I have noticed that I understand and communicate better with coworkers who are ESL/ETL when it comes to text/writing, than I do coworkers who are native speakers.
During my time in special school, English was for the most part very heavily focused on reading/writing more than speaking/listening. There were multiple classes, one for all the esoteric rules of English and others for how to communicate with others effectively.
I also remember writing essays and other papers almost every other week.