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ACADENG 201: Advanced Academic Written English

 Image result for academic writing

Course Description

 

This course develops skills over different types of academic writing at an advanced level and can help with the kinds of  academic writing needed in other subjects. It focuses on editing, language features of different academic text types (eg, classification, process, cause and effect) and how to integrate summaries of source texts into a referenced essay. It covers register, style, cohesion and logical connections between information and arguments. The final part of the course covers the stages of writing expository and analytical essays.

ACADENG 201 can be taken as part of a major or minor in Academic English Studies & Linguistics

Class limits information for 2016: Enrolment is limited to 30 students with admission on a first in, first enrolled basis.

 

Availability 2016

See SSO for availability

Lecturer(s)

Coordinator(s)  Martin White

Assessment

 

Coursework only

 

Points

ACADENG 201: 15.0 points

Prerequisites

 

ESOL 101 or ACADENG 101 or approval of Academic Head or nominee

 

Restrictions

 

ESOL 201. This course is available only to students who speak English as an additional language

Course Structure
The classes for this course in academic writing have been organised under different types of writing texts (e.g. essay, summary, data commentary), and different kinds of thought relationships in texts (e.g. problem-solution, cause and effect, comparison and contrast). Other units within the course focus on the writing and editing process at sentence, paragraph and whole text levels.

Aims of the course

The learning aims of the course are:

  •  to open up for analysis different samples of written text types (problem-solution; cause-effect;comparison-contrast) and genres (essay, summary, report)
  •  to give guided and independent practice at creating these text types
  •  to improve writing skills at sentence and paragraph level
  •  to improve skills in integrating and acknowledging source texts in academic essays
Classes in ACADENG 201 take place for two hours twice a week over a 12-week semester (48 hours). In Summer School class meets two hours a day four times a week over 6 weeks.

Check SSO for availability and class meeting times.

Content Outline
Part One ( Weeks 1-3
Introduction Problem-solution texts Narrative and process texts Definition Effective writing I: Grammatical cohesion; Conjunction; Ellipsis & substitution; Synonyms
Part Two   (Weeks 4-6)
Comparison and contrast Cause and effect Data commentary Enumeration, exemplification and reformulation Description Effective writing II: Writing good sentences; Punctuation; Spelling; Subject-verb agreement
Part Three  (Weeks 7-9)
Citing source texts: Introduction; Ways of citing a source text; Integrating citations into your essays; Avoiding plagiarism Effective writing III: Articles; Countable and uncountable nouns; Parallel structures
 
Part Four (Weeks 10-12)
Writing an academic essay: Steps in the writing process; Introductions and conclusions;  Developing effective analysis & argument Writing summaries Effective writing IV: Effective paragraphs; Cohesion: linkers & reference (revision)

Assessment
100% coursework.
There are two tests, worth 50% of the total marks for this course.  There are two assignments, worth 45% of the total marks and tutorial tasks worth a total of 5%. The first assignment is done in the first half  of the course, and the second (a 900-word referenced essay) is done in the second half of the course.

Submit hard copy of Assignments to Arts 1 Assignment Centre, 3F Arts 1 Building by 4pm on due date. All assignments  will be submitted online vai CANVAS ( uploading to Canvas will also submit the work to Turnitin.com).

 

Learning Resources

Main Resource:  Textbook

 The required text for this course is:  ACADENG 201: Advanced Academic Written English textbook.  This is available to enrolled students from Arts Assignment Centre, 3F, Arts 1 Building.

Workload

As with other 15-point courses, the University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on the course.  You should manage you academic workload and other commitments accordingly.  Students attend two 2-hour classes each week.  This leaves 6 hours per week outside the classroom for assignments and the exam.

Course rules: plagiarism, attendance, assistance with assignments

 “The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence.  The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting his or her learning.  Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced.   This requirement also applies to sources on the world-wide web. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms.  Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.”

Attendance Attendance at all classes is essential. There is a very close connection between the skills that are developed in each class and what is assessed in tests and assignments.

Assistance with assignments ACADENG 201 is different from other courses you take at university in that your ability to write clear, accurate English and edit your own work is part of what is being assessed through your assignments. Work handed in with your name on it is accepted on the understanding that it has been done by you without any assistance from ANY other sources (including the Student Learning Centre, other tutors or mentors, English-speaking friends or relatives).
You will be asked to submit all your assignment work to TURNITIN.
You should follow a consistent style for citations and references in your assignment.  The recommended one is the APA style, which you can find in summary form on this Library webpage: http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/instruct/ref/APA.html.  For help with referencing and avoiding plagiarism, you can access with the university’s Referen©ite at www.cite.auckland.ac.nz. This provides students with a one-stop online resource for academic referencing needs. Referen©ite explains the essentials of referencing and how to avoid plagiarism. It also includes practical tools to help students reference correctly, use references effectively in writing, and gives fast access to some major reference formats with examples.

Assignments: deadlines, penalties and extensions 

DEADLINES Any work submitted after the due date and without an extension form will be treated as overdue and penalties will apply (see below).  Submit assignments, together with a self-generated cover sheet, to Arts 1 Third Floor Reception before 4pm on the due date. PENALTIES The mark given to an overdue assignment will be reduced by 5 per cent (out of 100) for each day that it is late up to 5 working days (eg. an assignment worth 80 per cent would receive 75 per cent if it is one day late, 70 per cent if it is two days late etc… 55 per cent if it is 5 days late.)  Assignments which are due on Friday, but not processed until the following Monday or Tuesday, will be counted as TWO days late. Overdue assignments submitted more than five days late will not be marked nor will assignments be marked if submitted after the assignment has been marked and returned.  Unmarked assignments will be held until the end of the semester at which time the marker may choose to award a minimal completion mark (1 or 2 per cent) in cases where the final grade for the student is borderline (D+).  For this reason, it is better to hand in a late assignment than no assignment at all. 

HOW TO SEEK/ REQUEST/ APPLY FOR AN EXTENSION In serious circumstances beyond the student’s control (see below), s/he may apply to the staff member who marks the assignment for an extension form. Students should request extensions 2-3 days in advance.  Only in extreme circumstances will late requests for extensions be considered. Serious circumstances means sudden illness (in the case of in-class tests etc) or long-term illness (for essays etc done over a week or more). It does NOT mean time management difficulties such as too many assignments due at once, wanting to go on holiday, relatives visiting from overseas etc. Only ONE extension can be granted to a student per assignment. OUT-OF-CLASS ASSESSMENT  (i.e. take-home essays/ projects assignments etc)   When a staff member grants an extension they will issue the student with a signed extension form stating a new due date, and any additional documentation they may require (such as medical certificates). The completed assignment must be submitted on or before the new due date together with the signed extension form and the other paperwork. IN CLASS TESTS/ AND ORAL PRESENTATIONS ETC When serious circumstances (eg sudden serious illness or a car accident) cause a student to miss an in-class test, it is expected that the student will notify the department at the earliest possible opportunity, if possible before the scheduled test or presentation takes place.  If the student or their representative makes no contact with the department within five days of the scheduled test, they will be awarded a zero grade for that piece of assessment.  Extreme cases will be judged on their own merits. Documentation may be required.
For more information, see the University’s Guidelines: Conduct of Coursework, and Guidelines: http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/fms/default/uoa/about/teaching/policiesprocedures/docs/conductco ursework.pdf

Complaints
 Speak with teacher, staff representative  or  consult Wave website http://www.ausa.auckland.ac.nz/wave/grievance.html)


COVER SHEET You need to generate your personal coversheet. You will find how to do this by reading the document entitled, “How to find and generate an assignment ‘tracking’ (cover) sheet.” in “Resources” in CANVAS. You should staple this to the front of your assignment. Then submit your assignment to 3rd Floor Reception Arts 1 Building by 4.00 pm.


If you are considering setting up a class Facebook page or a similar page on other social media, please note the following information set out in The University of Auckland Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Statute 2007.
 ICT used at or for University activities cannot be used to store, display or communicate files containing any text or image that is deceptive or misleading; is abusive or defamatory; or contravenes a person’s privacy. Failure to comply with the terms of this warning may result in disciplinary action by the University.

Contact details for your class teacher:
Course Convenor:  Martin White.
Contact details will be given to enrolled students

Course summary:

Date Details Due