Are you a non-English speaker who at least occasionally writes English texts? If so, you might sometimes doubt your writing abilities or wonder how different your writing experience would be if you were a native English speaker.
We understand these challenges, but let’s explore different aspects of this topic that can put things into perspective and make you see your language background not as a disadvantage, but as an advantage.
Myth: Native speakers, naturally good writers
The myth that many non-native speakers believe is that native speakers are, by definition, good writers. They don’t need to learn how to write because it’s a skill they were born with.
Of course, native English speakers generally communicate more fluently and have a deeper knowledge of words, expressions, idioms, and slang than a typical non-native speaker. They can also write text messages or emails in a way that sounds natural and effortless.
But we’re not talking about casual text messages or emails here. We’re talking about writing in professional or formal contexts, such as writing a thesis, an internship report, a research paper, a business proposal, a blog post, legal documents, marketing content for a social media post, an opinion piece, a news article, etc. This type of writing is a skill that requires practice, whether you are a native or non-native speaker.
Professional English is no one’s first language
While native speakers have an advantage in terms of fluency and familiarity with the language, many of them have difficulty organizing their thoughts in such contexts, avoiding common grammatical and spelling mistakes, and writing clearly, effectively, and in a way that is understandable to the reader.
When writing in formal and professional contexts, a wide range of skills are required, including creativity, critical thinking, effective research, organization, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt tone and style to the audience.
In fact, there are studies that have found that native speakers do not necessarily have an advantage in academic writing over non-native speakers.
In an article entitled “Academic publishing and the myth of linguistic injustice,” British linguist Ken Hyland challenges the assumption that prejudice against an author’s native language is widespread in academic publishing.
Hyland also argues in his work that native English speakers face the same challenges in academic writing as non-native speakers. He reiterates the idea that “academic English is no one’s first language,” suggesting that both groups must engage in “deliberate learning” to master academic writing.
Moreover, there’s a long list of non-native speakers who have written bestsellers in English, such as Khaled Hosseini, the Afghan-born author of “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” thanks to their mastery of not just the language later in life, but also the art of storytelling.
See also: Why InstaText is your best bet for getting published
Reality: A different language, a different vision of life
“A different language is a different vision of life,” said Italian film director and screenwriter Federico Fellini.
If you speak more than one language, you know this to be true. Our linguistic identity entails more than just words—it brings with it a unique perspective, culture, way of life, and worldview.
Along with all the cognitive skills associated with language learning, this can enrich your writing and give you an edge as a writer.
Moving beyond your personal world of writing, as a non-native speaker writing in English, you can be an asset to any team if you tap into and utilize your unique resources.
It’s no wonder that there are studies showing that plurilingualism—the ability to use more than one language and switch easily between them—is a “catalyst for creativity” or surveys highlighting that diverse teams are more productive, make better decisions, and contribute to greater financial success for businesses.
Reality: Technology is leveling the playing field
Technology, especially advanced language technologies, has given non-native speakers tools to improve the quality of their texts, from grammar and spell checkers to more advanced writing and editing tools.
InstaText is one of those sophisticated tools, developed as an editing assistant specifically to help non-native speakers write like native speakers.
InstaText improves your texts by enhancing clarity, readability, flow, structure, style, tone, conciseness, word choice, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and more during the editing and proofreading process.
See also: InstaText: Most helpful for drafting, editing, or proofreading?
And although many of our users are non-native speakers, there are also native speakers who use InstaText extensively to improve their texts in terms of clarity, readability, and correctness because, as mentioned earlier, writing is about more than just putting words together.
I have been using InstaText for over a year. In that time, I have worked mostly in academia, on my doctoral thesis, a dozen papers, and, to a lesser extent, private correspondence. I have to admit that InstaText is superior to its competitors (I tested several), which mainly check grammar, punctuation, and spelling (InstaText makes you sound like a very educated native speaker).
Interestingly, InstaText corrects a lot of the text written by my collaborators who are native English speakers! All in all, this software allows me to enjoy work and focus on WHAT I want to say without worrying about HOW I should say something 😊
— Dr. Michał Folwarczny, Postdoctoral Researcher
Improve your writing and cognitive skills with InstaText
InstaText is more than just an editing tool. It also helps you improve your English language and writing skills.
How, you may ask?
InstaText offers you suggestions that you can accept or reject in an interactive format. By paying attention to these suggestions, you can learn how to make your texts clearer, more concise, and more effective. This process also helps you recognize and correct grammatical and spelling mistakes so that you are less likely to repeat them in future content.
Interestingly, there is extensive research showing direct and indirect links between being actively involved in the act of writing and the development of cognitive skills, such as memory, critical thinking, and creativity.
Improved cognitive skills in turn make you a better writer, and the virtuous cycle continues.
See also: How editing with InstaText improves both your writing and cognitive skills
Become a better writer with InstaText
As discussed, writing does not come naturally to anyone, let alone writing well or effectively. But the good news is that we have unprecedented access to tools and resources that can not only improve the quality of our writing, but also help us become better and more confident writers over time if we use them wisely.
Are you already a user? Then we assume that you already know the advantages of editing with InstaText. You can find out how to make the most of it on our website. If you don’t know InstaText yet, try it out for free and see how it can help you with your writing projects. We’re sure it’s worth a try!
“InstaText helps me to find the right expressions and words to improve overall communication. I use it to write professional articles and collaterals in concise English. It’s easy to use and its ability to integrate with MS Word makes my life easier. InstaText really improves my productivity.”
— Vipul Sachdeva, Marketing Specialist
“InstaText is an amazing tool. It helped me many times to finalize well-written articles. InstaText has completely changed the way I write and communicate in academic papers, social media, and other areas. I definitely recommend this tool for non-native speakers who usually struggle with their English skills.”
— Dr. Carolina Medina, University Professor and Journal Editor
“InstaText is very easy to use and has a clean user interface. I can improve my texts with just a few clicks. Grammar, spelling, punctuation – everything can be easily improved. In addition, the integration with Chrome and Word makes writing texts easier.”
— Ravi Kumar, Manager
