Sometimes we think that good essays can only come from native English speakers. The truth is that this is a wrong notion. One thing for sure is that both students can write good essays. It all depends onthe individual and the writing skills they have. So, why do we say international students can still write good essays?
- Writing a good essay requires certain skills
Native students speak English more fluently compared to international students. They also know communication strategies and rules. When it comes to the use of language, they have a bigger advantage. Also, natives are good at using proper pronunciation and vocabulary. These qualities are good for an essay. But, there are more requirements for writing a good essay. For an essay to be good, it must have the following requirements;
- Proper language
A good essay has a good language. This means use of proper words, correct punctuation, relevant vocabulary, and meaningful sentences. The purpose of good language is to ensure that an essay is clear and easily understandable.
- Organization
From a good essay services websites write guide I can summarize, a good essay, it is one that is well organized. It will have an introduction at the beginning of the essay. In this paragraph, the writer will introduce the main argument. This is commonly known as a thesis statement. This will be followed by main body which presents arguments supporting the main argument. The last paragraph is the conclusion. The first sentence of every paragraph should carry the idea of that paragraph. So, by just reading the sentence, the reader should know your argument.
- Correct citations
A good essay will have correct citations. Mostly, when writing an essay, you will be forced to use the ideas of other people. In such a case, you must properly cite that source. Otherwise your essay may be plagiarized. The required citation style determines how to make the citations.
Also, a good essay requires;
- A good title
- Creativity
- The flow of the arguments
- Evidence supporting the arguments
- Proper formatting
Looking at the elements of a good essay, it is clear that students need more than speaking English fluently to write a good essay. Natives have an advantage of good grammar, however, they must have other writing skills.
Being a native is not enough to write a good essay. Other competencies are needed. Let’s say we have two students, native and non-native or international. Both can write in English. The international student acquired writing skills in college. The native studenthas not acquired. Whose essay will be good? Of course the international student will. Why? Because the essay written by the native student will have accurate use of language but may lack other elements of a good essay. On the other hand, the essay written by international student is more likely to have all elements of a good essay.
In short, being a native or a non-native doesn’t guarantee a good essay. Having good writing skills and expertise does. Therefore, as long as international students are equipped with good writing skills, they can still write good essays.
- International students have thorough English knowledge
International students know they are strictly judged on their use of the English language. So, they take English classes seriously. They pay attention to all details. This gives them a deeper understanding of the language. This is especially in the use of language rules and expectations. This puts them in a better position to write good essays just as natives. Therefore, don’t be surprised when you have a native and an international student write similar essay in terms of quality. Many international students have written essays with no single grammar mistake.
Apart from learning English, international students grow up being exposed to English culture. Today, information is being shared through IT across the world. This means that a non-native is growing up while being exposed to English culture. They are watching English movies and listening to English songs.
- A good essay is simple
International students can also write good essays because a good essay is simple. You don’t need big vocabularies to express your thoughts clearly. The most important thing is choosing words that can be understood by your reader. Therefore, an international student may lack long vocabulary but still write a good essay. Similarly, a native student may have long vocabulary but write an essay that the reader doesn’t understand.
Final Thought
Writing a good essay is a skill. It requires more than accent and vocabulary. A good essay must be well-organized, structured, formatted, cited, and use language properly. This means that you can only write a good essay if you have good writing skills. It doesn’t matter whether you are a native speaker or an international student. If you are a native and you have proper writing skills, you are good to do. Also, if you are an international student and you have good writing skills, you can still write a good essay.
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