Summary

The author, who began learning English at a young age in Venezuela, reflects on the challenges and nuances of writing in English as a non-native speaker, including grappling with prepositions, the absence of the Spanish impersonal "se" in English, the use of contractions, and the formalities of sentence structure.

Abstract

The author shares their journey of learning English from the age of four and the stark difference between their school's emphasis on grammar and the practical use of the language in daily life. Despite living in a Spanish-speaking environment, the author's writing practice was primarily in English, starting from their college essay, which their father helped with. The transition to college in the US revealed the author's unpreparedness for the rigorous writing demands, leading to an all-nighter to complete their first essay. Over time, the author developed a preference for writing in English, even though it is not their native language. They highlight specific challenges such as mastering prepositions, missing the impersonal touch of the Spanish "se," deciding when to use contractions, and the strict rules of sentence diagramming they were taught. The author acknowledges that while their writing may sometimes seem overly formal or the word order slightly off, they believe their non-native perspective lends a unique originality to their work.

Opinions

The author feels that their early education in English grammar did not prepare them for the realities of writing in English.
They express a sense of inadequacy in writing, particularly when compared to native English speakers.
The author appreciates the nuances of language that are lost in translation, such as the impersonal Spanish "se," and its impact on the tone of written instructions or suggestions.
They recognize the influence of childhood teaching on their writing habits, such as avoiding contractions, which they later incorporate during revisions.
The author reflects on the formal style of writing they were taught and how it affects their current writing, sometimes leading to an attempt to overcompensate for formality.
Despite the challenges, the author values the unique perspective they bring to their writing as a non-native English speaker.

When English Is Your Writing Language, Not Your Native Language

Some details are suddenly significant

I began to learn English at school when I was 4 years old, in Caracas, Venezuela. My school had a really strong English language curriculum that emphasized, above all else, grammar.

Still, my life took place in Spanish and I didn’t have to write anything longer than a couple of paragraphs in English until I went away to college in the US.

Oh, except for my college essay, which my father, who’d lived in the US through his high school and college years, helped me with.

I soon discovered how utterly unprepared I was for all the writing college required. The first essay I wrote was for a first-year seminar called War, and I procrastinated (out of fear?) until the night before it was due to tackle it.

That night, I learned the term all nighter.

I actually wrote the essay long hand, if you can believe it. The year being 1987, it was probably one of the last times any professor at my college had a student turn in a handwritten essay.

A guy who lived down the hallway in my dorm, and whom I would fall in love with and date two years later, helped me out. I could tell he thought it was both stupid and hilarious that I’d put off starting my first real essay the night before it was due.

Yet, here I am, 33 years later, writing out of choice — in English.

The truth is my K-12 school didn’t emphasize writing at all — in any language. Thus, the only language I have practice writing in is English. However good or bad my writing may be, it would be far inferior in Spanish, which is not only my native language but also my most fluent “natural” language.

Still, there are times when I’m keenly aware that I write in non-native English.

The most obvious instance is when I deal with prepositions.

Do I work in North School or at North School? During revision, I ended up changing my original in to at.

Did I put on my pajamas backward or inside out? I wrote backward and didn’t think twice about it. When re-reading the article weeks after publishing it, I realized inside out would’ve been way better.

Then there’s the impersonal Spanish “se”, which I so often wish existed in English.

When I write in English, I’m not translating ideas from Spanish to English. Sometimes, though, as I write a sentence, the thought “This would sound so perfect with se” comes to mind.

For example, in Spanish we need not call you or anyone out when suggesting or requiring. “Hay que cubrirse la boca” is directed at the universe, while “You must cover your mouth” is directed at you.

“Se habla inglés” sounds friendlier than “English spoken here.”

And, doesn’t “Se añaden 2 tazas de azúcar” in a recipe sound more optional than “Add 2 cups of sugar”?

How about the dilemma of when to use contractions? I imagine native speakers of English just know when to use can’t instead of cannot, and they’ll and not they will.

Since I was taught not to use contractions in writing, I always end up adding them during revision. Habits acquired in childhood are mighty hard to break!

Finally, here’s the most dreadful part of the ESL experience for people of my great generation: diagramming sentences (to death). Subject, verb, predicate, prepositional phrase, preposition, object of the preposition… We were made to dissect sentences into what looked like March Madness brackets.

Because of how I was taught to write English, I know my inclination is to write very formal, and that, perhaps, this makes me try too hard to sound the opposite. I also know I’ll never get the prepositions and contractions just right, and that word order may sound a bit off at times.

I like to think, though, that being a non-native English writer ultimately makes my work a bit more original. But that’s for readers to decide.