Physics major. Quantum mechanics class. Term paper: explain the implications of quantum entanglement for future technology. In English. My English. The English that still struggles with articles and prepositions. 
The concepts are hard enough in any language. Wave functions. Superposition. Measurement problems. I understand them in my head. In my language. But translating that into academic English while also making it accurate and clear? My brain is melting.
I wrote a paragraph yesterday. Showed it to my roommate (native English speaker, not a physics person). She said "I don't understand this at all." Is that because my writing is bad or because quantum mechanics is hard? I genuinely don't know.
I tried reading journal articles to see how real physicists write. They use words I don't know. In languages I don't speak. It's just... more confusion.
My professor said "just explain it simply." Simply? Nothing about quantum mechanics is simple. That's the whole point.
Any other STEM international students here? How do you write about complex topics in a language that's not yours? I need strategies. And maybe a translator who also understands physics
The concepts are hard enough in any language. Wave functions. Superposition. Measurement problems. I understand them in my head. In my language. But translating that into academic English while also making it accurate and clear? My brain is melting.
I wrote a paragraph yesterday. Showed it to my roommate (native English speaker, not a physics person). She said "I don't understand this at all." Is that because my writing is bad or because quantum mechanics is hard? I genuinely don't know.
I tried reading journal articles to see how real physicists write. They use words I don't know. In languages I don't speak. It's just... more confusion.
My professor said "just explain it simply." Simply? Nothing about quantum mechanics is simple. That's the whole point.
Any other STEM international students here? How do you write about complex topics in a language that's not yours? I need strategies. And maybe a translator who also understands physics
