Nine Top Essay-Writing Tips for Non-Native English Speakers

As an expat taking up studies in the Netherlands, you face a series of hurdles. Along with accommodation, transport and insurance, your primary language might be different from what your course gets taught in. Most top universities in the Netherlands allow you to write essays in English and Dutch. If those aren’t your native tongues, you might still feel fine listening to and speaking them. But the scrutiny written work comes under can be an extra worry for internationals.

Are you worried about that big paper coming up at the end of the semester? For either language you pick, there are some golden rules for academic writing. We at Expat Republic have compiled a list of tips and tricks to improve your chances of success.

Practice Makes Perfect

Ultimately, getting comfortable with any skill is a matter of time and exposure. Writing in a new language is no different. Make time to write something every day – no matter how small, it will make a difference.

You might try writing short nonsensical stories to try out new words. Consider writing a diary entry about your day in your new language. You could even seek out practice questions to test yourself before you get a real essay. Speak to your tutor to see if they have old questions you could practice on.

Ask Questions About the Question

The big day has arrived. The ‘real’ essay question has been set. It is tempting to think you can get right to work on it and get the hard work out of the way as soon as possible. But the fact is, for best results, there are two key steps to take before you go anywhere near that Word document! The first is to ensure that you know what you are being asked.

It sounds simple, but many writers live in a false sense of security in the age of Google Translate. As good as translator apps get, some words will never have direct translations. So, speak to your tutor, and make sure you are clear on what you are being asked. Failing to do so could see you write an irrelevant essay that sees you graded down – no matter how well it’s written.

Do Your Reading

If you want to boost your writing in a second (or third) language, you need to go back to basics. Think back to your childhood when you learned to communicate in your native language. You learned to speak by imitating the sounds adults around you made. And your writing developed by seeing what others wrote. Reading in a second (or third) language will improve your writing in that language.

At the same time, you need to read as much relevant material as possible before forming your opinions on a topic. So, doing your reading will present you with a double-win. It can boost your vocabulary and show you how experts lay out an argument in this language. And it will fill your head with relevant ideas for constructing your own arguments on the matter.

Make a Plan

Finally, it’s time to sit down with a blank page. But we’re not getting into the proper writing quite yet. Every successful essay will need at least a simple plan. Your essay will need the right structure to make your arguments easy to follow. This will also help you not to miss any important details.

So, sit down at your computer or your notepad if you’re a traditionalist. Your plan can be as simple or as complicated as you like. But at the most basic level, try to arrange your thoughts into four main segments.

An introduction in which you unpack what the question is asking you and how you will go about answering it.
An overview of what other experts have said about the question.
A section explaining your own thoughts, informed by those sources.
A conclusion, summarising your arguments and condensing them into punchy final points.

Produce a Rough Draft

You’re clear on what your question means. You’ve done the reading. You’ve thought about how to structure your thoughts on the matter. It’s finally time to have a go at writing. That can still be daunting, though, especially in a non-native language. Keep in mind, at this stage, nothing you write down has to be permanent or perfect. This draft will not be definitive – but it is necessary to produce so that you can improve your essay! So, as American journalist and playwright James Thurber said, “Don’t get it right, get it written.”

Some lecturers will tell you to wait until the end of this process to draft your introduction. This can make it easier to walk through the points you have already made. It can also make sure you don’t promise something and then forget to deliver it when your creative flow hits. But at this stage, nothing is definitive anyway. Do whatever feels right, and worry about the rest later.

Keep it Simple

There are always exceptions to rules. Accomplished writers break them all the time for the sake of flow and readability. But for beginners getting used to a new language, George Orwell’s six rules for writing are a great help. In particular, “never use a long word where a short one will do” is helpful when writing in a second language. It might be tempting to show off, especially if you read others doing it. But the most important thing about an essay is that it makes sense – not how flowery its language is.

Another of Orwell’s rules takes this further. If a sentence works without a word, he advised writers to “always cut it out.” Sentences with more than one clause come easily to us in our native language. But trying this in a second language may expose us to grammatical challenges. Too many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ can also make the content harder to understand – for you and someone marking your essay. That could mean they misinterpret what you’ve written.

Ask a Native Speaker for Feedback

Once you have your draft, the editing process begins. It’s time to refine all your ideas and consider how to make your arguments clear to your readers. The best way to do that is to get fresh eyes on your essay.

In particular, it’s ideal to ask someone who is a native speaker of the language your essay is in. They do not need to be an expert in the field you are writing (though that is a plus). They need to be able to follow your arguments and tell you where they feel you could explain things better to them. And they need to be able to pick out spelling and grammar errors you have overlooked and suggest fixes.

Use Handy Writing Tools

Of course, not everyone has access to a native speaker for feedback. If you are an expat who has recently moved to a new home, you may not feel comfortable asking a stranger for help. Or, you could be home for the Holidays while writing – so you are away from the colleagues or friends who could help.

Thanks to technology, you don’t need to worry about grammar or spelling mistakes. You use word processors on a daily basis for writing in your native language. For example, Microsoft Word offers guidance in more than 20 languages. Adding authoring languages is free and simple.

Utilise AI?

While artificial intelligence can’t write your essays for you due to academic integrity rules, it can certainly assist in the editing process. Apps like Hemingway Editor help highlight complex sentences and common errors, even soon offering a new AI service to work with writers on improving their text. Similarly, platforms powered by Chat GPT, such as Writesonic and Jasper, offer multi-language support—covering Dutch and English, among others—and can help fine-tune essay segments.

However, it’s crucial to also use content detection tools like Originality.ai, which flags machine-written or plagiaristic text, helping you avoid academic penalties. Keep in mind that no AI tool is perfect; they offer quick and cheap solutions but are still in the early stages of development and prone to errors. Always give your AI-edited essay a thorough review before submission. For more information on AI tools, our Expat Republic guide offers a comprehensive look at this burgeoning industry.