ENGLISH WRITING Thiu nng

Session 1 All Modules Instructor: H L V

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OVERVIEW
Language of instruction Warm-up activities The linking issue Contrastive Rhetoric Course Overview
Theoretical component Application component

Course benefits & limitations

vs. test preparation courses
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LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION

WARM-UP 1
How many different meanings does the following sentence have?
The boy saw a man with a telescope. What causes different interpretations? Which version came to your mind first?

WARM-UP 2
Watch a short clip (taken from That '70 show)
Scene: a high school coffee shop Context: When confronted by a customer complaining about the service, Frank, the bartender, says that being a Vietnam war veteran, he does not think its worth his while serving food to teenagers.

THE LINKING ISSUE

Why this clip is funny?
I did not lose a leg in Vietnam, so that I could serve hot dogs to teenagers.
vs.

I did not lose a leg in Vietnam. the linking issue a sentence or clauses meaning should be determined from the context (i.e. its relations to other sentences/clauses) rather than on its own

THE LINKING ISSUE

The principal unit for language learning is traditionally the sentence.
Non-native speakers may be uncomfortable with English writing if they are not taught to look at the text as a whole or at those features that provide links between sentences in text

THE LINKING ISSUE

Different languages may link sentences or ideas in different ways
An armed robber shot the sister of the actor who was on the balcony Who was on the balcony? The actor or the sister? English speakers: tend to link who was on the balcony with the actor Spanish speakers: tend to link who was on the balcony with the sister Try to avoid linking ambiguities in your writing

L2 writing problems are not necessarily due to vocabulary and grammar limitations

FUN ACTIVITY

CONCEPTS OF CONTRASTIVE RHETORIC

Contrastive rhetoric (CR): examines differences and similarities in writing across languages
Kaplans seminal article (will be discussed in Session 3)

Discuss the anecdotal examples

Asian students view of careful thinking Spanish speakers tendency of over-explaining. The going to the post office situation Do all these have anything to do with linking? Food for thought: do Vietnamese behave the same?

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FUN ACTIVITY
Read a short English text composed by a Vietnamese. What do you think?
Topic: If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change? I was born in Gia Lam a small town outside Ha Noi. It always revives many fond memories of my childhood whenever I come back. If I have a chance to do one important thing for my hometown so as to make it better, I will dedicate a large area of land to building green parks.

Irrelevancy: It always revives many fond memories of my childhood whenever I come back.
Does this really contribute to the point the author is trying to make? Why do you think the author includes it? When should it be relevant?
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COURSE OVERVIEW
A CR-based course, focusing on English writing, especially academic writing
Why academic and not freestyle writing?

Goal: Help Vietnamese learners notice and reduce the gap between their own English writing and that of native speakers.

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FOUR-STEP LEARNING
Awareness Raising
Learn about possible L2 writing problems that are not grammar related
structure (Thiu Nng) vocabulary (Tp Dch)

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FOUR-STEP LEARNING
Discovery
Explore important differences in rhetorical structure between Vietnamese and English
Essay comparison Learn how to analyze the structure of an essay

Examine undesirable influences Vietnamese may have on the way Vietnamese students write in English

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FOUR-STEP LEARNING
Revision
Apply revision techniques Work on a solution for problems of your own Participate in self- and peer-review activities

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A SAMPLE OF REVISION EXERCISES

Why the use of however in the following passage is problematic?
Matt, I know that you have a lot of experience in traveling. However, I am so disappointed because you behaved in ways that make me feel as if you were a child, got angry when cheated by some street vendors.

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FOUR-STEP LEARNING
Application
structure translation (Vietnamese to English) argumentative genre (TOEFL/IELTS/GMAT/GRE essays) application for overseas studying

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FUN ACTIVITY
watch a video clip and see how meaning changes when linking changes

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MODULE 1: ENGLISH RHETORIC

The manner a paragraph is organized across sentence boundaries Theme-Rheme concepts Linking and thematic progression (TP)
6 transition patterns and 3 connection types TP analysis and charting

Conjunction relationships
10 basic relations other relations

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MODULE 1: ENGLISH RHETORIC

Thematic progression improvement techniques
Linear idea development Manner of exemplification Theme-Rheme re-arrangement Employment of cohesive devices Linking facilitation linking scope linking distance linking explicitness

Critical thinking, idea linking & linear development

important in tackling GMAT/GRE verbal parts

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MODULE 2: STRUCTURE TRANSLATION

Vietnamese-English translation tasks

Why translation? How does it help with your English writing? How translation exercises in Thieu Nang differ from those in Tap Dich?
structure-focused vs. vocabulary-focused

Learn how to detect problems in terms of idea development and rhetorical structures
Entrance test solutions?

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MODULE 2: STRUCTURE TRANSLATION

A sample task: What would be a problem in terms of structure when you translate the following Vietnamese text into English?

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MODULE 2: STRUCTURE TRANSLATION

Another sample task: What would be a problem in terms of structure when you translate the following Vietnamese text into English?
LeanTek s cng doanh nghip xy dng nhng tng phong ph mi m trong vic t chc cc s kin ph hp vi tnh cht ca sn phm, doanh nghip Bn, ng thi to c s hng th vi nhm i tng ca doanh nghip Bn. Kt ni thnh cng sn phm & dch v ca doanh nghip Bn ti khch hng mc tiu hm nay v mai sau. Cch lm ca LeanTek l: Kinh nghim v s hiu bit su sc sn phm, ngnh ngh kinh doanh ca doanh nghip; kin thc v kinh nghim chuyn mn ca chng ti trong lnh vc PR l s kt hp nht qun xy dng nhng chin lc, gii php cho ring doanh nghip ca Bn.
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MODULE 3: ARGUMENTATIVE GENRE Why argumentative writing?

A core text type in (or block building for) academic writing tested by TOEFL/IELTS/GMAT/GRE writing tasks problematic both technically and culturally for Vietnamese learners

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MODULE 3: ARGUMENTATIVE GENRE What does argumentative writing entail?

structure of argument (claim-support-warrant-qualificationrebuttal)
important in tackling GRE/GMAT argument essays

writer intentionality audience awareness

important in tackling GRE issue essays watch a sample of two-way conversation. Should we do it?

argument validity and logical errors

argument fallacies

claim qualification and rebuttal strategies Appraisal resources differences between TOEFL/IELTS vs. GMAT/GRE essays in terms of argument skills
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MODULE 3: ARGUMENTATIVE GENRE Modal verbs, e.g. would, could, should, must
Why modal verbs?
heavily used in academic writing, especially argumentative genre, to qualify your claims basic meaning (social world) vs. extended meaning (logical world) incorrectly used and underused by Vietnamese learners

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MODULE 3: ARGUMENTATIVE GENRE Modal verbs

Could I borrow you pen?
Yes, you can v. Yes you could What is the non-tense-related difference?

Youve heard someone knocking at the door. You dont know for sure but you think that is Nam. What should you say?
It could be Nam? It should be Nam? It would be Nam?

Why the cognitive method of teaching modals?

the ineffectiveness of the traditional method Hanu modal verb experiments

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MODULE 4: APPLICATION PREPARATION

Prepare application for studying abroad
Resume (CV) Personal statement (PS)/Statement of Purpose (SOP) Letters of recommendation (LORs) Writing sample (e.g. research proposal) Application package Professor contact Scholarship interview

Think about a specific scenario self-assessment template (session 2)

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MODULE 4: APPLICATION PREPARATION

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MODULE 4: APPLICATION PREPARATION

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MODULE 4: APPLICATION PREPARATION

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Beginning of a lesson

End of a lesson
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FUN ACTIVITIES
A sample of video-based activities
Teamwork: read the following dialogue and guess the minimum number of people involved. Write down your response in a piece of paper. Youll earn 2 points if you get it right. I apologize for that. To you, not you. I thought we were friends. Again, not you and me. Me and him. Anyway, have a nice day. You. Not you. Nor you.

Construct a scenario in which the dialogue makes sense.

I apologize for that. To you, not you. I thought we were friends. Again, not you and me. Me and him. Anyway, have a nice day. You. Not you. Nor you.

Watch the solution

What is the point of this activity?
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FUN ACTIVITIES
Team competitions Class Solidarity Day Other activities

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FUN ACTIVITIES

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FUN ACTIVITIES

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THIEU NANG VS. TEST PREPARATION CLASSES

Advantages
Non-template-based Long-term goal seeking Problem-oriented Full of fun Cheaper tuition yet nicer teacher

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COURSE LIMITATIONS
This is NOT a full writing class. It does NOT focus on basic English grammar in writing It is NOT a class specifically about composing TOEFL/IELTS/GRE/GMAT essays
but it does focus on the same underlying skills tested by standardized tests

It is a BIG class NOT many chances for full essay composition practices
You may want to take the Thieu Nang Practicum class

NO simplified materials:
Unless you are an advanced learner, you will encounter tons of new lexical items (especially in readings and Module 2) to simulate the ESL learning environment abroad

It may take some time for you to get it.

Will you have your Eureka moment?

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HOMEWORK
Read the piece on Blog vs. Academic writing Read two given samples of academic writing.
Tip: you should start with Stephen Krashens article first. compare them in terms of
writing style target audience vocabulary choice level of difficulty

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FINAL WORDS

You will Laugh

You will Loveeee it You will Learn

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LAST LAUGH
Watch a short comedy. Pay close attention to the following dialogue. What caused the misunderstanding?
Sissy guy: I'm here to buy a dress to bury Crystal in. Woman: I think maybe you should wear men's clothes for that.

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