Writing Tip Wednesday!

Dear Master’s Programs students,

This is James Hayashi, the Master’s Programs writing advisor. What a wild time to be alive, right? To help bring a little regularity and predictability to our weeks, MPO is bringing back weekly writing tips, which will support your success here at Rossier and in your professional life beyond.

This first tip isn’t actually about writing—not directly, anyway. It’s about writing’s twin sister, reading. Being an active and observant reader is a key step to becoming a stronger writer.

As you begin your academic life here at Rossier, it’s a good time to establish the habit of active reading. Be aware of the ways authors in your own fields use language when they write. Are there certain terms or phrases that are in vogue? Do the articles you read tend toward a highly academic tone or a more colloquial style? Are published authors fond of longer or shorter sentences? How do other authors structure and support their claims?

Remember that when you use written academic English, you’re joining a dialect with its own established rules and jargon (and its own culture). It will take time to familiarize yourself with the expectations other academics have, but attentive reading is a key strategy to mastering this new language.

Happy writing, James