MA in English Language
LG600 — Advanced Academic English Language Skills
Objectives
At the end of the course students should be able to:
- Identify the main uses of writing in their field
- Employ the main features of writing in their field
- Meet the expectations of readers in their field
- Use writing and reading for inquiry learning and thinking
- Integrate their own ideas with those of others
- Use flexible strategies for generating, revising, editing and proofreading
- Critique their own and others' work
- Identify common formats for different kinds of texts
- Practice appropriate documentation of their work
- Control surface features such as syntax grammar punctuation and spelling
- Present organized coherent seminars with appropriate technology
Advanced Academic English Language Skills will require intense involvement on the part of students in activities which include expository writing with focus on research/report writing, interactive/collaborative sessions such as class presentations, peer critiquing/reviewing and group work. Students will also be afforded the opportunity to enhance their linguistic abilities by processing and evaluating texts with varying types of content and structural organization.
Students will be required to maintain a portfolio in which all work/ assignments will be kept.
Areas To Be Explored
- Principles of Academic Writing
- Contexts and Language Choices
- The Research Writing Process
- Language Use in Research Writing
- Identifying Relevant Information and Evaluating Sources
- Documentation, Citation and Issues of Plagiarism and Intellectual Property
- Summarising
- Reading Varieties of Academic Discourse
- Responding to and Critiquing Academic Texts
- Preparing/ Giving Oral Presentations
Assessment (100% Course Work)
- Research Paper 30% -approximately 2000 words.
- In Course Test I 15% (summary)
- In Course Test II 20% (Response to or Critique of Academic Text)
- In Course Test III 15% (Mini oral presentation in seminar on research topic)
- Portfolio 20% (collection of writing assignments and class exercises undertaken throughout the semester)
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
- This is a PASS /FAIL course. The pass mark is 50%.
- In order to pass this course, students must gain 50% overall in BOTH the WRITING SEGMENT (Research Paper and Portfolio) AND the READING AND ORAL SEGMENTS (In Course Tests I, II and III)
Students are expected to demonstrate the highest standards in both written and oral communication. Written assignments as well as oral presentations (where applicable) should reflect the following:
- Command of grammar and syntax; correct punctuation and spelling
- Logical, coherent organization
- Readable style; stylistic features appropriate to the discipline
- Appropriate form, format and visuals
- Relevant, accurate and adequate content
- Appropriate and accurate documentation and citation of information
Students who display marked weaknesses in any of the above will not receive a passing grade.
Course Materials:
- Flat A4 folder for Portfolio
- Diyani, R and Hoy II, P.C. (2001) The Scribner Handbook for Writers.3rd ed. Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon
- A Good Dictionary
- MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th Ed.
Required Texts
- Stott, Rebecca (2000) Speaking your Mind: Oral Presentation and Seminar Skills. Longman
- Hult, C (2002) Research and Writing the Across the Curriculum Allyn and Bacon
- Dees, R(1999) The Modern Research Paper Harcourt Brace and Jovanich
- Markell, M (1999) Technical Communication:Situations and Strategies St Martins
- Wilhoit, S.W. (2001) A Brief Guide to Writings from Readings 2nd Edition. Allyn and Bacon.Reference Texts
- McMillan, V. E. Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences. St Martins
- Palmquist, M and Zimmerman,D.E. Writing with a Computer. Allyn and Bacon/Longman
- Rampolla, M.L. Thinking and Writing about Literature. St Martins
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