e-portfolio #7(a)

Completing an English essay is a difficult work to me. Making grammar mistakes, lacking of vocabularies, points and essay styles are the difficulties I face. Since I always speak in Cantonese, my English, my writing also, contains strong mother tongue. It is also a problem I heard in this EG1471 course, but it is difficult to be improved.

To write an academic essay, we have to follow the procedures step by step. Draw a mind map or write an outline before writing the first draft of an essay. We may find many materials related to the essay from many reference books and on the internet. Simplifying the information and expressing them by our own words are needed. We also have to pay attention to the type of essay we are writing, for example, argumentative, comparison and contrast essay. Different writing styles are used in different types of essay.

Much time has already been spent to complete the first draft, but it is only the half work of the whole writing process. Usually, the first draft contains many grammar mistakes and the ideas are not enough. We have to further improve it according to our classmates’ and Ms Chan‘s comment and correction. I reviewed and reviewed the first draft and comments; the final draft is hardly finished.

In this EG1471 course, I find that my English and writing ability is really poor. My native language is not English, I usually cannot express what I want to say well and clearly. Moreover, my vocabulary is so limited, so the whole essay is made by simple words only. In my last year university study, I found that I can only know how to do the calculation, explain the principle of theorems in many engineering modules. Therefore, I wrongly think that my English level is enough for me to study in university, as the vocabulary and grammar don’t really matter in certain engineering modules.

After taking the module of EG1471, I realized how important grammar and vocabulary are. I will read more English books and watch more English film with subtitles. Using more English in my diary life is also a good way to improve it.