Academic English Drop In Workshops

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Academic English Drop In Workshops

• Materials sourced from Jonny Wells (ELSSA 2009)
  
• TAFE Access Division., 2001, Steps to Success in
  Writing Essays and Reports
• Morley-Warner, T., 2007, Academic Writing is a
  guide to writing in a university context, CREA
  Publications.

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ELSSA Centre

• What do we do?
• Provide workshops in Faculties throughout
  semester
• Provide one-to-one appointments
• Where are we?
• Level 18, Building 1
• ?www.elssa.uts.edu.au
• ?Phone [phone]
• ?Email elssa.centre_at_uts.edu.au
• ? MaryAnn McDonald MaryAnn.McDonald_at_uts.edu.au

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Academic English Drop In Workshops

• Week 7
• Writing essays

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Groups discuss

• What do you find difficult about writing essays?
• What do you find MOST difficult about writing
  essays?
• What feedback have you got from your lecturers?

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Which of these do you need for every essay

• Understand and analyse the question
• Brainstorm ideas
• Collect relevant, reliable information
• Analyse and evaluate the information.
• Make judgements about the information.
• Put forward an argument from the judgements you
  have made.
• Plan a structure for your argument intro, body,
  conclusion
• Link your main ideas
• Support your main ideas with examples,
  justifications or evidence.
• Indicate the source of your main ideas using
  appropriate referencing and reporting expressions
  (according to he states)
• Edit your writing for coherence and unity
• Proofread for grammar, punctuation and spelling
  mistakes
• Allow enough time for each of these !

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Analyse the question

• Look at the question.
• What are the key words?
• Look at the direction words eg. analyse,
  describe, discuss, evaluate, suggest, consider -
  do any of these words limit what you need to do?
• Clarify any uncertain terms/unfamiliar vocabulary

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Sample question

• In analysing the writing process, the research
  of both Bloggs (1997) and Smith and Jones (1998)
  has indicated the crucial role of metacognition.
  Discuss this claim in the light of your own
  experience as a first year university student.
• What are the key concepts to be researched?
• Morley-Warner, T., 2007, Academic Writing is a
  guide to writing in a university context, CREA
  Publications.

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Sample question

• In analysing the writing process, the research
  of both Bloggs (1997) and Smith and Jones (1998)
  has indicated the crucial role of metacognition.
  Discuss this claim in the light of your own
  experience as a first year university student.
• What are the key concepts to be researched?
• The writing process
• The research of Bloggs, Smith and Jones
• Metacognition
• Your first year of university experience -
  Briefly describe your relevant experience and
  analyse it to test if the claim is justified.
• Evaluative term crucial
• (other eg. More, most, major, all, some, few,
  least, better, best, almost, every)
• Morley-Warner, T., 2007, Academic Writing is a
  guide to writing in a university context, CREA
  Publications.

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If you are unsure of the question ?

• Compare your analysis with a friend.
• Ask in class
• Go see your lecturer personally
• Go see another member of faculty
• Email lecturer for help
• See ELSSA tutor
• ALWAYS seek help if you need it!!

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Another essay question..

• Birth rates are falling in developed countries.
  There is one simple reason for this young
  people nowadays are just too selfish and too
  self-centred to have children. And this is
  particularly true of women. To what extent do
  you agree with this view? Support your argument
  with relevant readings and evidence.
• What are the main concepts to be
  considered/researched?

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• Birth rates are falling in developed countries.
  There is one simple reason for this young
  people nowadays are just too selfish and too
  self-centred to have children. And this is
  particularly true of women. To what extent do
  you agree with this view? Support your argument
  with relevant readings and evidence.
• Falling birth rates
• Falling birth rates are a problem?
• Cause of falling birth rates?
• One reason i.e. selfishness
• In particular, womens selfishness
• Your agreement?
• Extent of your agreement?
• Relevant readings and research

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Brainstorming

• Everything you already know
• Write down ideas without stopping for 5 mins.
• Dont think about what you have written.
• Free thought it works! It generates ideas.
• Draw pictures, diagrams, write in point form,
  write single words or talk out loud.
• In group discuss and brainstorm
• Volunteers to write on board

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Put your ideas into groups

• If you group your thoughts it will save time at
  the library. You can make lists or use a mind
  map whatever you prefer.
• It helps to know what topics you want to research
  before you go to the library.
• It also helps you to make sense of your
  brainstorm and consider how your ideas are
  related.
• Try and identify 3-5 groups of ideas to take to
  the library. Dont worry if you dont have
  enough ideas you will get more once you start
  researching.

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Example Bubble Plan
Source studyskills.com
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• Every essay should show that you have been
• THINKING CRITICALLY
• When you THINK CRITICALLY, you have a specific
  purpose in mind (i.e. to answer the essay
  question)
• To THINK CRITICALLY you need to
• Collect information
• Analyseand evaluateinformation
• Find out details and decide how important the
  details are
• Make a judgement
• Make a decision come to a conclusion speculate

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• Ifdifferent peoplecollect the same information,
  will they make the same judgement?
• Is there one right answer.

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• No!
• You need to arrive at a judgement
• You need to provide reasons for your judgement

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Analysis and critical thinking. Catching a train

• You have a job interview and must be in the city
  by 9am. You are carrying a heavy bag and are
  wearing uncomfortable shoes. It is a very hot
  day.
• Which train will you catch?
• Departs Arrives city Details
• 8.20am 8.57am All stations to the city. Quite
  crowded you may not get a seat.
  Air-conditioned.
• 8.26am 8.55am Makes two stops between your
  station and the city. Not
  air-conditioned.
• 8.30am 8.50am Express train. Comes from out of
  town and will be extremely crowded
  when you get on. Air-conditioned.
• 8.24am 9.00am All stations to the city. Might
  be crowded but you will probably get
  a seat. Air-conditioned.

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• Collection of information
• Read timetable to see what trains are available
• Analysis
• Which train will get me to the city in the best
  time?
• Which train will get me to the city feeling most
  comfortable?
• Evaluation
• 8.30 is the quickest train, but I wont get a
  seat
• Ill get a seat on the 8.24, but it arrives too
  late.
• Judgement
• Ill catch the 8.20 because Ill get there on
  time, feeling cool and relaxed and hopefully get
  a seat.
• Ill achieve my purpose.
• Did everyone make the same judgement?

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Collecting information

• Start with recommended texts and readings
• Lecturers provide you with current and reputable
  sources
• Does your reading offer a variety of perspectives
  on the same issue?
• Are your sources current. (depends on area of
  study eg. Medicine vs history)
• Are your sources specific to issues raised in the
  question.
• Are your sources reputable eg. Professional
  journals books published by established
  publishing houses check with lecturer.

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Analysis and evaluation of information

• What does each source say?
• in relation to the question?
• How valuable is each source?
• in relation to the question.

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Judgement of information

• You can now make a reasoned judgement
• You have been influenced by the sources you read
• You will also be influenced by your own previous
  knowledge and experience.

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A good way to focus and remember what you have
read ..

• Try to explain to someone else it sharpens your
  focus
• Explain the question and main ideas/arguments to
  a friend.
• Justify the arguments by giving examples and
  evidence from the information you have found.

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The Planning Sheet
?? It helps to plan out the draft of your essay
on an A4 sheet of paper
(Monash University, 2009) www.monash.edu.au
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Introduction

• There are many ways to begin an essay. If youre
  stuck try this way
• Introduce the topic area in a general way eg.
  Declining birth rates
• Introduce the main issue to be covered in your
  essay eg. Why is there is a decline in the birth
  rate?
• Introduce your argument (you will know this after
  youve done all your reading).
• When should you write your introduction?

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Structure body of report from notes

• Briefly look at notes found from reading and plan
  a structure for your paragraphs..
• Cover all the issues that were raised in the
  question in a logical way

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Paragraphs

• Birth rate has declined
• this is a problem
• young people and their selfishness are to
  blame
• any alternative view and reasons for this
  alternative view
• women are the cause of the declining birth rate
• any alternative view and reasons for this
  alternative view
• Your argument (which will be stated in the
  introduction and restated now)
• evidence for your argument

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Paragraph Structure
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Conclusion

• Restate your argument
• Summarise main ideas
• For a more interesting essay
• Discuss implications of your argument
• Only do this briefly
• Think . I have argued this position, so what
  might follow on from this?

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1st draft

• Develop your first draft
• Leave it for 24 hours then come back to it
• Re-read edit change improve
• Ensure clarity, cohesions and logical flow of
  ideas in your writing. Does each paragraph have
  a main idea or argument and is it well supported?
  Check transition signals youve used to link
  ideas.
• Move on to develop 2nd/ 3rd drafts

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Final Draft

• Here are some common grammatical problems. Which
  are yours? How can you improve?
• Correct tone
• Verb tenses
• Articles
• Sentences are they too long? Too short?
• Subject/verb agreement
• Singular/plural
• Vocab is it repetitive?

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MaryAnn.McDonald_at_uts.edu.auwww.elssa.uts.edu.
auMaterials sourced from Jonny Wells (ELSSA
2009) TAFE Access Division., 2001, Steps to
Success in Writing Essays and ReportsMorley-Warne
r, T., 2007, Academic Writing is a guide to
writing in a university context, CREA
Publications.Hall, B. 2206, The Night Before
Essay Planner, The Research Den
thank you