Basic Academic Writing Skills - Arts, Humanities and Social Science B2

Target Participants
Though open to participants at all stages in their studies (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate and post-doc. fee applicable for doctoral students and post-docs.), this course focuses on familiarisation with, and/or revision of, basic academic writing skills. It is thus aimed at participants whose present writing skills in this area may be described as modest.

Entry Requirements/Level of Course

The minimum entry level for the course is B2 on the European Framework Global Scale.

Aims
This course aims to familiarise students with the basic requirements and conventions of academic writing in English. It does not focus primarily on improving participants general English language skills, such as grammar, though common problems that are of particular relevance to academic writing, such as relative clauses, passive structures, and punctuation are addressed. Attention is also paid to aspects of vocabulary and register that are considered appropriate to an academic context.

Content and Approach

The course focuses on both the techniques and the linguistic conventions of academic writing. Specific areas to be covered include organisation and structure (including paragraphing), coherence and cohesion, and clarity of expression. Practice is offered in essential writing techniques such as summarizing and paraphrasing. Participants are encouraged to produce written work that is based on their own field of study or academic interest.

Assessment and Credits

Participants are awarded 2 ECTS credits for successful completion of the course. The workload is 2 hours per week outside the classroom. This implies regular attendance and active participation in classwork. The basis of assessment is a portfolio completed during the course and corrected by the participant in response to the lecturers marking.

Materials
We will use the course book "Academic Writing, a Handbook for International Students by Stephen Bailey.

Mailing: Basic subject line

Basic Academic Writing Skills Arts, Humanities and Social Science Anna Ekert

B2 www.sprachenzentrum.uzh.ch

Gradesheet for .
points awarded1

Criteria Grouping Vocabulary accuracy of general vocabulary register and precision of vocabulary collocation and use of discipline-specific terms Grammar use of articles and formation of noun phrases verb system agreement of determiners, dependent prepositions, subject-verb, etc. construction and use of relative and other subordinate clauses Clarity and Coherence sentence length basic sentence structure: SVO adverb placing distribution of familiar and new information within sentences delivery of subject and verb within sentence front-loading, etc. complex and compound sentences, enumerations, etc. Organisation and Cohesion use of basic topic progression devices (repetition, pronouns, condensed noun phrases, etc.) use of more advanced topic progression devices (changes to parts of speech, hyperonyms, metonyms, etc.) use of sentence adverbs and adverbials paragraph structuring devices use of topic sentences, preview sentences, etc. paragraph formation (argumentation, breaking text into digestible pieces) and length coordination between paragraphs Global Achievement use of advanced stylistic resources (rhetorical questions, etc.) presentation of complex ideas, especially to non-specialist readers likely effect on specialist readers likely effect on general scientific readers development of writing between assignments responses to comments and feedbacks as improvements to second drafts Total points: Final grade: General comment: ___ Next steps:___

0 1 2 3 4

For each criteria grouping, 0 = no evidence; 1 = not adequate; 2 = mostly adequate, but substantial work still to do in this area; 3 = clearly adequate, although still some room for improvement; 4 = excellent. Basic Academic Writing Skills Arts, Humanities and Social Science Anna Ekert B2 www.sprachenzentrum.uzh.ch

Week 1

Date

Vocab and grammar

20.09 Vocab: register 2.10 Style (pp150153) Vocab general academic vocabulary: AWL exercises + Formality in verbs (p182)

27.09 Vocab: fluency, accuracy and

4.10 11.10 18.10

4 5

precision online resources, 3.11 Synonyms (pp222-225); Abstract nouns (p201-202) Vocab: collocation and use of discipline-specific terms online resources, collocations Verb system: revision of verb tenses 3.15 Verbs tenses (pp241-245) Verb system: passive vs. active forms 3.13 Verbs - passives

Sentences, paragraphs and texts Basic paragraph structure 1.10 Organizing paragraphs (pp77-80) topic sentences, from general/abstract to specific, developing argument, concluding and linking to another paragraph Basic sentence structure: SVO main and subordinate clauses; compound and complex sentences Sentence length, sentence variety 3 Practice B (p93); Varying sentence length (pp156-157) Text flow: given-new pattern of information; front-loading Topic progression basic devices: repetition, pronouns, condensed noun phrases, etc. 2.3 Cohesion (pp115118), Reading abstracts (p22) condensed NPs; Topic progression advanced techniques: changes to parts of speech, hyperonyms, metonyms, etc. 2.9 Problems and solutions (p145); 3.6 Nouns and adjectives (pp198201); Providing evidence (p107) synonyms, terminology Coordination within paragraphs (coordinating conjunctions, subordinate clauses and sentence adverbs) 3.5 Conjunctions (pp192195), 2 Practice A (pp91-92) as a rewrite exercise Coordination between paragraphs (coordinate and subordinate relationships between paragraphs)

Self-study Writing in paragraphs (p9) Most common mistakes: Proof-reading & Confusing pairs (pp93-97) Avoiding repetition and redundancy (pp154-155) Simple and complex sentences (p8)

Writing course introduction

deadline paragraph A

paragraph A checked deadline revision of paragraph A

25.10 Formation of noun phrases: heavy

NPs, articles 3.3 Articles (pp184187)

deadline 2 paragraphs

1.11

Agreement of determiners and dependent prepositions, subject-verb: complex subjects & SVA, etc. 3.10 Singular or plural? (pp215-221); 3.8 Prepositions (pp207-211) Modification: relative clauses, misplaced modification

DependentPrepositionPatterns.pdf

2 paragraphs checked

8.11

1.4 From understanding titles to planning (pp36-42) + any of the below if applicable: 4.3 Reports, case studies and literature reviews (pp257-266), 4.4 Designing

deadline revision of 2 paragraphs

Basic Academic Writing Skills Arts, Humanities and Social Science Anna Ekert

B2 www.sprachenzentrum.uzh.ch

3/4

15.11 Adverb placing Using adverbs

(pp232-233)

10

22.11 Cause-effect and problem-solution

texts 2.9 Problems and solutions (pp145-149)

11 12

29.11 Verb system: verbs of reference

3.14 Verbs of reference (pp236-240)

6.12

13

13.12 Punctuation 3.9 Punctuation

(pp212-216)

Introductions: generalizations, definitions and examples 1.11 Introductions and conclusions (pp8387), Building on generalizations (p138), 2.5 Definitions (pp126-129), 2.6 Examples (pp130-133) Introductions: generalizations, definitions and examples 1.11 Introductions and conclusions (pp8387), Building on generalizations (p138), 2.5 Definitions (pp126-129), 2.6 Examples (pp130-133) Conclusions Conclusions (pp8889) Paraphrasing and summarizing 1.6 Paraphrasing, 1.7 Summarizing (pp5061); Degrees of plagiarism (p32), Avoiding plagiarism by summarizing and paraphrasing (p33-35); Taking a critical approach (pp73-76) Cautious language 3.4 Caution (pp188-189); 2.7 Generalizations (pp134-136)

and reporting surveys (pp267-272), 4.5 Writing longer essays (pp273-281), 2.11 Visual information (pp158-165) 2.1 Argument and discussion (pp101108)

outline essay

deadline essay

Summarizing a report (pp284-285)

essay checked feedback on essay (in-class)

deadline revision of essay feedback on course

14

20.12 Course summary

Basic Academic Writing Skills Arts, Humanities and Social Science Anna Ekert

B2 www.sprachenzentrum.uzh.ch

4/4