This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
Today
in our Foreign Student Series we discuss writing college papers. Writing a term
paper, research paper or essay for a college class is a kind of academic
writing. Academic writing among
professionals is a way to create new knowledge.
A professor assigns students to write a paper.
The students examine an issue, review what is already known, think about what they
have learned and come to some conclusion.
![A student-writer must present information and also take a position A student-writer must present information and also take a position](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090506022636im_/http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/images/photos_writing_w_9apr09_se.jpg) |
A student-writer must present information and also take a position |
This means that each student-writer must present
information and also take a position. The
student might support an idea, question it or even disprove it. Or the writer
could show how the subject may be understood better or in a different way than
it has been. And the student must support the position with evidence.
Cultural
differences may interfere when international students try to write this way. Writing
teachers say students in many countries have learned to write beautiful
descriptions about something without ever stating the main idea. American college students are expected to
state their main idea at the beginning of the paper.
In other cultures, paragraphs
may be organized to build toward the main idea, which is revealed at the end. But in the United States, the main idea of
each paragraph should be in the first sentence. Another difference is about writing style.
Other cultures may use lots of descriptive words. But American English values
short, strong sentences.
Teachers at the writing center at Purdue
University in West Lafayette, Indiana work with students to improve their writing.
Graduate tutor Lars Soderlund says non-native English speakers generally have
some trouble with English grammar.
He
says their sentences may be too long. Or they incorrectly use articles such as
"a", "an" and "the." He also says non-native
speakers generally use too much emotional language and give too many details
before getting to the main idea.
The
associate director of the writing center, Tammi Conard-Salvo, says international
students should look online for materials that explain the kind of writing they
will be required to do. They should ask their professors for help. Most
colleges have a writing center where they can get free individual help with
their work.
Links
to writing center materials can be found on our Web site,
voaspecialenglish.com. And that's the
VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Jim
Tedder.