Bachelor
2023/2024
Academic Writing
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Optional course
Area of studies:
Business Informatics
Delivered by:
School of Foreign Languages
Where:
Graduate School of Business
When:
2 year, 1 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Anna Viktorovna Zakharova
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
36
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course is designed to introduce students to academic writing, its genres, features and conventions. Starting from the basic stylistic features of academic writing, students work their way through the step-by-step writing process towards complex academic texts. The course exposes students to academic vocabulary and grammar, strategies of attaining objectivity and clarity, approaches of structuring academic texts, and referencing. Moreover, students practise vital writing skills such as summarizing, paraphrasing, emphasizing, arguing, exemplifying, etc. and learn how to use the Internet in the process of writing. Upon completing the course students improve their academic writing style and become more confident writers who are able to plan, organise, write, review and revise their texts. This course is originally designed for students of B2+ level (HSE Scale 60-69) aspiring to excel in writing for academic purposes.
Learning Objectives
- The aim of the course is to make students confident writers who can properly organise the writing process and produce a written text that meets the requirements of academic style and common academic conventions.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- know the basics of an academic style
- know the academic style recommendations provided by London University
- know how to ensure objectivity and clarity of their texts
- enrich academic vocabulary and extend a grammar range
- be able to use the Internet in writing (online dictionaries, thesauruses, corpuses, online writing assistants, online reference generators, etc.)
- know the writing process steps
- know how to structure academic texts
- improve writing skills: summarizing, paraphrasing, exemplifying, classifying, etc.
- learn about citation styles and types of citations
- how to cite original sources according to the Harvard Style
- be able to produce clear and properly structured academic texts
- be able to write academic essays
Course Contents
- Introduction to an academic style
- Objectivity in academic writing
- Formality in academic writing
- Improving academic writing style
- Formal structure and text organisation
- Referencing
- Genres of academic writing
Assessment Elements
- HomeworkAim: to rehearse lecture+seminar materials + practise writing skills Description: parts – theoretical and practical, types of questions – short answers, paraphrasing, gap-filling, matching, etc. Max. point: 10 (the formula: (HW 1 + HW 2 + HW 3):3) Time: limited from 30 min. to 1 h Reference materials: allowed
- In-class activitiesAim: to rehearse lecture+seminar materials + practise writing skills Description: parts – theoretical and practical, types of questions – short answers, paraphrasing, gap-filling, matching, etc. Format: paper, in class Max. point: 10 (the formula: (ICA 1 + ICA 2):2) Time: 30 min. Reference materials: not allowed
- Final testAim: to check understanding of the course content including lecture+seminar and self-study materials Description: parts – theoretical and practical, types of questions – short answers, paraphrasing, gap-filling, matching, etc. Format: off-line (in paper) Max. point: 10 Time: 1h 20 min. Reference materials: not allowed
Interim Assessment
- 2023/2024 1st module0.5 * Final test + 0.25 * Homework + 0.25 * In-class activities
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Academic writing : a handbook for international students, Bailey, S., 2011
- Academic writing : from paragraph to essay, Zemach, D. E., 2005
- Sawaki, T. (2016). Analysing Structure in Academic Writing. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1243326
- Yucuis, N. (2016). Basics of Academic Writing ; A guide for navigating the perils of mechanics, punctuation, grammar, and style. United States, North America: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.29CD07C0
- Антонова, М. Б. Academic Writing in English for Mathematics and Computer Science: Академическое письмо на английском языке: фундаментальная и прикладная математика и компьютерные науки. Уровни владения языком В2-С1 : учебник / М. Б. Антонова, А. В. Бакулев. — Москва : ФЛИНТА, 2019. — 264 с. — ISBN 978-5-9765-4269-3. — Текст : электронный // Лань : электронно-библиотечная система. — URL: https://e.lanbook.com/book/151302 (дата обращения: 00.00.0000). — Режим доступа: для авториз. пользователей.
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- 50 steps to improving your academic writing : study book, Sowton, C., 2012
- Hartley, J. (2008). Academic Writing and Publishing : A Practical Handbook. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=224109
- Johnson, A. P. (2016). Academic Writing : Process and Product. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1222793
- Pecorari, D. (2015). Academic Writing and Plagiarism : A Linguistic Analysis (Vol. Bloomsbury classics in linguistics edition). London: Bloomsbury Academic. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=993909