The three core Academic writing skills
-
Upload
tristan-currie -
Category
Education
-
view
445 -
download
2
description
Transcript of The three core Academic writing skills
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