how can I improve my writing?

nick   Sun Sep 23, 2007 4:08 pm GMT
One thing I know is increasing the vocabulary, and keeping a diary. The question is when I start writing the diary, I don't know what should I write, ususally just a few sentence. what can I do?
Guest   Sun Sep 23, 2007 5:13 pm GMT
I think at this stage of learning you should not worry about writing. Keep listening and reading and reviewing words. Enjoy the process! Once you are advanced in your target language then you should worry about speaking and writing. Just focus on interesting input.
Dizzy   Sat Oct 06, 2007 12:17 am GMT
I think the best way to advance your skills when learning a different language is to develop a friendship with a native speaker.
What I've done in many language class is have an overseas penpal with whom I would exchange letters with, half in English and half in French.
I think it really helps and is one of the most effective ways to learn a language.
Shon   Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:25 pm GMT
So Dizzy, may i develop a friendship with you?
Dizzy   Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:18 pm GMT
Yes, that would be fine with me.
Would you like my email?
Kathy   Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:47 pm GMT
I suggest you reading English articles frequently.
To develop a reading habit is good for you to familiar with the style of English writing.
Jasper   Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:11 pm GMT
Nick, you could do modelling work.

Take an English author you like, and copy in longhand about 1000 pages of her work.

This is very effective. You'll learn how to compile words, sentences, and paragraphs in an intelligent way.

One man I knew, who was only 19 years old, did this with Winston Churchill's writing. You'd be impressed how good a writer this kid became. :-)
Guest   Sun Oct 14, 2007 6:32 pm GMT
To Jasper:
what do u mean by "copy in longhand", I have to hand write this, copy from his book?
K. T.   Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:59 am GMT
I think Jasper's idea is good. I've thought about doing it myself. I suppose that you could use a wordprocessor, but maybe writing it out in the traditional way would help you get a better feel for the language.
Jasper   Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:52 am GMT
To Guest (and KT):

I got the idea from Dr. Suzette Elgin, who's a Professor Emeritus at the University of CA at San Diego, where revolutionary linguistic ideas were developed; several eminent linguistic experts have taught there.

She says that writing it out in longhand (as opposed to typing or shorthand) is essential. Guest, writing in longhand means writing by hand. It's supposed to be extremely effective.

As I said before, the 19-year-old I knew who did this was an exceptionally good writer for a 19-year old!! I just couldn't believe it. He used the writings of Winston Churchill. He wrote about 1000 pages.

Anything worth becoming an expert in, is worth the time it takes to become an expert. ;-)
Guest   Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:54 am GMT
I'm copying Lolita tomorrow, nobody beats Nabokov in prose
nick   Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:49 pm GMT
To Jasper:
I'd like to be excellent in writing in school, like essay writing. so what kind of article I should write in out in longhand? When I do this, what should I pay attention to, the vocabulary? or something like that, so I can improve the writing? Thank u!
Jasper   Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:21 pm GMT
Nick, you might want to select a writer of short stories; pick your favorite author and write. O. Henry might be a possibility, or any other writer of short stories--or essays--that you like. You need to stick with the same author.

Be aware that this will take TIME! 1000 pages will give you the practice you need.

Don't pay too much attention to anything, unless you want. The necessary knowledge will be absorbed by your subconscious mind. You'll learn sentence construction, grammar, and paragraph form. This is an easy process, if slow; you don't want to make it any harder than it needs to be.

If you run into words you don't know, of course you should look it up.

Good luck. Be patient.
nick   Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:21 pm GMT
Thank u very much, Jasper.
Anyone can recommend a book or anything else, I don't read a lot, so I don't know who is good. I like science fiction, is that all right?
furrykef   Mon Oct 22, 2007 1:34 am GMT
Hmm, well, my favorite book is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is a great read, but I wouldn't copy pages from it for the exercise. Douglas Adams was a verbose writer, whereas most good writing is concise. Notice I say "most"... he could get away with not being concise, but it's a very hard style to imitate well!

- Kef