Nowadays, the trend amongst learners seems to be to focus primarily on communicative skills. This is certainly an effective way to improve quickly, however, it is important to remember that the other key skills (reading, listening and writing) should not be neglected as a result, they are all interlinked and do affect each other significantly. Try to keep a reasonable balance between how much time you dedicate to each key skill. 

The more you write and read English correspondence, the easier you will find recognizing the language. Not to mention the fact that written English is one of the main tools of workplace communication (emails or text chats), sometimes even if you’re sitting next to the person you want to communicate with (generally so there is written confirmation of the discussion). 

So, what you can do to improve your English writing skills?

1. It may be obvious, but don’t forget to take notes during classes and do all your homework! Some people may not find it necessary to write down what their teacher says, but a lack of attention can result in lack of improvement. It can be quite demanding to study a new language whilst juggling all other day-to-day activities in life, and as such requires a lot of effort. So, to make it easier on yourself, be organised with your learning. Take notes to help you remember things after a busy day, do your homework and get closer to your English fluency goal.

2. Write in your own words! Read something that interests you (about a topic that you are already familiar with) and try to write it again in your own words. This is also known as ‘paraphrasing’ and can help you to solidify your understanding of what you read, by expressing it in your own way. You will undoubtedly use synonyms, so it may be worth investing in a thesaurus!

3. Exchange correspondence with your friends in English. Reading and writing in English has and always will be an effective way of improving these skills. The more you do, the more you learn, and therefore, the better you get!

4. Search interactive websites that provide online practice and correction! Here are some examples to get you started: Quizlet, UsingEnglish or Grammar Check.

5. Utilize social media! There are a great number of online platforms where you can share, chat and comment – all in English! 

6. Improve your English writing skills by blogging. Share your learning experiences with others and tell people how you’re improving and what you’re doing to get there. Don’t see this as boasting; it should be used purely to record your progress, give tips that worked well for you to other learners, and most of all, practise your writing skills!