Academic Writing (Pre-sessional Course A - Business)

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Use academic language appropriately and effectively in written work
• Use learning strategies to continue to build grammatical accuracy and vocabulary range
• Produce essays with appropriate content
• Employ critical writing strategies to convey your evaluation of information and ideas obtained from your sources
• Use appropriate writing strategies for your purposes
• Plan and structure your writing effectively
• Paraphrase, summarise, synthesise and use quotations to reference correctly from your sources

A. DEVELOPING A CLEAR AND COHESIVE ESSAY STRUCTURE

1. Using titles, outlines and topic development strategies effectively when planning.

2. Providing a clear introduction and conclusion.

3. Dividing body paragraphs appropriately.

4. Ensuring points are logically ordered, suitably linked and well-supported at paragraph and essay level.

5. Meeting assignment word count.

B. USING OUTSIDE SOURCES EFFECTIVELY IN ESSAYS

1. Producing clear, distinct and appropriately balanced use of quotation, paraphrase, summary and synthesis

in written work.

2. Incorporating Harvard in-text references accurately and providing a corresponding reference list in Harvard

format.

3. Balancing effective source use with original input.

4. Avoiding plagiarism and ensuring compliance with University Academic Integrity policy.

C. PRODUCING ESSAYS WITH APPROPRIATE CONTENT

1. Ensuring all parts of the task are covered.

2. Providing relevant factual information/ data commentary and description where necessary.

3. Writing critically to support and strengthen an argument.

4. Using an effective analytical rather than descriptive approach.

5. Showing evidence of own voice and original insight.

D. USING ACADEMIC LANGUAGE APPROPRIATELY

1. Ability to explore topic fully and use accurate vocabulary choice, both subject-specific and general.

2. Ensuring style and register is appropriate, academic and consistent.

3. Incorporating appropriate synonym, word order and word form changes in paraphrases or summaries.

4. Conveying meaning effectively.

E. DEVELOPING GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY AND RANGE

1. Using punctuation accurately and consistently.

2. Showing evidence of range of appropriate simple and complex structures and clauses.

3. Ensuring meaning is not impeded by grammatical issues.

4. Adopting beneficial proof reading strategies to check for common errors (sentence fragment/ pronoun

use/ S-V agreement etc.).

Teaching and learning methods

You will experience a wide variety of teaching and learning methods including: full class teaching; individual,

pair and group work in class; set tasks to be completed outside class; use of authentic texts for exploitation;

Independent Learning workshops; self-directed independent study and tutorials (normally in pairs with your

tutor). You will have weekly tutorials with your class tutor to discuss your progress and will learn how to use

the University libraries, including electronic resources.

Resources & Reading list

Internet Resources

University of Southampton LibGuides@Southampton (Academic Skills:Home- useful links for academic writing, critical thinking, information management, academic integrity, presentation skills, exam techniques and resources.

Cite them right online.

University of Toronto.

University of Southampton Harvard Guide.

University of Nottingham AWL highlighter [online]..

British Council LearnEnglish Writing for a Purpose.

Anglia Ruskin University [online].

UEfAP website (Andy Gillet) [online]..

LLAS webpage for exam preparation [online]..

University of Manchester – Academic Phrasebank (pages for introducing work, referring to the literature, being critical, describing methods, reporting results, discussing findings, writing conclusions, general functions).

Academic Writing in English (AWE) Finnish Virtual Language Centre [online]..

SAGE Study Skills Resources- Free online study skill resources.

Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) [online]..

University of Nottingham AWL gapmaker [online]..

University of Portsmouth [online]..

University of Michigan Press [online]..

Textbooks

N Caplan (2012). Grammar Choices for Graduate and Professional Writers. Michigan: University of Michigan Press.

J Bell and S Walters (2014). Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-Time Researchers. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill/Open University Press.

D Burnapp (2009). Getting Ahead as an International Student. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill/Open University Press.

C Sowton (2012). 50 Steps to Improving your Academic Writing: Study Book. Reading: Garnet Publishing Ltd.

A Osmond (2013). Academic Writing and Grammar for Students. London: Sage Publications.

N Murray and G Hughes (2008). Writing Up Your University Assignments and Research Projects: A Practical Handbook. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill/Open University Press.

S Bailey (2015b). Academic Writing for International Students of Business. Abingdon: Routledge.

R Pears and G Shield (2013). Cite them Right. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

R R Jordan (1999). Academic Writing Course. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

A Wallwork (2012). English for Research: Usage, Style, and Grammar. New York: Springer US.

C Sowton (2014). Unlock Level 4 Reading and Writing Skills: Student's Book and Online Workbook. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

S Argent and O Alexander (2014). Access EAP: Frameworks Course Book. Reading: Garnet Publishing Ltd.

J Godfrey (2013a). How to Use Your Reading in Your Essays. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

S Cottrell (2011). Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

T Day (2013). Success in Academic Writing. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

K McMillan and J Weyers (2013). How to Research & Write a Successful PhD. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

J Godfrey (2013b). The Student Phrase Book: Vocabulary for writing at university. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

A Oshima and A Hogue (2006). Writing Academic English. New York: Pearson Education.

K Paterson, and R Wedge (2013). Oxford Grammar for EAP: English Grammar and Practice for Academic Purposes with answers. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

S McCarter and P Jakes (2009). Uncovering EAP: How to Teach Academic Writing and Reading. Oxford: Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

A McNair and F Gooch (2013). Language for Study Level 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

D Hopkins and P Cullen (2007). Grammar for IELTS with Answers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

S Bailey (2015a). Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. Abingdon: Routledge.

J McCormack and J Slaght (2012). Extended Writing and Research Skills Course Book. Reading: University of Reading/Garnet Publishing Ltd.

C Fletcher (2013). Skills for Study Level 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

A Gillett, A Hammond and M Martala (2009). Successful Academic Writing (Inside Track Series). Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

J Swales and C Feak (2012). Academic Writing for Graduate Students. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press.

J Slaght (2012). English for Academic Study: Reading and Writing Source Book. Reading: University of Reading/Garnet Publishing Ltd.

K Pakenham, J McEntire and J Williams (2013). Making Connections Level 3 Student’s book: Skills and strategies for Academic Reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

A Pallant (2012). English for Academic Study: Writing Course Book. Reading: University of Reading/Garnet Publishing Ltd.

H Reinders, N Moore and M Lewis (2008). The International Student Handbook, (Palgrave Study Skills Series).. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Assessment strategy

Informal tasks designed to provide formative feedback

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.