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Writing challenges such as grammar, word choice, organization and flow of ideas, critical thinking, and plagiarism are the problems in international students’ academic writing. In a generation where sharing ideas is a resource, not being able to share them is a killer of a revolution. To solve the struggle in the academic struggle of international students, there are five best strategies to improve international students’ academic writing: Reading effectively, translating, practicing, being open to feedback, and knowing international students are not alone in their academic writing struggle. 

Reading habits can be a new skill to build; however, it is the backbone for improving academic writing or writing in general. Dr. Katherine Firth, a lecturer from LA TROBE’s research University, asserts the value of reading about writing. She said reading habits help international students be familiar with sentence structure, word choice, and common use of English metaphors(Firth). The more international students incorporate reading habits into their life, the more they will understand English. Understanding English is a helpful skill that improves the writing skills of international students. However, there are international students who are avid readers but find academic writing difficult, this is because they are using an ineffective reading strategy.

According to Mai-Linh Bui, a U.S. News publisher, ”[International students] will probably need to read a number of research papers and dissertations throughout the academic year.  [ They shouldn’t] skim them for information”(Bui). Glimpsing the information over does not help international students improve their writing much; However, they should read a dissertation or research paper and look at how the author structure the paper in a way that convinces the reader. These will help international students know different sentence structure forms, which they can embody in their academic writings. 

In addition to reading research papers or dissertations, Bui said if international students translate English text into their native language, it will enforce them to know the different structures of writing (Bui). When international students translate English into their native language, they will force themselves to read deeply or analyze the text. Analyzing a text will help them visualize the structure of the paper.

However, while reading and translating are helpful in writing, if international students do not practice writing regularly, they will not show much improvement. Firth asserts that taking every opportunity to increase international students’ English writing skills such as: taking notes, writing emails, and sending text messages- are better means to help international students improve their writing skills(Firth). In every writing international students write and make a mistake, they are learning. But, if the mistakes were not corrected, will they be illiterate their whole life about writing?

In their study, Carol Dweck(author of Mindset) and her team do research at the University of Hong Kong and asked students who are not fluent in English if they were willing to take courses to improve their English skills if provided. The fixed mindsets, a mindset that skills cannot be developed, were not very interested; however, the growth mindsets were happy to take the course(Dweck, 25). Those who were not interested risk their college career by hiding their deficiency in English. However, the growth mindsets open doors for improvement. They welcome feedback.

For international students to learn from their writing, they should be open to feedback. But, From whom should international students ask for feedback? Swathi Ravichandran et al., who published an article in the Journal of International Students about how to improve the academic writing of international graduate students, stated that feedback from faculty, writing center, peer mentors, or friends plays a good role in improving international students’ academic writing (Ravichandran et al., 775-777). Many academic writings were written with professors and peers as an author in mind. As a result, getting feedback from these people will increase the chance of triumph in international students’ academic writing. However, if international students do not correct the error, the feedback will be just feedback. Feedback will be effective when international students learn from it and make a change.

As much as the usefulness of applying these strategies, it can be daunting at the same time. However, what international students have to know is that they are not alone in the process of struggling with academic writing. Firth, a lecturer from LA TROBE’s research University, said, ”international students pass [their writing assignment] at the same rate as local students and often complete more swiftly”(Firth). Most international students learn through struggle. The struggles shaped their writing to be better, which helped them pass at the same rate as local students.

All the five best strategies help international students become better writers. By becoming better writers, international students can open doors for lots of career opportunities. Most employers want employees that can communicate effectively. If international students can communicate effectively through writing, they will create a better lifestyle in the future.

Becoming a better writer is also useful for the good health of international students. University can be a stressful place, so writing thoughts on paper can clear the mind, which reduces the stress of international students. If their stress is reduced, they can use that energy on productive tasks, which will broaden their knowledge.

If international students can increase their knowledge, they will become successful in their college life and become satisfied with their life. Their success is also a way to create a better society. The more literate person an environment contains, the more a better society will be built.

In conclusion, even if English Composition courses are given on college campuses,  international students must incorporate the habit of writing into their life even after completing the course. If international students form a community where writing is a culture, they will thrive even after leaving their English Composition course.

                            Works Cited

Dweck, Carol .” Mindset Changing the Way You Think to Fulfil Your Potential”. Robinson, 2017.

Ravichandran, Swathi, et al. “Strategies to Address English Language Writing Challenges Faced by International Graduate Students in the US.” Journal of International Students, vol. 7, no. 3, 2018, pp. 764–785., https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v7i3.298. 

Bui, Mai-Linh“3 Ways International Students Can Improve Academic Writing.” Yahoo! News, Yahoo!, https://news.yahoo.com/3-ways-international-students-improve-academic-writing-130000828.html. 

“6 Strategies for Better Writing When English Is Your Second Language.” Nest, 15 May 2018, https://www.latrobe.edu.au/nest/6-strategies-better-writing-english-second-language/.