In the Beginning
As a writing tutor at a Texas university, I expected to speak to a lot of bilingual students that spoke Spanish as their first language. However, the vast majority of multilingual students I tutor (including my very first student) are from India. Now, I know a thing or two about Spanish, but I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Marathi, Urdu, or Hindi.
I really struggled with tutoring students in both their writing and English skills, and I often struggled with where to draw the line between assisting and taking over. Luckily, I had a great boss and teacher that led me through research and practical tools to help me instruct ESL students. Now I have experience working with around 20 multilingual writers, and I feel much more confident.
It’s a sensitive task, and it’s important that the focus of working with non-native speakers is on communicating their ideas effectively. They know what they want to say; they just need your eyes and ears to refine their product the same way other writers do. Put aside your judgments and linguistic biases, and create an environment that curates mutual respect.
Why is ESL Writing Different?
No matter how long a native speaker has spoken English, there is always some level of unsurety in how they handle the language— especially in writing. I have worked with masters students that have lived in the US almost longer than I’ve been alive. They’re mostly looking for reassurance that they won’t lose accreditation with their reader because of their grammar and vernacular.
I think of Gloria from Modern Family. Gloria spoke English very well, but every once in a while she couldn't quite think of the right word or differentiate correctly between two similar sounding words. She struggled to sound as strong and smart as she really was in English, and often the rest of the family picked on her for it.
One reason for this fish out of water feeling that people like Gloria have, is a difference between how we think and how we speak. People think in their native language, and… well there’s a reason for the phrase “lost in translation.” English just doesn’t capture everything that other languages can. For example, Hebrew uses around 4 different words for what we would call “love.” I could explain each of those words to you, but it’s not the same as actually using them.
English is also full of immalleable rules that tend to smack us in the face if we don’t master them. Grammar and mechanics aside, there are tones and attitudes that our writing can create whether that be professional or conversation, young, or mature. While other languages have different vocabulary for formal and informal, English is more of a feeling.
All of this considered, editing ESL writing is only different because the writer is coming from a different background, not because we are treating them much differently. There are so many organizational and clarity elements to revise before you zoom in on grammar mistakes or funky syntax.
Put Down Your Microscope
The most important lesson I took away from learning how to tutor non-native speakers, was to allow them to say things in an unnatural way. As native speakers we have internalized many phrases that feel natural because we’ve heard the language spoken that way for many years. It can feel disorienting to read an exterior interpretation of the language. However, we must begin with developmental editing the same way we would for a native speaker. This is the biggest and trickiest step because it's all in your mindset. We’re hardwired to hear things a certain way, but just because a sentence feels out of order does not mean it’s wrong.
In the same vein, it is normal to be overwhelmed by an increased number of grammar and mechanical errors. You have to ignore them and focus on your writer's ideas above all else. It is discouraging for a writer to work hard on their piece to only be met with several notes about article placement. They need that help eventually, but it’s never the first thing we look at.
When doing a developmental edit, we often begin with overall organization. This can also vary internationally. For example, in American research we have a strict format that involves only the necessary information, but in some countries, like Brazil, it’s considered rude to dive straight into business. When we read their articles, we may be surprised by how much fluff appears at the beginning, but to them it’s important. For those cultural differences, it’s best to ask questions before you make assumptions. How to proceed with the editing depends on the intended audience of the piece.
Some non-native speakers struggle with transitions and direction, but telling someone who doesn’t speak English fluently that their paragraph doesn’t “flow” will not be helpful. They need an extra hand with concepts like parallel progression. Advice concerning rhythm or pacing of sentences need an extra touch of explanation. It’s almost like teaching someone an accent— they can’t just do the accent. They need to hear it and feel it in their mouth to understand. It also never hurts to explain why. That can be as simple as “the first sentence of each of your sections could benefit from a transition word (however, furthermore, additionally, etc.) because transition words help readers understand how two adjacent topics relate to each other.”
It may feel small and tedious, but you only need to tell the writer once. By being as direct as possible with your writing advice, you avoid any confusion, and the writer can improve their technique going forward.
Nitty Gritty
At some point or another, non-native speakers do need grammatical advice. It’s not because they aren’t trying to learn the language hard enough; it’s because English doesn’t make any sense. The only reason it does make sense to us is because we’ve heard it our whole lives. If you don’t believe me, go try to explain why the answers to an English language class assignment are correct.
Before line editing to an intense degree, start with listing out the most important and common mistakes the writer makes. Allow them time to investigate their own errors. At the same time, encourage them to read their writing out loud to themselves. Often oratory and written skill levels are different. They likely speak English much more often than they write it, and by hearing the mistakes out loud they can correct themselves.
According to Muriel Harris and Tony Silva’s “Tutoring ESL Students: Issues and Options,” here are some of the most common mistakes that non-native speakers make when writing:
Verbs:
Inflection morphology-agreement with nouns in person, number, etc.
Verbal forms- participasses, infinitives, gerunds
Verb complementation- the types of clauses or constructions that must follow a particular verb
Nouns
Inflection- especially in terms of singular/plural and count/mass distinctions
Derivation- deriving nouns from other parts of speech (e.g., quick-quickness) which often seems arbitrary to non-native speakers
Articles (related to problems in classifying nouns)
Use of the wrong article
Missing article
Use an article when none is necessary or appropriate
Prepositions (primarily a result of limited lexical resources)
Knowing which one goes with a particular noun, verb, adjective, or adverb
Knowing the reasons behind why something sounds wrong in our ears is very helpful for teachers to have. To apply this information, you can utilize basic pedagogical skills:
Point out a specific mistake in the writer’s piece
Tell them what is wrong
Give them a chance to hear the mistake and correct it themselves
If they cannot correct it themselves, correct it for them
Explain why a change needed to be made
If more explanation is needed, create a simple example to further illustrate your point
Within this process, it is more important that the writer can proceed without making the same mistakes than it is that they have a scholarly vernacular. Throwing jargon at them makes these small grammar notations scary and overwhelming.
En Conclusión/Aakha Min/Khtamaan/In Conclusion
Now, it should be noted that there are editors and tutors that specialize in ESL writing help, but wouldn’t it be better if all editors and tutors could adapt to different writers? Having a basic understanding of working with non-native speakers opens up new opportunities to work with clients or students that might be nervous to approach native speakers and ask for help.
Anyone who has been to Paris knows that attempts to speak French are often met with heavy disdain. Clerks and waiters scoff, roll their eyes, and answer you in English.
Much like France, the US has a culture that is intolerant of foreign speakers and accents. As leaders in the written world community, we can pave the way in pushing back against this cultural intolerance. By accepting non-native writers instead of condescending or othering them, we are taking the first step in healing a long broken connection between English speakers and the rest of the world.