Portfolio Task 4: Difficulties in Writing in Engineering Classes.

Even though I am a student in engineering, that does not mean that it is just all maths and science and there is no need to focus on my language at all. There are always lab reports, theses and assignments to write, all which require a good command of the English language if I wish to get a good grade for them. So far, I do not have a lot of writing to do as this is just my first semester in NUS. However, back in my polytechnic days in Chemical Engineering, writing lab reports is the norm. Some problems I faced back then, and even now when I am writing essays for EG1471, are grammar mistakes, poor vocabulary and a lack of ideas.

The reason for the first two difficulties is simply because I have stopped learning English since secondary school. Although reports only need to be in the past tense, it is still difficult as there are many types of past tenses, and often there are times when I unintentionally write in the present tense instead. Worse still is my lack of good vocabulary, which severely hinders me, especially when I have to write a long report or essay. This causes me to repeat the same words, making my essays and reports look dull. Not just in writing, but I also face this problem in understanding lecture notes and textbooks when they use tough vocabulary in descriptions or definitions. Poor grammar can only be improved through more practice, but thankfully for vocabulary problems I can always refer to dictionaries and thesauruses (even now, while writing this article). Actually, by doing so, I am improving my vocabulary.

As for lack of ideas, this is a problem I face since my secondary school days, especially in writing conclusions which is my main weakness. Given enough time and references I can think of great ideas for writing, but normally those two is not available in English exams. Right now I am trying to resolve this difficulty by reading more news articles. Hopefully, doing so will help me for both providing references and ideas.

Although it has been a long time since my last English class in secondary school, I still read English novels frequently which helps in maintaining my English language standard. Of course, it is not enough just to read, frequently writing is also necessary if I want to improve my language. This is what I try to do in Internet forums and with materials provided by EG1471. With enough practice I hope that my command of the language will get better.