English is the lingua franca when it comes to global ecommerce.
It’s also the most spoken language on the planet, with over 1.5 billion speakers worldwide.
As an ESL (English as a second language) writer, it can make sense to hire a copy editor to review your English-language content before publication.
But is investing in an editor worth the expense?
I think it is. Here are four reasons why.
Professional Editing Improves Grammar and Word Choice
English is a hard language with many grammatical and syntactical idiosyncrasies. And there is often no evident rhyme or reason why a word or phrase is written the way it is.
For example, the plural of mouse is mice, but the plural of house is… houses.
The reason for this seeming discrepancy is unfortunately buried in the history of the development of English over the centuries. Practically speaking, learning the difference is a matter of rote memorization.
English is a hard language, and there is often no rhyme or reason why a word or phrase is written the way it is.
The same applies to certain words and phrases that don’t mean what they seem to say.
An example of this is the idiom “I could care less,” which means the exact opposite: the person uttering the phrase couldn’t care less about the topic at hand.
English is rife with idiosyncrasies and inconsistencies of this nature, and as a result, it is extremely challenging for English language learners to sound fluent when writing.
English relies to a great extent on word order to convey meaning, and the correct or natural order of words in a sentence in English may not match that of your native tongue.
But a professional copy editor can smooth out your content and correct any mistakes of this nature.
Professional Editing Enhances Writing Style
There are certain stylistic considerations you need to take into account when writing in any language.
English is no exception.
English relies to a great extent on word order to convey meaning, and the correct or natural order of words in a sentence in English may not match that of your native tongue.
It is a significant achievement to learn a foreign language, something anyone should be proud of. But it is also true that writing well in any language is difficult.
This can lead to a nonnative English writer using a sentence structure that is perfectly intelligible in their own language but confusing when transliterated into English.
A good copy editor can take a draft text, identify these types of stylistic issues, and correct them to ensure that the finished copy is written in a natural, flowing manner.
Professional Editing Ensures Accurate Language Use
Every word (in any language) has a semantic field—a range of meaning that the word can convey depending on context.
But semantic fields between words often overlap, which can lead to an ESL writer using an almost-but-not-quite-correct term in their writing.
This slight difference—only one letter—could easily be missed by even a native speaker.
For example, consider the words adverse and averse.
According to The Chicago Manual of Style,
- Adverse means “strongly opposed” or “unfavorable” and refers to things; “adverse health effects”
- Averse, on the other hand, means “feeling negative about” and refers to people; “My son was averse to taking his medication.”
This slight difference—only one letter—could easily be missed by even a native speaker.
A qualified copy editor, by contrast, will pick up on these subtle mistakes and be able to quickly correct them for you.
Professional Editing Increases Readability and Clarity
It can be difficult for even a native speaker to write clearly and in a readable manner. How much harder it is, then, when you find yourself writing in a second language!
To be clear, it is a significant achievement to learn and be able to communicate in one or more foreign languages, something anyone should be proud of.
Hiring a professional editor can be a winning investment for nonnative English or ESL writers.
But it is also true that writing well in any language is difficult—and only more so when it is not the language you grew up speaking.
A professional editor can be a potent ally in your quest to write well. They can take your idea or draft and shape it into clear, easily readable copy.
Where to find professional editors as an ESL writer
Hiring a professional editor can be a winning investment for nonnative English or ESL writers.
The benefits of editors include the following:
- They help you to improve grammar and word choice.
- They can enhance your writing style.
- They ensure accurate terminology use.
- They improve the readability and natural flow of your text.
If you are an ESL writer in need of professional editing, Cedar Press can help. You can book a call with us here.
Book a call today!