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Rec letter from someone who isn't a native English speaker?

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 8:57 am
by Mikey45
Hi,

I'm currently working abroad and I will still be abroad when I apply to law school next fall.

My direct supervisor, who I'm very close with and has nothing but good things to say about me, speaks English but is not a native speaker. I'd love for her to write me a rec, but I'm hesitant because there's a good chance her rec would contain grammatical/spelling mistakes, or some sentences/phrases might seem a bit odd/unnatural.

Can anyone give me some advice on this situation? Should I have her write it and then just proofread/edit it? Should I leave her rec as is? Should I just write the rec myself and have her approve it and then send it?

Thanks for any help

Re: Rec letter from someone who isn't a native English speaker?

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 10:35 am
by JFO1833
Hi,

I'm currently working abroad and I will still be abroad when I apply to law school next fall.

My direct supervisor, who I'm very close with and has nothing but good things to say about me, speaks English but is not a native speaker. I'd love for her to write me a rec, but I'm hesitant because there's a good chance her rec would contain grammatical/spelling mistakes, or some sentences/phrases might seem a bit odd/unnatural.

***I wouldn't worry about this too much. If the supervisor has good things to say and has knowledge of you relevant to your application this should be good enough. I would onlt be concerned if you don't think the person can write clearly enough for a reader to understand.***

Can anyone give me some advice on this situation? Should I have her write it and then just proofread/edit it? Should I leave her rec as is? Should I just write the rec myself and have her approve it and then send it?

***I would not suggest editing or writing it yourself. Let the chips fall where they may with this one. Again, as long as you think the person can write clearly enough the reader can understand it should be fine.***

Thanks for any help

Re: Rec letter from someone who isn't a native English speaker?

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 11:55 am
by tacocat
A typical letter of recommendation from an employer briefly discusses the position, the nature of the relationship with the person they're recommending and some of their responsbilities. Assuming your supervisor uses that format, it should be clear from that info that the job is overseas. That will naturally explain any minor grammatical or spelling errors. Plus, your resume will have the job listed, which provides more clues. You should be fine.