[ENGL 505] Academic Writing

Course Title: Academic Writing

Course Description

The course provides students with skills and strategies for writing and communicating effectively in academic purposes in colleges and universities. Based on essential aspects and proper guidelines for academic writing, this course equips students with key writing skills.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Equip themselves with innovative methods and techniques of academic writing.
• Refine practical skills to summarize, paraphrase, review, annotate and synthesize.
• Cultivate critical thinking abilities through close reading and writing processes.
• Enhance writing and communication skills for publication and effective deliberation.

Course Contents

Unit I: Academic Writing Basics (6 Hours)

1. Starting with Inquiry: Habits of Mind of Academic Writers (Greene and Lidinsky)
2. Two-part secret of good writing: Ideas and Details (Bauman)
3. Getting Ideas: Brain Teasers to Help You Write on Almost Anything
4. Paragraphs: Ideas and Details in Miniature
5. Cohesion and Coherence: Cohesion, Coherence, and Concision (Williams and Bizup)
6. Assignment: A paragraph using transition markers to maintain cohesion and coherence.

Unit II: Issues, Questions, Claims, and Thesis/Arguments (12 Hours)

1. Identifying Types of Claims; Analyzing Arguments; Analyzing and Comparing Arguments
2. Identifying Issues in an Essay; Developing a Thesis; Working versus Definitive Theses
3. Establishing a Context for a Thesis; Building Cultural Supports for Robust Learning
4. Assignment: A 5-7 page argumentative paper with coherent paragraphs directed to thesis statement.

Unit III: From Summary to Synthesis and Annotation (12 Hours)

1. Summaries, Paraphrases, and Quotations; Writing a Paraphrase
2. Synthesis versus Summary; Writing a Synthesis
3. Assignment: A 4/5-page synthesis paper synthesizing other people's ideas, claims, or arguments.

Unit IV: From Ethos to Logos (9 Hours)

1. Connecting with Readers: A Sample Argument; Appealing to Ethos; Appealing to Pathos
2. Appealing to Logos: Using Reason and Evidence to Fit the Situation
3. Assignment: A 4/5-page position paper establishing your position.

Unit V: Persuasive and Literary Writing for Publication (9 Hours)

1. Persuasive: Audience and Tone; Persuasive Topics; Raising Problems; Supporting Evidence; Structuring the Persuasive Essay
2. Literary: How Much Can You see?; Brain Teasers; Organizing Literary Essays; Drafting; Revising; The Review
3. Portfolio Assignment: Submission of a portfolio consisting of first, revised, and final drafts.

Evaluation Scheme

Internal Evaluation (40 Marks)

External Examination (60 Marks)

Prescribed Text

Bauman, M. Garrett. Ideas and Details. Thomson Wadsworth, 2007.
Greene, Stuart, and April Lidinsky. From Inquiry to Academic Writing. 3rd ed., 2016.