Being able to read and write well is crucial in most jobs, regardless of your field.
Even if you're a native English speaker, it's important to have good writing skills in your first language. People who learn English as a second language often have a better grasp of written English than native speakers. They often work hard to perfect their language skills and meet the same standards as their colleagues.
Unfortunately, many New Zealanders struggle with writing skills. Schools focus more on subject content than on improving writing skills, so younger generations don't see writing abilities as something important.
Private tuition is often necessary for those who fall behind. A personal tutor can teach students how important communication skills can be in different situations, from talking about yourself in a job interview to drafting official documents.
Writing Skills for Business People
Small businesses and sole traders are responsible for their own marketing and communication, including social media, web content, quotes, and invoices, all of which require writing skills.
Having strong English skills is important for business to show professionalism by avoiding costly errors in grammar as well as punctuation mistakes. Even small details like commas and periods can significantly affect the meaning of a sentence.
Working as a Professional Writer
In today's world, it seems like everyone, including celebrities from various fields, is trying their hand at writing books.
However, not all of them have a natural talent for writing, and many writers struggle to spell words correctly and build logical sentence structures. This is where editors and ghostwriters come in, to turn stories into consistent pieces of writing that engage readers.
The ability to write well is not common, so improving your writing skills can become a valuable professional asset to convince employers. Consider hiring a private tutor to help you improve your English writing skills and find your writing style.
Writing as a hobby
You may want to improve your writing skills either as a hobby or to enhance your literacy.
Regardless of your motivation, it is beneficial to use resources created by professional teachers or attend classes to learn from experts productively under their guidance.
Ways to Boost Your English Writing
If you're looking to improve your writing skills or teach others how to write, it's important to start from the basics and gradually work your way up to more complex skills. This means going back to the basics and focusing on fundamental aspects of writing, such as sentence structure and grammar rules.
For example, it's crucial to remember that sentences should start with a capital letter and end with a period, exclamation mark, or question mark. Students should also learn to use capital letters when referring to names or using the pronoun 'I.' In addition, learners should be aware that the pronoun 'I' should always come last when writing about themselves or as the narrator of a text.
To help beginners get started, teachers can provide prompts such as "I am from..." or "My name is..." These simple exercises allow students to learn how to communicate basic facts in sentence form before moving on to more complex language structures.
To truly understand how to construct a sentence, students need to understand the basic parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Once students have a solid understanding of sentence structure and grammar, they can move on to writing short creative pieces, using descriptive language tools and experimenting with different writing styles and tones.
By starting with the fundamentals and gradually building on those skills, students can become confident and competent writers who can effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas in the form of texts.
Reading and Writing are connected
Studies have revealed a strong correlation between reading and writing, indicating that students who excel in one of these areas generally excel in the other as well.
It's worth noting that, as a writer, you wouldn't have a place in the world without people who read. Therefore, it is recommended that you read to find out what you, as a reader, can take away from it and what writing strategies you should choose.
Reading is typically taught to children before writing, as it essentially helps them learn how to write.
How To Improve Your Spelling
Effective communication is crucial in all areas of life, whether it's in personal or professional settings. Mistakes in letters and grammatical errors can make a negative impression on your audience and overshadow the overall quality of your message.
A minor mistake can sometimes completely change the intended meaning of a sentence, leading to embarrassment and misunderstandings. This is why it's important to proofread your work carefully, even if it's just a casual social media post or an email to a friend.
In a professional setting, poor spelling and grammar can make you appear unprofessional and negatively impact your credibility. It can even lead to lost business opportunities if potential clients or partners are put off by errors in your marketing materials or business communications.
Proper use of punctuation is equally important as grammar. Misusing punctuation can lead to confusion and misinterpretation of your message, which can have serious consequences in certain situations, such as in legal or business contracts.
To improve your spelling and grammar, it's recommended to practice writing and to read as much as possible. However, if you want to take your language skills to the next level quickly, you can consider enrolling in courses or using online resources that provide exercises and feedback.
With consistent effort and dedication, you can significantly enhance your proficiency in written communication.
Developing Essay-Writing Skills
Most students are aware that an essay should have an opening, a body and a conclusion, with the body divided into various sections or paragraphs. However, what distinguishes a good essay from a truly exceptional one? Is there such a thing as a flawless essay?
Teachers and examiners would all tell that a successful essay is the result of several elements coming together: an engaging subject matter, a compelling opening statement, a conclusion that sums up the main points, and, of course, perfect spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation.
Getting started
To start writing an essay, planning is essential. It can be done in the form of a chart or bullet points. This helps to give the essay a structure and makes the points that need to be made more evident. It is essential to create a flow between sections, which can be achieved by connecting paragraphs and arranging them in proper order to create a consistent text structure.
While it may go against one's instincts, it is wise to leave the introduction and conclusion until last. The introduction is where the thesis is presented, and the conclusion is where the main points are summed up, and the questions raised in the opening are answered.
During the writing process, it is important to give oneself the freedom to deviate from the initial plan if a spontaneous thought occurs. A degree of improvisation could be the feature that makes the difference between a good essay and a great one.
The time it takes to write an essay is not important. A fast writer may complete a 1500-word essay in a couple of hours, while someone else may spend several days. The time spent on an essay doesn't guarantee the quality of the work. What is important is that the essay should be thought-out, and the points should be presented in a clear and concise manner.
Are New Zealanders Getting Less Good at Spelling?
The decline in the spelling skills in the New Zealand population seems to be a growing concern, but is it possible that this perception is influenced by the sheer volume of words we see every day?
The average person is exposed to a huge amount of textual content on a daily basis, including news headlines, emails, text messages, blogs, and marketing materials. With so much textual content around us, we may simply be more aware of poor spelling and grammar than before.
That said, the Internet is giving people more opportunities to express themselves, which is a good thing in itself.
Before the creation of the Internet, the only written materials we had access to were typically created by professionals (like journalists and authors). These individuals were likely to have special training and strong spelling skills.
By contrast, many of the texts we see on our screens today are written by ordinary people. They aren't necessarily aware of the difference between texts and spoken language, which leads to poor spelling and grammar.
Importance of Teaching to Write
Preserving the quality of the English language is crucial for both education purposes and the development of society.
English is the top global business language, which makes it significant. Therefore, it is imperative that we educate our youth to speak and write proficiently.
Poor writing skills often discourage individuals from expressing their ideas, making them feel uncertain about their abilities and limiting their creativity. By enhancing the communication and writing skills of young people, we could foster more imaginative minds, which is vital for the future of our country.
Learn by Writing Every Day
To enhance your writing skills, practice is key. The more you write, the more you will improve and write with ease. Thus, it is highly recommended to write on a regular basis, especially if you aspire to make a career out of writing. For instance, if you want to be a professional writer, you should aim to write every day.
Even if you are already proficient in writing, it is still beneficial to write and publish blogs regularly to receive feedback from others. Criticism can be constructive and help you learn from your mistakes.
It might come as a surprise to some, but even the best-selling authors have their books edited before publication. This is necessary to ensure that the book is error-free and appropriate for its target audience, and the content, tone, and structure fit the intended message.
Editors are typically experts in their field and often have a writing background themselves. Their input is essential to improving the book's quality and increasing its appeal to readers.
Try to Read Regularly for Steady Improvement
To enhance your writing skills and come by new ideas, it is beneficial to read texts by other writers employing different writing styles.
Writing is subjective, and readers interpret words differently, which is why there is no such thing as perfect writing. Yet, some styles are more likely to produce an impact than others.
The more texts you read, the more critical you become, which is a positive feature as you'll be more demanding of yourself.
J.K. Rowling, the author of the hugely popular Harry Potter series, has received mixed feedback regarding her writing style. Some argue that her use of language is not of the highest standard, while others believe that her simple language, used effectively to tell a captivating story, is what makes her an exceptional writer for her target audience.
The Development of the English Language through History
The history of English dates back to 430 AD, when several Germanic tribes settled in Britain. They spoke different varieties of a Germanic language. As they gradually expanded over the island, several Anglo-Saxon counties were slowly created and the emerging language became known as Englisc, now referred to as Old English.
Though it is hard to put a date on the emergence of the English language, we know that there existed four different dialects in England: Northumbrian, Mercian, West Saxon and Kentish.
Although approximately 85% of Old English words fell out of use, some common words in our language have Germanic roots.
Many Anglo-Saxon texts have survived to this day, with the most famous being 'Beowulf', which was created sometime between the 8th and 11th century . It is now studied as part of many language-related courses in universities all around the world.
Did you know that strong essay-writing skills could help you land an amazing job?
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