Learning how to write well in English takes time and practice. Many language learners find it easier to write in English rather than speak the language. This could mean that it’s easier for them to learn the grammar rather than pay attention to fluency. If you’re planning to improve your English skills, learning how to write well is vitally important. Whether it’s about passing a test or advancing in your profession, you’ll need to find efficient ways to do that.
Continue reading for a few simple and effective solutions to upgrade your written English skills.
1. Take a writing course online
Things like spelling, logic, punctuation, and style don’t seem so important when speaking but they are essential when writing, especially if you want to do a good job. Today, one of the simplest ways to improve your writing skills is to look for English help online. Online courses offer easy and effective writing lessons for students, so they can learn whenever they can, and as often they want.
They offer various programs, so you can focus directly on the things you need to improve. For example, focus on your writing mechanics like grammar, spelling, punctuation, and anything else you think you need help with. If you want to have better job opportunities search for courses that offer better business writing in English, or a creative writing course to revamp your storytelling.
2. Read high-quality writing and try to analyze it
Reading is still one of the oldest and best methods to refine writing and enrich your vocabulary. Writing that has been reviewed and revised by professional editors, like books, magazines, and newspapers, is considered a form of good writing. On the other hand, writing online, for example, writing boards or blogs is often poorly edited, and includes grammar mistakes and misused words.
Even so, there are many excellent websites with good writing such as The Guardian, The Book of Life, and Longform. They’re suitable for intermediate and advanced English learners and help improve your vocabulary, grammar, and writing. One of the most important parts of becoming a better writer is learning new words. While reading high-quality sources and analyzing them, you can also look for words and phrases that may be useful for writing topics you’re interested in.
3. Join a community
If you want to become a better writer, apart from reading a lot and learning new words you need to practice using what you’ve learned. For example, you can write every day in a journal, or create a blog where you can share your thoughts and pour your knowledge about interesting topics. You can also think about finding a writing partner to give you feedback, whether it’s a native speaker or a fellow student writer. Join a local writing group so you can meet up and practice English speaking and writing in person.
If you prefer doing it online from the comfort of your home, you can join virtual language exchange programs. There are many great apps you can use to help you improve your speaking skills as well as your writing. If you’re writing something longer than a few sentences such as an email, a blog post, a story, or an IELTS essay, you can join online message boards such as Reddit, to share your draft and get great feedback. Many native speakers on the platform are willing to read your pieces and give you friendly advice.
4. Practice and check for mistakes
The ultimate way to improve is to learn what you lack and set your mind to fixing it. Note that the more you write, edit, and proofread, the better you will get. The better you will get, you’ll want to share it with others that need help, too. You can also try to do a practice test and see whether you have the right level of English to achieve your goals.
This way, you can check your mistakes, so you know what needs improving, practice, and what you’re doing well. Make this a regular thing so you’ll stay grounded and continue learning and practicing as you improve professionally. Bear in mind that even professional writers struggle, so be prepared to write several versions of a text. Writing is all about practice, and it helps if you have someone to read what you’ve created.
Final thoughts
If you want to upgrade your writing skills, you should stop stressing out and focus on what matters. Continuous reading, learning, and practicing will not only help you improve but make you more confident in writing your own pieces. Stick to the rules but don’t hesitate to let your personality shine through your writing.