Research Blog 4 (Academic Source)

For the forth blog based on an academic source I read, " How to overcome cultural differences in ESL writing." This article was published in the Oxford University Press, August 2011 edition and written by Samantha Stroh.  The author talks about the differences and challenges that many students face when writing a paper for college if English is their second language. For college students writing papers is part of just about every class. The difference in grammar and style differ from culture to culture and this causes challenges  when trying to communicate by writing. The most important concept to remember is all cultures write differently.  In the authors opinion she believes that people who speak English as a primary language are more reserved. She states "Sentences are often short and simple, and it's the writer's responsibility to be understood by the reader." In general,  English speaking college students write more to the point. Research has shown that Spanish speakers write with passion and fiery.  Asian writing is more vertical than horizontal and lead to choppy sentences. The use of transition words helps link those words together and creates a more free flowing thought.

The author's is trying to get the reader to understand that writing is hard.  When you factor in writing in a second language you encounter an entirely different set of problems because of cultural differences. While these mistakes are common, the author suggests keeping error logs and participating in creative writing exercises  to increase and enhance your writing ability.

I believe the author, Samantha Stroh, is using her experiences from being a teacher to make a educated conclusion on the differences in writing between cultures. She is using her own observations to speak on a topic she is familiar with.  While I agree with what she is saying, I don't agree that writers should change their style of writing to conform to what English writers use. Those cultural differences that Asian and Hispanic writers  practice bring a flare and style to writing. There is no set universal writing requirement so who are we to say it has to be done in that way. Writing is about creating or expressing free flowing thoughts or emotions.

 

Stroh, Samantha. "How to overcome cultural differences in ESL writing". Oxford University Press. 2011 August