Academic writing is never easy. But when you’re working in a second language – translating not just vocabulary, but nuance, tone, and argument structure – it can feel like you’re writing uphill.

At Deconvolution, I regularly support international students and researchers navigating the challenges of academic English. What I’ve seen time and again is that language skills aren’t the issue; it’s confidence, clarity, and being let into the rules of the game.

Why Writing Feels Harder in a Second Language

• Academic English is its own dialect: Dense, formal, abstract, with norms that shift from field to field.
• Directness vs. politeness: Some academic cultures favour hedging and formality; others prize conciseness and confidence.
• Invisible expectations: Phrases like “critically engage with the literature” sound simple until you try to do it in a way that fits both the content and the tone.

What Helps

• Phrase patterns and scaffolds: Learning key sentence structures gives students reliable tools for expressing complex ideas.
• Jargon unpacked: We take terms like “novel contribution” or “methodological rigour” and clarify what they actually mean, and how they’re demonstrated.
• Voice-building, not just editing: Rather than rewriting someone’s work, we highlight strengths and build their own academic expression.

Supporting students across language divides isn’t about correction; it’s about connection.

If you’re feeling stuck between languages or unsure how to say what you mean in academic English, I’d love to work with you. You’re not alone, and you’re more capable than you think.

Explore more with us:

• Browse Spiralmore collections
• Read our Informal Blog for relaxed insights
• Discover Deconvolution and see what’s happening
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