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Writing in a foreign language
Publishing in English as 2nd language.
The positive side:
• Compared to native speaker you
think more about how you write/
construct a sentence;
• You know grammar!
English is easy
• No gender ‘nouns’ (unlike French/German)• No difficult rules (unlike German)• Narrow sound spectrum used (unlike Dutch/
Russian)
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English ain’t easy
• Eats shoots and leaves• Eats, shoots and leaves
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Spelling in UK English
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Spelling
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Write in ‘any’ English
• Write a draft in whatever English you have – it is better to do it like that than to write in your own language and then translate.
• Don't worry too much about grammar, spelling, etc. – this should come later, once you have a draft of the content, as a separate, editing stage.
• www.emeraldinsight.com/authors/guides/write/english.htm?part=1&view=print&PHPSESSID=m33n2gf1l35kncm6b8q2qjenq5
Read English-language journals I
• Read high quality journals in their field (it is important that it is in their respective discipline) and your targeted journal, and look at how articles are written.
• You’ll pick up tips concerning phrasing, nuances, English idiom, academic language, etc.
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Read English-language journals II
“A native English writer will use language to discuss the same topic in a wide variety of ways, and these ways can be used to help non-native speakers get around the problem of repeating themselves."Simon LinacrePublisher, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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• www.emeraldinsight.com/authors/guides/write/english.htm?part=1&view=print&PHPSESSID=m33n2gf1l35kncm6b8q2qjenq5
English is difficult
• Oxford comma (a classic example):
• My students mix up:
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Get help with the English I
• Use paid professional editor.• Often not a subject expert to help you to
communicate with intended audience. [Ernest Hemingway’s editor, Maxwell Perkins, is responsible for a good part of his prose].
• www.emeraldinsight.com/authors/guides/write/english.htm?part=2
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Get help with the English II
• If you cannot make your ideas clear enough, you are advised to find someone whose English is reasonably good and who can help you to express yourself clearly. You should do this before you approach someone even for an informal assessment.
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Practical tipsI advise you to take my advice!
• Be succinct and keep sentences short.• Mixing verbs and nouns is common. • Use spell checker, set appropriately for
UK English or US English depending on journal’s requirements.
• English is difficult! Its/it’s/ there, their and they’re
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Spelling UK English
• program• agressive• curiousity• ecstacy• fourty• Honourary• lollypop
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• persistant• seperate• therefor• ecstacy• liter• traveler• dialog
