Thoughts on writing.
I know there's quite a few non-native speakers (of English) on my flist who write and read in English a lot. I'm primarily talking about fiction because that's what I write the most but I don't want to limit this to fiction because I guess almost all non-native speakers have at least once had to write a paper or any other kind of long text in a language that's foreign to them. I had a few thoughts as I was talking to hd_obsession on IM last night where she kept poking me for more porn (♥).
See, when you write in a foreign language you probably reach a point where you're pretty decent, especially if you keep practicing. But still, you'll never be able to write like a native speaker. This is not a bad thing and I certainly don't feel inferior because I'd say I can express myself quite well in English. Yet, when I write there are a few things that I find hard, there are things where I am reminded that English is not my mother tongue.
I'm curious whether this is the same for everybody else who writes in English as a foreign language and whether maybe native speakers have the same problems as I do, even though English is their first language.
The thing I find the hardest about English are prepositions. I can't even explain why but especially with phrasal verbs, I often wonder which preposition I have to use because it can change the meaning of a sentence or because it can lead to some really embarrassing mistakes. (Jared offers to sleep IN the sofa or Jensen and Jared spend a vacation IN an island - as seen in a fic I read recently.) I sometimes feel that I have never really grasped the rules of when to use which preposition and sometimes I fear there are no such rules and that it's something I should know.
Another thing I find hard is the vocabulary. I think the English vocabulary is a lot larger than the German one and sometimes I feel so limited in the words I use. The main problem is that if there's one word to say in German, there'll be at least three in English and they're all slightly different. Sometimes choosing the right word is hard and actually this is something I regularly point out to my betas.
I'd say I got an okay understanding of tenses or rather that my intuition works quite well. I'm not saying I never make mistakes but generally, tenses are something I don't worry over too much.
So how's it for you, native speakers and non-native speakers? Do the native speakers even ever worry over things like that? And if you're a native speaker of English, have you ever attempted writing in a foreign language (maybe a paper for school/college)? Which language and what did you find hard? Edit: Also, what Abbi just pointed out, if you're a beta, what are the most common things people seem to do wrong. (Obviously, don't give names and don't say "User So and So has a big problem with this and that;"
What about the fellow non-native speakers of English? What are your main problems?
I'm very curious right now. And! I'm craving a Starbucks frapp so bad. *sighs* The fic I've been trying to write is going slow, but it's growing. I'll probably have it ready by the next summer hiatus. *g*
See, when you write in a foreign language you probably reach a point where you're pretty decent, especially if you keep practicing. But still, you'll never be able to write like a native speaker. This is not a bad thing and I certainly don't feel inferior because I'd say I can express myself quite well in English. Yet, when I write there are a few things that I find hard, there are things where I am reminded that English is not my mother tongue.
I'm curious whether this is the same for everybody else who writes in English as a foreign language and whether maybe native speakers have the same problems as I do, even though English is their first language.
The thing I find the hardest about English are prepositions. I can't even explain why but especially with phrasal verbs, I often wonder which preposition I have to use because it can change the meaning of a sentence or because it can lead to some really embarrassing mistakes. (Jared offers to sleep IN the sofa or Jensen and Jared spend a vacation IN an island - as seen in a fic I read recently.) I sometimes feel that I have never really grasped the rules of when to use which preposition and sometimes I fear there are no such rules and that it's something I should know.
Another thing I find hard is the vocabulary. I think the English vocabulary is a lot larger than the German one and sometimes I feel so limited in the words I use. The main problem is that if there's one word to say in German, there'll be at least three in English and they're all slightly different. Sometimes choosing the right word is hard and actually this is something I regularly point out to my betas.
I'd say I got an okay understanding of tenses or rather that my intuition works quite well. I'm not saying I never make mistakes but generally, tenses are something I don't worry over too much.
So how's it for you, native speakers and non-native speakers? Do the native speakers even ever worry over things like that? And if you're a native speaker of English, have you ever attempted writing in a foreign language (maybe a paper for school/college)? Which language and what did you find hard? Edit: Also, what Abbi just pointed out, if you're a beta, what are the most common things people seem to do wrong. (Obviously, don't give names and don't say "User So and So has a big problem with this and that;"
What about the fellow non-native speakers of English? What are your main problems?
I'm very curious right now. And! I'm craving a Starbucks frapp so bad. *sighs* The fic I've been trying to write is going slow, but it's growing. I'll probably have it ready by the next summer hiatus. *g*