Today’s topic: Academic Writing SkillsBy Tristan Currie

Contents:

1.0) What is Academic English?

2.0) Academic Writing Skills2.1 – D -> What I should be able to do -> Classroom Activities2.2 - R2.3 - P

3.0) Conclusion: What this course is about

1.0) What is Academic English?(why are language skills important)

• Knowledge and understanding• Analytical skills

• Communication• Information literacy

• Learning how to learn• Practical and professional skills/development

Open University – OU skills website

2.0) Academic Writing skills

1) Drafting

- clarity of expression

2) Reasoning

- soundness of argument

3) Positioning

- reader engagement

White & Arndt (1991) p.11

● Re-phrase

● Reference

● Signpost

● Plan

● Develop

● Complete

What I should be able to do:

2.1a) Drafting

* Identifying signposting, inserting signposting in a text.

* Dividing your work into paragraphs (structuring activity)

* Creating cohesion in your writing activity

* Structures for expressing purpose (infinitives of purpose etc.)

* Expressing causality using sentence structure activity

2.1b) Drafting Classroom Activities

2) *CohesionThere are six main ways to create cohesion:COHESIVE NOUNS Eg…SUBSTITUTION Eg…CONJUNCTION Eg…REFERENCE Eg…ELLIPSIS Eg…LEXIS Eg… Activity: Colour-code the cohesion in one of your texts (what’s missing?)

1 22.1c) Drafting – Examples : 1) *Causality Divide these linking words into those announcing causes and those announcing effects announce cause announce effect

so that, owing to, because, therefore, due to, consequently, as

Activity: Put 10 words from above into your draft (compare before and after)

Bloom (1956)

Knowledge

Comprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation

● Provide sufficient evidence.

● Present ideas with consistent logic.

● Focus an argument

● Express complex ideas

● Express abstract ideas with precision.

What I should be able to do:

2.2a) Reasoning

* Use passive voice to focus on who is receiving or experiencing the action.

* Changing emphasis in a sentence using adverbs & ‘fronting’

* Checking appropriate use of advanced level vocabulary

* Researching usage of conjunctions (corpus concordancer)

* Using modal verbs to express logical possibility

2.2b) Reasoning Classroom Activities

1 2

2) * Fulfill expectations of audience The following text has one example of each of the following:- Unclear reasoning- An indirect assumption- Poor referencing technique- Speculation (claim without evidence)- Generalisation- Mixed metaphor

Activity: Identify the mistakes in the sample text, then correct them.

1) * Corpus Concordance ( + learning how to learn)Enter these conjunctions into the online concordancer at http://www.webcorp.org.uk/live/:Although, even though, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, despite, in spite of, whereas, whilst, because of, due to.

Activity: Answer these questions for each.Is it followed by a comma?Is it normally used at the beginning of a clause or sentence? Is it used to introduce ideas within a sentence or paragraph? What other linking words could I use this as an alternative for?

2.2c)Reasoning – Examples :

Eunice Yunjung Nam (2013)

● Be succinct ● Academic tone, style ● Use subtlety

● Meet expectations of audience ● Reader feels obligation, necessity etc.● Show your own point of view

What I should be able to do:

2.3a) Positioning

* Enhancing introductions to attract and inform the reader

* Improving academic tone of the language (complex noun-phrase patterns)

* Using hedging and intensifiers, and transitional words and phrases

* Structures for expressing purpose (infinitives of purpose) activity

* Writing strong and descriptive sentences

2.3b) Positioning Classroom Activities

2.3c) Positioning – Examples : 1 2

2) *Hedging Adjectives, adverbs and verb-choice can be used to show how much you agree with a statement. □ It is certain that driving a car is dangerous. □ It is unlikely that driving a car is dangerous. □ It is likely that driving a car is dangerous. □ It is conceivable that driving a car is dangerous. □ It is possible that driving a car is dangerous. □ It is probable that driving a car is dangerous

Activity: Write a number in the box for the most committed (1), to the least committed (6) to the statement in the sentence.

1) *Being succinctNoun phrases can replace relative clauses to reduce word count in a sentence.

Activity: Change the following noun + relative clause fragments into noun phrases1. the fossils that have been newly unearthed2. some of the radio stations that broadcast on shortwave3. researchers who know a lot about the subject

This class IS about:

- The what AND how of good academic writing

3.0) Conclusion

- Explain(ing) the way that the resources of language can be deployed to create different meanings needed

for successful Academic writing

This class is NOT about: - Grammar out of context

ReferencesBloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of education goals by a committee of college and university examiners. David McKay.

Eunice Yunjung Nam (2013) ESL 115: Principles of Academic Writing. Retrieved 15/07/2013 from http://esl115en.blogspot.hk/

R. Zak (2010) Life in Paint. Retrieved 15/07/2013 from http://davezak.com/lip/

White, R., & Arndt, V. (1991). Process writing. London: Longman.

Skill for OU Study. Retrieved 15/07/2013 from http://www2.open.ac.uk/students/skillsforstudy/academic-writing-style.php