Writing with a Purpose: Relating Contents to Readers Ismael Arinas Pellón Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Reading, Writing, & Brain ± 200,000 years ago ± 8,000 years ago Humans ± 70 years ago T ă rt ă ria tablets General Literacy

Reading, Writing, & Brain New Connections (Maryanne Wolf 2008: ) Non-innate

In the following 45 minutes… 1.Context in texts 2.Who are the readers 3.Purpose 4.Readers, purpose, & contents 5.Sentence and paragraph structure 6.Writing assignment

Text (1) Application  Rejection  Response Non-native speakers Standardised language Administrative Language Legal Purpose Pre-written

Text (2) Exam Question  Written Essay Reader = Examiner Purpose = Certificate Language = Bookish Limited extension Limited time

Text (3) Scholarship  Application  Letter Reader = Committee? Purpose = Admission Language = Respectful, Original? Cultural Conventions

Text (4) Interviews  Newspaper Article Reader = Higher Education Purpose = Inform Language = Spoken-like Tries to be interesting Limited words

Text (5) Research  Biography Reader = General Purpose = Inform Language = Clear Neutral – Fan - Critic

English Information Structure OLD INFORMATION  NEW INFORMATION LESS IMPORTANT INFORMATION  IMPORTANT INFORMATION Sentences

Example: Text (5) Born  Obama, USA president He  political activity He  elected for Senate He  elected & reelected presidency He  main policies

Example: Text (2) S1. Debate/Problem  to whom S2a. Option A  S2b. Option B  S3. For / Against  Choice P2. Advantages  P3. Disadvantages  P4. Contrasts  P5. Supported option 1 st paragraph

Example: Text (3) “I”  “What I want to achieve” “I”  “What has taken me here” “I”  “What I have done” “I”  “Your institution” I have a plan I am responsible I will contribute

Structuring Paragraphs (i) 1st sentence  paragraph topic Other sentences  info about topic 1st sentence  situation Other sentences  contrast situations 1st sentence  action Other sentences  results

Structuring Paragraphs (ii) 1st Text structure  2 nd Writing Active  Passive Linkers, Conjunctions, Discourse Markers Find good examples

Tools to Write Online Grammar Online Writing Labs Online Corpora Longman Language Activator Dictionary

WRITING ASSIGNMENT? Short structure analysis of text (3)? Write a motivation letter for a master’s schollarship in the UK? ( words)

REFERENCES Wolf Maryanne (2008). Proust and the Squid. Icon Books Ltd. guardian/readership-figures chemnitz.de/phil/english/InternetGrammar/frontend/ ge%20Activator%20Paperback%20New%20Edition/