1. Academic Writing By Paul Stone FWU AEP

2. General Points Students will produce academic essays on topics of their choosing Writing should be meaningful Students should be critical Build students confidence and enjoyment Writing is used to communicate ideas and implement actions Writing is interactive Develop an awareness of different genres Students should be able to offer peer-feedback and assess their own work Enable students to study abroad

3. General Outline AW1Paragraphs on academic topics AW2 & 3Short essays AW42000 word research essay

4. AW1: Paragraphs Students choose own topics (relevant to their academic interests) Process approach – write multiple drafts Brainstorming & ideas Students should discuss their ideas with each other Students should peer- and self-assess using rubrics (but this does not replace teacher feedback) Students should consider their audience (who are they writing to, why, and what are they trying to achieve) Recommended text: Basic Steps to Academic Writing

5. AW4 Students need to write a 2000 word academic research essay Need to brainstorm, develop and organize ideas Write multiple drafts Write for a reason Criticize and evaluate sources Academic language and culture Plagiarism and referencing (and why these are important) Discuss essay topics in class Read each other’s essays & offer peer-feedback (consider the audience) Evaluate own essays using rubric Maintain email contact with teacher

6. Example Rubric: AW1 (Paragraphs) TEXTUAL Are words spelt correctly? Are sentences correctly formed? Does each sentence begin with a capital letter? Is the first word of each paragraph indented? Are sentences too short or long? DISCOURSAL/GENERIC Is there a topic sentence? Are there 3 or 4 supporting sentences? Are the supporting sentences backed-up with details? Is there a concluding/transition sentence at the end of the paragraph? Are there signal words to help guide the reader? Are joining/linking words used to connect ideas? Do all the sentences relate to the main point? INTERPERSONAL Are unusual or difficult words explained? Does the paragraph read well? Has the writer considered the reader? Is is written using academic style (i.e. objective)

7. Example Rubric: AW4 (Research essay) TEXTUAL Is the essay properly formatted, spelling etc? DISCOURSAL/GENERIC: INTRODUCTION Does the intro begin with an interesting statement about the topic? Does the introduction preview the main points of the essay? Does the introduction state the author’s purpose in writing the essay? Does the intro move from general to specific? Is there a thesis statement toward the end of the introduction? DISCOURSAL/GENERIC: BODY, CONCLUSION & REFERENCES Is the essay logically-organized, with intro, body, conclusion? Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence and idea? Are all the paragraphs/points relevant to the main idea? Is the main idea developed and supported with specific details? Are ideas linked with signalling words? Does the conclusion summarize the main ideas/ask a new question/suggest a solution to the problem? Does the author use citations and references appropriately? INTERPERSONAL Are ideas clearly explained? Is is written using academic style (i.e. objective)