For anyone who’s looked up recommendations for must-read books, Lolita (1955) by Vladimir Nobokov is a common sighting. This novel is a cornerstone in the english literature world. Such is the impact his first work in English has garnered over the years. His first nine novels were in Russian. This makes Nobokov a champion of sorts in exophonic Writing.

Exophony is the practice of writing (normally creative) in a Language that is not one’s mother tongue. Exophonic writers thoroughly grasp another language due to various reasons. It could be because of migration, political motivations or out of personal interest. But the main motivation for modern exophonic writers is commercial success.

Creative or academic writing in a second language is a challenging task. It takes time and effort to understand the structure and grammar of another language.

Even the native speakers start to notice such complexities once they start writing for serious purposes. So it is understandable when ESL students struggle to gain proficiency in a language that is widely spoken throughout the world.

There is much to learn from how these exophonic writers think, write and operate.

Here’s how they can inspire you for personal and professional success:

1) Mastering a second language.

Once you move to a new country, you learn a little of the language that it spoken there or make an effort once you are there. Don’t learn the language just so you can speak with people. There is a lot of creative potential in you to use the new language. Aleksandar Hemon, a Bosnian who moved to America, wrote his first english short story within three years. Today, he is a well known author!

2) Professional Advancement

Making small talk is convenient and easy. But it takes time to start having engaging conversations with your new friends and colleagues. Indulging from time to time in Creative Writing can help you get there. That is when you gain insights into topics of your mutual interest and it will naturally flow out in your conversations.

3) Improved capacity of thinking

You may encounter many words, meanings and concepts that exclusively exist in a particular language, which other languages and cultures have not conceived or defined. This makes you think in a greater capacity. It could introduce you to new concepts of freedom, norms and ethics which do not exist in your first language or local culture.

4) Increased Opportunities

Developing proficiency in a new language can have profound effects on a student’s global perspective and social perception. An acquired language with it’s tools can also help you refine your first language and understand its intricacies.

Being fluent in a language (especially English) improves your chances of being admitted to social groups with greater amounts of social and political influence.

We know ESL students go through tough times in their academic pursuits. You will have to work on your given dissertations, essays and thesis. What might help you have an edge in all such assignments is to develop a habit of creative writing.

We don’t suggest you start writing a novel right off the boat. But once you have the basics clear, you can start to dabble in creative writing. Blog writing, articles for a college magazine, publishing a short story or keeping a personal journal can do wonders in the way you speak and write an acquired language.

We hope you venture into the uncharted territory of creative writing and put out some brilliant stuff out there. If you need any help with academic or creative writings, you can trust PaperTrue to proofread and edit your written material.

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