This is an intensive writing course for students who are non-native speakers of English but who have previously studied English. Students will learn to employ a process approach to writing and will progress from developing paragraphs to developing academic essays employing appropriate rhetorical modes. Students will revise and edit their writing. Grammar structures will be reviewed and practiced as errors occur in writing.
By the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Employ a process approach to writing including brainstorming, clustering, outlining, revising, rewriting, proofreading, editing, and evaluating.
2. Develop strategies used in writing coherent and unified academic paragraphs by:
a. formulating topic sentences worthy of further exploration;
b. writing supporting sentences which explain, clarify, and illustrate the topic sentence by adding details, examples, explanations, and definitions and limiting information by omitting unimportant detail;
c. ordering sentences logically and using appropriate transitional/signal words and phrases;
d. beginning to master complex grammatical structures such as stating and moderating opinions by using quantifiers, adverbs of frequency, and modals (some, many, rarely, almost never, usually, most, very few, should, could, have to, etc.), giving reasons using signal words (because, so, although, consequently, since, as a result, therefore, etc.), varying word order, using demonstratives (this, that, these, those), and making general statements using the present tense;
e. writing appropriate concluding sentences.
3. Write a descriptive or narrative paragraph by:
a. using spatial or chronological ordering;
b. demonstrating strategies used in writing coherent and unified academic paragraphs.
4. Develop strategies used in writing coherent and unified academic essays by:
a. organizing information by making lists, trees, outlines, or charts;
b. using information from readings to supplement background knowledge;
c. organizing information logically;
d. ordering paragraphs logically.
5. Write interesting and effective introductory paragraphs by:
a. providing a hook (anecdote, surprising fact, etc.);
b. providing relevant background information;
c. moving from general to specific;
d. formulating a controlling statement (thesis).
6. Write effective concluding paragraphs by:
a. moving from specific to general;
b. restating the controlling statement and/or summarizing the essay’s main points;
c. referring back to the introduction;
d. not introducing new ideas;
e. avoiding generalizations;
f. including a final comment.
7. Write an advantage/disadvantage essay by:
a. analyzing an idea or situation by examining its advantages and disadvantages;
b. applying an appropriate advantage/disadvantage organizational pattern;
c. employing appropriate strategies used in writing effective academic paragraphs and essays.
8. Write a comparison and contrast essay by:
a. analyzing an idea or situation by examining its differences and similarities;
b. applying an appropriate comparison/contrast organizational pattern;
c. employing appropriate strategies used in writing effective academic paragraphs and essays;
d. employing comparison and contrast structure words and phrases (similarly, just like, alike, similar to, likewise, both … and, just as, on the other hand, in contrast, however, but, yet, although, even though, while, whereas, etc.).
Course topics will include the following:
1. Process writing
2. Paragraph development and structure
3. Form, unity, coherence
4. Academic essays
5. Rhetorical modes
6. Impromptu writing
Method of Instruction:
3. Group and pair work
5. Error analysis
Types of Assignments:
1. Textbook exercises
2. Paragraph and essay writing
3. Journal writing
4. Vocabulary study
1. Boardman, Cynthia A., and Jia Frydenberg, Writing to Communicate: Paragraphs and Essays, Pearson Education, Inc.