Date
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Possible Themes and Issues
(schedule is subject to change and is currently being revised)
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In Class Activity
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Homework
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Week 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.
What is writing? A process or a product? What makes a good writer?
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Discuss syllabus, book, writing program, academic honesty and plagiarism and the new learning environment.
In-class writing
Intro to process writing approach and the paragraph as a 'building block'.
Pre-writing strategies
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Study for quiz on syllabus
Post something to the forum
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Describing and explaining concrete things and abstract concepts
Write about a natural resource or a material.
What is plagiarism?
Examples from academia, the arts, and popular culture.
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Quiz and correction
Organising Ideas for a paragraph
Topic Sentence and Supporting Sentences
Basic MLA layout
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Exercises or writing Task
A forum post
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Week 2
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Technology and You - trends in use of technology
Artificial Intelligence - should we fear it or embrace it?
Discussion
Reading and video
A recipe - chronological linking and processes
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Unity and Coherence
Staying on the topic
Key nouns – achieving clarity, conciseness, and cohesion
Review 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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From Paragraph to Essay
Developing an idea into something more detailed and in-depth
The influence of one culture on another
Reading: A Poem
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Studying the introduction, body, conclusion structure
Thesis statement as a means of organising ideas and signalling intent
Writing practice
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Post to the forum some reflections
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Week 3
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Essay structures - Logical Order and Extended Definition
Model essays
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Linking within and between paragraphs
Prewriting and outlining
Preparing to write an essay
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Exercises or writing task
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Culture shock - as a process
Education - mixed schools or single sex schools. Remote learning.
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Supporting Details:
Using external support to strengthen your point – examples, extended examples, quotations
Using sources and statistics |
Exercises or writing task
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Week 4
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Cause and Effect. Why do things happen?
Immigration - Why do people leave their countries?
How cultures influence each other.
Tradition and fludity
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Reporting verbs and structures
Conferencing and discussion
Review
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Exercises or writing task
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How rhetorical approaches can be applied to real world issues.
Writing as clarification and 'journey' towards understanding.
Discussion and debate. Finding solutions through analysing causes.
Readings and video.
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Types of introductions
Grabbing attention, making it interesting
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Exercises or writing task
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Week 5
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Using the library resources effectively.
A meeting with a research librarian (date tba)
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A look at MLA citation basics. Avoiding plagiarism, again...
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Reaction piece
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In class essay - (date tba) |
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Week 6
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Comparing and contrasting
Are things done differently or the same in other countries?
Crime and punishment
Gun laws, The Prison System - videos and readings
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In class discussion
Exercises on transition words and phrases
Free-writing on the theme
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Exercises or writing task
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Discussion and debate.
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Forming an opinion without using 'I'.
The impersonal form
Passive voice versus active voice
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Exercises or writing task
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Week 7
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Review and conferencing.
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In-class workshopping on error correction |
Exercises or writing task
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Workshopping ideas and peer editing
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Exercises or writing task
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Week 8
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An Introduction to Argument
Why do we argue? What do we argue about?
Vegetarianism and Veganism.
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Debate. Using backing to make points more effective.
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Exercises or writing task
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Winning and losing arguments
Losing can mean winning... How?
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Class discussions
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Exercises or writing task
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Week 9
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The Classical Model for argumentative Essays.
More thorny issues and contemporary controversies.
'Frankenstein' Science / Gender / Identity
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Anticipating and rebutting opposing views
Forming strong thesis statements using subordinating clauses
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Exercises or writing task
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Model Essays
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Argumentative Paragraph Structure
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Exercises or writing task
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Week 10
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In class Essay
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Exercises or writing task
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Other approaches to argumentation. Empathic listening. The Rogerian Model.
Arguing one of the topics differently.
Compromise.
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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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Week 12
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Review and conferencing. Prepare for end of course Exam.
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