An ESL student cannot focus solely on conversational phrases and vocabulary advancement. If you are studying in a U.S. college or university, you’ll also have to deal with academic projects. This is possibly the most challenging aspect of education in a non-native language. An essay is a specific form of written content that demands tons of background and practice.

 

You might think that the entire effort you invest into obtaining essay writing skills is pointless, but the truth is that any career you strive for is dependent upon your ability to express yourself in written form.

 

Sooner or later, you’ll understand that essay writing is not only important for the grades, but for your professional success as well. Let’s see how you can develop this important skill! Continue reading to discover effective tips on how to properly conduct research, to develop a thesis statement, and to write a memorable paper. Plus, we’ll offer a great list of tools that will make the entire process easier.

 

Tips for ESL Students: How to Obtain Essay Writing Skills

 

Tip #1: Start with thorough research

 

Before you can go any further, you need to learn as much as possible about the topic your professor assigned. Wikipedia is not enough. It’s a good starting point, but you have to locate proper academic and scientific sources that you can reference in the paper. There is a lot of information on the Internet, but don’t ignore the library. A single book can add a lot of quality to the paper.

 

Once you collect enough resources, decide which ones you are going to use. If there are opposing arguments, take a side and proceed with the next step: the thesis statement.

 

Tip #2: Write a strong thesis statement

 

ESL students commonly struggle with this part. If you fail to provide a coherent thesis statement, the arguments will be confusing and your efforts won’t result in success. This should be a single sentence that exposes the purpose of the essay.

 

After the extensive research process, you should form your own opinions about the issue on which you’re supposed to elaborate. You can achieve that with a quick brainstorming session. Write down the ideas you get and choose the most appealing one. Use that inspiration to come up with a meaningful, believable thesis statement that you’ll later support with arguments and resources.

 

Tip #3: You still can’t write? Read!

 

It doesn’t matter how many guides you follow and how hard you try to follow your professor’s instructions; you cannot write a perfect paper on your first attempt. That’s why it’s important to read some great samples of essays written by professional writers or students who have mastered this skill.

 

4 Tools and Links to Help You Write Great Essays

 

Tool #1: ESL Worksheets

 

The process of obtaining academic writing skills is a lot of trial and error. You may possess the talent, but you won’t reach your full potential if you don’t work on it. With this website, ESL students get access to hundreds of worksheets that enable them to grasp the English language. This also functions a forum so you can ask any questions and join the discussions.

 

 

Tool #2: Ninja Essays

 

Even when you are willing to write a paper, you won’t get enough time to work on it. Unfortunately, ESL students cannot keep up with native speakers no matter how hard they try. That doesn’t mean you should make your peace with low grades. The expert writers at custom writing service Ninja Essays can help you complete any essay, no matter how urgent or complex it is. Just provide your instructions and monitor the process of research and development.

 

Tool #3: Pizzaz

 

Devote one hour of your day to this website, where you can find great works of fiction and poetry. If you read on a daily basis, you’ll build your vocabulary effortlessly. These examples will inspire you to express yourself creatively. You don’t have to work on an assignment to use that inspiration; pour your thoughts on paper whenever you feel like it. This leads us to the next tool!

 

Tool #4: Aardvark's English Forum

 

You think you understand the rules of English grammar, but some constructions may seem unnatural when you put them on paper. While it’s important to practice proper writing, what do you do when you get stuck? Join this community! You’ll find interactive language exercises, daily quotes, and famous English novels in the section called Resources for Students. You can ask questions on the Student Message Board and easily find the solution to any dilemma.

 

Essays Are Important, But Fun As Well!

 

The above-listed tips and tools lead us to a final conclusion: it’s not easy to learn how to write awesome essays, especially when English is not your native language and you just became a part of this educational system. However, you shouldn’t think that the process of developing these skills is boring. You’ll learn many new things that will make you a more accomplished student.

 

First of all, you need to read great samples, learn how to conduct a research, write a thesis, and use awesome tools that make the process more effective.

 

Are you ready to invest that effort? You’ll be grateful when you start getting better grades!

 

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