It is a classic dilemma for any Japanese student of English: with a deadline fast approaching, how to go about writing an essay when the target language is not the student's native tongue? Many assume it is easier to write an essay in their native language and then to translate it into English. In fact, this may be much more difficult than writing an essay in English from the beginning. Writing an essay in the target language from scratch may seem daunting at first, but it may save time and heartache in the long run.