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  • 7/30/2019 tips to improve writing skills

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    Advice on improving your writing skills

    You will see that this advice will not only prepare you for the test, but will be usefulin improving your language skills for your academic and professional life more generally.

    1) Request that your fellow students and your professors mark your languageerrors in your work, and create your personal editing guideYour fellow students are an excellent resource. Having your written work PROOFREAD

    (not written or re-written) by a fellow student is not cheating; in fact, it should be

    obligatory for anything you have written that is really important. Create yourproofreading network right away! In addition, professors are often very encouraging and

    accommodating if they know that you are paying special attention to your language.

    From the feedback you receive, create your own personal editing guide. Make alist of the common errors you tend to make in your writing, and make sure to check your

    writing against this list in your final proofread.

    Another way to add to your editing guide is to review lists of common errors in

    English, such as the most common grammar errors in writing, commonly misspelled

    words, and commonly misused words. If you are a French native speaker, look atcommon Gallicisms ( false friends between French and English).

    Last but not least, make sure you are using punctuation marks correctly (especiallythe comma).

    2) Increase your academic vocabularyIncreasing your vocabulary, especially the type of vocabulary needed in university

    settings, is essential to your success. This is true of native AND non-native speakers of

    English.One common complaint among university professors (and from cooperating

    teachers during student teaching) is that students write (and speak) with language thatisnt always appropriate to university or professional settings. It is very useful to be

    aware of yourregisterthe way your communication will change levels depending on

    your audience and the situation. Successful university students are able to move fluently

    from one register to the next depending on the situation, and increasing your academicvocabulary is an excellent way to improve this skill.

    Ways to increase your academic vocabulary:Non-native speakers:

    Create a personal dictionary. A small pocket address/phone book is ideal for this, asthere are already separate pages by letter. Write down new words or words that youunderstand but never use yourself. Then write example sentences, translations,

    synonyms, definitionsanything that will personally help you feel more comfortable

    with using the word yourself. Review it regularly.

    Native AND Non-native Speakers:

    On-line Vocabulary Quizzes: http://www.wordsandtools.com/vocdemo/index_uk.htmUse the resources at www.lextutor.ca.

    Here, search the Tutorial section for information and quizzes to test your knowledge

    of high-frequency, lower frequency, and academic/university words. See the completeacademic wordlist. Research has shown that you need to know about 90% of the words

    on that list to understand university level texts without difficulty.

    http://www.wordsandtools.com/vocdemo/index_uk.htmhttp://www.lextutor.ca/http://www.lextutor.ca/http://www.wordsandtools.com/vocdemo/index_uk.htm
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    3) Take a class.Even PhD students take writing classes. Everyone can benefit from writing classesthere is no real end to improving your ability to communicate effectively.

    McGill offers a wide variety of classes designed to improve the types of writing you need

    for academic and professional success. Here are two places to start:

    The Centre for the Study and Teaching of Writing (Faculty of Education)http://www.mcgill.ca/writing/

    English and French Language Centre (academic English for native speakers andfor non-native speakers)

    http://www.mcgill.ca/eflc/

    Other Helpful Links

    http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/advise.htmlAdvice on academic writing plus links to dozens of other sites.

    http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

    Advice on proofreading for common errors, the academic writing process and many otherresources.

    http://www.clt.astate.edu/composition/common_errors.htm

    Common errors in academic writing and how to fix themhttp://www.learnenglish.de/mistakes/CommonMistakes.htm

    Commonly confused words

    http://www.common-mistakes.net/

    Interactive quiz--Better suited to non-native English speakers

    http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorner/vocabulary/vocabulary.htmlA treasure trove of vocabulary development activities!

    http://web.uvic.ca/~gluton/awl/index.htmDescribes the academic wordlist, why you should learn it, and has exercises

    http://www.mcgill.ca/writing/http://www.mcgill.ca/eflc/http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/advise.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/http://www.clt.astate.edu/composition/common_errors.htmhttp://www.learnenglish.de/mistakes/CommonMistakes.htmhttp://www.common-mistakes.net/http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorner/vocabulary/vocabulary.htmlhttp://web.uvic.ca/~gluton/awl/index.htmhttp://web.uvic.ca/~gluton/awl/index.htmhttp://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorner/vocabulary/vocabulary.htmlhttp://www.common-mistakes.net/http://www.learnenglish.de/mistakes/CommonMistakes.htmhttp://www.clt.astate.edu/composition/common_errors.htmhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/advise.htmlhttp://www.mcgill.ca/eflc/http://www.mcgill.ca/writing/