Sample Opinion Piece No.1

Mastering The English Language

I always preen when complimented on my excellent command of English. I can assure you, I’ll never tire of compliments said along this vein. It certainly makes up for all the Dial soaps, I was forced to consume as a young girl.

Being loquacious, I wanted to speak to the world! But I had to adhere to this important house rule: SPEAK ONLY ENGLISH! This rule meant I had to finish an entire narrative of who really really spilled my chocolate drink or why I had not done my assignment in math, in The King’s English. Not a single word that smacked of Datu Lapu-lapu (Even if he was a valiant Filipino warrior), must be heard in my narrative. If I broke the rule (ditto with my siblings and cousins) Dial got soaped into my mouth.

On the plus side, I could tattle tale on a cousin or sibling for not speaking English. Then gleefully watch as they froth at the mouth with soap. Except that sooner rather than later, my turn to froth would come.

English was the first language we heard as we crawled towards our parents. My dreams are conducted in English. I can cuss profusely in this language. When surprised, happy and excited, I speak English. When embarrassed and needing to pick up my tattered pride, I speak English. When inebriated, English is the language I am most likely to collapse into.

English is the language, I remember my paternal grandmother intone with all the solemnity of the Greek Oracle, that will lift us out of the pages of obscurity and swing wide the door to high society. I’m still waiting for that door to swing my way.

Meanwhile, I’m busy learning how to speak, understand and write in better English, for professional reasons, and as a personal commitment.

Because I am not a native speaker, I face certain unique challenges in my aim to master the English language.

The skills of reading/understanding, writing and speaking in English, are separate ones. You may be good at understanding English, or speaking it, yet lack the ability to write English in such a way as to be clearly understood.

Some of my deficiencies such as not properly identifying the differences between a determiner, a modifier or an adverb as opposed to an adjective, are common problems writers face. A weighty one is the ability to use phrases, in such a way that English native speakers/readers would immediately understand.

To effectively communicate a thought to the reader, and have the reader clearly understand this.

It's a challenge alright! I know so well, because I work as a freelance professional English writer. And in my line of work, I’m most often competing with English native speakers, for writing assignments. I’ve come to painfully realize, the direct link my earnings have on my proficiency in writing grammatically correct English.

The solution? Constantly immerse myself in reading, writing and listening to English. To regularly review the grammatical structures, the usages of adjectives; be able to identify adverbs or the uses of punctuation marks.

But it’s an fulfilling professional life – where else is one paid to do what one is passionate about?