Nil
ENG2010 English for Academic Purposes
This module is designed to introduce first year students to academic writing at the university level. Course topics and discussions will involve learning (i) how to explore literature; (ii) how to extract and analyse information from various types of sources to produce and to incorporate one’s own ideas into literature-supported essays; (iii) how to develop well-reasoned and logical arguments; (iv) how to decide on correct English grammar and usage in academic writing; (v) how to make use of appropriate formats and styles for academic writing; (vi) how to cite external sources in a text and to prepare an end-text bibliography; and (vii) how to avoid plagiarism.
Through this module students will learn and practice the processes of writing, proofreading, editing and revising. The skills acquired through this module are broadly applicable to students’ major area of study and to wider academic development. To enhance the transfer of these skills to other contexts, students will be encouraged to do research on and write about concepts and issues that are relevant to their personal areas of interest and their major field of study.
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
a. demonstrate an ability, using English, to produce written descriptions, explanations and arguments at an appropriate academic level;
b. demonstrate an ability to paraphrase, summarise and quote from appropriate sources in academic writing;
c. produce scholarly essay with an appropriate level of secondary research;
d. create in-text citations and a reference list, following guidelines on conventional formatting;
e. use e-learning platforms, such as the Moodle-based eCampus system, to participate in on-line guided class discussions, together with internet-based electronic tools, such as Purdue OWL, for academic research.
1. The Importance of Writing
– Writing to learn and deepen understanding.
– Methods to improving writing
2. Characteristics of Academic Writing
– Purpose
– Objectivity
– Use of evidence
– Generalisations
– Structure
– Citations
– Language style: formal and informal
3. Writing as a Process
– Planning
– Prewriting
– Drafting
– Revising
4. Reading and Summarising
– Summary writing
– Basic steps for writing a summary
5. Effective Paragraph Writing
– Purpose of paragraph
– Thesis statement/topic sentence
– Unity in a paragraph
– Development of a paragraph
– Paragraph Coherence
6. Paper Organisation
– Introduction
– Body
– Conclusion
7. In-text Citation
– Summarising, paraphrasing, direct quoting and in text citations
– Basic formats for in-text citations
– Working with quotations
8. Preparing a References List
– Formatting conventions
– Order of references
– Formatting various types of sources
9. Reporting Findings
– Presenting quantitative findings
– Presenting qualitative findings
– Designing figures and tables
10. Revising, Editing and Proofreading
– Drafting
– Revising (checklist)
– Editing (checklist)
– Proofreading (checklist)
1. Attendance and Participation (10%)
2. Quiz on the APA Style (15%)
3. Short Essays (three pieces) (15%)
4. Research Essay I (20%)
5. Research Essay II (40%)
