 5,000 words or more.

To write a successful long essay, it is important to have a clear understanding of the topic and to conduct thorough research. This may involve reading academic articles, books, and other sources to gather information and support your arguments.

In addition to research, a long essay should also have a clear and well-structured argument. This may involve outlining your main points and supporting evidence, as well as addressing any counterarguments or potential weaknesses in your argument.

Overall, a long essay requires a significant amount of time and effort to complete. However, by following a clear structure and conducting thorough research, you can produce a well-written and persuasive essay that meets the requirements of your assignment.

Some tips for writing a successful long essay include:

• Start early to give yourself enough time to research and write
• Break down the assignment into manageable sections
• Use clear and concise language
• Provide sufficient evidence to support your arguments
• Use proper citation and referencing to avoid plagiarism

Five Paragraph Essay

If you are a student, you have likely been assigned a five-paragraph essay at some point. This type of essay is commonly used in high school and college writing classes. The five-paragraph essay is a structured format that consists of an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

The introduction paragraph is where you present your thesis statement, which is the main idea or argument that you will discuss in your essay. This paragraph should grab the reader’s attention and provide some background information about the topic. It should also include a clear thesis statement that outlines what you will be discussing in the essay.

The three body paragraphs are where you provide evidence to support your thesis statement. Each paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. You should use specific examples and evidence to back up your claims. Each paragraph should also include a transition sentence that connects it to the next paragraph.

The conclusion paragraph is where you wrap up your essay and restate your thesis statement. This paragraph should summarize the main points of your essay and leave the reader with a clear understanding of your argument. You should avoid introducing any new information in the conclusion paragraph.

Scholarship Essay

A scholarship essay is a crucial document that can help you secure financial aid for your academic pursuits. It is a written statement that highlights your qualifications, accomplishments, and goals. Scholarship essays are typically required by organizations that offer scholarships to students. The essay is meant to help the organization understand why you are deserving of the scholarship and how it will help you achieve your academic and career goals.

To write an effective scholarship essay, it is important to understand the prompt and the organization offering the scholarship. Many scholarship essay prompts are open-ended, which means that you can write about any topic that is relevant to you. However, it is important to ensure that your essay is aligned with the values and goals of the scholarship organization.

When writing a scholarship essay, it is important to be concise and clear. Use simple language and avoid jargon or technical terms that the reader may not understand. Make sure that your essay is well-structured and organized, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Use headings and subheadings to make your essay easy to read and navigate.

To make your scholarship essay stand out, use specific examples and anecdotes that demonstrate your qualifications and accomplishments. Use concrete details and avoid generalizations. Be honest and authentic, and avoid exaggerating or making false claims. Finally, proofread your essay carefully to ensure that it is free of errors and typos.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of academic essays?

There are four main types of academic essays: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive. Each type has its own unique purpose and structure, and it’s important to understand the differences between them in order to write effectively.

What are the parts of a standard essay?

A standard essay typically consists of three main parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction should provide background information on the topic and include a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of the essay. The body should present evidence and support for the thesis statement, and the conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis in a new way.

Can you provide examples of different types of essays?

Sure, here are some examples of each type of essay:

• Argumentative: An essay that presents a clear argument on a controversial topic, such as gun control or abortion.
• Expository: An essay that explains or describes a topic, such as how to bake a cake or the history of the Civil War.
• Narrative: An essay that tells a story, such as a personal experience or a fictional tale.
• Descriptive: An essay that uses sensory details to paint a picture of a person, place, or thing, such as a description of a sunset or a character in a novel.

How do you write a narrative essay?

To write a narrative essay, you should first choose a topic that is meaningful to you and has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Then, you should use descriptive language and sensory details to bring the story to life for the reader. Finally, you should reflect on the experience and what you learned from it.

What are the four main types of essays?

The four main types of essays are argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive. Each type has its own unique purpose and structure, and it’s important to understand the differences between them in order to write effectively.

What are the three parts of the essay format?

The three parts of the essay format are the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction should provide background information on the topic and include a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of the essay. The body should present evidence and support for the thesis statement, and the conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis in a new way.

Last Updated on August 31, 2023

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English Writing Structure, Compared to Other Languages

In English language study, there’s a popular set of diagrams that teachers like to use with their students. These diagrams are meant to show the difference between the structure of written English and the structure of other written languages. I love the general idea of this diagram. I think it’s very helpful to visually picture the “flow” of writing. Visualization like this can really help you refine your writing skills.

Still, I find this diagram, popular as it is, to be kind of… wrong. Take a look at the image, and see if you can guess why I disagree with it.

( original image source )

You can probably see the problem. Non English writing structure is shown in spirals or uneven zig-zags, while English writing is portrayed as… a straight line. The creator of the diagram, a native English speaker, has failed to notice that written English is not straightforward . At least, not any moreso than any other language.

This diagram probably overstates the complexity of non-English languages too. Is Semitic (Middle Eastern) writing really an abrupt series of drops and forward thrusts? Is Oriental (East Asian) writing a dizzying spiral? Are European and Russian writing styles structured like winding roads with abrupt sharp turns? Certainly native speakers of these languages wouldn’t see their writing in these confusing terms.

The diagram above sends unhelpful messages to a lot of ESL students. I was reminded of this recently while working with a native Japanese speaker in a tutoring center. She had just gotten a very low mark on an English language essay on the Eiken exam. (The Eiken is an English proficiency exam similar to the TOEFL.) As she talked to me about her failure, she was very hard on both herself, and her entire culture. Referencing B. Kaplan’s famous diagram, she said that Japanese people do not write—or think—as logically as English speaking people. Not true!

The truth is that every writing style in every language is logical—and each one has its own logic. When you write in your own native language, you’ll write most effectively if you can understand the logic of writing patterns in your language. And when writing in English, you also need to understand written English’s logical pattern. The straight line above is too simple to reveal English’s pattern. And the other patterns are too complicated—the twists and turns above make it hard to see that every language has a predictable writing style, with rules that can and should be followed.

So how should a diagram of your native written language or a diagram of written English look? Well, everyone probably has a different picture in their heads. Creating your own picture can help you understand the structure of writing on a very deep level. So here’s a thought exercise for you: draw a diagram of what you personally picture when you think about your own language’s written patterns. You may need to read some essays in your own language to get a clear mental image. After you diagram your first language, make a own diagram of written English for comparison. (Try reading some five paragraph essays to develop a picture of written English in your head. You can find some good examples here .)

David is a Test Prep Expert for Magoosh TOEFL and IELTS. Additionally, he’s helped students with TOEIC, PET, FCE, BULATS, Eiken, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. David has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His work at Magoosh has been cited in many scholarly articles , his Master’s Thesis is featured on the Reading with Pictures website, and he’s presented at the WITESOL (link to PDF) and NAFSA conferences. David has taught K-12 ESL in South Korea as well as undergraduate English and MBA-level business English at American universities. He has also trained English teachers in America, Italy, and Peru. Come join David and the Magoosh team on Youtube , Facebook , and Instagram , or connect with him via LinkedIn !

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Idioms, Slang or Jargon. What Is and Appropriate Essay Writing Language?

Different types of academic papers require different writing approaches. You will hardly write an expository essay in the same way using the same words as in an argumentative essay . Otherwise, your academic success will be doomed to failure. In other words, a student should be a versatile writer able to choose the write language for a particular type of essay writing. Let’s find out, which is a proper variant and which is not.

Essay writing language – formality level

Most of the essay papers require formal style. They include cover letters, job applications, journalist notes, etc. On the other hand, you should always consider the type of your target audience when depending the level of formality. A too formal paper may look a bit boring and less engaging. To make things easier for readers, use the following formality levels:

• Formal style – a typical language of the highest formality level used for unknown audience;
• Semi-formal – the best bet for essay papers, emails, etc.;
• Informal – more humorous way of introducing content applicable to friends and relatives.

Essay writing language – jargon

Although we rarely come across this type of language in academic papers, it can still be used in particular context especially when it comes to different social groups that refer to specific nation backgrounds. Using jargon where appropriate may be a good way to grab the attention of the audience adding some style to your paper.

Idioms and slang expressions

Slang appears to be inappropriate language when it comes to academic writing. You are not supposed to right “wanna” or “y’all”. The same thing is with idiomatic expressions like “barking at a wrong tree”. Some students mistakenly think that idioms show a good knowledge of language. However, they appear to degrade the content as well as the overall impression. So, try to avoid them.

How to write an essay using different languages?

It does not matter what type of academic paper you were assigned. Using a proper language and writing style is vital. Keep in mind that essay writing is far from producing articles or novels. You need to follow academic standards in addition to requirements established by your professor. Avoid being arrogant and stick to formal style in addition to the following tips:

• Sound confident and objective – your language is your face. Make sure it sounds objective and confident even on the paper;
• Keep an Eye on Tenses – those little guys can be rather tricky. Determine the tenses you are going to use in advance. They will depend on the paper type and topic;
• Make it Simpler – although the paper is called “academic” it does not actually mean it is supposed to be complicated. Avoid complex sentence structures and make the paper easy to read.

Use strong specific words to express your confidence and expertise. Make sure your paper does not contain vague phrases or words. Keep it simple and clear for the audience.

How to Format Dialogue in Another Language

Whether you’re writing a TRANSFORMERS sequel with an eye toward global distribution, a TALENTED MR. RIPLEY -style international thriller, or the next great World War II epic, knowing how to accurately, efficiently, and consistently format dialogue in another language is an essential tool in a screenwriter’s toolkit. Even in a global market, English is the default for scripts written for an American audience. Any language outside of that (be it Spanish, Urdu, Italian, Elvish, or Dothraki) will generally need to be indicated when inserted into your screenplay.

Fortunately, WeScreenplay is here to help you embrace the polyglot protagonist. Here are a few ways to make sure that your cosmopolitan cast can be featured in all of their multi-lingual glory––and that your reader never loses the plot in translation. 

Table of Contents

Parentheticals

A simple and straightforward option for a single piece of dialogue, parentheticals are also the standard way to format dialogue in another language. This approach is streamlined and perfect for noting a character speaking in a different language for a single piece of dialogue. Here’s a simple example using American Sign Language:

This is a great option for reader accessibility, employing a Tolkien-esque fabricated fantasy language, or simply avoiding a translation snafu if you aren’t fluent in your character’s native tongue. For a few lines or a single piece of dialogue, use parenthetical actor direction to indicate subtitles:

However, this method can prove tedious for readers when used throughout an entire scene and can be distracting when building a rhythm. Try an action line specifying the language in which the characters are speaking. End the scene with an in-action like that makes it clear when they’ve switched back into English. It might look something like this:

A Blanket Language Note

Final Draft is the industry-standard screenwriting software, which allows for some creative options when formatting a screenplay. A blanket note, in an offset color for clarity, is an easy way to make use of Final Draft’s formatting options to showcase a character’s break into another language.

If you’d like to be selective about which dialogue is in a different language while avoiding excessive parentheticals, try using italics :

Toggling between languages in italics can prove visually difficult at times, so another option for off-setting lingual shifts is by using brackets.

Brackets can also be used, either as a method to set aside non-English dialogue:

Or as a means of translating short pieces of dialogue written in another language:

The Bilingual Method

If you happen to be part of the over-achieving half of the world that is bilingual , you can also simply plug in the language your characters are speaking. 

Impressive? Yes. Accessible? Not so much, which is why this method is best for filling out the world of your story rather than communicating pivotal story points. It can also be a great way to indicate a character casually using a different language.

As with any rule, there’s always an exception. VIDA  on Starz made use of a mix of non-subtitled and translated Spanish to showcase the true-to-life use of Spanglish, Spanish, and English in the East LA community of Boyle Heights. Here’s an example from the pilot of VIDA :

Prioritize clarity and specificity, and remember: dialogue should drive the story no matter the language. Of course, expert feedback can help you refine your approach, so take advantage of script coverage with specific feedback on your script: from character analysis to detailed notes on your script’s plot and structure.

Need help with your next draft? Check out WeScreenplay’s top-notch Coverage services !

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Essay in Different Languages. Learn How to Say and Translate

Essay in Different Languages: Please find below many ways to say essay in different languages. This page features translation of the word "essay" to over 100 other languages. We also invite you to listen to audio pronunciation in more than 40 languages, so you could learn how to pronounce essay and how to read it.

Saying Essay in European Languages

Saying essay in asian languages, saying essay in middle-eastern languages, saying essay in african languages, saying essay in austronesian languages, saying essay in other foreign languages.

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7 Best Multilingual AI Writers For Students

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Published: October 2, 2023

Students face many challenges when it comes to academic writing. With constant deadlines, packed class schedules, numerous subjects, and extracurriculars, producing high-quality essays and articles for homework and assignments can be difficult. This complexity only increases when diving deeper into research topics.

International students have the added barrier of writing in a non-native language. Juggling all these demands can lead to burnout, stress, and pressure to excel at writing papers.

This is where multilingual AI writers can help. While AI cannot replace original thought, these tools can help you save time and convey ideas clearly. Students can also maintain their authentic voice and insights while benefiting from AI assistance with research, formatting, and more.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of seven best multilingual AI writers. Whether drafting a research paper, dissertation, or assignment, these tools can make the writing process more manageable.

Let’s get started…

1. Smodin.io

Smodin.io is a multilingual AI writer that helps you address writing challenges like filling conceptual gaps, avoiding information overload, and correct phrasing. It helps you generate high-quality, plagiarism-free AI essays and articles in just a few steps within minutes. It works as a research assistant, offers APA and MLA formats, and a lot more.

AI-powered research assistant

Smodin.io offers a robust research feature to enhance your academic writing. It aims to make your writing more insightful, practical and research-oriented.

• It makes your research process ten times faster, saving you time sifting through data.
• It helps you find statistics and relevant sources in seconds, ensuring that you have the correct information backed by data for your project.
• It helps find references accurately, ensuring correct citations for your work.
• Streamlines your research focus by skimming through content and saving you from reading irrelevant content.
• It helps you find counterarguments to enhance the depth of your research.

Supports 100+ languages

Smodin helps you write in 100+ languages. This also means you can write in your language and translate it into the language accepted at your academic institution. This helps you write your papers well and ensures that all information is preserved in translation. You can also explore resources available in different languages.

This tool offers you help in writing various kinds of text, including essays , research papers, articles, and so much more. Article V1 is designed to generate low-cost content from top-ranking sites on the internet. V2 provides well-structured content that combines information from various sources and gives a comprehensively discussed article.

This feature blends the capabilities of Google and ChatGPT to provide clear insights into the sources of the content generated by your Smodin AI writer.

• You get access to Google search results to ensure the accuracy of the content
• Enables transparency and accountability by tracing the source of the AI-generated text
• Helps you create content instantly on specific topics, generate questions about any concepts, find quotes and facts

AI Feedback and Grader

This feature gives feedback on your article and grades your article based on rubrics used in colleges worldwide. The AI Grading creates a standardized grading process to promote equality in the grading system for all students.

Smodin Omni–Homework tool

This tool answers your homework questions . It provides relevant content for your answers, finds your images, and gives valuable explanations within seconds. It helps you solve Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology questions.

Other features

Smodin offers features that help you detect plagiarism and correct grammar, acts as a translator, offers multiple language options, speech-to-text, subtitle translations for YouTube videos, news documentaries, etc., and image-to-text conversion.

• Using this tool, you can write, translate, and convert speech and images to text in more than 100 languages, which removes the language barrier for international students.
• It is highly user-friendly and has a UI that is exceptionally easy to navigate.
• It provides comprehensive writing features to help users write well while maintaining the structure of the writing style required—for example, research paper writing tools, article writing tools, etc.
• They provide exceptional customer service. According to users, the customer service team goes the extra mile to help the users.
• Article 2.0 is one of the most popular features of Smodin, which helps users create high-quality articles and provides references for studying further in any language you want.
• Smodin uses NLP technology to write content that provides intelligent suggestions, checks grammar, analyzes texts and enhances writing to the next level.

Smodin offers three pricing plans:

• Free Limited Standard plan: It has two writing credits per day, five daily entries for rewriter, plagiarism checker, and translator, and 1000 Characters per text for rewriting and plagiarism checks.
• Essential plan at $10/month: This plan offers 100 Writing Credits, unlimited rewrites, and plagiarism checks, 1000 characters per text, and access to all Author features.
• Productive plan at $29/month: 500 Writing Credits per month and up to 12,000 characters per text, access to Long-Form AI Writing, and rewrite up to 1 million characters using credits.

2. Jasper.ai

Jasper.ai is an AI writing tool that helps create diverse content, including blogs, marketing content, company profiles, product descriptions, emails, landing pages, social media copies, captions, etc. It offers templates to help you create content like long-form blog posts, customer responses, etc. It uses GPT-3 technology to create content.

50+ templates

Jasper.ai offers 50+ templates for you to choose from. Some prominent templates include ‘Explain it to a 5th grader’, which rephrases difficult-to-read content. It also has a content improver, which improves a content piece and makes it interesting to read.

They have platform-specific templates like Facebook headlines, LinkedIn personal bio, company bio, Amazon product features, etc. You can also use prompts to customize your templates for your specific needs and your preferred language.

Browser Extension

Jasper.ai browser extension brings the tool’s power to your Chrome or Edge browser and helps you improve, correct, write, and rephrase text and any form of content right on the browser.

Art and Image generation

This feature helps you create images for your texts, ads, social media, and website in just a few minutes. All you have to do is give clear and precise prompts for the AI to generate the apt image for your requirement.

• It has 50+ templates that fine-tune your writing and help you produce good-quality content.
• It is easy to use, even for newbies who are new to writing and using AI tools for writing.
• Its SEO feature is an added benefit for marketers, which helps them create SEO-optimized content for marketing needs.
• Getting new ideas on specific topics gets tricky after a few prompts.
• It is better suited for marketers’ needs and needs to be more student-focused, like Smodin.
• They have an okay-okay customer service and can improve in the area.
• Users feel that the pricing is high given that the output of free tools like ChatGPT and Bard is almost identical to Jasper’s.

Pricing Plans

Jasper has three pricing plans:

• Business plan : This plan offers advanced features of Jasper customized to the needs of the business. Price is provided upon request.
• Teams Plan at $99 per month: This plan includes three users, unlimited access to all the features, three brand voices, and custom template options.
• Creator plan at $39 per month includes only 1 user, 50 templates, 1 brand voice, and 50 knowledge assets.

3. Writesonic

Powered by Chat GPT 3.5 and 4, Writesonic is one good AI writing tool that helps you create content using internet data.

It offers you not just content creation but also audio, image, and chatbot development as well. It integrated with Surfer SEO to offer SEO-optimized content using the latest keyword and SERP data.

80+ writing tools

Like Jasper, Writesonic also offers you help in writing for specific platforms and requirements. It has an SEO tool, an E-commerce tool, Ads and marketing, a website content tool, multilingual support, and so much more.

Chatsonic is Writesonic’s AI chat assistant that offers a human-like conversation experience to users. It takes information from the internet and uses live data to get the most accurate response possible. It also has personality features like teachers, coaches, etc., allowing the chatbot to behave like the chosen personality.

Botsonic is designed to address customer queries and interactions. It understands customer’s responses and responds accordingly in a more human-like manner. It helps businesses to provide personalized recommendations, engage users and offer them solutions.

• It helps professionals create content on particular topics and offers features that help businesses and professionals expand their reach and services.
• It has a user-friendly and intuitive design
• The Chatsonic is a handy feature for anyone in need of offering chat service 24/7 on their behalf.
• There is a word limit for each month, which restricts users, especially marketers in need of extensive content creation
• The tool can use some more improvements in terms of content creation. For example, users need help getting detailed answers, and the tool only provides 50-word answer.

It has three pricing plans and a monthly free trial of 10,000 words per user.

• Unlimited plan at $16 per user per month: Suitable for freelancers, it offers 100+ templates, browser extension, Zapier integration, and more.
• The business plan at $12.67 per user per month: It offers 200000 words per user, factual and personalized AI writer, five brand voices, etc.
• Enterprise plan, price on request: This offers everything in the business plan: custom AI model training, premium support, custom API development, more users, etc.

4. Wordtune

Wordtune is an AI-powered reading and writing tool that helps create professional content. It focuses on writing and doesn’t offer too many distracting features apart from writing. It helps create focused pieces for emails, messages, and marketing needs.

Writing Assistant

This feature personalizes your writing, using statistical data, facts, and even jokes. It helps in creating content true to your style with AI suggestions. You also get multilingual support for writing in different languages with Wordtune.

Create with AI

This allows you to control your content creation process and offers personalized templates for emails, LinkedIn, writing for social media, etc.

This feature helps you build your personalized knowledge base on the Wordtune library. It provides answers to questions from trusted sources.

• The grammar correction feature works wonders when writing grammatically correct content.
• Improving the writing to make it reader-appropriate and adding layman terminology is good.
• Offers only ten rewrites per day in the free trial.
• It is a little expensive compared to other tools, according to users
• Suggestions can improve a little as sometimes they don’t make sense

Pricing plans

It offers three plans and a free plan that allows ten rewrites, three AI prompts, and three daily summaries.

• Plus plan at $9.99 per month: This plan offers 30 rewrites, 5, prompts, 5 summaries, unlimited text corrections, and recommendations
• Unlimited plan at $14. 99 per month: This plan has unlimited rewrites, prompts, summaries, etc., and premium support.
• Business plan (price on request): Everything unlimited, SAML SSO, brand tone, dedicated account manager, centralized billing, and traceless security mode.

Frase.io is a marketer-focused AI writing tool with an emphasis on SEO. It helps you generate exceptional content for Google ranking and offers SEO research to help you outline and optimize your content. This can be a highly useful tool for marketing students looking for ways to practice and learn SEO practices.

SEO writing, auditing, and monitoring

It offers extensive SEO support, whether it is keyword or topic search. It also helps create FAQ schema for your articles by compiling questions from various sources. Apart from planning, it also helps you write SEO optimized content. It suggests auditing your already published content, like keyword count, adding extra topics to the content, etc.

AI-generated content briefs

Frase helps you generate unlimited content briefs in a blink. It takes care of the details in the briefs, SERP, top questions asked by the audience, statistics, etc., to ensure that it covers all SEO requirements.

Frase Answer Engine

This AI-based chatbot crawls your website to learn and generates an intelligent knowledge base to answer user questions. The best part is it is extremely easy to set up your website and create a chatbot for your website that answers visitor queries.

• Frase is an excellent SEO content tool that handles your SEO marketing needs and fills content gaps on your website.
• Content optimization and customer engagement are exceptional
• The multilingual support helps marketers create for targeting hyper-local audiences.
• The AI writer is not very efficient and starts producing similar results after 2-3 prompts
• It has a learning curve, and it takes time to understand how to use the tool fully and incorporate it in the workflows. Navigating the website is also difficult.
• It is not suitable for students if they want to pursue researched writing, assignments, or non-marketing academic work.

Pricing Plan

Frase has three pricing plans

• Solo at $14.99 per month: This plan allows 1 user to write and optimize 4 articles per month
• Basic plan at $44.99 per month: This plan allows 1 user to write and optimize 30 articles per month.
• Team plan at $114.99 per month: This plan allows 3 users to write and optimize unlimited articles per month

6. Copymate

Copymate is another AI-powered SEO content generator tool that helps you. It is a multi-lingual content tool like the Smodin tool. It aims to generate unique and high-quality content for different content needs.

Bulk Generator

The bulk generator allows you to write unlimited articles simultaneously to reduce the content generation time. Copymate also supports multiple languages and allows you to create content in the preferred language.

WordPress Integration

This integration simplifies the writing and publishing for you. You can create articles and publish them directly on your WordPress.

SEO optimization

It helps you create SEO-optimized, high-quality, engaging content that drives organic traffic to your website.

• It streamlines the copywriting process and offers quick crafting of excellent sales emails and landing pages.
• The tool is straightforward to use fast
• The content generated sometimes differs from what is required and needs additional adjustments or editing.
• It limits your text length and allows only 8 H2 headers
• Copymate has 2 plans and gives tokens for you to buy features
• Free plan: 10 tokens, 16,000 words, unlimited projects, WordPress integration and multi-language support.
• Basic plan at $29: 45 tokens per month, 80,000 words, and all free plan features

7. TextCortex AI

TextCortex AI is a comprehensive app that offers different tools to communicate, collaborate, and create content. It claims to reduce the workload of copywriters by 70% while creating authentic business content.

It is a fully customizable AI companion that adapts to your unique communication needs and offers a personalized intelligence experience to users

Zeno Assistant

This AI writing assistant helps you with spelling and grammar, drafting the text, and expanding or summarizing it. It also helps you generate meeting notes and find essential messages from sales calls, research, etc.

Bullet to Mail

This feature helps you create an email in just three bullet points. It carefully adds reach out reasons, CTAs, and value propositions to the crafted piece.

• Provides you with fully optimized, unique content. It has exceptional text analysis capabilities, as per the users.
• It has a user-friendly interface that makes inputs easy and data manageable. The intuitive design makes it easy for everyone to use.
• It supports multiple languages and can handle various text formats
• It offers a customizable API that seamlessly integrates with your existing workflows.
• Users feel the need for a flexible pricing model that accommodates the requirements of a broader range of users.
• Rephrasing a text becomes difficult when you have to choose tone, style, and length for each paragraph separately

Pricing plan

It offers free use for users to see which features work for them. Apart from this, there are 2 pricing plans

• Free plan: This gives you 20 creations/ day, 3 custom personas, 3 knowledge bases, paraphrasing, etc.
• Lite plan at $23.99: Everything in the free plan and 2800 creations/month, 10 custom personas and knowledge base, 2 GB storage and more.
• Unlimited plan at $83.99: Every feature with unlimited access.

Why should you use a multilingual AI writer?

A real time-saver.

A multilingual AI tool can greatly expedite your research process by efficiently skimming through vast online resources. It can read and summarize lengthy, complex research papers for you, picking out the main points and essence of the study so you don’t have to go through the full papers yourself. The AI can also identify relationships and similarities between sources and your own work.

For example, if you’re writing a paper about the global environmental impact of a certain pollutant, there are likely countless existing research papers on climate change to comb through. A multilingual AI tool could rapidly scan and analyze those papers to pull out only the most relevant information to support your specific paper. This saves you enormous amounts of time and effort.

Helps Use Studies in Different Languages

Most of us speak and write predominantly in English, but there may be highly relevant papers to your research published in other languages like Mandarin Chinese. The challenge is figuring out those non-English papers. This is where a multilingual AI writer is invaluable. It can comprehend research and studies published in other languages, breaking down that language barrier.

This opens up a world of knowledge that can greatly enrich your research and expand the depth of your analysis. You can tap into useful global research that an English-only reader would miss. Plus, you can draft your paper in your preferred language first and then use the AI tool to translate it to the required language for submission.

Helps Avoid Plagiarism

In academia, plagiarism is a major offense that can ruin your reputation. Multilingual AI writers can help you properly cite all sources and paraphrase content to create original work free of plagiarism. The AI assists by suggesting ideas, changing sentence structures, and seamlessly managing citations across languages.

Ensures Credible Sources

Imagine you stated something in class that came from an unreliable online source. If another student counters you with accurate information from a credible source, you could feel embarrassed and lose credibility. AI writing tools filter out untrustworthy sources and prioritize credible references to bolster your reputation.

Offers Diverse Knowledge for Literature Reviews

When conducting literature reviews, a multilingual AI tool can scan existing papers worldwide to provide an overview, even for research areas you are less familiar with. The AI is designed to pull from the vast knowledge base to help broaden your perspective.

For instance, when writing a psychology paper, the tool could incorporate related research from fields like neurobiology and sociology that you may not have discovered on your own. This adds greater depth to your literature review.

Consistency in Writing and Formatting

Multilingual AI writers allow you to establish and maintain a consistent writing style, proper grammar, and formatting across assignments. As an educator, these tools can help you quickly generate clear, polished teaching materials in multiple languages.

The key advantages are saving time, expanding scope, ensuring academic integrity, and unlocking your best work. Multilingual AI writers are game-changing allies for excellence across languages.

Final Thoughts

Multilingual AI writers have become invaluable tools for students seeking to overcome language barriers, save time, and enrich their research while maintaining originality. Students who strategically utilize available technology do not replace their skills and knowledge. Instead, they enhance their work’s value, meet deadlines, and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Likewise, academic professionals can save precious time to devote more attention to students when employing these tools.

For students and academics, adopting multilingual AI technology allows focusing efforts on providing unique insights rather than getting bogged down in citations, translations, and tedious formatting.

The message is clear – now is the time to embrace these AI tools as powerful allies in excelling efficiently. Students can expand the depth and scope of research. Educators can create accessible teaching materials in multiple languages.

How Much Research Is Being Written by Large Language Models?

New studies show a marked spike in LLM usage in academia, especially in computer science. What does this mean for researchers and reviewers?

In March of this year, a  tweet about an academic paper went viral for all the wrong reasons. The introduction section of the paper, published in  Elsevier’s  Surfaces and Interfaces , began with this line:  Certainly, here is a possible introduction for your topic. 

Look familiar? 

It should, if you are a user of ChatGPT and have applied its talents for the purpose of content generation. LLMs are being increasingly used to assist with writing tasks, but examples like this in academia are largely anecdotal and had not been quantified before now. 

“While this is an egregious example,” says  James Zou , associate professor of biomedical data science and, by courtesy, of computer science and of electrical engineering at Stanford, “in many cases, it’s less obvious, and that’s why we need to develop more granular and robust statistical methods to estimate the frequency and magnitude of LLM usage. At this particular moment, people want to know what content around us is written by AI. This is especially important in the context of research, for the papers we author and read and the reviews we get on our papers. That’s why we wanted to study how much of those have been written with the help of AI.”

In two papers looking at LLM use in scientific publishings, Zou and his team* found that 17.5% of computer science papers and 16.9% of peer review text had at least some content drafted by AI. The paper on LLM usage in peer reviews will be presented at the International Conference on Machine Learning.

Read  Mapping the Increasing Use of LLMs in Scientific Papers and  Monitoring AI-Modified Content at Scale: A Case Study on the Impact of ChatGPT on AI Conference Peer Reviews  

Here Zou discusses the findings and implications of this work, which was supported through a Stanford HAI Hoffman Yee Research Grant . 

How did you determine whether AI wrote sections of a paper or a review?

We first saw that there are these specific worlds – like commendable, innovative, meticulous, pivotal, intricate, realm, and showcasing – whose frequency in reviews sharply spiked, coinciding with the release of ChatGPT. Additionally, we know that these words are much more likely to be used by LLMs than by humans. The reason we know this is that we actually did an experiment where we took many papers, used LLMs to write reviews of them, and compared those reviews to reviews written by human reviewers on the same papers. Then we quantified which words are more likely to be used by LLMs vs. humans, and those are exactly the words listed. The fact that they are more likely to be used by an LLM and that they have also seen a sharp spike coinciding with the release of LLMs is strong evidence.

Some journals permit the use of LLMs in academic writing, as long as it’s noted, while others, including  Science and the ICML conference, prohibit it. How are the ethics perceived in academia?

This is an important and timely topic because the policies of various journals are changing very quickly. For example,  Science said in the beginning that they would not allow authors to use language models in their submissions, but they later changed their policy and said that people could use language models, but authors have to explicitly note where the language model is being used. All the journals are struggling with how to define this and what’s the right way going forward.

You observed an increase in usage of LLMs in academic writing, particularly in computer science papers (up to 17.5%). Math and  Nature family papers, meanwhile, used AI text about 6.3% of the time. What do you think accounts for the discrepancy between these disciplines? 

Artificial intelligence and computer science disciplines have seen an explosion in the number of papers submitted to conferences like ICLR and NeurIPS. And I think that’s really caused a strong burden, in many ways, to reviewers and to authors. So now it’s increasingly difficult to find qualified reviewers who have time to review all these papers. And some authors may feel more competition that they need to keep up and keep writing more and faster. 

You analyzed close to a million papers on arXiv, bioRxiv, and  Nature from January 2020 to February 2024. Do any of these journals include humanities papers or anything in the social sciences?  

We mostly wanted to focus more on CS and engineering and biomedical areas and interdisciplinary areas, like  Nature family journals, which also publish some social science papers. Availability mattered in this case. So, it’s relatively easy for us to get data from arXiv, bioRxiv, and  Nature . A lot of AI conferences also make reviews publicly available. That’s not the case for humanities journals.

Did any results surprise you?

A few months after ChatGPT’s launch, we started to see a rapid, linear increase in the usage pattern in academic writing. This tells us how quickly these LLM technologies diffuse into the community and become adopted by researchers. The most surprising finding is the magnitude and speed of the increase in language model usage. Nearly a fifth of papers and peer review text use LLM modification. We also found that peer reviews submitted closer to the deadline and those less likely to engage with author rebuttal were more likely to use LLMs. 

This suggests a couple of things. Perhaps some of these reviewers are not as engaged with reviewing these papers, and that’s why they are offloading some of the work to AI to help. This could be problematic if reviewers are not fully involved. As one of the pillars of the scientific process, it is still necessary to have human experts providing objective and rigorous evaluations. If this is being diluted, that’s not great for the scientific community.

What do your findings mean for the broader research community?

LLMs are transforming how we do research. It’s clear from our work that many papers we read are written with the help of LLMs. There needs to be more transparency, and people should state explicitly how LLMs are used and if they are used substantially. I don’t think it’s always a bad thing for people to use LLMs. In many areas, this can be very useful. For someone who is not a native English speaker, having the model polish their writing can be helpful. There are constructive ways for people to use LLMs in the research process; for example, in earlier stages of their draft. You could get useful feedback from a LLM in real time instead of waiting weeks or months to get external feedback. 

But I think it’s still very important for the human researchers to be accountable for everything that is submitted and presented. They should be able to say, “Yes, I will stand behind the statements that are written in this paper.”

*Collaborators include:  Weixin Liang ,  Yaohui Zhang ,  Zhengxuan Wu ,  Haley Lepp ,  Wenlong Ji ,  Xuandong Zhao ,  Hancheng Cao ,  Sheng Liu ,  Siyu He ,  Zhi Huang ,  Diyi Yang ,  Christopher Potts ,  Christopher D. Manning ,  Zachary Izzo ,  Yaohui Zhang ,  Lingjiao Chen ,  Haotian Ye , and Daniel A. McFarland .

Stanford HAI’s mission is to advance AI research, education, policy and practice to improve the human condition.  Learn more . 

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