English.hksyu.edu



Hong Kong Shue Yan University

Department of English Language & Literature

Semester 1, 2018-2019

Course Title: Academic Writing

Course Code: ENG 260

Year of Study: 2

Number of Credits: 3

Duration in Weeks: 15

Contact Hours per Week: 3

Pre-requisite(s): Nil

Instructor: Dr. Sherman LEE

Course Aims

This course aims to help students develop their confidence and ability to communicate effectively in written English for academic purposes through practice in reading, evaluating and producing academic texts. The course will focus on developing students’ competence in the following skills:

1. critically reading and analysing academic English texts;

2. producing written texts from purpose to goal through a process approach of planning, drafting, eliciting feedback and revising;

3. polishing and editing written texts through attention to: communicative purpose, form and format, the accurate and appropriate use of grammar and vocabulary, and adherence to academic writing conventions;

4. summarising, paraphrasing, quoting, citing sources and referencing.

The importance of maintaining academic honesty and of avoiding plagiarism is emphasised throughout the process of producing written work.

Course Outcomes, Teaching Activities and Assessment

|Course Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) |

|Upon completion of this course students should be able to: |

|ILO1 |Critically read and analyse written texts |

|ILO2 |Reflect on their previous writing experiences to enhance their current and future learning |

|ILO3 |Interpret, summarise and critique academic texts |

|ILO4 |Gather, evaluate and synthesise information from different academic sources |

|ILO5 |Use a process writing approach: from planning to drafting and revising, to create different genres of academic texts |

|ILO6 |Identify the elements of good academic writing and apply revision and editing strategies to improve their own and |

| |others’ written texts |

|ILO7 |Identify good academic writing practices and adopt such practices to maintain academic honesty and avoid plagiarism |

| |during the writing process |

|ILO8 |Elicit and respond to constructive peer feedback during the writing process and provide constructive feedback on the |

| |writing of their peers |

|Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs) |

|TLA1 |Interactive lectures introducing key concepts and skills |

|TLA2 |Critical reading of texts |

|TLA3 |Group and class discussions |

|TLA4 |In-class writing exercises |

|TLA5 |In-class referencing and citation exercises |

|TLA6 |Library research |

|TLA7 |Reviewing drafts of peer writing |

|TLA8 |Out of class writing assignments (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing) |

|Assessment Tasks (ATs) |

|AT1 |Class Participation |10% |

| | Active participation in all class discussions and activities | |

|AT2 |Reflective Essay (peer review 5%, final draft 20%) |25% |

| |Students examine professional writers’ reflections of their writing experiences, then produce a written | |

| |reflection of their own past writing experiences to explore their problems and needs in academic writing | |

|AT3 |Article Critique (group work): |25% |

| |In a group of 3-4, students select a journal article which they critically read and interpret, and produce a | |

| |written summary and critique of it. (Each group member must attempt to contribute equally to the assessment, | |

| |and sign a declaration to this effect). | |

|AT4 |Academic Paper (outline 10%, peer review 5%, final draft 25%) |40% |

| |Students gather academic sources through library and internet research on a selected English/Linguistics | |

| |topic, then evaluate and synthesise the information to create a coherent and convincing academic paper in an | |

| |appropriate style and following appropriate writing conventions. | |

| |TOTAL |100% |

|Alignment of Course Intended Learning Outcomes, Teaching and Learning Activities and Assessment Tasks |

|Course Intended Learning Outcomes |Teaching and Learning Activities |Assessment Tasks |

|ILO1 |TLA1,2,3,7 |AT1,2,3,4 |

|ILO2 |TLA1,3,8 |AT1,2 |

|ILO3 |TLA1,3,4,8 |AT1,3,4 |

|ILO4 |TLA1,2,6,8 |AT1,4 |

|ILO5 |TLA1,4,8 |AT1,2,3,4 |

|ILO6 |TLA1,3,4,7,8 |AT1,2,3,4 |

|ILO7 |TLA1,3,4,5,8 |AT1,2,3,4 |

|ILO8 |TLA1,2,3,7,8 |AT1,2,3,4 |

Course Schedule

|Week |Topic / Content |Activities |Work due |

|Week 1 |Course orientation and introduction |Reflecting on one’s writing experiences | |

| | | | |

| |What is academic writing | | |

| |Avoiding plagiarism | | |

|Week 2 |Elements of academic writing |Readings and discussion: professional | |

| | |writers’ reflections on academic writing | |

| |Writing as a process | | |

| |Writing a reflective essay |Introducing assignment 1: Reflective Essay | |

|Week 3 |Exploring academic style |Exchanging peer review |1(a) Reflective essay: first |

| | | |draft |

| |Style and formality | | |

| |Voice, vocabulary | | |

|Week 4 |Cohesion and coherence |Writing more effectively / paragraph |1(b) Reflective essay: final |

| | |structure: worksheets and writing exercises|draft |

| |Information structure | | |

| |Cohesive devices | | |

|Week 5 |READING WEEK: no class | | |

|Week 6 |Reading critically |Introducing assignment 2: Article Critique | |

| | | | |

| |Critically reading and evaluating a journal | | |

| |article / research report | | |

|Week 7 |Writing a critique |Group work on analysing and critiquing |2(a) Bring journal article |

| | |selected article | |

| |Using evaluative language | | |

| |Writing in a cautious style | | |

|Week 8 |Writing a research paper (i) |Introducing assignment 3: Academic Paper | |

| | | | |

| |Identifying a topic |Library /Corpus workshop: | |

| |Conducting library research |library and online searches, | |

| |Developing a research question / working thesis |catalogues and databases / online corpora | |

|Week 9 |Writing a research paper (ii) |Testing and refining the research question |2(b) Article critique |

| | |and thesis; eliciting and responding to | |

| |Developing an outline |peer feedback | |

| |Compiling a working/annotated bibliography | | |

| |More on avoiding plagiarism |Plagiarism worksheet | |

|Week 10 |Using published sources (i): |Worksheet on citations and referencing |3(a) Tentative topic and RQ |

| |in-text citations and referencing | | |

| | | | |

| |APA citation style | | |

| |Reporting verbs / verb tense | | |

|Week 11 |READING WEEK: no class |Library research | |

|Week 12 |Using published sources (ii): integrating source |Worksheet on integrating source material |3(b) Focused topic, rationale, |

| |material | |refined RQ, working thesis, |

| | | |outline of paper, annotated |

| |Paraphrasing | |working bibliography |

| |Summarising | | |

| |Quoting | | |

|Week 13 |Consultations on academic paper |Individual consultations | |

|Week 14 |Revising and polishing drafts |Exchanging peer review |3(c) Academic paper: first |

| | | |draft |

| |Revisiting features of academic writing | | |

| |Common writing errors | | |

|Week 15 |Recapitulation |Course review and self-reflection |3(d) Academic paper: final |

| | | |draft |

Academic Honesty

You are expected to do your own work. Dishonesty in fulfilling any assignment undermines the learning process and the integrity of your college degree. Engaging in dishonest or unethical behavior is forbidden and will result in disciplinary action, specifically a failing grade on the assignment with no opportunity for resubmission. A second infraction will result in an F for the course and a report to College officials. Examples of prohibited behavior are:

• Cheating – an act of deception by which a student misleadingly demonstrates that s/he has mastered information on an academic exercise.

• Copying or allowing another to copy a test, quiz, paper, or project.

• Submitting a paper or major portions of a paper that has been previously submitted for another class without permission of the current instructor.

• Turning in written assignments that are not your own work (including homework).

• Plagiarism – the act of representing the work of another as one’s own without giving credit.

■ Failing to give credit for ideas and material taken from others

■ Representing another’s artistic or scholarly work as one’s own

• Fabrication – the intentional use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings with the intent to deceive

To comply with the University’s policy, all graded assignments have to be submitted to VeriGuide.

Resources

Bailey, Stephen. (2018). Academic writing: A handbook for international students (5th ed.). New York: Routledge.

Bishop, Wendy. (2004). On writing: A process reader. Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Bishop, Wendy & Strickland, James. (eds). (2006). The subject is writing: Essays by teachers and students (4th ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.

Casanave, Christine Pearson. (2002). Writing games: Multicultural case studies of academic literacy practices in higher education. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Cooley, Linda & Lewkowicz, Jo. (2003). Dissertation writing in practice: Turning ideas into text. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

Crème, Phyllis & Lea, Mary R. (2008). Writing at University: A guide for students (3rd ed.). Buckingham: Open University Press.

Hyland, Ken. (2006). English for Academic Purposes: An advanced resource book. London; New York: Routledge.

McCarthy, Michael & O’Dell, Felicity. (2016). Academic vocabulary in use (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Murray, Neil. (2012). Writing essays in English language and linguistics: Principles, tips and strategies for undergraduates. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ng, Pak-tao Pedro. (2003). Effective writing. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press.

Oshima, Alice & Hogue, Anne. (2014). Writing academic English (5th ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson/Longman.

Swales, John & Feak, Christine. (2012). Academic writing for graduate students (3rd ed.). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

VanderMey, Randall, et al. (2018). The college writer: a guide to thinking, writing and researching (6th ed.). Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin.

Williams, Joseph M. (2003). Style: Ten lessons in clarity and grace. New York: Longman.

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