In this blog we introduce the background and skills of our Proofreader, Tracy. Tracy specialises in proofreading academic texts and has specific experience working with International Students and specifically those for who English is not their first language.
I spent the majority of my childhood with my head in a book, escaping to fantastical lands and always knowing that doing something different fascinated me. Therefore, when it came to my career I chose to create a world of work that would inspire, motivate and excite me. I completed my BA (Hons) in History and American Studies, my MA in American Studies and my PGCE (PCET) and became a humanities lecturer in a number of Welsh universities. I loved researching and designing informative, stimulating and interactive lectures and seminars. Whilst working at Cardiff Metropolitan University I was asked to join the English Language Training Centre as an English tutor. This is where my love of the English language further blossomed, and where I discovered the demand for student proofreading.
In 2007, despite being in an amazing place career-wise, and only seeing better, more exciting ventures in my future, I chose to take some time out to raise my family. During my ten years as a full-time mum I proofread for academics and businesses on a sporadic basis and in August 2017, I set up my business: Vale Proofreading.
I believe that proofreading is essential to producing a great written document. It takes a great deal of knowledge and patience to proofread a document effectively. Proofreading ensures that a document is completely free of errors and polished to a high standard. It is not a quick job. I will usually complete several proofs before returning a document to ensure that I have found and corrected all typographical errors, incorrect punctuation, spelling mistakes and inaccurate words. Academic written excellence is extremely important, no matter what the subject or level of study. I understand that every student wants their work to make a positive impact. Errors reduce the impact of an essay and can be detrimental to its argument and articulation. I specialise in proofreading academic texts and have specific experience working with students whose first language is not English.