PEL academic writing 340-AR1-1PWR

The course of Academic Writing includes the instruction of practical techniques of writing texts aiming at creating academic papers, as well as their implementation in the practice of writing thereof. Students begin with short forms, e.g. one-paragraph texts, and then go to longer forms, e.g. a five-paragraph (or longer) academic essay. Students become familiar with the rules and discipline of text organization (composition) such as: general, process, chronological, comparison and contrast, as well as cause and effect.

In order to permanently enrich vocabulary, students are obliged to keep a reading diary with weekly entries on articles from academic journals they read. Beside new words, students also acquire practical skills of composing academic texts, as well as the knowledge of back matter formats (footnotes, endnotes, in-text notes, bibliography).
Vocabulary is also extended through exercises from textbooks of academic English.

Prerequisites (description)

The course of Academic Writing is dedicated to the first year majors in English, and is part of a three-year cycle preparing them for writing academic papers, including their licencjat thesis. Having completed the one-year course in Academic Writing, during which Ss practise writing short (one-paragraph) texts and longer ones (5-6-paragraph), they should be ready for the next stage of preparing for writing research papers with back matter (notes and bibliography) which will be an argumentative essay.

Course coordinators

Term 2022:

Stefan Kubiak
Alina Suchowilska-Geniusz

Term 2023:

Stefan Kubiak

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

(in Polish) w sali

Learning outcomes

After the course students
I. can express themselves in a written form of
1) a paragraph
2) a five-six-paragraph essay:
a) general
b) process/chronological
c) comparison and contrast
d) cause and effect
II. can use academic vocabulary

Assessment criteria

The final grade results from grades for papers submitted by Ss.
Essays are assessed in terms of:
1) composition and style (formal),
2) correct application of (academic) vocabulary, collocations and grammar structures
3) logic and intellectual honesty of the argument (reasoning).

The final grade is not an average grade for particular essays. An important criterion is progress! Therefore, if a student does not do very well with a task, but their subsequent papers are increasingly better, the latter will matter.

Bibliography

A. Oshima, A. Hogue, Writing Academic English, 4th edition, Pearson-Longman,2005
H. Cory, Advanced Writing with English in Use, OUP, 1999.
I. Leki, Academic Writing: Exploring Processes and Strategies, CUP, 1998.
M. McCarthy, F. O'Dell, Academic Vocabulary in Use: Vocabulary reference and practice, CUP, 2008.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 340-AR1-1PWR in USOSweb