This course foregrounds the development of academic writing skills. It covers topics including developing an academic syntax, writing research proposals, abstracts and journal articles.
This module focuses on distinguishing between formal and informal writing and foregrounds the manifest characteristics of informal modes of writing. Keeping in mind the requirements of learners for whom English is a second language, it also highlights colloquial and slang expressions as elements to be avoided in academic writing.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
In this module, the students will learn to
Differentiate between formal and informal writing,
Distinguish between informal, slang and colloquial languages,
Differentiate between texts on the basis of their purposes.
KEY QUESTIONS:
In this module, the students will explore the following key questions:
What do we mean by formal and informal language?
What sorts of language do they generally have access to on a day to day basis?
How can one avoid using slang and colloquial expressions in academic writing?
What is meant by error and mistake?
How can we determine whether a text is formal or informal?
MODULE CONTENT:
Introduction: What not to do in academic writing
How to distinguish between formal and informal writing
In this module, the students will be provided with a comprehensive understanding of the foundational tenets of accuracy involved in academic writing. These include developing an understanding of the basic rules of grammar in practice as well as an academic flavor in writing through the appropriate choice of vocabulary. It also focuses on developing an appropriate phraseology while maintaining cohesion and caution within the written text.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of this module, the students will be able to
Ensure accuracy in writing primarily at the sentential level.
Develop insight into a more context-appropriate and formal usage of vocabulary.
Write in a grammatically and syntactically cohesive manner.
COURSE CONTENTS:
The topics to be covered in this module include
The rules of capitalization
The usage of abbreviations
The deployment of academic vocabulary
Functional grammar (utilizing adverbs, adjectives, word conversions, confusing pairs of words, etc.)
Bailey, Stephen. Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students (Routledge Study Guides). 2003. London: Routledge, 2006.
LEARNERS’ TASKS/ACTIVITIES:
A comprehensive worksheet that covers exercises pertaining to the rules of capitalization and abbreviation, deployment of articles, adverbs and academic vocabulary. It also focuses on developing cohesion, caution and appropriate vocabulary along with functional grammar as is required in academic writing.
In this module, the students will learn how to write meaningful sentences with particular emphasis on word order and cohesion. Beginning from identifying the basic elements of sentence structure, ranging from voice and tenses, to constructing different types of sentences, this module moves on to paragraph writing, elaborating how sentences can be smoothly and cohesively interconnected in a paragraph.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
In this module, the students will learn to
identify and connect clauses and phrases in meaningful sentences
write simple, compound and complex sentences and learn about conversions across all these categories
structure questions, statements, assertions, etc., in terms of word order, with particular emphasis on correct tenses and voice
apply the basic requirements of paragraph writing
place transitions and signposts to establish cohesion through context-based grammatical accuracy
MODULE CONTENTS:
The topics to be covered in this module include
Clauses and phrases
Tenses and Active and Passive Voice
Simple, compound and complex sentences
Adding details in sentences
Avoiding clunky and run-on sentences
The structure of a paragraph: topical unity and grammatical correctness
Oshima, Alice & Ann Hogue. Writing Academic English. Longman, 2006
LEARNERS’ TASKS/ACTIVITIES:
Worksheet 1 covers the elements of sentence construction along with types of sentences with particular emphasis on grammatical accuracy and cohesion.
Worksheet 2 covers the basic elements of paragraph writing in terms of its structure.
Worksheet 3 reinforces the earlier basic lessons by integrating paragraph writing with a short literary text, wherein the students will write a response to the text in the form of a paragraph.
This module focuses on three vital skills that are of paramount importance in academic writing, specifically with the purpose of avoiding plagiarism. These skills include paraphrasing, and summarising information. This module focuses on illustrating the difference between good and bad paraphrasing, converting quotations into indirect quotes and writing dumbed down summaries through carefully designed worksheets. This module is a precursor to the next two modules that focus on citation styles.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, the students will be able to
Learn the basic skills for avoiding plagiarism
Convert direct quotes to indirect quotes
Paraphrase texts
Identify key points in texts and using them as buttresses for summary writing
MODULE CONTENTS
The topics to be covered in this module include
Identifying and avoiding plagiarism
Paraphrasing techniques
Summary writing techniques
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
Pre-recorded lectures
Handouts and Worksheets
Videos and other audio/visual media
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Bailey, Stephen. Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students (Routledge Study Guides). 2003. London: Routledge, 2006.
Oshima, Alice & Ann Hogue. Writing Academic English. Longman, 2006
The students will attempt 2 worksheets with multiple exercises ranging across the simple to difficult range pertaining to the skills involved in avoiding plagiarism, conversion of quotes, paraphrasing and summarising.
This module focuses on introducing students to the conventions of citation especially in the Humanities. Through various worksheets, it enables the students to develop a practical understanding of the conventions of MLA in terms of formatting long and short quotes, in-text citations and preparing a comprehensive works cited list.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, the students will be able to
Utilize citations in academic writing.
Minimize plagiarism.
Practice the conventions of writing quotes in the MLA style 8th ed.
Deploy the conventions of creating a reference list according to the MLA style 8th ed.
This module focuses on introducing students to the conventions of citation especially in the Social Sciences. With the help of handouts and worksheets, it enables the students to develop a practical understanding of the conventions of APA in terms of formatting long and short quotes, in-text citations and preparing a comprehensive list of end references works cited list.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, the students will be able to
Practice the conventions of writing quotes in the APA style.
Give in-text citations following the APA style.
Deploy the conventions of creating a reference list according to the APA style.
This module focuses on the basics of abstract and research proposal writing. Its emphasis is on highlighting the basic elements of abstracts and proposals and the appropriate structuring of the argument so that the key interventions of the document become clear at the very onset. It also focuses on writing an abstract for research papers to be sent for consideration in international journals.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, the students will be able to
Write abstracts
Determine the appropriate structure of a research proposal
Write a cogent research proposal
MODULE CONTENTS
The topics to be covered in this module include
Learning how to write an abstract
Determining the structure of an abstract in line with the aims and scopes of different journals
This module moves towards highlighting the technical aspects of writing an academic essay. It defines the basic requirements of an academic essay, beginning with the note taking techniques that can also be utilized in the preliminary stages of writing a research paper.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, the students will be able to:
Engage in note taking
Write cogent and coherent introductions to academic essays
Situate themselves and their contexts within their arguments
Organise the structure of their academic essays effectively
Write comprehensive conclusions.
MODULE CONTENTS
The topics to be covered in this module include:
Learning how to write the introduction, body and conclusion of an academic essay
How to ensure appropriate divisions and transitions among paragraphs
The final module of the certificate course moves towards highlighting the technical aspects of writing research papers. It highlights the key ingredients involved in the more advanced form of academic writing, i.e., research papers for publications in journals.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this module, the students will be able to:
Write cogent and coherent introductions to research papers.
Situate themselves and their contexts within their arguments.
Identify the gap for their research paper
Organise the structure of their research papers effectively.
Review already existing research, using bibliographies and footnotes for direction.
Write comprehensive conclusions.
MODULE CONTENTS
The topics to be covered in this module include
Learning how to write the introduction, body and conclusion of a research paper
How to ensure appropriate divisions and transitions among paragraphs
Exploring venues for publication of research papers.
The candidate must have a secondary schools certificate or completed O-Levels.
Some preliminary understanding of the English Language
Detail:
The purpose of this course is to focus on developing one’s academic writing skills. It introduces the students to the differences between informal or colloquial modes of writing and the more formal modes of expression that are required in academic writing at the university level. It serves to make one more adept in the usage of the linguistic, rhetorical and argumentative strategies that one would require in their senior academic courses. It remains acutely aware of the linguistic requirements of students situated across a multi-cultural spectrum.
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