Analyzing the major challenges i faced as a member of a writing community (IMPORTANT worth 20% of my grade) - Essay Example

Despite the advantages associated with excellent writing skills, international students face challenges in development of effective writing skills. The challenge is adverse when the English is not the student’s first language. Students from Arabic and French speaking African countries face massive challenges because they must study English as a language before developing the necessary writing skills. Language learning is the process that requires time. For instance, early introduction to language leads to a better understanding of the language.

For this case, students study English language at an old stage when in college. Such late introduction to a new language will adversely affect the writing skills of the students. For my case I started studying language in high school and despite the aggressive learning approach, I have not reached a satisfactory level. Therefore, the main challenge is to understand the language and developing the necessary skills with the focus being on the writing skills and style (Briggs 56). The introduction of the various languages at the infant stage of life may be beneficial for the students compared to the current college approach employed.

The main challenge in international writing is the understanding of the Standard English for academic use, which affects article or publication quality. Language understanding and proficiency is vital in the development of the necessary writing skills and can be improved through practice and writing. In addition, there are five domains, which an international student can experience difficulties when developing academic writing skills (Briggs 20). The first challenge is the difference in culture.

Difference in culture leads to culturally coined problems. The assumed and actual differences in the concepts of academic writing between the country of origin and host country can affect the writing significantly. In fact, it is a considerable challenge for international students because of the difference in understanding and perception. Some words may be translated to give a different meaning to the whole situation. The use of slang within the college causes a challenge because it affects understanding and meaning of words for international student.

Academic writing approach between the different nations illustrates the difference in writing concepts which will be evident in the writings. According to Briggs, the observation by teachers indicates that the problems related to cultural adjustment, language and learning are products of cultural differences. The main challenge with culture is the difference in the learning style between country of origin and study country. For instance, the Middle Eastern culture does not encourage male and females interacting freely in the learning environment (Briggs 56).

Therefore, the students may face the challenge when studying in the western countries which have no gender related restriction. Such changes will affect the international student and in turn reduce or lead to poor academic success. Culture is a vital issue in learning for international students because it affects perception and understanding. The international students are faced with general-linguistic problems, which result from linguistic knowledge or competency of the student. These are problems that cannot be accounted for by the students because of the second language deficiency (Briggs 23).

Additionally, the ability of the student to