English Language Modules

Course handbook

Centre for Language and Communication Studies School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences

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English Language Modules

The pre-sessional English Language Module is a four-week intensive course which runs before the first term, and focuses on the development of spoken and written academic English. Classes take place for four hours daily, with short regular breaks during each session. The in-sessional English Language Module consists of a weekly, two-hour evening class which takes place during the first and second College terms (Michaelmas and Hilary terms).

This booklet gives you essential information about both the pre-sessional and in-sessional English Language Modules, including practical details about the course programme, working methods, facilities and resources.

The pre-sessional module is preceded by orientation, when you will meet the teaching staff and other language students, before dividing into two classes. Orientation for the in-sessional module takes place in the first session of class.

A welcome reception will be held at the end of the first week of classes in the pre-sessional course. Your teachers will inform you about this during class, as well as about other social activities.

Centre for Language and Communication Studies The Centre for Language and Communication Studies (CLCS) is part of the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences. The Head of School is Professor John Saeed. Your primary contact, however, will be with the CLCS Language Modules Coordinator, Dr Lorna Carson (carsonle@tcd.ie) and the English language teaching staff. You can contact the staff by e-mail (clcsinfo@tcd.ie) or by phone: 01 896 1560.

During your time in College, you may also use the CLCS self-access language learning facilities:

Located on Level 4, Arts Building: Language Centre: Room 4091 (CLCS main office) Computers: Rooms 4073 and 4074

English language teaching staff

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At CLCS we have a small library of English language learning resources, and authentic source materials (print, audio, DVD, video, CD-ROM) in other languages such as French, German, Spanish, Italian, Irish, Korean and Turkish. These resources are available for use in class and for self-access study. In addition, you will be able to use our dedicated computers (Rooms 4073 and 4074, Level 4) to access the internet and a wide range of English language materials relevant to your project topic or personal interests.

During term, the CLCS self-access facilities are open from 10am to 9pm on Monday to Thursday and 10am to 5pm on Friday. Opening hours outside term will be posted on the door of the main CLCS office (Room 4091, Level 4).

At the beginning of your language module, you can apply for a CLCS identity card (in Room 4091) which you should present if you borrow materials to work on in Rooms 4073 and 4074 or using the self-access multimedia facilities. You may then use these facilities throughout your stay in College.

CLCS issues an information booklet and notices about the self-access facilities, opening-hours, regulations for use, etc. Please make sure you read these carefully. If you are not sure how to use any of the technical facilities, please ask the secretary or one of the members of staff listed in this booklet. If you damage any equipment through misuse, you may be liable for the cost of repair or replacement. If you need help in using CLCS’s language learning facilities and resources, and the secretary cannot help you, please contact Dr. Breffni O’Rourke (breffni.orourke@tcd.ie), for queries about materials, computers, and multimedia facilities.

The Language Modules use the Council of Europe Common Reference Levels as a guide to the proficiency level of each class. These Common Reference Levels are accepted across Europe and beyond, and are a useful and transparent way of describing what a language learner

Language Learning Computer Rooms

Opening hours of self-access facilities

Please use your CLCS ID card when borrowing materials and using the multimedia facilities

Common European Reference levels for languages

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can do in the languages s/he speaks. There are six levels, from A1 (beginner) to C2 (advanced). Students may find it useful to conduct a self-assessment of their language skills in class. The English Language Modules are aimed at helping learners consolidate their language learning at C1 level.

Aims of the English Language Modules The chief aim of this programme is to equip postgraduate students with English language support sufficient for their needs in the academic domain. The proficiency levels required for successful functioning at fourth-level are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) common proficiency level C1. At C1 level, a non-native speaker of English is expected to be able to understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning; to express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without too much obvious searching for expressions; to use the English language flexibly and effectively for academic, professional and social purposes; and to produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects. The communicative curriculum designed for this programme is intended to foster lifelong, autonomous language learning. It employs a task-based learning approach, which, through the use of authentic academic resources will engage learners in real-life academic tasks with both oral and written components, in order to encourage the development of transferable language skills.

What is expected of you

We know that some of you are taking your Language Module as an extra commitment. We realize that the additional time you can devote to language study will be quite limited. Yet we must stress the importance of your keeping that commitment and setting aside a little extra time for language study. How much personal success you gain from the module will depend on how much effort you put into supporting and consolidating your learning through regular private study. This need not mean trying to fit in a large block of time each week for language work. The golden rule is: a little

A strong commitment

The golden rule: a little learning often

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learning often. The key to success is how well you organize your time and your learning. Furthermore, you will need to take responsibility for organizing your learning and managing your time and resources outside class. The project work will require that you spend some time on your own, researching materials, exploring the Internet, consulting dictionaries and reference grammars, editing and fine-tuning your text, shaping your contribution to the project, and so on. We do not claim that you will find it easy to develop the self-directed working methods we are advocating, and to devote time and energy to language learning in the face of your other study pressures and commitments. But we hope that you will not view language learning simply as an end in itself, and somehow separate from the rest of your studies. Ultimately, we hope that by taking charge of your own learning, you will discover how language study can be used to further your own personal, vocational and academic interests, and that as a result, you will want to go on learning long after you have completed the module! There are a number of additional skills that you will learn through participating in the language modules. These skills have been identified and integrated into the course because they will contribute significantly to your personal portfolio in the future. The method of presentation of the projects ensures that you will also gain valuable experience in making public presentations, including working under time pressure, using prompts and fielding unprepared questions from an audience. It is both important and valuable:

o to be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses in working in collaborative groups;

o to learn how to assign, and adhere to, roles in group projects;

o to be capable of identifying both personal and group objectives as you carry out these activities;

o to be able to organize your own time and prioritize activities.

Using the target language to further your own interests

Working collaboratively

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Working methods Each session is likely to begin with a plenary session to address any language-related issues that arise in conjunction with ongoing project work (e.g., linguistic and rhetorical skills, vocabulary, grammar difficulties, etc.). This also provides an opportunity to discuss organizational matters. The teacher may also arrange for the whole class to meet again at various intervals during the daily session to report on work-in-progress. The remainder of the class will usually involve a variety of working methods including individual work, pair work and group work. Course content varies according to the needs of learners, but typically includes some of the following activities:

o Using the Academic Word List (see Appendix, p.23) o Academic writing o Active listening o Communication activities o Cross-cultural communication o Debating o Focused discussions on topical issues o Making presentations for academic seminars o News and media o Note-taking and paraphrasing o Pronunciation workshops o Reading academic journals o Social and cultural activities

C1 level classes The C1 level modules are designed to develop the academic communication skills required for successful functioning at fourth-level. At C1 level, a non-native speaker of English is expected to be able to understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning; to express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without too much obvious searching for expressions; to use the English language flexibly and effectively for academic, professional and social purposes; and to produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects.

The following table provides a breakdown of the aspects of language learning we will focus on during this course:

Working as a class

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Listening Understanding extended speech, even when delivered at fast native speed

Reading Understanding long and complex factual, literary and scientific texts, specialized articles and technical instructions

Spoken interaction Fluent and spontaneous expression; flexible and effective language use for social and professional purposes; formulation of ideas with precision and the ability to relate contributions skilfully to other speakers

Spoken production Clear, detailed descriptions of complex topics, integrating subthemes, developing particular points and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion

Writing Creating clear, well-structured text, expressing points of view at some length, presenting complex topics with flexibility according to readership

A good language curriculum is like a map which helps guide teachers and learners without imposing upon them one single route to their destination. Many aspects of this English language module will depend on students’ needs, backgrounds and research interests. Students are asked to bring along a sample of academic writing to class, as well as at least two relevant journal articles (or equivalent) from their content area in order to develop a personal learning agenda during the English course.

Five skills

Bring along a sample of your own written work and at least two relevant journal articles

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During your English course, you will engage in a series of group-based projects. Each project group will prepare an interactive spoken presentation during part of each session, and perform their presentation in class. You may wish to film your presentations, and review them during class. You will also engage in some guided reflection on your work, complete some self-assessment forms, set goals and plan work for the sessions ahead.

Projects & assessment

You will be assessed informally in various ways during your English course. Projects will be assessed by your teacher using rating scales and a scoring grid. You are encouraged to assess your own group’s presentation using the same instruments, and also to provide constructive feedback on your classmates’ presentations. A proportion of marks for each group project will be awarded for quality of presentation. Brief descriptions of the projects are provided below. Fuller task specifications will be circulated at the beginning of each week. Debate

Each group identifies an issue of social, cultural or scientific significance which would give rise to a number of different vested interests/opinions. Members of the group choose roles representing the various interests and must prepare an argument in favour of their interest.

Academic Seminar

Students form groups according to academic areas of study and research. Each group prepares a 20-minute seminar where the aim is to teach some aspect of their academic subject area to the rest of the class. The seminar should not consist simply of a 20-minute talk. It should be fully interactive and involve the participation of the rest of the class (e.g., in asking/answering questions, testing their understanding of the subject matter, etc.).

A cycle of project work

Examples of types of projects

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Tourist Information Booklet Each group in the class produces a printed booklet which will contain specific information of interest to visitors to the region in the world of their choice. In the presentation groups explain why they chose the topics included in their booklet, where they sourced the information, who their intended audience is, and provide a detailed analysis of attractions and activities available at their destination.

Drama Each group in the class produces a short drama to be performed, either an adaptation or original (e.g. murder mystery; segment of an existing film or novel). Each member of the group takes over one or more parts, and also contributes to a programme/flyer that can for example comprise advertising blurbs, biographies, and critical reviews.

Website

Each group chooses a research topic of interest to them and produces an online presentation of their subject which would be accessible by the general public. In the presentation groups give a brief overview of their web pages and discuss their contributions, focussing particularly on how to present complex academic topics in ways accessible to the layperson.

Newsletter

The class forms special interest groups according to academic discipline. Each group produces a specialist newsletter targeted at prospective overseas students interested in coming to TCD as a postgraduate student. The newsletter should sample aspects of research groups, project work, labs, extracurricular activities etc. that students and their respective academic departments are involved in. In the presentation each group makes a convincing case to highlight the particular attractions of their academic discipline, based on the content of their newsletter. As part of each project you may be asked to submit your own individual written project. The written aspect of each project is a very helpful way of supporting language learning. It is recommended that you include the following documents when you submit your written work for evaluation by your teacher, such as:

Written component of project

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1. all source documents that you used in the preparation of the project.

2. the preparatory notes which were made during the project preparation;

3. a vocabulary list (see below), 4. any first or second drafts of your written text; 5. the final draft of written text; 6. a bibliography of any works consulted during preparation

of the project (see below). The purpose of including drafts is to encourage critical revision by the language learner. Therefore, final drafts should show clear change, through revision, compared to initial drafts. Vocabulary list You may wish to organize your vocabulary learning by listing the following information: vocabulary item, grammatical information, translation into your first language if you wish, and a sample sentence drawn from an authentic academic (or other) source document or from the dictionary (i.e. not an invented example). The new vocabulary item should be given in the simplest form, as is the convention in dictionaries. Hence verbs should be given in the infinitive, nouns in the singular. You can explore with your teacher other useful methods of organizing your vocabulary learning. Bibliography It is good practice to submit a full bibliography of all the works that you consulted while preparing the project. Reference works, magazine articles, web pages etc. should be included. Use the relevant citation conventions according to your subject area (ask your instructor for guidelines).

Finally, we hope that you enjoy your language study with us!

The drawings in this booklet are taken from a collection of clipart for language learning from Purdue

University, <http://tell.fll.purdue.edu/JapanProj//FLClipart/>

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Appendix: Course materials

Goal-setting

p. 13

Ice-breaker activities

p. 14

PREP Model (Point, Reason, Example, Point)

p. 16

Useful expressions for discussions and active listening

p. 17

Useful expressions for presentations

p. 19

“My Old Bag” (presentation activity)

p. 21

Impromptu speeches

p. 22

Academic Word List (AWL)

p. 23

Paraphrasing and summarizing

p. 27

Academic style

p. 28

Course feedback & review

p. 29

Self-access resources: Academic writing

p. 30

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Goal-setting

1) On which areas of your Academic English performance would you like to work on most during this course?

2) Which aspects of your academic writing need the most work?

3) Which aspects of your presentation skills would you most like to improve upon?

4) What do you hope to achieve by the end of this course?

5) What are your goals for this course? Please state three explicit goals.

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Ice-breaker activities

Interview your partner using the following questions and write down the answers.

1) What is your full name?

2) Where are you originally from? Where do you live now?

3) What are you studying at Trinity College?

4) When did you first come to Ireland?

5) What made you choose Trinity College?

6) What is your hometown like?

7) What were you doing before you came to Trinity College?

8) What do you like to do in your free time?

9) What is your goal in this English course?

Then introduce the three most interesting things you learned about your partner.

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Ice-breaker activities True or False 1) Introduce three pieces of information about yourself that your classmates do not already know. 2) One item should be a lie.The other two items could be novel or unusual information about yourself. 3) Your classmates are allowed to ask you three ‘yes or no’ questions about the information you give them.

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PREP Model (Point, Reason, Example, Point)

PREP is an acronym which stands for Point, Reason, Example and Point. It is a deductive reasoning model used for persuading others or expressing opinions on a given topic. Probably the most important part of this model is the binding of points to reasons. Examples are also helpful to develop or illustrate points. Here is an example of how the model might work when selecting items in the ‘Moon Explorer’ Scenario: Point: “I think the most important item is the water.” Reason: “Because without water we couldn’t survive for very long.” Example: “For example, people have been known to survive without food for

periods of up to three weeks but due to dehydration people can become quite ill in a matter of days.”

Point: “So water must be the most important item.”

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Useful expressions for discussions and active listening

1. Establishing Rapport and Getting Started Shall we begin? Okay, are you ready to begin? Shall we start with … first? 2. Getting Feedback Do you understand/know what I mean? Is that clear enough for everyone? 3. Expressing Agreement or Disagreement I fully agree with you. Yes, that’s right. You’ve got a point. I don’t quite agree with you there. I think … because … Actually, I think … because … Well, I have a different idea about that. I understand your point but … That may be true. However, … 4. Changing Direction/ Keeping to the Point By the way, I think that may be important but can we go back to the second point/ ‘x’ issue. This is a tough issue. Shall we skip this item until later? Can we talk about that later? We need to finish the ‘y’ issue first. 5. Returning to the Point Let’s go back to the ‘z’ issue. Is that okay with you? Good, then let’s return to the ‘x’ issue. 6. Questioning May I ask why? Could you be more specific? What’s the rationale behind that? Could you tell me…. Why so? Why is that?

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7. Clarifying If I understand correctly, you mentioned the following: 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Is that right? Okay, that was a little complicated, let’s just review what we’ve covered. Let’s just summarise that. Can we go over that one more time? I don’t understand what you mean by… Could you repeat that? 8. Reaching Agreement I think we’ve made a lot of progress/covered a lot of ground. I think we’ve finished the most important issues. I think that’s everything. Let’s call it a day. Let’s wrap things up.

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Useful expressions for presentations

1. Openings a. Introductions Hello everyone. My name is Oscar Lindner and I work in the Genetics Department at Trinity College Dublin. Good afternoon everybody. My name is Oscar Lindner and I work at the Genetics Department in Trinity College Dublin. b. Topic Sentence Today, I’m going to talk about our current research project on degenerative blindness. c. Agenda I’ll be covering three main points. First, the different types of degenerative blindness. Second, key factors which can prevent these diseases. Third, the future direction of our research. And finally, we’ll finish with a Q&A session. *If you have any questions, please hold them until the end of my presentation. *If you have any questions feel free to stop me at any time. (*Optional/alternative expressions)

2. Main Body a. 1st Point (i) If you’re ready let’s move on to my first point, the different types of degenerative blindness. [Details of 1st point] (ii) So far we’ve looked at the different types … b. 2nd Point (i) This brings me to the preventative factors. Or Now you’re probably wondering what can prevent the onset of these diseases. This brings me .... [Details] (ii) This covers the main preventative factors. Or The key point is that many factors can be controlled by dietary and lifestyle changes. c. 3rd Point (i) Now let’s look at our future research … [Details] (ii) This wraps up our future research plans. Or I’d like to emphasize that research on dietary factors will be investigated in greater detail.

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d. Main Summary: General Or Main Summary: Specific (i) So far I’ve covered 3 main points: (ii) So far I’ve covered 3 main points: Firstly, the different disease types; Firstly, the different disease types … Secondly, key preventative factors; Secondly, how often dietary and

lifestyle changes can affect the onset of diseases;

Thirdly, directions of future research. Thirdly, our future research will focus on dietary factors in the prevention of these diseases.

3. Q&A

a. Questions b. Responses Do you have/are there any questions? Could you repeat that?/ Excuse

me/pardon me? Do you have any other questions? Can I get back to you on that? Do you have any final questions? That’s an interesting question but I

would need more time to answer you.

4. Closing a. Simple Closing That’s about it. Thank you. b. Longer Closing Finally, I’d like to thank you for listening to me today and I hope my presentation has given you a better understanding of degenerative blindnes and our intended future research direction.

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“My Old Bag” (presentation activity) Imagine that you have a bag in which you have three objects which represent your character. Please present these three objects to the class. Objective: To learn how to present a topic of choice in a confident and composed manner as well as to develop an understanding of the role that verbal and non-verbal aspects play within the overall communication process. Step 1 Participants take about 15 minutes to select three imaginary items which best reflect their characters and imagine that they are retrieving these objects from an old bag. Step 2 The instructor will take about five minutes to brief them on non-verbal and verbal aspects of communication which could include gestures, facial expressions, eye contact or tempo/speed. Step 3 An individual buddy will be assigned to help point out the participant’s strengths and weaknesses when presenting. About two observations should be enough for the purposes of this activity. General Areas for Consideration: Tempo/speed Facial expressions Gestures Eye contact Posture Movement Confidence & composure

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Impromptu speeches Objective: This activity gives students a hands-on introduction to making presentations in front of their classmates. Students will be given a chance to improve their ability to express themselves on the spot in a concise and clear fashion. Directions: Students select one of the following topics. Five minutes will then be allotted to organise ideas and prepare the speech. Speeches should be a maximum of three minutes. 1) Why you chose your present area of study at Trinity College 2) The most influential person/people in your life 3) Your favourite book 4) Is nuclear power a viable source of alternative energy? 5) What will you be doing one year from now 6) Your childhood dream 7) Your family 8) Your hometown 9) How to do well at Trinity College 10) What you like to do in your free time 11) Describe your character 12) Your favourite movie 13) What you do when you’re feeling fed up 14) Why being a vegetarian is a good idea 15) Language fluency guarantees success in cross-cultural communication 16) Bilingual education is good/bad for children 17) Your favourite food 18) A healthy body equals a healthy mind 19) Experiences of learning English 20) Other N.B. Students may wish to use the following structure to organise their ideas: a) Hello. b) My name is ... c) Today, I’m going to talk about ... d) Any questions? e) Thank you for listening.

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Academic Word List (AWL)

The Academic Word List is a set of words which appear frequently in English language academic texts. The list is divided into ten sublists, sublist 1 contains the 60 most common words in the AWL, sublist 2 contains the next most frequently used words, and so on. To compile the list, academic journals, textbooks, course workbooks, lab manuals, and course notes were analysed, based on 3,500,000 words of text from a wide range of academic disciplines. Sublist 1

Sublist 2

achieve community design institute potential restrict

acquire complex distinct invest previous secure

administer compute element item primary seek

affect conclude equate journal purchase select

appropriate conduct evaluate maintain range site

aspect consequent feature normal region strategy

assist construct final obtain regulate survey

category consume focus participate relevant text

chapter credit impact perceive reside tradition

commission culture injure positive resource transfer

analyze constitute establish indicate occur role

approach context estimate individual percent section

area contract evident interpret period sector

assess create export involve policy significant

assume data factor issue principle similar

authority define finance labour proceed source

available derive formula legal process specific

benefit distribute function legislate require structure

concept economy identify major research theory

consist environment income method respond vary

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Sublist 3

alternative convene emphasis interact philosophy sex

circumstance coordinate ensure justify physical shift

comment core exclude layer proportion specify

compensate corporate framework link publish sufficient

component correspond fund locate react task

consent criteria illustrate maximize register technical

considerable deduce immigrate minor rely technique

constant demonstrate imply negate remove technology

constrain document initial outcome scheme valid

contribute dominate instance partner sequence volume

Sublist 4

access communicate error internal parallel resolve

adequate concentrate ethnic investigate parameter retain

annual confer goal job phase series

apparent contrast grant label predict statistic

approximate cycle hence mechanism principal status

attitude debate hypothesis obvious prior stress

attribute despite implement occupy professional subsequent

civil dimension implicate option project sum

code domestic impose output promote summary

commit emerge integrate overall regime undertake

Sublist 5

academy consult evolve licence orient style

adjust contact expand logic perspective substitute

alter decline expose margin precise sustain

amend discrete external medical prime symbol

aware draft facilitate mental psychology target

capacity enable fundamental modify pursue transit

challenge energy generate monitor ratio trend

clause enforce generation network reject version

compound entity image notion revenue welfare

conflict equivalent liberal objective stable whereas

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Sublist 6

abstract capable exceed incidence migrate recover

accurate cite expert incorporate minimum reveal

acknowledge cooperate explicit index ministry scope

aggregate discriminate federal inhibit motive subsidy

allocate display fee initiate neutral tape

assign diverse flexible input nevertheless trace

attach domain furthermore instruct overseas transform

author edit gender intelligent precede transport

bond enhance ignorant interval presume underlie

brief estate incentive lecture rational utilize

Sublist 7

adapt contrary empirical identical phenomenon submit

adult convert equip ideology priority successor

advocate couple extract infer prohibit survive

aid decade file innovate publication thesis

channel definite finite insert quote topic

chemical deny foundation intervene release transmit

classic differentiate globe isolate reverse ultimate

comprehensive dispose grade media simulate unique

comprise dynamic guarantee mode sole visible

confirm eliminate hierarchy paradigm somewhat voluntary

Sublist 8

abandon clarify deviate induce plus tense

accompany commodity displace inevitable practitioner terminate

accumulate complement drama infrastructure predominant theme

ambiguous conform eventual inspect prospect thereby

append contemporary exhibit intense radical uniform

appreciate contradict exploit manipulate random vehicle

arbitrary crucial fluctuate minimize reinforce via

automate currency guideline nuclear restore virtual

bias denote highlight offset revise visual

chart detect implicit paragraph schedule widespread

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Sublist 9

accommodate commence duration mature preliminary sphere

analogy compatible erode mediate protocol subordinate

anticipate concurrent ethic medium qualitative supplement

assure confine format military refine suspend

attain controversy found minimal relax team

behalf converse inherent mutual restrain temporary

bulk device insight norm revolution trigger

cease devote integral overlap rigid unify

coherent diminish intermediate passive route violate

coincide distort manual portion scenario vision

Sublist 10

adjacent enormous odd

albeit forthcoming ongoing

assemble incline panel

collapse integrity persist

colleague intrinsic pose

compile invoke reluctance

conceive levy so-called

convince likewise straightforward

depress nonetheless undergo

encounter notwithstanding whereby

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Paraphrasing and summarizing

Paraphrasing involves taking the meaning of a sentence or body of information and transferring that information into one’s own words. Summarizing simply refers to making a summary of the most salient points. For academic purposes, the two terms often tend to be used in conjunction with one another. The aims of the paraphrasing exercises in the course are threefold: 1) To improve reading comprehension by giving students sufficient practice in identifying the most salient points of a given passage within a limited period of time. 2) To improve spoken interaction by giving learners a chance to communicate information to one another (messages transmitted = messages received). 3) To improve paraphrasing/summarizing skills in written work as well as to enhance the learners’ spoken ability to communicate information effectively within their respective academic disciplines. Paraphrasing for oral reports For the purpose of oral communication, it is important to avoid providing excessive amounts of detailed information as this tends to confuse the listener, flood their short-term memory and generally overload their retention capacity. On the other hand, as Einstein is reported to have said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible but not much simpler.” Hence, the difficulty here is gauging just exactly how much detail is necessary. Finally, a golden rule for oral reporting is to speak up and try and engage with others rather than quietly reading sentences aloud. Paraphrasing and summarizing for written work For the purpose of written communication, due to the fact that the information exchanged will be written, it is possible to provide more detail. The style of language used to paraphrase may also be more of a formal type than would be the case when paraphrasing information in an oral report, and especially for academic purposes may include such linking words as: Furthermore, additionally, moreover … However, on the other hand, in contrast … Hence, therefore, conclusively …

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Academic style

While there is considerable variation in the way ideas are expressed in academic writing, there is also much that can be said to describe common features of academic style. The following acts as a broad outline of such features: An objective approach This requires impartiality on behalf of the writer. Relevant facts and viewpoints are discussed and positions are substantiated by objective criteria and supporting data. Formal wording Wording will be formal and conversational expressions are avoided. A good reference is the Academic Word List. Often, the more academic texts one reads, the better one’s academic writing becomes. Impersonal Language Personal pronouns like ‘I’ and ‘you’ are largely omitted within much academic writing. However, this is not an absolute rule and considerable variation may also exist according to individual styles, disciplines and the culture of your School or Department. Accurate data and citations Information should be accurate and citations should follow departmental/discipline standards. The passive voice Due to the objective approach used in academic writing, the passive voice may also be employed more frequently to report facts in a more analytical manner. The passive voice promotes the object of a sentence to the subject position. Sample sentences The following are sample sentences which have been extracted from academic texts: 1) The aim of this chapter is to outline the theoretical background of … 2) Hence, there is a consequential elusiveness in its concrete definition. 3) An attempt to investigate the possible evolutionary significance of … 3) This finding has been replicated many times and has been extended to many other ways of measuring …

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Feedback & review

1) Which aspects of the course did you enjoy most?

2) What would you like to do more of?

3) What would you like to do less of?

4) Which areas of your language performance would you like to concentrate later?

5) Is the course helpful?

6) What was your favourite aspect of the course?

7) Are there any additional comments you would like to make about the course?

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Self-access resources: Academic writing

The following are some useful websites that may assist students wishing to improve their academic writing skills: 1) Purdue University This site contains APA/ MLA formatting style guides, sample academic papers and many other useful items: http://owl.english.purdue.edu 2) The University of Melbourne This site provides information on different types of academic writing and how to write effectively. It contains information on writing reports and literature reviews as well as writing introductions and conclusions: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/asu/writing/index.html 3) Edinburgh Napier University This site has a general introduction on academic writing style. It also contains sections on writing reports and the use of appropriate wording for academic work: http://www2.napier.ac.uk/gus/writing_presenting/style.html#formal 4) University College Toronto This site provides information on punctuation, paraphrasing and summarizing. There are also sections on articles and the passive voice: http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/index.html 5) Using English for Academic Purposes (UEFAP) This site outlines different writing genres. It also provides some information on paragraphing, punctuation, paraphrasing and summarizing: http://www.uefap.com/index.htm 6) Hong Kong Polytechnic University The Centre for Independent Language Learning (Cill) provides a substantial amount of information on discrete points of grammatical form on their website: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/cill/default4.htm 7) Academic Vocabulary Exercises This site provides the 10 sublists of the ‘Academic Word List’. It also provides exercises using the vocabulary in the lists: http://www.academicvocabularyexercises.com/index.htm

8) The Academic English Zone, Warwick University This site, run by the Centre for Applied Linguistics, provides a wide range of academic English activities and advice: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/activities/aez/

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