[LoR] My recommender doesn't speak English well

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Charizard

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Hey everyone,

I'm applying to a few research internships for next summer, and I was hoping that my mentor from my previous summer internship (last summer) would write me a recommendation letter. My mentor would love to write one, but his english skills (including spelling and grammar) are very poor. He asked for a template rec letter or for some helpful information about how to write a rec letter.

Would you guys recommend me to give him some sort of template? If so, what information would you think I should give him? Or is it better for me to ask someone else for a rec letter?

As a follow up question, I have remained connected with my Ethics (Philosophy) Professor very well. She is well-aware of my communication, presentation, initiative, intellectual capabilities, resourcefulness, and other skills. Though she is not a math/science professor, would you still recommend me to ask her to write one? My internships do not require that the professor must be math/science.

Thanks.

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I used an English professor as one of my letters and it hasn't caused any problems and I'm sure it strengthened my application.

I would be kind of hesitant asking someone who hasn't wrote a rec letter because without a lot of experience, it might not be as strong as someone who has spent years writing them. You could always ask if he could talk to a professor who writes a lot of them to see if the professor can give him sample rec letters.
 
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Hey everyone,

I'm applying to a few research internships for next summer, and I was hoping that my mentor from my previous summer internship (last summer) would write me a recommendation letter. My mentor would love to write one, but his english skills (including spelling and grammar) are very poor. He asked for a template rec letter or for some helpful information about how to write a rec letter.

Would you guys recommend me to give him some sort of template? If so, what information would you think I should give him? Or is it better for me to ask someone else for a rec letter?

As a follow up question, I have remained connected with my Ethics (Philosophy) Professor very well. She is well-aware of my communication, presentation, initiative, intellectual capabilities, resourcefulness, and other skills. Though she is not a math/science professor, would you still recommend me to ask her to write one? My internships do not require that the professor must be math/science.

Thanks.


Yes absolutely get recs from whoever knows you well and can vouch for you in some professional capacity. I didn't have a non BCPM rec and it didn't hurt me personally, but it may limit your school choices as some are very specific about which recs you need. Think about it this way: how can it hurt you if you have that recommendation in your pocket? If it doesn't fit a requirement, then don't send it there.


Also I had a rec from a professor who didn't speak English very well. No school ever brought it up except for one that asked who he was since he didn't put it on a letterhead, but they didn't consider it a big deal.


EDIT: I see this is for internships, but I was speaking in relative generalities as well as application cycles for professional schools.
 
Just to update, I have already asked my philosophy professor to write a recommendation letter. I'm sure I can find other opportunities for math/science professors to write me a recommendation letter.

In my opinion, if someone is even a little bit hesitant to write a recommendation letter, then I shouldn't ask him to do so.
 
I've read job lors from people that didn't speak English as a first language. I think it really hurt the applicants in many cases.

I wish I could share one of the letters. I was tears laughing at it because of the ridiculous tangents the writer went off on.

It read like a soap opera.
 
I recently got an internship offer for which I requested my math professor to submit the LOR (and he does not speak English so well)...so, I believe it would not matter as far as he can speak on behalf of you
 
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