How to Write in Spanish
In Spanish as in English, you need to give yourself time to write. You need to write carefully and pay attention to grammar, vocabulary and context.
o Always type your assignments. College is supposed to prepare you for the working world. You wouldn't turn in a hand-scrawled report to your boss, and you should never turn in hand-written essays to your professors. Accents should be typed, not written in. If you don't know how to do that, do a web search or type in "accents" in your word processor's help menu. You should always double space so that there is room for your professor to write in corrections.
o Plan it out. No matter how short the assignment, you need to plan out what you're going to say. Write out an outline (not a list, but a numbered outline with categories and sub-categories). This will help you order your ideas and organize them into paragraphs. Be sure this outline is in Spanish!
o Have a good opening line. Never start an essay with "Hola." You don't have to be good at Spanish to know that's lame! Take a little time to think of a first sentence that will grab your reader---or at least sound like you gave it a little thought.
o Write in paragraphs. This means that one idea flows into the next. If, for instance, you are asked to write a description of your family, you don't write: "My mother is tall. I have three sisters. My dad is a photographer. My family lives in Greenville." This is a list of incongruous facts, not a cohesive paragraph.
o Use the current and previous class material. Your professor will give you more credit if you use new vocabulary and grammar structures, as well as previously studied ones. It will help you review and really learn the material, which is the whole point of writing an essay._
o Use the structures you know. Do not try to say things that you don't know how to say in Spanish, because it will be incomprehensible.
o Do not translate. Translation rarely works as a strategy because the only people who should translate are those who know both languages very well. Beware of your dictionary! Use it sparingly, or not at all. If you don't know how to say something, it's better to find something else to say. At this point you need to reinforce the material you have been learning, not stretch beyond what you're capable of doing. Never use online translation services. They are notoriously bad, not to mention a breach of the honor code, and professors can spot them a mile away. For more on this topic, take a look at my blog entry about translators.
o Simplify. Do not use convoluted sentences. Stick to the structures you know. This does not mean short and choppy! For instance, in an essay describing yourself: "I am tall. I am friendly. I am blond. I like sports. I am athletic." You can combine sentences with a connector to make them better, but be sure that the things that are connected have a logical correlation with each other: "I am tall and athletic, and I like sports. I am also very friendly, and participate in many activities with my friends."
o Never turn in your first draft as your assignment. It will take your professor twice as long to try to read something you threw together than it would if you planned carefully and edited it well. Considering that you want your professor in the best mood possible when reading your essay, it would be a good idea to write with care. Once you're done, re-read it and make corrections. Pay special attention to agreement issues and spelling. Do not give it to someone else to edit, because this would be a breach of the honor code.
o Proofread your own work! Don't count on a spell checker to do your proofreading--it will be evident and it will not impress your professor. If you're not convinced of this, take a look at the the video of Taylor Mali reciting his brilliant poem about proofreading.
o Always type your assignments. College is supposed to prepare you for the working world. You wouldn't turn in a hand-scrawled report to your boss, and you should never turn in hand-written essays to your professors. Accents should be typed, not written in. If you don't know how to do that, do a web search or type in "accents" in your word processor's help menu. You should always double space so that there is room for your professor to write in corrections.
o Plan it out. No matter how short the assignment, you need to plan out what you're going to say. Write out an outline (not a list, but a numbered outline with categories and sub-categories). This will help you order your ideas and organize them into paragraphs. Be sure this outline is in Spanish!
o Have a good opening line. Never start an essay with "Hola." You don't have to be good at Spanish to know that's lame! Take a little time to think of a first sentence that will grab your reader---or at least sound like you gave it a little thought.
o Write in paragraphs. This means that one idea flows into the next. If, for instance, you are asked to write a description of your family, you don't write: "My mother is tall. I have three sisters. My dad is a photographer. My family lives in Greenville." This is a list of incongruous facts, not a cohesive paragraph.
o Use the current and previous class material. Your professor will give you more credit if you use new vocabulary and grammar structures, as well as previously studied ones. It will help you review and really learn the material, which is the whole point of writing an essay._
o Use the structures you know. Do not try to say things that you don't know how to say in Spanish, because it will be incomprehensible.
o Do not translate. Translation rarely works as a strategy because the only people who should translate are those who know both languages very well. Beware of your dictionary! Use it sparingly, or not at all. If you don't know how to say something, it's better to find something else to say. At this point you need to reinforce the material you have been learning, not stretch beyond what you're capable of doing. Never use online translation services. They are notoriously bad, not to mention a breach of the honor code, and professors can spot them a mile away. For more on this topic, take a look at my blog entry about translators.
o Simplify. Do not use convoluted sentences. Stick to the structures you know. This does not mean short and choppy! For instance, in an essay describing yourself: "I am tall. I am friendly. I am blond. I like sports. I am athletic." You can combine sentences with a connector to make them better, but be sure that the things that are connected have a logical correlation with each other: "I am tall and athletic, and I like sports. I am also very friendly, and participate in many activities with my friends."
o Never turn in your first draft as your assignment. It will take your professor twice as long to try to read something you threw together than it would if you planned carefully and edited it well. Considering that you want your professor in the best mood possible when reading your essay, it would be a good idea to write with care. Once you're done, re-read it and make corrections. Pay special attention to agreement issues and spelling. Do not give it to someone else to edit, because this would be a breach of the honor code.
o Proofread your own work! Don't count on a spell checker to do your proofreading--it will be evident and it will not impress your professor. If you're not convinced of this, take a look at the the video of Taylor Mali reciting his brilliant poem about proofreading.
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