As someone who uses English every day but still feels slightly outside of it, I felt very connected to Etel Adnan’s text To Write in a Foreign Language. Sometimes English feels friendly, and sometimes it takes a small break right when I need it. Using the structure of the Conditional Design Manifesto helps turn Adnan’s reflections into simple steps that match the everyday experience of writing in a second language.

1. Begin with the foreign tongue.

Write in a language that is not fully yours. Notice how a simple word sometimes disappears like it has decided to take a short holiday.

2. Accept uncertainty.

Foreign language writing is full of small pauses. These pauses can be part of your voice.

3. Pay attention to emotional distance.

A second language creates space around your ideas. This space can feel strange, but it also helps you see things from another angle.

4. Use confusion as material.

When meanings get mixed or move in the wrong direction, follow them. Sometimes confusion produces better ideas than clarity.

5. Let the language shift.

Allow grammar and vocabulary to move naturally. A foreign language grows with each attempt, even when it surprises you a little.

6. Value mixed identity.

Your first language leaves small footprints in everything you write. These footprints are honest and human, not mistakes to hide.

7. Focus on communication, not perfection.

Say what you want to say, even if the sentence feels slightly under construction. Understanding usually begins from imperfect places.

8. See writing as translation.

Every sentence in a foreign language carries memories and habits from somewhere else. This makes writing a quiet act of translation.

Presenting Adnan’s ideas as a set of instructions makes them feel more active and easier to work with. It reflects the shifting experience of using a language that is still settling inside you.

In my project Under-Construction: English, I notice similar moments. I collect mistranslated signs and my own small English slips. Some examples look amusing at first, then I realise they show how meaning moves across languages. These moments remind me that my English is not failing. It is simply developing, like a building people can already enter even if the paint has not fully dried.

References

• Adnan, E. (1999) To Write in a Foreign Language. Available at: https://contentstore.cla.co.uk (Accessed: 13 November 2025).

• Maurer, L., Paulus, E., Puckey, J. and Wouters, R. (2008) Conditional Design Manifesto. Available at: https://conditionaldesign.org/manifesto (Accessed: 13 November 2025).