sources of learning english language essay

Importance Of English Language Essay

500 words importance of english language essay.

The English Language is becoming more and more common in the world. As a result, increasingly people are dedicating time to study English as their second language. In fact, many countries include it in their school syllabus to teach children this language from a young age. However, the true value of this language is that it helps remove many barriers from our life. Whether it is to find a new job or travel the world. In other words, it helps to progress in life both on a personal and professional level. Thus, the Importance of English Language Essay will help you understand all about it.

Importance Of English Language

Language is our major means of communication; it is how we share our thoughts with others. A language’s secondary purpose is to convey someone’s sentiments, emotions, or attitudes. English is one such language in the world that satisfies both the above purposes. English has been regarded as the first global Lingua Franca. It has become part and parcel of almost every existing field. We use it as the international language to communicate in many fields ranging from business to entertainment.

Many countries teach and encourage youngsters to acquire English as a second language. Even in nations where English is not an official language, many science and engineering curriculum are written in English.

English abilities will most certainly aid you in any business endeavours you choose to pursue. Many large corporations will only hire professional employees after determining whether or not they speak good English. Given the language’s prominence, English language classes will be advantageous to you if you want to work for a multinational organization and will teach you the communication skills needed to network with professionals in your area or enhance your career.

The English Language opens an ocean of career opportunities to those who speak this language anywhere in the world. Similarly, it has turned into an inevitable requirement for various fields and professions like medicine , computing and more.

In the fast-evolving world, it is essential to have a common language that we can understand to make the best use of the data and information available. As a result, the English Language has become a storehouse of various knowledge ranging from social to political fields.

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Reasons to Learn the English Language

As the importance of the English Language is clear now, we move on to why we must learn the English Language. First of all, it is a global language. It is so common that one out of five people can speak or understand this language.

Further, learning the English Language can help in getting a job easily. As it has become the language of many fields, it automatically increases the chances of landing a good job in a good company.

In addition, it helps with meeting new people. As it is the official language of 53 countries, learning it helps to break the language barriers. Most importantly, it is also the language of the Internet.

Another important reason to learn this language is that it makes travelling easier. Being a widely used language globally, it will help you connect with people easily. Similarly, it is also essential in the world of business.

It does not matter whether you are an employee or employer, it benefits everyone. Students who wish to study abroad must definitely study this language. Many countries use their schools and universities. So, it can offer a good opportunity for students.

Why and where do we need the English language?

• Use of English on the Internet – Because of the tremendous rise of information technology, particularly the internet, English is the language of choice for Internet users. The internet has also played an important role in promoting and spreading the English language throughout the world, as more and more people are exposed to it, and English has also become the language of the internet.
• Use of English in Education – English has become one of the majorly used languages to understand, learn and explain concepts from various fields of knowledge. The majority of instructional tools, materials, and texts are written in English. The global educational systems at colleges all over the world need English as a foreign language.
• Use of English for Travel purposes – As we all know, English has been named as the official language of 53 countries and over 400 million people in the world speak English, the English language comes in handy for communicating with everyone when anyone travels around the world be it for tourism, job opportunity, settlement, casual visits, etc.
• Use of English for Communication – The most important function of a language is to allow people to communicate effectively. For many years, English has been the most widely known and valued language on the planet. In other words, English becomes an efficient tool for communicating with people all over the world.

Conclusion of Importance Of English Language Essay

We use the English Language in most of our international communications. While it is not the most spoken language in the world, 53 countries have named it their official language. Moreover, about 400 million people globally use it as their first language. Thus, being the most common second language in the world, it will be beneficial to learn this language to open doors to new opportunities.

FAQ on Importance Of English Language Essay

Question 1: How does the English Language help you get a job?

Answer 1: the  English Language is the language of many things like science, aviation, computers, diplomacy, and tourism. Thus, if you know English, it will increase your chances of landing a good job in an international company.

Question 2: Does the English Language help in connecting with people globally?

Answer 2: Yes, it does. It is because English is the official language of 53 countries and we use it as a lingua franca (a mutually known language) by people from all over the world. This means that studying English can help us have a conversation with people on a global level.

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Argumentative Essay: Reasons You Should Learn English

If you plan on making your way in the world, learning a second language is imperative. English has a foothold as the “language of business,” and being so, has become the most commonly learnt second language amongst foreign language speakers. Not only is English significant in the business world, but in general, when people of differing native languages congregate, English is the language of everyday conversation. Again, this is because it’s most commonly taught in foreign schools, as English is the collective language spoken by 1.8 billion people worldwide, or 27% of the world’s population. By virtue of this, for those willing to make the effort, learning English proffers forth benefits that learning any other second language mightn’t. Highlighted below are some of these benefits, including employment opportunities; technical, economic and scientific innovation; and cultural understanding.

As the language of business, English will open up the world to you in nearly any field of employment. Because it’s so important to be bilingual, any company in any country of the world prefers a bilingual employee – and even more so, an English-speaking one – over an employee who speaks only his/her native tongue. In being bilingual in English, you will be able to communicate with others in all corners of the world (remember, over 27% of the world’s population speaks English), and you will be able to translate for those in your company who do not speak English. This makes you an exceedingly vital communication tool. Not only will you be an asset to your company, but you will reap many benefits as a result, such as a larger annual income, a better standard of living, and the opportunity to live just about anywhere in the world.

Along with being the language of business, English is the language of economic development, as well as technical and scientific innovation. The United States is the leader in technical innovation and economic development and, as a consequence, the language to know in making your way in these fields is English. English is also the language of science, so scientists must be fluent in order to communicate their findings with others. Being successful in any one of these prosperous fields requires fluency in English.

Lastly a great benefit to learning English is that it increases cultural understanding, not only of native English-speaking cultures, but of any other country whose second language is English. The film and music industries are largely English-driven. The art, traditions and culture of any country, especially those of native English-speaking countries, can be better understood if you have some knowledge of the English language. Being centuries-old and having been the native language of empirical powers and world leaders, English remains a great source of influence in human history, weaved into the narrative of many cultures, and sewn, like a cultural seed, throughout time.

If you endeavor to learn a second language, that language should be English. The benefits it proffers – including employment opportunities; technical, economic and scientific innovation; and cultural understanding – are exceeded by no other language in the world.

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11 Benefits of learning English as a second language: Why is English important in 2024?

English is the most-spoken language in the world, with an estimated 1.5 billion people speaking English as a first or second language globally. It is the language of science, technology, tourism, and business.

The benefits of learning English are, therefore, numerous. Not only can studying English open up new opportunities for employment, academia, and travel, but it can change your life on a personal level, too.

Let’s take a closer look at why learning English is important in 2024 and how it can benefit you and the people around you.

11 Benefits of learning English

1. speaking english brings better employment opportunities.

Being the most widely-spoken language in the world, English has also become the international language of business. 

Knowing English and being able to communicate professionally will undoubtedly give you access to new career opportunities and make you stand out among other applicants. A survey by  Cambridge English found that over 95% of employers in many non-native English-speaking countries consider English an important skill.

As companies do more business internationally, the ability to communicate in English will only become more important to those who want to progress at work; the same survey found that in 18% of companies, employees move to higher job grades faster if they have good English skills.

This is backed up by a 2019 study which found that advanced-level English commands a wage premium of 12% on average. Intermediate-level English brings about half this amount. Interestingly, the premiums for advanced-level French and Spanish were almost double and triple, respectively. 

So, whether you wish to work for a multinational company in another country, or you just want to build a solid career, learning English will help you achieve your goals. The good news is that there are some excellent online business English courses available these days, many of them free to access.

2. Learning the English language opens up the world

English is the language not only of international business, but also of travel and tourism. If you wish to travel to other countries where you don’t speak the native language, chances are that understanding English will help you navigate public transport systems, converse with locals, and learn more about the culture.

Even if English is not the official language in the country you are traveling to, it is still by far the most common second language spoken globally. In fact, over 1 billion people around the world have chosen to learn English as a second language, so one of the benefits of speaking and understanding English is that you will share a language with around 20% of the world’s population!

You can explore more ESL statistics here – and find out which country has the best non-native English speakers.

If you want to move to live or study in a country where English is the main language spoken, it’s even more important that you can communicate well with native English speakers and interact with the world around you. Fortunately, once you move there, learning the language will become easier as you have the benefit of English immersion .

3. English is important for accessing information

Around 95% of all articles published in scientific journals are written in English, even if it is not the author’s first language. 

If you want to be able to access global knowledge and do your own research on any topics of interest, this information is much easier to access if you have a certain level of proficiency in English.

English is also the dominant language of the internet, with almost 59% of websites published in English. This is over ten times more than the next-highest share, which goes to Russian with 5.3%.

4. Academic advantages of learning English

Given that the main language of instruction in many renowned universities and academic programs is English, you may find that you need to achieve a certain level of English proficiency before you can proceed with your studies.

This is especially true if you wish to pursue higher degrees, participate in research collaborations, and engage in academic discourse within your field of interest.

You may also decide to study in a country where English is spoken as the primary language, and you will certainly need a good command of the language in order to succeed with this.

In this way, studying English can open doors to other fields of study, too.

5. Learning another language boosts cognitive ability

One of the many benefits to learning a new language is that it encourages your brain to work in different ways.

This study looked at adults learning a second language and noted that after an initial learning period, and with sustained practice of at least five hours per week, the subjects benefitted from longer attention spans and a better ability to maintain attention when switching between tasks.

There is growing evidence that people who can speak more than one language are more creative and empathetic toward others. It’s also believed that language learning can counteract some of the negative cognitive decline brought on by aging. Specifically, it can improve memory recall and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease .

6. Cultural benefits of learning English

Learning to speak English can also help make you more culturally aware and broaden your horizons in life.

Firstly, as you study the language you are also learning about the culture of English-speaking countries: national holidays, family traditions, history, food, music, and more.

Secondly, learning English will give you chances to meet people from other countries who are also learning the language. As you practice speaking together, you will discover fascinating things about how they do life differently to you.

Finally, as we mentioned earlier, English language skills can help when it comes to traveling and exploring new cultures first-hand.

7. Enjoy more entertainment

Another benefit of learning English is that you can more easily access and enjoy movies, books, TV shows, music, and podcasts. Again, English dominates international pop culture and being able to watch, read, or listen in the original language is much more enjoyable than reading subtitles or listening to a dubbed version.

Once you have a reasonable knowledge of English, you can also start using these forms of entertainment to continue learning, building your English fluency and comprehension .

For example, there are many ways you can use podcasts for learning English or learn new vocabulary from movies.

8. It’s a gift to your children

If you already have children or plan to start a family in the future, it’s an amazing gift to teach them English from birth or from a very young age.

Growing up bilingual, kids will experience the many benefits of knowing English without having to study it as a second language later in life. It’s a great way to give them a headstart in the globalized world they are living in.

Bilingual children also tend to have better attention spans, be better at multitasking, and be more emotionally perceptive than monolingual children, according to an article published by MindShift .

Speaking English at home can be a lot of fun, especially if you incorporate some  English-learning games into your family time.

9. Learning English can help you communicate better in your native language

As you learn a foreign language, you become more aware of how your primary language works.

If you want to learn English grammar , for example, you must first understand the grammar of your native language so you can recognize exactly what you are trying to say. It’s this kind of thing that you may never really consider if you only speak one language your whole life.

Second language fluency can also give you a better appreciation of the range and limitations of your native vocabulary. There are many words that exist in other languages that do not have an equivalent in English, and vice versa. This is why languages end up ‘borrowing’ words from one another so speakers can express themselves more eloquently.

10. You’ll form new relationships when you can speak English

English is the language of communication not just in business, but also when it comes to forming international friendships and relationships. 

Whether you want to participate in global networking opportunities, write to a pen pal abroad, or even check out the international dating scene, you’ll find more opportunities opening up as you start learning the English language.

One great way to learn English and start meeting new people is with a language exchange program . You pair up with an English speaker who is interested in learning your native language, and you help each other by chatting in both languages.

11. English skills will give you greater confidence

Our final benefit of learning English (or anything else, for that matter) is that it will build your overall confidence in yourself.

As you use English more and realize your comprehension and communication are improving each day, you will gain confidence in your own ability to take on new challenges and meet the goals you set for yourself. 

In this way, learning English will help motivate you to try other new things and continually develop yourself. If you’re lacking motivation right now, these quotes about learning English may help inspire you!

Start learning English easily

We hope that reading this list of benefits of learning the English language has inspired you to continue with your studies. Now you realize the many advantages that learning English brings, what are you waiting for?

There are many possible ways to learn English , from apps to online English courses to podcasts and more. This means it is easier than ever to access the resources you need to take your language skills to the next level. And even better – many English-learning resources are completely free !

Just make sure that you consider your goals for learning English and you keep these in mind as you study and practice. Having clear goals is one of the best ways to learn English faster and stay motivated. It also helps to have other people who understand why learning English is important to you, since they can support you as you learn.

• Importance Of English Language Essay

Importance of English Language Essay

500+ words essay on the importance of the english language.

English plays a dominant role in almost all fields in the present globalized world. In the twenty-first century, the entire world has become narrow, accessible, sharable and familiar for all people as English is used as a common language. It has been accepted globally by many countries. This essay highlights the importance of English as a global language. It throws light on how travel and tourism, and entertainment fields benefit by adopting English as their principal language of communication. The essay also highlights the importance of English in education and employment.

Language is the primary source of communication. It is the method through which we share our ideas and thoughts with others. There are thousands of languages in the world, and every country has its national language. In the global world, the importance of English cannot be denied and ignored. English serves the purpose of the common language. It helps maintain international relationships in science, technology, business, education, travel, tourism and so on. It is the language used mainly by scientists, business organizations, the internet, and higher education and tourism.

Historical background of the English Language

English was initially the language of England, but due to the British Empire in many countries, English has become the primary or secondary language in former British colonies such as Canada, the United States, Sri Lanka, India and Australia, etc. Currently, English is the primary language of not only countries actively touched by British imperialism, but also many business and cultural spheres dominated by those countries. 67 countries have English as their official language, and 27 countries have English as their secondary language.

Reasons for Learning the English Language

Learning English is important, and people all over the world decide to study it as a second language. Many countries have included English as a second language in their school syllabus, so children start learning English at a young age. At the university level, students in many countries study almost all their subjects in English in order to make the material more accessible to international students. English remains a major medium of instruction in schools and universities. There are large numbers of books that are written in the English language. Many of the latest scientific discoveries are documented in English.

English is the language of the Internet. Knowing English gives access to over half the content on the Internet. Knowing how to read English will allow access to billions of pages of information that may not be otherwise available. With a good understanding and communication in English, we can travel around the globe. Knowing English increases the chances of getting a good job in a multinational company. Research from all over the world shows that cross-border business communication is most often conducted in English, and many international companies expect employees to be fluent in English. Many of the world’s top films, books and music are produced in English. Therefore, by learning English, we will have access to a great wealth of entertainment and will be able to build a great cultural understanding.

English is one of the most used and dominant languages in the world. It has a bright future, and it helps connect us to the global world. It also helps us in our personal and professional life. Although learning English can be challenging and time-consuming, we see that it is also very valuable to learn and can create many opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions on English language Essay

Why is the language english popular.

English has 26 alphabets and is easier to learn when compared to other complex languages.

Is English the official language of India?

India has two official languages Hindi and English. Other than that these 22 other regional languages are also recognised and spoken widely.

Why is learning English important?

English is spoken around the world and thus can be used as an effective language for communication.

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English in academia and medicine, english in the world of business and beyond.

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Home — Essay Samples — Science — English Language — The importance of English language

The Importance of English Language

• Categories: English Language

About this sample

Words: 1323 |

Published: Oct 22, 2018

Words: 1323 | Pages: 3 | 7 min read

• It’s the most commonly spoken language in the world
• It’s the language of international business
• Most movies are in English:
• It’s easy to learn:
• It helps you understand other languages
• You can say things in a hundred different ways:
• It can be used around the world:
• It’s is the language of Sports:
• It’s the language of the internet:
• It continues to change:
• Most countries know how to speak English. Out of one, five people can speak or at least understand English
• English is the language of Science computers etc. So if you want to do the job in such fields you must learn English.
• English is the official language of 53 countries. That’s why it is important to learn English.
• English is spoken as a first language by around 400 million people around the world.
• English is the language of the media industry. So if you learn English you don’t have to rely on subtitle or dubbing to enjoy your favorite shows.
• English is also the language of the Internet. Many websites are in English. So you must learn English.
• English is based on a simple alphabet and has a simple vocabulary so it requires little effort to learn English
• English is not only useful – it gives you a lot of satisfaction. Making progress feels great. You will enjoy learning English if you remember that every hour you spend gets you closer to perfection.
• Since English is spoken in so many different countries there are thousands of schools around the world that offer programs in English. If you speak English, you have a lot of opportunities to work in schools and you may able to apply somewhere for a job.
• By learning English you can also learn about cultures. And English is also known as the language of freedom. You can also enjoy a lot of quotes and inspirational writings in English so it is also the source of motivation.

Works Cited

• Crystal, D. (2003). English as a Global Language. Cambridge University Press.
• Graddol, D. (2010). English Next: Why Global English May Mean the End of 'English as a Foreign Language'. British Council.
• Jenkins, J. (2015). Global Englishes: A Resource Book for Students. Routledge.
• McKay, S. L., & Bokhorst-Heng, W. D. (2008). International English in Its Sociolinguistic Contexts: Towards a Socially Sensitive EIL Pedagogy. Routledge.
• Pennycook, A. (2017). The Cultural Politics of English as an International Language. Routledge.
• Crystal, D. (2012). English as a Global Language : Implications for Translation Studies. In Translation: A Multidisciplinary Approach (pp. 97-113). Palgrave Macmillan.
• Seidlhofer, B. (2011). Understanding English as a Lingua Franca. Oxford University Press.
• Kachru, B. B. (1992). The Other Tongue: English across Cultures. University of Illinois Press.
• Modiano, M. (2016). English as a Lingua Franca: Theorizing and Teaching English. Modern Language Journal, 100(3), 676-691.
• McKay, S. L. (2002). Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches. Oxford University Press.

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11 Using Sources in an Essay

Mary V Cantrell

Learning Objectives

• recognize common knowledge
• apply strategies for quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing
• avoid accidental plagiarism

How to Quote, Paraphrase, and Summarize

Students are often concerned with the details of correct citation, such as when to include an author’s name in parentheses, how to format an MLA bibliography, or how to indicate a quotation within a quotation. While formatting rules are important and helpful to know, what is more important is the ability to select and integrate meaningful source information into your writing and to give credit to the sources that provided that information. In most cases, you won’t use MLA format again once you complete your English requirements. Other disciplines use other formats for citing sources. All disciplines, however, expect you to present information in your essays in a way that clarifies and supports your ideas and that credits the source of the information. Professors also except students to understand the larger ethical principles that guide choosing and using sources. This chapter explains what needs to be cited and why as well as how to incorporate references to sources into your own writing effectively.

What You Don’t Need to Cite: Common Knowledge

Did you know that the Constitution was formally adopted (though not signed) on July 4, 1776? Are you familiar with the story, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”? Did you realize that the famous American author, William Faulkner, based most of his novels on a fictional version of the town in Mississippi where he grew up? Were you aware that TikTok is a social media app, especially popular with young people?

If the answer to those questions is no or a tentative yes, you might think that you’d need to cite the information if you included it in an essay. Researching is all about learning new information, and when you’re researching a topic that you’re unfamiliar with, you will likely learn a lot about that topic. Most of what you learn will need to be cited if you include it in your final paper. Some information, however, will be considered common knowledge about your topic. Common knowledge consists of the generally accepted and usually factual information about a topic–something everyone who has studied the topic will be aware of.

So, even if you forget that date on which the Constitution was adopted and have to look it up, you won’t need to cite that information because it’s considered common knowledge. If you want to reference “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” in your essay, you don’t have to find a book, create a works cited page entry, and cite the reference; the story is a fairly tale that no longer belongs to any one author. You may never have heard of William Faulkner, but if you were conducting thorough research on him, you’d quickly see that his novels and stories take place in fictional Yoknapatawpha County, which is very similar to his hometown of Lafayette County, and you’d understand that the information is common knowledge about this author, not something you need to cite. Common knowledge can also be something commonly known, such as the popularity of TikTok among young people. (If your essay needed to share specifically how popular it is, you’d look that up and cite the source.)

Determining whether something is common knowledge can be tricky. In general, if it’s factual information you can find in several sources, you don’t need to cite it. The real question to ask, though, is whether your readers will want to know where you got the information. For example, if you’re writing a research essay in an English class, and the topic is the American author Carson McCullers, you’ll quickly discover that she is considered a southern gothic writer. That would be considered common knowledge about the author, especially for an essay written in an English class. If, on the other hand, you’re writing an essay about southern heritage for a sociology class, and you want to include information about Carson McCullers to help your readers understand your definition of southern heritage, you’ll most likely need to cite the fact that McCullers is known as a southern gothic writer. In a sociology class, the fact is not common knowledge whereas in an English class, it is.

Consider, too, whether your readers will want you to verify a statement. If you write that “TikTok is the most popular social media app for teens” in an essay about the negative effects of social media, your readers going to wonder how you know that. Yes, it seems likely, but unless you’re a well-known expert on TikTok use, you probably found that information in a source, so you need to cite it. Or maybe you didn’t find the information in a source; maybe you’re just pretty sure that’s true. In that case, you’d be better off finding a source that provides data on how popular TikTok is among people of a certain age, and that specific information would definitely need to be cited.

When in doubt, though, cite information that you found in a source. Your professor might roll her eyes if you cite something that’s obviously common knowledge, but she’s likely to fail your essay if you don’t cite information that needs to be cited.

What Must Be Cited: Quotations, Paraphrases, and Summaries

All disciplines require that you cite quotations, paraphrases, and summaries, but how you cite this information differs depending on the discipline. In English and humanities classes, you use MLA format, which uses in-text or parenthetical citations and a works cited page that lists each of the sources you quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. The in-text citations tell your readers that you are borrowing information from a source, and if possible, the in-text citations tell your readers exactly where you found the information within the source (e.g., on which page or at which point in a video). Every source listed on the works cited page should have a corresponding in-text citation. That way, the reader who wants to know more about a specific fact or statement in your essay can turn to the works cited page and find out more about the source.

Don’t confuse quoting with citing. Quotations are one way of integrating information into your essays, but putting quotation marks around a passage is not citing that passage, and quotations are not the only kinds of information you need to cite in an essay. You must cite the ideas, facts, information, studies, analyses, opinions, and anything else you find from a source, even when you put that information into your own words . All quotation marks do is tell a reader that you’ve used the exact words of the source. Citation means you use a specific format to indicate where you found the information you’re sharing.

Direct quotes are portions of a text taken word for word and presented alongside your own writing in an essay. Readers know when an author is using a direct quote because the author uses quotation marks and an in-text citation.

In his seminal work, David Bartholomae argues that “Every time a student sits down to write for us, he has to invent the university for the occasion” (4).

Direct quotes might also be formatted as a “block quote” if the borrowed language is longer than four lines of text. Long quotes are rarely appropriate in a shorter essay and should be used sparingly even in longer essays, but if you do need a long quotation, you present a block quote. A block quote is indented by 1/2 an inch, the citation is placed at the end of the block, and no quotation marks are used.

In his seminal work, David Bartholomae argues that

Every time a student sits down to write for us, he has to invent the university for the occasion—invent the university, that is, or a branch of it, like History or Anthropology or Economics or English. He has to learn to speak our language, to speak as we do, to try on the peculiar ways of knowing, selecting, evaluating, reporting, concluding, and arguing that define the discourse of our community (4).  

Also, be careful when directly quoting because failing to write the text exactly as it appears in the original text is not an ethical use of direct quotes. A more serious error is failing to use quotation marks around the exact words and/or not citing the quoted information; both are forms of plagiarism.

When Should I Use Direct Quotes?

Quoting is much easier than paraphrasing or summarizing because you have ready-made words that simply need to be woven into your essay, but if you quote too much, you probably won’t understand what you’re reading as fully as if you attempted to put the ideas into your own words. When we paraphrase or summarize, we have to truly understand what we’ve read or heard. Moreover, when you bring someone else’s exact words into your writing, you are meshing that person’s writing style with your own, and if you do that too often, with too many different sources, your essay might seem disjointed.

In general, you should quote when

• The author’s terminology or phrasing is unique or especially poetic or compelling. When you quote, you retain the author’s attitude and implied meanings, so if the implied meaning is important, or if something would be lost in translation, quote.
• You want to interpret someone’s words. If you characterize a text’s tone as being hostile, you’d need to quote specific words that contribute to that tone. If you want to show readers how a figure of speech works in a text, you should probably quote the figure of speech.
• You’re presenting a counterargument. Quoting a counterargument is one way to avoid distorting the counterargument, which is known as a “straw man fallacy.” You’re obligated to present counterarguments fairly and accurately, so quoting is often a good idea.
• You want to mix paraphrasing and quoting or paraphrasing and summary to avoid plagiarism. When attempting to present someone’s ideas in our own words, you may have a hard time changing everything. Weaving a short quotation into the paraphrase or summary might help you convey the meaning more accurately.

The Basics of Directly Quoting

• All quoted material should be enclosed in quotations marks to set it off from the rest of the text. The exception to this is block quotes, which require different formatting.
• Quoted material should be an accurate word-for-word reproduction from the author’s original text. You cannot alter any wording or any spelling. If you must do so, you must use a bracket or an ellipsis (see number 2 in the section below).
• Quotations should be smoothly integrated into your text, using a signal phrase or attribution tag and/or a combination of quoting and paraphrasing or quoting and summarizing. Avoid dumped or dropped quotations–i.e., whole-sentence quotations that you drop between two of your own sentences. (see below)
• A parenthetical citation should follow each quotation or, if a quote appears in the context of a paraphrase or summary, you place the citation at the end of the paraphrase or summary.

The Hard Part of Directly Quoting: Integrating Quotes into Your Writing

If your professor says you have a dumped or dropped quote or a quote bomb, you have not successfully integrated the quote into your writing. A dumped or dropped quote or a quote bomb occurs when you present a complete sentence from a source in your paper, between two other complete sentences. The quote is simply “dumped.” Here is an example:

Dumped: Even before the pandemic, many Americans suffered from loneliness. Although many of us interact with people throughout our day, we can feel lonely if those interactions are only with strangers or acquaintances. “One recent study found that the average American had only two close friends in whom they would confide on important matters, down from an average of three in 1985” (Mintz). Without friends, people are more likely to feel lonely.

Integrated: Even before the pandemic, many Americans suffered from loneliness. Although many of us interact with people throughout our day, we can feel lonely if those interactions are only with strangers or acquaintances. Friendships counter our feelings of loneliness, which is why we should be troubled by a recent study showing that “the average American had only two close friends in whom they could confide on important matters, down an average of three in 1985” (Mintz). People are more likely to feel lonely if they don’t engage with friends, and according to this study, some Americans might have only one or even no close friends.

Can you see how much clearer the passage is when the quote is integrated effectively? Effectively integrated quotations put you in control of the paper, and that is what a reader wants to see: your ideas and the way that you engage sources to shape and discuss your ideas. Here are guidelines to ensure you’re integrating quotations effectively:

• (quoted material). What X’s point demonstrates is that . . .
• (quoted material). Here, X is not simply stating _______, she is also demonstrating __________.
• (quoted material). This is an example of _____ because _______.
• (quoted material). This statement clearly shows ______ because _______.
• Use brackets [these are brackets] to change a word. But don’t change the author’s intended meaning.
• Use an ellipsis (this is an ellipsis…) to indicate omissions. But don’t change the author’s intended meaning.
• Your thinking and your voice should usually begin each paragraph, precede each quote, follow each quote, and end each paragraph. In other words, your voice and your thinking should be the cement that holds together the information in your paragraphs.

Paraphrasing 

Like a quote, a paraphrase presents information from a source, but instead of presenting the exact words the source uses, you translate the information into your own voice. The goal of a paraphrase is to make the original text more easily understandable in the context of your essay and to cast it in a slightly different light, so that the passage fits in with your own paper’s argument. A paraphrase usually reproduces the original author’s idea in roughly the same number of words as the original, and fits it in seamlessly with your own text.

Students often wonder why they would not simply quote if they wanted to convey all of the ideas in the original. After all, a quotation is easier to write (you just copy it from the text), and students might feel as if they couldn’t possibly express the information more effectively in their own words. Paraphrasing, though, is important for two reasons:

• When you paraphrase, you actually have to understand what you read; understanding what you read makes it much more likely that you will use the source material effectively.
• When you paraphrase, you put the idea into your own “voice,” thereby making your essay more unified and coherent. Just as everyone has his or her own speaking voice, everyone has his or her own writing voice.

For these reasons, you should choose to paraphrase instead of quote, unless the writing is especially distinctive and interesting and/or is something you are going to interpret for the readers. In those instances, it’s better to quote.

The important things to remember are

• You paraphrase by using your own sentence structures, phrases, and words
• A paraphrase does not change the author’s meaning or intent
• You must cite paraphrases accurately, with an in-text citation

Consider the attempt to paraphrase this passage:

“[C]hronological consistency of cultural artifacts, including language, cannot really be seen as a defining feature of the Tolkienian narrative, however much the author seems to have wanted to make it so — after the fact. As T.A. Shippey has pointed out, the Shire is Edwardian England, with postal service, pipes after dinner, teatime and ‘weskits’” (Straubhaar 110).

Paraphrase Attempt: 

Although Tolkien believed that it was very important to link his antique world of Middle Earth to real languages and cultures, this connection is not always an accurate one in terms of time. As T.A. Shippey has noted, there are many examples of the cozy rituals of everyday life in Edwardian England (smoking a pipe after a meal, tea, mail delivery, wearing of vests) in the life of the Shire (Straubhaar 110).

The attempt works because it presents the same information as the original but uses different sentence structures and words. In other words, the paraphrase is not plagiarizing because it is not replicating the words, phrases, and clauses that appear in the original.

Points to Consider When Paraphrasing

• Paraphrases describe specific information from a source (a sentence or several sentences) in your own words.
• Paraphrases are like translations of an author’ original idea. You retain the detail of the original thought, but you express it in your own way.
• Paraphrases of the text should be expressed in your own words, with your own sentence structures, in your own way. You should not simply “word swap,” that is, replace a few words from the original with synonyms.
• If you must use a few of the author’s words (three or more in a row) within your paraphrase, they must have quotation marks around them.
• Paraphrases often include attributive tags or signal phrases to let your readers know where the paraphrased material begins.
• Paraphrases should be followed by parenthetical citations.
• As with a quote, you need to explain to your reader why the paraphrased material is significant to the point you are making in your paper.

Summarizing 

When you are using sources in an essay, you may want to condense the gist of a long passage into a sentence or two, in which case, you would summarize: present the information in your own voice and cite it. Summarizing is a particularly important skill for science writers, who often refer to others’ research in only a sentence or two. Summarizing is also a necessary skill for those who are writing a review of literature or an annotated bibliography. All of us use summaries at some point when we write, incorporating other people’s ideas or findings into our own papers to support our arguments. As with paraphrases,

• You summarize by using your own sentence structures, phrases, and words
• A summary does not change the author’s meaning or intent
• You must cite the summary accurately, with an in-text citation.

The difference between a summary and a paraphrase is simple: summaries convey the gist of a long passage whereas paraphrases attempt to capture all of the points in a passage. So, let’s look at our original example again and see how different a summary would be from a paraphrase.

“[C]hronological consistency of cultural artifacts, including language, cannot really be seen as a defining feature of the Tolkienian narrative, however much the author seems to have wanted to make it so — after the fact. As T.A. Shippey has pointed out, the Shire is Edwardian England, with postal service, pipes after dinner, teatime and ‘weskits’” (Straubhaar 110 ).

Despite his intent, Tolkien’s work contains anachronisms, so even in Middle Earth his characters live like Edwardian Englishmen” (Straubhaar 110 ).

The summary works because it presents the main point of the longer passage without borrowing any of the phrases from the original text. The summary is also cited.

Points to Consider When Summarizing

• Summaries describe general ideas from a source. You do not express detailed information as you would with a paraphrase.
• Summaries are shorter than the original text.
• A signal phrase should let your readers know where the summarized material begins.
• Summaries must be cited with an in-text citation.
• Readers won’t usually know whether you’re paraphrasing or summarizing, and you may combine paraphrases and summaries, or summaries and quotations. The point is that you must cite the information, even if it’s in your own words and even if you condense the original passage significantly.

How to Paraphrase and Summarize

The first step toward putting another person’s ideas into your own voice is to make sure you understand what you’re reading or hearing. If you have trouble understanding a source, you probably shouldn’t use that source, even if you think it’s going to help you support your argument. In high school, many students are able to pull quotations from different sources without really reading the sources. In college, that’s not likely to work. You have to spend time studying the sources you want to use in a paper; otherwise, you’re likely to misquote or to paraphrase and summarize poorly.

When you understand a source and want to use information from the source in your paper, begin by asking whether the information should be quoted. If the information isn’t distinctive or compelling, and if you’re not interpreting the author’s words, you should paraphrase or summarize. To paraphrase or summarize, read the passage; then, look away and try to write from memory what the passage said. In most cases, you’ll have the start of a good paraphrase or summary, but don’t stop there. Make sure you’ve changed the original wording significantly by comparing your paraphrase or summary to the original. If the sentence structure is the same as the original, you’re probably not putting the ideas in your own voice. Similarly, if you’re using a lot of the same words from the original, you’re probably not paraphrasing or summarizing. You can revise the initial attempt to paraphrase or summarize by using different sentence structures, combining sentences, using synonyms, and quoting phrases of three or more words in a row.

Next, check for accuracy. Make sure that no one reading your paraphrase or summary would get the wrong idea about what the source says. Your paraphrases and summaries shouldn’t include any additional information, including examples, nor should they overstate anything that the source says. A good paraphrase or summary needs to present the original idea accurately, fairly, and objectively.

Finally, make sure you’ve used signal phrases and have included in-text citations for all paraphrases and summaries. Any information that you learned from studying the sources should be cited with in-text citations, and because you are expected to learn a lot from studying sources, you’re most likely going to have a lot of citations in a research essay. Your readers should always be able to tell when you’re referencing a source (as opposed to presenting your own thinking) and which source you’re referencing.

Recognizing Good and Bad Paraphrasing and Summarizing 

Below are some examples to help you understand some of the problems that occur when paraphrasing and summarizing. Whether paraphrasing or summarizing or combining paraphrase and summary, several mistakes can occur because it’s never easy to put someone’s ideas into your own words. Readers won’t know whether you’re paraphrasing or summarizing when you put something into your own voice, but they will assume the sentence structure and word choices are your own, unless you put quotation marks around certain passages. Readers will also expect you to identify the source of the information, whether it’s quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. Study the passages and each version of a paraphrase/summary to learn how to avoid the serious mistakes students often make when using sources in an essay.

The Passage as It Appears in the Source:

Critical care nurses function in a hierarchy of roles. In this open heart surgery unit, the nurse manager hires and fires the nursing personnel. The nurse manager does not directly care for patients but follows the progress of unusual or long-term patients. On each shift a nurse assumes the role of resource nurse. This person oversees the hour-by-hour functioning of the unit as a whole, such as considering expected admissions and discharges of patients, ascertaining that beds are available for patients in the operating room, and covering sick calls. Resource nurses also take a patient assignment. They are the most experienced of all the staff nurses. The nurse clinician has a separate job description and provides for quality of care by orienting new staff, developing unit policies, and providing direct support where needed, such as assisting in emergency situations. The clinical nurse specialist in this unit is mostly involved with formal teaching in orienting new staff. The nurse manager, nurse clinician, and clinical nurse specialist are the designated experts. They do not take patient assignments. The resource nurse is seen as both a caregiver and a resource to other caregivers. . . . Staff nurses have a hierarchy of seniority. . . . Staff nurses are assigned to patients to provide all their nursing care (Chase 156).

Word-for-Word Plagiarism

Critical care nurses have a hierarchy of roles. The nurse manager hires and fires  nurses . S/he  does not directly care for patients  but does follow unusual or long-term cases .  On each shift  a resource nurse attends to the  functioning of the unit as a whole, such as  making sure  beds are available in the operating room , and also has  a patient assignment. The nurse clinician  orients new staff, develops policies, and provides support where needed . The clinical nurse specialist also  orients new staff, mostly  by  formal teaching . The nurse manager, nurse clinician, and clinical nurse specialist, as  the designated experts, do not take patient assignments . The resource nurse is not only a caregiver but  a resource to the other caregivers. Within the staff nurses there is also  a hierarchy of seniority. Their job is to give assigned patients  all their nursing care  (Chase 156).

Why this is plagiarism

Notice that the writer has not only “borrowed” Chase’s material (the results of her research) with no acknowledgment, but has also largely maintained the author’s method of expression and sentence structure. The underlined phrases are directly copied from the source or changed only slightly in form.

Even though the student-writer acknowledged Chase as the source of the content, the language of the passage would be considered plagiarized because no quotation marks indicate the phrases that come directly from Chase. And if quotation marks did appear around all these phrases, this paragraph would be so cluttered that it would be unreadable.

A Patchwork Paraphrase

Chase describes how nurses in a critical care unit function in a hierarchy that places designated experts at the top and the least senior staff nurses at the bottom. The experts — the nurse manager, nurse clinician, and clinical nurse specialist — are not involved directly in patient care. The staff nurses, in contrast, are assigned to patients and provide all their nursing care . Within the staff nurses is a hierarchy of seniority in which the most senior can become resource nurses: they are assigned a patient but also serve as a resource to other caregivers. The experts have administrative and teaching tasks such as selecting and orienting new staff, developing unit policies, and giving hands-on support where needed (Chase 156).

This paraphrase is a patchwork composed of pieces in the original author’s language (underlined) and pieces in the student-writer’s words, all rearranged into a new pattern, but with none of the borrowed pieces in quotation marks. Thus, even though the writer acknowledges the source of the material, the underlined phrases are falsely presented as the student’s own.

A Legitimate Paraphrase

In her study of the roles of nurses in a critical care unit, Chase also found a hierarchy that distinguished the roles of experts and others. The experts in this unit do not directly attend to patients. That is the role of the staff nurses, who have a “hierarchy of seniority.” The roles of the experts include employing unit nurses and overseeing the care of special patients, teaching and otherwise integrating new personnel into the unit (such as clinical nurse specialists and nurse clinicians), and policy-making (nurse clinicians). The resource nurse is a staff nurse with more experience than the others, who assumes direct care of patients as the other staff nurses do, but also takes on tasks to ensure the smooth operation of the entire facility (Chase 156).

Why this is a good paraphrase

The writer has documented Chase’s material and has used quotation marks around language taken directly from the source. Notice, too, that the writer has modified Chase’s language and structure and has added material to fit the new context and purpose — to present the distinctive functions of experts and non-experts in several professions.

Shared Language

Perhaps you’ve noticed that a number of phrases from the original passage appear in the legitimate paraphrase: critical care, staff nurses, nurse manager, clinical nurse specialist, nurse clinician, resource nurse.

If all these phrases were underlined, the paraphrase would look much like the “patchwork” example. The difference is that these phrases are all precise, economical, and conventional designations that are part of the shared language within the nursing discipline (in the too-close paraphrases, they’re underlined only when used within a longer borrowed phrase).

In every discipline and in certain genres (such as the empirical research report), some phrases are so specialized or conventional that you can’t paraphrase them except by wordy and awkward circumlocutions that would be less familiar (and thus less readable) to the audience. When you repeat such phrases, you’re not stealing the unique phrasing of an individual writer but using a common vocabulary shared by a community of scholars.

You may also use certain words from the original when paraphrasing. In a passage about college students, for example, you wouldn’t need to find a synonym to replace college students. Similarly, if you were paraphrasing or summarizing a passage about the benefits of running, you could use the words benefit and running. The key is to change the sentence structure of the original so that the passage is in your own voice.

Paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting effectively, accurately, and without plagiarizing takes a lot of time and effort, so when you’re asked to incorporate information from a source into your writing, make sure you take the time to do it well.

Key Takeaways

• Quotations are not the only way to include information from sources into your essays; you can also paraphrase and summarize specific passages from your sources.
• Paraphrases and summaries must be cited with an in-text citation
• Even with a citation, a passage may be plagiarized if it includes phrases from the original without quotation marks around them. You must use your own sentence structures and word choices when paraphrasing and summarizing.

Using Sources in an Essay Copyright © 2023 by Mary V Cantrell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• School Education /

Essay on the Importance of the English Language for Students

• Updated on  
• Oct 14, 2023

The English language is one of the most popular spoken languages across the world. Because of this reason, more and more people are investing their time in learning the English language. Learning a language is like gaining knowledge with tons of benefits. This blog includes an essay on the importance of the English language for students will help you get a better understanding of the same.

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on the Importance of the English Language in 100 Words
• 2 Essay on the Importance of English Language in 200 Words
• 3.1 Reasons to Learn the English Language
• 3.2 Conclusion of the Importance of the English Language

Also Read: Essay on Corruption

Essay on the Importance of the English Language in 100 Words

Language is a major means of communication. It is the way by which we share what we want to such as our thoughts with other people. Another purpose of any language is to convey emotions, sentiments, perspectives, attitudes, etc. The English language is the one that serves both the above-mentioned purposes, hence, it is regarded as the first global language ‘Lingua Franca.’

English Language opens a vast sea of opportunities in the world for those who speak this language. It has eventually turned into an essential requirement in various fields such as computing, medicine , business, etc. Hence, we can say that in today’s fast-evolving world, the English Language has become a storehouse of various knowledge.

Essay on the Importance of English Language in 200 Words

As today’s world is progressing in all aspects and fields, the English Language is becoming extremely important. Most of the transactions, legal documents, official communications, conversations, etc. are done in English. The information available on the internet is mainly in English, hence, we can say that the English Language is the language of the internet.

Furthermore, The English Language can be of great advantage in getting a job easily. Since it is the language used in various fields, it automatically increases the chances of an individual landing a good job in a well-reputed company. As the English Language is the official language of 53 countries, it helps an individual connect with new people without language becoming a barrier.

Whether you are an employee or an employer, it doesn’t matter. The Engish Language benefits everyone. Especially for students who wish to study abroad , should definitely learn the English Language. A lot of countries, even the ones where English is not even an official language, encourage students to learn English as a secondary language. Learning the English Language will definitely help you in various business endeavors that you may choose to pursue. With the numerous benefits and reasons mentioned above, and countless unnamed ones, it is clear to say that the importance of the English Language is more than meets the eye, and learning the same would open doors to countless opportunities.  

Also Read:- Best Sounding Languages You Should Learn

Essay on the Importance of English Language in 300 words

In order to keep up with the fast-paced world, fit into society, and be future-ready, it becomes essential to learn the English Language, such is the importance of it. It automatically becomes essential because, from the very elementary level, the mode of education itself is English.

The English language is becoming more and more popular each day. As a result of the same, many people are dedicating their time to learning the English Language, as their secondary language. Its true values lie in the ability to help remove various barriers from our day-to-day lives.

Reasons to Learn the English Language

• Travel Purposes: The English language is the official language in approximately 53 countries. More than 1.35 billion people in the world speak English for purposes like tourism, jobs, business meetings, casual visits, etc. English comes in handy in all aspects.
• English on the Internet: It is clear that English is the language of the Internet. It plays an important role in promoting and spreading the same throughout the world.
• English for Communication: As mentioned above, English is the Official Language in many countries. Hence, it becomes essential for good communication as well.
• Use of English in Education: It has become a major language to impart education and explain various concepts to the students in the form of written text, tools, materials, etc. Hence, for students or people involved in activities related to academics, learning English is of utmost importance. 

Conclusion of the Importance of the English Language

People all around the world use the English language for various purposes, be it education, or simply communication, English Language is gaining value more than any other language and has become a necessity for almost every individual to learn. Although it might not be the most spoken language in the world, it certainly is used by a major fraction of approximately 400 million people around the world. Hence, we can say that learning the English Language will be extremely beneficial and will open doors to many new opportunities for the individual. 

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The English Language has become a major language to impart education and explain various concepts to the students in the form of written text, tools, materials, etc. Hence, for students or any studying individual, learning English is of utmost importance. 

Language is a major means of communication. It is the way by which we share what we want to such as our thoughts with other people. Another purpose of any language is to convey emotions, sentiments, perspectives, attitudes, etc. The English language is the one that serves both the above-mentioned purposes, hence, it is regarded as the first global language “ Lingua Franca”. English Language opens a vast sea of opportunities in the world for those who speak this language. It has eventually turned into an essential requirement in various fields such as computing, medicine, business, etc. Hence, we can say that in today’s fast-evolving world, the English Language has become a storehouse of various knowledge.

The English language is one of the most spoken languages in the world. This is leading to more people dedicating time to learning English as their secondary language. The true value of English helps remove many hurdles from our lives. In order to keep up with the fast-paced world, fit into society, and be future-ready, it becomes essential to learn the English Language, such is the importance of it. It automatically becomes essential because, from the very elementary level, the mode of education itself is English. With the numerous benefits and reasons, and countless unnamed ones, it is clear to say that the importance of the English Language is more than meets the eye, and learning the same would open doors to countless opportunities. 

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing website and follow Leverage Edu .

Deepansh Gautam

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8 Tips to Write Better Essays in English

Learning a foreign language is an overwhelming experience, especially if it’s one of the most widely spoken languages in the world – English.

Many people are under the impression that learning to read and speak in English is enough without realizing that written English skills are an equally vital asset to have.

From improving academics to boosting career prospects – the ability to write in English not only lets you communicate and express yourself better in today’s globalized world but also makes you more confident.

An effective way to improve your writing skills is to write essays. Wondering where to begin? We bring you eight useful tips to write better essays in English.

1. Keep a Vocabulary Notebook

Using the right vocabulary is an essential element of writing essays. When you make efforts to expand your vocabulary, you will be able to pick accurate words to take your writing to the next level.

Instead of coming across new words and forgetting about them, it’s a good idea to make a note of them in your vocabulary notebook. Doing this helps you remember the meanings of new words and you can also refer to it while writing essays.

So, give yourself a target to learn at least ten new words every day, which you can jot down in your diary and take baby steps in building a strong vocabulary.

2. Refer to Credible Sources

Research forms the first step in writing any kind of essay. The stronger your research, the better is the quality of your essay.

At a time when we have access to a wide range of data, it’s important to evaluate research sources carefully and only refer to credible ones. For example, Wikipedia is not a reliable source and should not be attributed to while writing essays.

Take the effort to read through published journals, research studies, scholarly papers, academic databases, and encyclopedias published within the last 10-15 years. It’s also important to assess the credibility of the author while evaluating the source.

3. Draft a Basic Outline

Once you’ve done your research, don’t rush to write. Take a moment to draft a basic outline for your essay and organize your research and findings.

“Is that necessary,” you ask? Very much.

Working on an outline lets you approach the essay in an organized manner. It serves as the skeleton of your paper while ensuring you’re not missing out on any information and that your points flow logically.

Most essays are categorized into – introduction, body, and conclusion.

The introduction is where you introduce the topic and give context. The body paragraphs need to include your arguments and research methodology (if any). The conclusion needs to reiterate the thesis statement and tie all the points together.

4. Hook the Reader

With attention spans getting shorter with time, it’s become all the more important to start with a bang and hook the reader from the beginning to ensure they are invested in your writing.

Essay hooks refer to the first one or two sentences of your essay which have the power to make or break the reader’s interest. The key is to write a hook that grabs the reader’s attention and reels them in.

From an alarming statistic and relevant quote to using humor and asking a rhetoric question – there are various tactics you can employ to keep the reader engaged.

If you’re unable to think of an impactful essay hook, don’t waste too much time on it. Finish the rest of your essay and come back to write a compelling hook later.

5. Use the Pomodoro Technique

It’s not easy to write an essay in one go, especially if it’s not in your first language.

A smart way to approach essay writing is to use the Pomodoro technique. This technique asks you to set a timer for 25 minutes to finish your task in question and then take a 5-minute break. After four cycles of repeating this, you get to take an extended 20-minute break.

So, start with breaking down the assignment into smaller tasks such as research, outlining, writing the different paragraphs, citing references and proofreading. You can then set the timer, start working on the essay as per the technique and track your progress.

Using this technique keeps distractions at bay and helps you stay more focused.

6. Pay Attention to Grammar Rules

You may raise interesting points in your essay, but poor grammar disrupts the reading experience and should be avoided at all costs.

Be careful when adding punctuations, check your sentence formations, avoid passive voice as much as possible and know the difference between adjectives, adverbs, nouns and verbs.

So  abide by grammar rules to deliver a well-written and cohesive essay.

7. Write with Clarity

You might be tempted to use complex metaphors and jargons to impress the reader, but the truth is, none of that guarantees “good” writing.

One of the most important ingredients of effective writing is clarity. You don’t want to leave the reader confused and puzzled after reading your essay. So, use simple words, stop beating around the bush and explain concepts with the help of examples because clear writing always wins.

8. Reread the Essay

Finally, make it a point to proofread your essay (multiple times) to ensure you have covered all the aspects, cited references accurately and not made any silly errors.

It’s a good idea to read your essay out loud so you’re able to identify errors and awkwardly formed sentences with ease. You should also get a friend or family member to read your essay, to spot mistakes or discrepancies that you may have overlooked.

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35 comments

Thanks a lot all we can derive from reading is the technique to write with clarity, good research and involvement of readers in writing.

Thank a lot dear EnglishClub, it’s help me a lot

I think it is very good site for learn essay writing

As a teacher trainer this contribution is helpful

Thanks for the tips! I’ll have an essay tomorrow and this will surlely prepare me!

Thank you so much

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Knowledge supporter is who u are, keep d good work nd ur reward is from God nd thanks.

thanks alot for your tips…your tips will help me alot while examss!!!

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My hobby is home garden

ur intentinon and thoughts was very nce its useful to somny pepole to learn english tysomuch adela belin

Thanks you for helping

This did help a lot! Thank you very much 🥰

Good tips, I should give it a try, after all, we all improve by exercising hard so I’ll just do the same thing, but right now I gotta focus on what matters, and what I need now is to read as much as I can to know how to spell the words right. Is grammar so important in this task, I mean can’t I just pick the things up because of my experience in listening skill ?

Thanks for the information!

This is a nice explanation ,,,,,proud of you!

Is very interesting for me I really apreicete you help

Thanks so much for these useful tips!! Now, I need to start preparing my essay (“starting” has been always the stone on my way :$)

Please, what is the difference between an essay and an article?

Are they same?

Thanks in advance,

Thanks & best regards English Club

Helpful updated tips to share with our students!! thankssss

I want to know if it is only at the University or if we may take the course online.

Thank you verry much for important advices

thank for your key points, this is really helpful

Thank you and best wishes,

Very pragmatic and helpful essay. Thank so much English club

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ESL Essay Writing: 7 Important Tips

“Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end.”

This is true for a good essay, too.

An essay needs a coherent structure to successfully articulate its arguments. Strong preparation and planning is crucial to providing that structure.

Of course, essay writing can be challenging for ESL students. They must order their thoughts and construct their arguments—all in their second language.

So, here are seven ESL essay writing tips that will allow your students to weave together a coherent and persuasive essay, plus teacher resources for writing activities, prompts and lessons!

1. Build the Essay Around a Central Question

2. use the traditional 5-paragraph essay structure, 3. plan the essay carefully before writing, 4. encourage research and rewriting, 5. practice utilizing repetition, 6. aim to write a “full circle” essay, 7. edit the essay to the end, esl essay writing resources.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Encourage your students to build all their writing around one central question.

That central question is the engine of the writing—it should drive everything!

If a word or sentence is not assisting that forward motion toward the explication of that question and its possible answers, then it needs to be reworded, rephrased or just plain cut out and discarded.

Lean writing is merciless. Focusing on a central question throughout the prewriting, writing and rewriting stages helps develop the critical faculties required to discern what to keep and what to throw away.

Providing a clear structure for the student to approach essay writing can do a lot to build their confidence. The 5-paragraph essay, or “hamburger” essay, provides that clear structure for ESL writers.

Generally, this structure employs five separate paragraphs for the entire essay. Each paragraph serves a specific purpose, melding together to form a coherent whole:

• Paragraph 1: The introductory paragraph. This includes the thesis statement, orientating the reader to the purpose of the essay.
• Paragraphs 2 to 4: The body paragraphs. These make individual points that are further backed up by various forms of evidence.
• Paragraph 5:  The conclusion paragraph. This provides a summation of the arguments and a final statement of the thesis.

While students do not need to rigidly follow this format forever, the simple structure outlined above can serve as excellent training wheels for your writers.

Using the 5-paragraph structure as outlined above makes planning clear cut.

Once they have their theses and are planning their paragraphs, share with the students the ridiculously useful acronym P.E.E. This stands for Point, Explanation and Evidence.

Each body paragraph should make a point or argument in favor of the central thesis, followed by an explanation of this point and relevant evidence to back it up.

Students can make note of all their points, explanations and evidence before they start writing them in essay form. This helps take away some of the pressure ESL writers feel when faced with a blank page.

Extol the necessity for students to constantly refer to their planning. The mind-mapping techniques popularized by Tony Buzan can be useful at the planning stage and make for easy reference points to ensure focus is maintained throughout the essay.

Having a visual reference such as this can help ensure that your student-writers see each piece of the whole as well as that elusive “bigger picture,” so it becomes a case of seeing the forest and the trees!

Just as planning is crucial, so too is research.

Often ideas or connections do not occur until the writing process has begun. This is a good thing! Essay writing is a creative act, so students can have more ideas along the way and work them in as they go.

The key is to always be able to back up these ideas. Students who have done their research on their subject will be much more confident and articulate in expressing their arguments in their writing.

One way you can help students with context and research is to show relevant video content via FluentU . This language learning program uses authentic videos made by and for native speakers to help students learn English.

You can watch videos as a class or assign them directly to students for individual viewing. Videos come equipped with interactive bilingual subtitles and other learning tools such as multimedia flashcards and personalized quizzes so you can see how each student is doing.

No matter how your students do their research, the important thing is that they explore and understand their topic area before beginning the big task of writing their essay.

Even with thorough planning and research, writing oneself into a linguistic cul-de-sac is a common error. Especially with higher-level students, unforeseen currents can pull the student-writer off course.

Sometimes abandoning such a sentence helps. Going back to the drawing board and rewriting it is often best.

Students can be creative with their sentence structures   when expressing simpler ideas and arguments. However, when it comes to more complex concepts, help them learn to use shorter sentences to break their arguments into smaller, more digestible chunks.

Essay writing falls firmly in the camp of non-fiction. However, that doesn’t mean that essay writers can’t use some of the techniques more traditionally associated with fiction, poetry and drama .

One technique that’s particularly useful in essay writing is repetition. Just as poetry relies heavily on rhythm, so too does argument. Repetition can provide that sense of rhythm.

This is because written language has its origins in oral language. Think of the great orators and demagogues and their use of repetition. Speechwriters, too, are well aware of the power of repetition.

The writing principle of the “rule of 3” states that ideas expressed in these terms are more convincing and memorable. This is true of both spoken and written words and the ideas they express. Teach your students to use this method in their essay writing.

The very structure of the 5-paragraph essay lends itself to planning for this repetition, in fact. Each idea that is explored in a body paragraph should be outlined first in the introductory paragraph.

Then, the single body paragraph devoted to the idea will explore it at greater length, supported by evidence. And the third rap of the hammer occurs in the summation of the concluding paragraph, driving the point securely and convincingly home.

As mentioned at the start of this post, every good essay has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Each point made, explained and supported by evidence is a step toward what the writing teacher Roy Peter Clark calls “closing the circle of meaning.”

In planning for the conclusion of the essay, the students should take the opportunity to reaffirm their position. By referring to the points outlined in the introduction and driving them home one last time, the student-writer is bringing the essay to a satisfying full circle.

This may be accomplished by employing various strategies: an apt quotation, referring to future consequences or attempting to inspire and mobilize the reader.

Ending with a succinct quotation has the double benefit of lending some authoritative weight to the argument while also allowing the student to select a well-written, distilled expression of their central thesis. This can make for a strong ending, particularly for ESL students.

Often the essay thesis will suggest its own ending. If the essay is structured around a problem, it’s frequently appropriate to end the essay by offering solutions to the problem and outlining potential consequences if those solutions are not followed.

In the more polemical type of essay, the student may end with a call to arms, a plea for action on the part of the reader.

The strategy chosen by the student will depend largely on what fits the central thesis of their essay best.

For the ESL student, the final edit is especially important.

It offers a final chance to check form and meaning. For all writers, this process can be daunting, but more so for language students.

Often, ESL students will use the same words over and over again due to a limited vocabulary. Encourage your students to employ a thesaurus in the final draft before submission. This will freshen up their work, making it more readable, and will also increase their active vocabulary in the long run!

Another useful strategy at this stage is to encourage students to read their work aloud before handing it in.

This can be good pronunciation practice , but it also provides an opportunity to listen for grammatical errors. Further, it helps students hear where punctuation is required in the text, helping the overall rhythm and readability of the writing.

To really help your students become master essay writers, you’ll want to provide them with plenty of opportunities to test and flex their skills.

Writing prompts and exercises are a good place to start:

Descriptive writing activities encourage students to get creative and use their five senses, literary devices and diverse vocabulary. Read on for eight descriptive writing…

Giving good ESL writing prompts is important because inspiring prompts inspire students to write more and writing more is how they improve. Read this post to learn 50…

You’ll likely also want to teach them more about the mechanics of writing :

Are you looking for ESL writing skills to share with your ESL students? In this guide, you’ll find different ESL writing techniques, such as helping students understand…

Introducing ESL journal writing to your students is a great way to get them practicing their English skills. Here are nine essential tips to make this activity creative,…

Essays are a great way not only for students to learn how the language works, but also to learn about themselves.

Formulating thoughts and arguments about various subjects is good exercise for not only the students’ linguistic faculties, but also for understanding who they are and how they see the world.

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Strategies in English Language Learning

• First Online: 20 August 2024

Cite this chapter

• Angeliki Psaltou-Joycey 4  

Part of the book series: Springer Texts in Education ((SPTE))

38 Accesses

This chapter is addressed to TESOL practitioners to show how learning strategies enhance language learning by helping learners to make decisions about the behaviours they could develop, the actions they should take, and the processes they could follow to maximize learning outcomes. In this way, learners become aware of what they learn and why they learn it, knowledge which enables them to continue to learn outside the classroom, thus becoming autonomous learners. However, as it is not easy for most learners, especially younger ones, to undertake initiatives which require the adoption of autonomous learning, language teachers must guide, encourage, and support their learners’ efforts to self-manage their learning and self-evaluate their progress. First and foremost, therefore, it is necessary to help TESOL teachers to develop awareness about strategies, increase their appreciation of how strategies contribute to and facilitate language learning, and be prepared to adopt strategy teaching, whether they teach English in a second or foreign language environment. For this purpose, the chapter first defines language learning strategies, describes the types of strategies scholars have researched, and reviews the outcomes of studies concerning individual learner characteristics in relation to strategies. It further emphasizes the need for explicit and integrated instruction of strategies in the everyday lesson and provides examples of such instruction which can be easily accommodated in the usual classroom routine.

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Acknowledgements

The example from the Teacher’s Guide was designed by Zoe Kantaridou and Iris Papadopoulou, both ESP instructors at the University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece. It constitutes one of the LLSI activities included in the Teacher’s Guide which was developed by the teams of the THALES (2012–2015) project MIS379335, co-funded by the European Union and National Resources.

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Angeliki Psaltou-Joycey

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Sharon McCulloch

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Psaltou-Joycey, A. (2024). Strategies in English Language Learning. In: Cirocki, A., Indrarathne, B., McCulloch, S. (eds) Cognitive and Educational Psychology for TESOL. Springer Texts in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66532-5_10

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