writing workshop Session 2 notes

MEd/MScWritingWorkshopSession2NB/NF/WFW1WritingWorkshopforMasterofEducationandMasterofScienceStudentsSession2LanguageAwarenessinAcademicEssayWritingI.ObjectivesofSession2Bytheendofthissession,studentsshouldbeabletoidentifythecriteriaforgoodessaywritingformulateasoundessaytitleappreciatethequalitiesofagoodessayintroductionidentifythedistinctivefunctionsofkeytensesinacademicwritingappreciatequalitiesofgoodparagraphdesignandlinkageinanessayII.AnalyzingYourStrengthsandWeaknessesTask1:StrengthsandWeaknessesinyourAcademicWritingTalkingroupsandcomeupwithalistofwhatyouthinkyourstrengthsandweaknessesarewhenitcomestoacademicwriting.Overleafaresomepossibleanswers,butdon’tjustusethese.Thinkaboutessaysyouhavewritteninthepast.Whatdidyoufinddifficult?Whatcommentshavetutorsgiventoyouinthepastaboutyourwork?MEd/MScWritingWorkshopSession2NB/NF2Structuring/organizingyourpointsParagraphingKeepingyouressayontopicFullyansweringthequestionSearchingforinformationSelectingrelevantinformationReferringtoothers’workIntegratingothers’informationwithyourownideasParaphrasingwhilenotplagiarizingUnderstandingdifferencesinstyle/toneBeingabletowriteinanacademictoneProofreading/languageaccuracyFormattingyourworkIntegratinggraphicsMyStrengthsMyWeaknessesIII.CriteriaforGoodEssayWritingSession2andSession3oftheWritingWorkshopwillcoversomekeycriteriaforgoodessaywriting.Thecriteriaarealsothecriteriaforgooddissertationwriting–whichwewillcoverinthelatersessionsoftheWritingWorkshop.Thesecriteriaalsoreflectthevariousstagesorcomponentsofanessay.MEd/MScWritingWorkshopSession2NB/NF3CriteriaforGoodEssayWriting1.Theessayaddressestheissuesannouncedintheessaytitleandtheoverallstructureoftheessayisclear.2.Theintroductionprovidesbackgroundandcontexttothetopic,raisesanyproblematicissuessuggestedinthetitleandsignpoststhescopeanddirectionoftheessay.3.Thecentralargumentorcritiqueissupportedwithappropriateevidence,citationsandexamples.4.Referencestotheliteraturearestructuredcoherentlyandareusedtoelaborateand/orillustrateamoregeneralargumentativeortheoreticalpoint.5.Paragraphsusetopicsentencesandaredevelopedcoherently.Avoidbeginningparagraphswithreferencestotheliterature[e.g.“Smith(1998)arguesthat….”].6.Theargumentation–includingevaluationofotherpeople’swork–needstobebalancedandnuanced,acknowledgingweaknessesandstrengthswhicheverworkisfavored.7.Theconclusionsumsupthemainideas,makesconcludingpointsand/oroffersrecommendations.8.Theessayiswritteninanappropriateacademicstyle:FormallanguageLogicalargumentationDelicacyofexpression(“languagedelicacy”)AppropriatecitationandreferencingMoreparaphrasethanquotationsofotherauthors9.Theessayisadequatelyeditedandproofread,andhasaccurategrammar,vocabularyandpunctuation.MEd/MScWritingWorkshopSession2NB/NF4IV.EssayTitlesStudythefollowingpointsabouthowtowriteanappropriatetitletoyouressay.Ensurethetitleisatopicandnotaproposition(toolikeanargumentorconclusion)MentionthekeyproblematicaspectsofthetopicyouintendtofocusonMentionthecontextyouarewritingabout–onlyaspreciselyasyouneedEnsureyourtitlereflectstheintendedscopeofyouressay2-parttitles:Considercombiningabriefconcepttopicwithanaspect,aproblemoraquestion(e.g.EducationreforminHongKong:Successorfailure?)–notehowthecolon(:)worksAvoidtryingtopacktoomuchintoyourtitle(e.g.eithersideofthecolon!)Afteryou’vewrittentheessay,checkthefitbetweenthefocusandscopeoftheessay–especiallywhatyou’vesignaledinyourIntroduction-andyourtitleSomeexamples:1RepresentationofgenderimagesinChinesetextbooksinprimaryschoolsinHongKong2MaximizingtheeffectivenessofE-LearningresourcesattheUniversityofHongKong3ComparingtworeadingstrategiesadoptedbyChineseESLsecondaryschoolstudentsinSingapore4Task-basedteachinginscienceclassrooms:MeritsandproblemsIfyouarewritingorplanningtowriteanessay,youcanwritedownthetitleofyouressayanddiscussitwithyourclassmates:Thetileofmyessay____________________________________________________________________________________________________InSession5,youwilllearnabouthowtowriteatitleforaresearchreportordissertation.MEd/MScWritingWorkshopSession2NB/NF5V.WritinganIntroductioninanAcademicEssayTask2:FunctionsandStructureofanIntroductionWorkinsmallgroups.Brainstormthefunctionsofanintroductionandwhatshouldbeincludedinanintroductionofanacademicessay.Theintroductionisimportantbecauseit…givesthereaderhis/herfirstimpressionofthetext.engagesthereader’sattentionandencourageshim/hertoreadon.establishesthesignificanceofthetopic.setsthescene.highlightsthecentralargumentorissue.createsthetoneoftheessay.ExamplesofPoorIntroductions:1.Self-evident“truth”e.g.‘Therecanbenodoubtthatstudyingrequiresconcentration.”(Anythingthatgoeswithoutsayingshouldn’tbesaid.)2.Acomplaintaboutthedifficultiesofwritingonthetopice.g.“…..Thisquestionisquiteadifficultproblemtoanalyze……”3.Dictionarydefinitione.g.“CollinCobuildDictionarydefinesteachingas……”4.Excusesofthewriter’sinsecurityaboutthetopice.g.“ThetopicofusingChineseasamediumofinstructionisdifficulttoexplain,butIwilldothebestIcan.”MEd/MScWritingWorksho