Week 1 Jan. 19 Kara Johnson Student Info HO

 Develop writing skills needed for academic theses, dissertations, and publications  Support non-native speakers of English who are currently writing  Introduce both sentence and word level issues, as well as larger organizational and conventional issues  Give writers techniques for revising their writing

1. Learning your audience & organizing your writing 2. Using academic vocabulary I: connecting ideas & learning conventions of your discipline 3. Using academic vocabulary II: defining ideas & integrating source material 4. Using academic vocabulary III: academic styles & writing introductions 5. Using academic vocabulary IV: evaluative language & reviewing the literature

 Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (2012). Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills. 3 rd ed. University of Michigan Press.

 TASK ONE  What is your main writing strategy?  What strategies would you like to develop?  Right now, what do you feel your strengths of writing are?  Right now, what do you feel your weaknesses of writing are? P2 HO

Who are the audiences you write for? What about your writing changes when you change audience? ◦ Personal ◦ Students ◦ Advisors ◦ Thesis committees ◦ Reviews ◦ Editors ◦ Conference or journal readers (academics)  Purpose  Strategy  Vocabulary  Details  Organization

 Audience interconnected with purpose and strategy…how does that affect us? ◦ All are frequently changing ◦ For graduate writers, a purpose is often to display familiarity, expertise, and intelligence ◦ There is a need to consider how to position yourself to leave the impression you want  Pg 5 missing lines: Pg 5 ◦ A potentially cheaper technology called membrane desali- nation may expand the role desaliantion worldwide, which P4-5 HO

 Let’s consider your current work: ◦ Who is your audience? ◦ What is your purpose? ◦ What impression do you want to leave with your audience? ◦ What is a strategy you are or can use?

 Organizing your ideas, when we return

 Academic writing has some typical organizations ◦ s ◦ Bad news letters ◦ Good news letters ◦ Book reviews ◦ Dissertation ◦ Journal article  You can deviate, but too far, and the reader can be confused  Strive for appropriate style

 How do you find the organizational conventions of your field?  For your specific type of writing?  Typical organizations for sections or paragraphs: ◦ General/specific ◦ Situation/problem ◦ Comparison/contrast

 Very common structure for orientating the reader  Pattern is the following: ◦ A general statement ◦ An elaboration ◦ More elaboration ◦ Often returns to a broader statement  The general statement could be: ◦ A short definition ◦ A generalization or purpose statement (From Swales & Feak, 2012, p 56)

 Very common structure for orientating the reader  Pattern often used for: ◦ An answer to an examination question ◦ A course paper ◦ An opening paragraph of an assignment ◦ Background to an analysis or discussion (From Swales & Feak, 2012, p 55)

 EXAMPLE: Reality TV Formats (PDF)PDF ◦ Glance through Abstract and Introduction to position the article ◦ “From documentaries to docu-soaps…” 1 st paragraph  How does the author take readers from the general opening emphasis on reality TV to the final focus on “docu-soaps and game docs to makeovers and quiz shows”?  Can you find the connections between each sentence?  What specific issue does the next paragraph reach?

 General-specific—tends to be descriptive and expository  Problem-solution—tends to be argumentative and evaluative, perhaps convincing

 In your writing, look for a general statement, a generalization, a definition, something that could become more specific…  Then see if you brought it more specific

 EXAMPLE: Scientific Writing of Novice Researchers (PDF)PDF ◦ Glance through Abstract to position the article ◦ Introduction to p. 512 first paragraph  What problem-solution is set up in “Conclusions”  How is this expanded in the “Introduction” (up to p512, first paragraph)?  What is the problem?  What is the solution? P103 HO

 General-specific—tends to be descriptive and expository  Problem-solution—tends to argumentative and evaluative, perhaps convincing  Compare-Contrast—seeks to highlight overlapping views and differences in a way that have not been seen before

 Suggestions for organization: ◦ Use chart, table or diagram to help yourself see connections or common threads ◦ Write by key points, not by sources ◦ A single paragraph usually is not from a single source ◦ Use language to show similarity  E.g., Similarly,…; Similar to…; Likewise,…; As in __, in __... ◦ Use language to show contrast  E.g., In contrast, …; Unlike ___, ___...; Whereas __, __...

 Bring an article from a journal in your discipline (hard copy or on your computer)

 Partners—same or different discipline.  Instructions for pairs  Two have signed up to meet me today.  Partners: ◦ Consider what you struggle with (or have been told) in order to ask your partner to look for specific things.

(From Liu & Hansen, 2002, p 138)