Many people believe they can speak English very fluently without having to study it. This might be correct to some extent. You don’t need to study English in university to be able to speak it fluently. Some people learnt English in the streets.
There are some people who didn’t even attend high school, let alone the university, yet speak English better than some university graduates, even though a lot of people that speak English with confidence and self-acclaimed fluency make so many blunders. But my major concern here is on written English; how to write with clarity and get people interested in your write-up, make sense out of what you have put down, get readers to understand your message, and possibly learn one or two things from it. That's the essence of writing.
Sometimes when you look at comment sections on social media platforms, it's terrible and appalling. And you begin to wonder how many people really understand English these days and how many people can really communicate in written English because you can hardly make sense out of what people write in ordinary comment sections. This goes to show how weak and bastardized the English Language has become. In a comment section, out of a thousand comments, hardly can you find ten that make sense. You have to struggle to understand what someone is trying to say in their comment or in a caption to a post. This is really terrible.
So, this is part of what stirred my passion to teach written English, Business English, Content writing. You can become a better writer. Yes, everybody can do this. Everybody can become a writer; a good, effective writer.
You can improve your written English by,
*paying serious attention to your grammar(syntactic construction of phrases, clauses and sentences,
*being interested in new words, thus, building your vocabulary,
*paying attention to your spellings,
*attending coaching classes (online classes are more convenient especially for workers)
A point of caution, here, though. Be careful who you make your writing coach, English Language trainer, tutor, or mentor. There are so many people organizing paid online writing classes and webinars out there who are not really professionals.
Follow only seasoned, experienced English tutors. It's not enough to write ebooks or organize writing classes and webinars. Be sure that that self-acclaimed writing coach knows their onions before you submit yourself to their tutoring and mentorship, else they would end up misleading and confusing you.
Yes, one doesn't have to be a graduate of English before they can become an English tutor or writing coach, but you shouldn't just submit yourself to someone you are better than or one who doesn't have what it takes to tutor or mentor you in this regard. So check their profile, antecedent, and even their current work. Imagine someone teaching you English and yet making repeated obvious grammar errors. If you find yourself in such a class you should honourably and humbly exit yourself.
Back to how you can improve your written English,
*You can also improve by being a voracious reader, and reading the right materials, too. There is so much written content and articles on platforms staring you in the face everyday that are not really worth your attention.
*You can improve your written English by learning to write (you can't have mastery if you don't practice)
Learning is an endless exercise. I have been teaching English Language for the past 22 years now, yet I am still learning it. English is a unique and dynamic language, but not confusing as many people misconstrue it to be.
My passion to see as many sound English writers as possible is what is driving this campaign. You too can become an effective writer.
Let me conclude by adding that the ability to express yourself clearly and meaningfully in well written English Language is a true test of your education.
Osasuyi Omoragbon,
January, 2023.
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