Date
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Possible Themes
(schedule is subject to change)
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In Class Activity
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Homework
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(lesson 1)
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Orientation and Intro.
The Book for the course 'Writing Academic English' 5th Ed. 'Essays to Research Papers' (ISBN 0-13-291274-7) is available at the Almost Corner Bookshop, via del Moro, 5mins walk from Guarini.
Write about you and English
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Discuss syllabus, book, writing program, academic honesty and plagiarism.
In-class writing
Peer editing and feedback
Intro to process writing approach and the paragraph as a 'building block'.
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Study for quiz
Exercises
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2
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Describing and explaining things and concepts
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Quiz and correction
Pre-writing strategies
Organising Ideas for a paragraph
Sentence problems and review
Basic MLA layout – double spacing, 12pt, Times New Roman, indenting paragraphs, margins
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Exercises or writing Task
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3
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Technology and You - trends in use of technology
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Unity and Coherence
Staying on the topic
Key nouns – achieving balance
Typical problems – plurals, subject verb agreement, articles
Transition signals – addition, contrast, cause and effect etc.
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Exercises or writing task
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4
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Architecture and our Environment
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Clauses – dependent and independent
Developing more complex sentences
Punctuation issues
Writing practice
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(lesson 5)
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Typical composition errors
Corrections and exercises
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Exercises or writing task
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Food, fashions, fads
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Supporting Details: Fact versus opinion
Using support to strengthen your point – examples, extended examples, figures, quotations
Sources and plagiarism
Reporting verbs and structures
Sequence of tenses
More punctuation
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Exercises or writing task
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Contemporary Issues - e.g Drugs, Homelessness, Immigration
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Using statistics
Verb structures
Conferencing and discussion
Review
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Exercises or writing task
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Make an error log
Peer reviewing
From paragraph to essay
Intro, body, conclusion
Thesis statement
Types of organisation – logical division
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Exercises or writing task
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Types of introductions
Grabbing attention, making it interesting
Linking within and between paragraphs
Prewriting and outlining
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Prepare an outline
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(10)
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Feedback on outline
Drafting from an outline
Peer editing
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In class discussion
Free-writing on the theme
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Exercises or writing task
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Feedback
Review of concepts so far
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Exercises or writing task
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A traditional Recipe or a Process
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Processes and chronological order
Forming thesis statements
In class workshopping
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Exercises or writing task
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Improving flow with transition signals
Workshopping ideas and peer editing
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Exercises or writing task
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Review and practice
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Exercises or writing task
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Why do things happen?
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Cause and Effect
Class discussions
Video
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Exercises or writing task
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Midterm warnings
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Peer editing
Drafting
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Exercises or writing task
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Moral issues and Thorny questions
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Comparison and Contrast
Discussion and idea generation
Organization strategies: block/point by point
Preparing an outline
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Exercises or writing task
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In- class essay
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Exercises or writing task
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Contemporary Issues
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Summary and Paraphrase
Using other people’s arguments to strengthen yours
Avoiding plagiarism
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Exercises or writing task
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Using sources and integrating them correctly
Quotations – direct and in direct
Punctuation issues
MLA conventions
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Exercises or writing task
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International Controversies, Scientific Advances
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Argumentative Essays
Classic argument structure
Debate as way of generating ideas
Thesis statement
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Exercises or writing task
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Subordination structures (although, despite etc.)
Anticipating and rebutting opposing views
In class practice
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Exercises or writing task
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Preparing an outline
Review of grammar issues
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(lesson 25)
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Feedback
Intro to some types of argumentative models
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Exercises or writing task
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A video on how to argue
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Exercises or writing task
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Feedback and peer review
Introduction of exam topic
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Exercises or writing task
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Wrap up class
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Revision and exam planning
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TBA
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Final Exam
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