Writing an essay can be hard in your own language, imagine in a different one. This is the challenge that ESL students have to face when they try to write an essay in English as an exercise or because they have enrolled in a college or university in an English-speaking country.
So, in this situation, nothing better than count on online tools that will allow you to write a better essay and that have been created especially thinking on ESL students. And here are ten of them so you can start using them from now on.
# 1 – Search on YouTube
YouTube has several video classes focused on ESL students who wants to learn how to write an essay in English. Most of them have been created by ESL teachers so they know what you need and how to explain it in a way that you can understand. Some good examples are classes created by James, who will explain to you the basic of essay writing and how to make it effective and engaging.
# 2 – Try ESLflow
ESL Flow has a section especially dedicated to Academic Writing, full of resources about essays. There you will find outline worksheets, graphic organisers, and tips on how to write better sentences and paragraphs, and how to find your main idea. It is all well-organised in categories and available on PDF files, so you can download them and print them out if you like.
# 3 – Learn with BBC Learning English
BBC Learning English has several resources for those who wants to improve their English skills in general. But when it comes to essays, you will find that not only their Academic English is great, but also their News English section, where you will be able to read and watch the latest news followed by activities. This way you will have materials that will help you to improve your vocabulary and to learn better ways to talk about any current affairs’ topic.
# 4 – Get the news with Breaking News English
Same way as BBC’s News English, Breaking News English will give you the opportunity to know what is going on in the world and learn how to talk about them. And the best thing about this site is that it will provide the same story and activities in different learning levels so you can pick the one that match your current expertise and come back to it later if you feel that you are ready for a bigger challenge.
# 5 – Flo-Joe
Flo-Joe is focused on Cambridge exams but it won’t stop you from using their resources to excel on your essay. Just choose the exam that you think that match your level – or go straight to CAE if you are in college, or CPE if you are attending a master or a doctorate – and try their writing classes. And if you want to enrich your vocabulary, make of their word bank exercises a weekly task. It comes with very short and extremely useful exercises on work formation, phrasal verbs, and collocation.
# 6 – ESL Notes
Do you have to write an essay about a movie or something that was the background story of a movie? Then you should check the English Learner Movie Guides resource on ESL Notes. They will give you the option to choose from a PDF, a HTML, or DOC file, and get a summary of the plot followed but an extensive list of phrases used on the film with words or expressions which might be new for some ESL students. You willaslo get a complete explanation of each one of them and question for study group discussions.
# 7 – Outsource it with Essay Thinker
If you realise that you just don’t have the time to go through the whole process of learning how to write an essay and still get it done, you should consider outsourcing this task. And one of the best essay writing services available on the market is Essay Writing Service. They are ready to help students from secondary school and further with their essays, no matter its complexity. Essay Thinker also offer service of urgency and a secure money-back policy.
8 – English Forums
Do you have a specific question that you would like to ask to a native speaker? Then you should try EnglishForums. They have an enormous database full of answers that can cover most of the doubts you might have, but you are welcome to post your own questions any time. You can also try their general forum or go straight to their Essay, Report, and Composition Writing forum. There is always someone out there happy to help you so you can just sit back and wait for replies – and they are all completely free of charge. They also have plenty of other resources available there.
9 – British Council
The British Council also offer a website full of resources for students who are going to study in an English-speaking country. It comes with tips about several types of writing, exercises and examplex from assignments so you can see what is considered as a good English writing. On their Essay section, you will find resources that will help you to learn how to improve your critical thinking skills and to construct a coherent argument.
10 – Purdue Online Writing Lab
If you are looking for something more comprehensive, Purdue Online Writing Lab might be the best option for you. They put together exercises, tips, and samples about English Writing in general from grammar to plagiarism and paraphrasing. So you are certain to find anything you need to improve your writing there. Their Understanding Writing Assignments section will also give you plenty of information regarding assignment prompts and how to understand them so to write a better essay.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are several resources available for you so you can deliver great essays without any difficulty. Just start browsing away and see which one of them matches your needs and level of expertise better. The next step will simply be waiting for much higher marks from now on.
About author: Julie Ellis – professional writer and editor from Miami, FL.
Follow Julie’s social networks (Twitter/G+) to find more about essay writing, proofreading and education in USA.
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