Ways to improve your writing skills as you prepare for your Ph.D. research and thesis work?
Spoken English is relatively pretty simple and most get a hang of it sooner than later. We speak the language at home, at institutes or work, read books in English, watch English content on TV, internet, intertwine English in our native languages (non-native English speakers), you get the drift…we get pretty confident with speaking in English over time. However, formal English writing is quite another game – writing for academic or work purposes can be quite a daunting task. Anyway, we know our challenge so we must measure up. Remember: with a little effort, a bit of planning and some good handholding will see you on the other side of your ‘mighty’ challenge. So here we have it, simple to-do’s and you are good to go.
Do’S
- Binge read. Yes, you read that right – go on a reading spree!
So far you have read to understand, now you read to observe. Consciously make it a point to read well–written journals, research papers, etc. Observe sentence construction and tonality in academic works. Put some thought into how these authors have communicated their arguments or points. Become aware of their choice of words in the questions, arguments, discussions, etc.
2. Get more eyes to see your work. Look at your written material for repetitive error patterns, because at your level grammar and spelling won’t really be your problem areas. In case you have gotten any of your formal work proofread, simply make a note of the errors the proof-reader pointed out. Become aware of your repetitive patterns and avoid making them by paying attention to these while writing. One way is to read your written material aloud or ask someone else to read it. These steps will help you immensely.
3. Write as much as possible. Now you are aware of your formal writing hick-ups, simply write as much as you can. Think of it as an investment in yourself not just for your PhD or Master’s research writing but as a life skill. You will thank yourself – even if you don’t end up writing your thesis or assignment yourself, still you have gained a skilled.
4. Step up for your English writing skills formally. Take some formal English writing skills course at your university or institute if you have access to such courses. Such courses in university departments or at institutes are run by expert academics who teach English.
Don’t
Complex sentences don’t win you much. Avoid these –
- firstly, they are difficult to make sense of, long after they have been written.
2. Secondly, your reader won’t be happy reading them, especially when they are your research guide or professor – this one you can’t bypass come what may. So, simplicity is key.
Writing your Ph.D., Master’s dissertation, etc. can be easy when you follow those above instructions.
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