Editing Works of Non-Native English Speakers

Thursday
May 17, 2012

The world of editing is ever evolving. Today, people worldwide are more connected than ever, thanks to the Internet. More and more non-native English writers have blogs, seek to enter the world of publishing, and pursue academic degrees in English-speaking nations—degrees that require a great deal of formal writing. But poor English skills can really hold back those for whom English is not their mother tongue, because faulty spelling, bad grammar, and incorrect usage interfere with clear communication and turn readers off.

How can we as editors help non-native English writers succeed in whatever niche they choose? Kim Lawgali, Coordinator of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate Programs at UCSD, and Jane Starrett, an editor for non-native English speakers, will provide some answers to that question at our next Program Meeting. They will discuss the overall style of these writers, cultural differences in expression and citation of sources, and how to build skills and increase vocabulary choices. Kim will address typical grammar problems common to non-native speakers of English and will provide ideas and resources to help build grammar skills.

Jane will review the logical order of American academic writing and will explain why some non-native English writers seem “off topic.” She’ll also discuss how cultural differences generalize to other types of writing, how they affect the ability of non-natives to gather pertinent information from their reading, and why writing an academic paper is often overwhelming to non-natives. She will offer tips for both clients and editors on ways to improve vocabulary and achieve the correct level of formality in writing.

There will be writing samples to analyze, so we can see how their suggestions actually work! Discover more about this growing field of editing.

Meeting Location

SD/PEN meets at the Joyce Beers Community Center, located two short blocks past University Avenue, on your right, between the Terra Restaurant and the Aladdin Restaurant. Free parking is available in the shopping center's underground parking lot; the entrance is just ahead and to your left.

Directions

From the North:

From I-805 or I-15, take CA-163 South toward DOWNTOWN
Just past the I-8 exit, take the UNIVERSITY AVENUE exit (in blue)
At the end of the ramp, turn LEFT onto UNIVERSITY AVENUE
Continue on 5 blocks East to VERMONT AVENUE
Turn LEFT on VERMONT AVENUE

From the South:

Take I-5 North toward DOWNTOWN
Merge onto CA-163 North toward ESCONDIDO
Take the RICHMOND exit (in blue)
Proceed one block east to VERMONT
Turn LEFT on VERMONT
Continue straight past UNIVERSITY AVENUE

Meeting Fee

Meetings are free for members; there is a $10 fee for nonmembers to attend a meeting.

Editing Works of Non-Native English Speakers

Thursday May 17, 2012

Thursday
May 17, 2012