5 things you can do to make it easier to write your thesis in a second language
1. Don't translate
The more you think in the language you're writing in, the easier it will be to express yourself clearly.If you translate a fully formed sentence directly from your native language, it won't flow naturally since different languages have different ways of structuring ideas.
So switch your brain to think in your thesis-writing language. It'll save you a lot of time and improve your writing.
2. Edit
Don't worry about getting a sentence perfect first time. Everybody has to edit, whether you're a native speaker or not.
The first version of any sentence is for your eyes only, so it doesn't matter how good it is. Get it down on the page, then try to make it better if you can.
3. Keep it simple
Don't try to impress the examiner with fancy language. The aim is to communicate your research clearly, so keep it simple.
4. Play with the language
When you get stuck editing a sentence, is there another way you could say it? For example;
- Are there alternative sentence structures?
- Can you write it a different way?
- Could you rearrange the sentence?
- Is there a better way to get your point across?
One problem you can have is when the same sentence structure repeats again and again. It doesn't matter so much when you speak, but it's very noticeable when it's written.
Look at the first words in each line of this post. You'll notice that "when" repeats in two lines close to each other. Normally I'd change that.
Still try to keep it simple, and don't change things if it'll make your sentences more complicated, but there are almost always alternatives to choose from.
5. Plan ahead
Your thesis is all about leading the examiner through your research, so you have to know where you want to take them.
Plan the key points you want to cover, first by writing down every idea you can think of on paper, then by putting them in order.That way when you're writing you can concentrate on one section at a time, without worrying about what comes next.
