Extreme english

Read, read, read, read, read, write, read, read, write, then read and write a bit more.

I learned English by participating in online forums... So maybe just keep reading and commenting around here? But I think your English is fine, so it's probably just the article format you need to practice. This is based on my experiences with writing papers (imo the same goes for writing books and articles): the more you do it, the better you get at it.

In that case, there's nothing to do but writing articles. If you don't like the quality you produce, just keep them on your computer and edit when you get better.
A lot of people feel fear to practice, because it's never nice to be confronted with failure. Yet, just decide what you want to write about and then go at it. You can scratch it or edit it, and you could end up with an unexpected gem Sometimes you reread old material you hated at the time and end up saying "Wow, that's actually not bad at all!".
So go for it!

I'm assuming English isn't your first language, so a good suggestion is to read as many well written English books as you can.

Perhaps join some forums where they are very strict on grammar and spelling. Throw yourself into the fire. :-)

Hi Nocturnal911 Just reading good English articles alone in my opinion, does not commit it to memory, and therefore your progress will be slower.


My suggestion to learn any new skill is to apply the 3X 10 rule by Dr Douglas Fields. Here is how I would apply it to article writing.


Step 1: Take a well written article say on Marketing (i.e. Seth Godin’s Blog)and write/copy it out word for word for 10 mins. No more than 10 mins

Step 2: Rest for 10 mins on something that does not require brain power eg washing the dishes, cutting the lawn etc.. , but do not exhaust yourself.
Step 3: Repeat step 1 (10mins)

Step 4: Repeat step 2

Step 5: Write out what you have just learn in steps 1/3 in your own words. Again maximum time 10 mins.

Step 6: Compare you written version to that of the original article. Note the differences.


Do this once a day, and you will see a significant improvement in your English within 60 days.

This approach has 3 advantages:

1) It is a very efficient way of learning.
2) Your work will pick up the voice of the author your are copying, hence their good English.
3) You will learn some good marketing advice if you choose somebody like Seth.

There is an English proverb that the more you read the more you learn. so you need to read more & more. If you want to be a fluent speaker & writer, you need to practice more & more. There is no alternative way except practice. On the other hand if you can go to ENGLISH country, you will be able to learn English more quickly.

Hey bud,

I hope things are going well.

English is not my first language and I must say I am also struggling especially with the proper usage of prepositions and prepositional phrases.

That being said, I am not sure if I qualify to comment, however let me share my thoughts on this.

Personally, I also write articles for my blog and I always consider these questions:

Does the reader want to finish reading?
Do they come away feeling like they've gotten something of value?
Do they want to sign up for more info?
Do they want to come back to my site?

Yes, excellent grammar is vital, but it's not the ONLY thing that goes into a great article.

I love articles which are:

✔ engaging
✔ compelling
✔informative
✔ entertaining

These are few of the elements that need to be taken into account:

» Grammar - Are there any consistent faults in your grammar?

» Engagement - Do you think it is engaging enough, to follow through to the end, for someone who is interested in the topic?

» Experience - What is the feel of the article?

Lastly, be open to any constructive criticisms.

Let's keep in mind that there is always a room for improvement. So we need to read and practice more and more!

Break a leg!

Sincerely,
Louie Tugas

There is no real substitution for just practice. Like most have said here keep reading. Also, if you know someone who is great at speaking English get them to insist that you speak english with them to increase your vocabulary.

All the best

Some good ideas above. I would also suggest paying a skilled editor to review your articles and send you changes in redline. This will help you learn from your own mistakes.

Also, buy "the elements of style" by strunk & white.

Read novels, magazines, and books. By the way, writing is also a passion.

Thank you guys for all your suggestions. I see all you guys gave their suggestions on how to write great articles, but how do i practice fluent and fast spoken English?