I've recently been asked about the topic of writing in English by second language speakers. My response was to start a dedicated thread so the questioner can benefit from the diversity of experience in WF. So, I'll like to hear about your experiences and advice on writing fiction in a secondary language. Thank you and Godspeed!
It depends. If they want to be serious writers they should go through all the textbooks and supplements at least through elhi. I found that the uni added nothing. SAT drill books and vocabulary building supplements are a big help. Forget literature. It is about SPaG and vocabulary. And learning a process to use to write. Elhi books cover that some. Practice with the tools until you can think in English and the techniques are intuitive. You really need to have all the tools to write with; but you also need to have practiced using them enough. The ten thousand hour rule of thumb is very accurate. Keep practicing and ESL folks can write well in English.
Prior to moving to an English part of Canada, I had learned basic grammar and vocabulary in primary and high-school. It wasn't enough to become bilingual, but it helped a lot when I became immersed in an English-only environment. Reading in English a lot helped sharpen my instincts for the written language (flow from thoughts to paper, sentence structure, etc). For me, this was enough to write a rough draft. Now that I'm editing, I have started paying more attention to SPAG. I have done an on-line grammar for ESL course, but I prefer learning in a more organic manner, using a grammar as needed and learning as I go along.
I read Umberto Eco's thoughts on the subject, he had a great hand in translating his own books, and always said it is more important to translate the meaning rather than the words, to paraphrase. Brilliant man.
I feel just as comfortable writing in English as in Norwegian, and actually prefer it. Besides grade school, I've picked it up through movies, video games, music, and books. I've spent exactly three days in English-speaking countries, so I wouldn't say that's necessary for learning, but it certainly would facilitate things. The chief reason I speak English as well as I do is probably the reading-writing combo. Writing is especially essential for learning how to write in a given language, just as it is for writing in general. It should be begun, at least tentatively, as soon as the basics are in place. Reading is my biggest source of vocabulary, as well as getting a feel for the grammar and flow of a language. I can't be bothered to pick up a textbook these days, but there are two I'd like to recommend to those so inclined: My Grammar and I (or Should That be me?) and The Elements of Style. If you pick just one, I'd go with the former; informative, digestible, and actually a good read. Then, of course, there are all kinds of websites you can use. For instance, I supplement my Italian studies with Duolingo—if I'm being honest, that's most of what I do, which is really not a great idea—though unfortunately I don't think that one has an English course. I'm sure there are others that do. Just expose yourself to the language as much as you can, in as many forms as you can. Read. Listen. Write. More than anything, write.
