Syllabus
Module 1:
1. Course Introduction, Academic vocabulary, Gender Neutral writing
2. MLA Style Review
3. Essay Structure + Methods of Development, PPP (Procrastination, Pre-Writing, and Paraphrasing), Proofreading
4. Argumentation, Writing Introductions and Conclusions, Clichéd Writing, Summarising
5. Paraphrasing, Avoiding repetition, Synonyms, Emphasis, Citation Module 2:
1. Gerunds/Infinitives, Prepositions (verbs, phrases, placement)
2. Past tenses – overview, Introduction to the uses of the article
3. Cohesion (Discourse Markers, Linkers, Conjunctions, etc.), Introduction to Punctuation
4. Passive voice, Punctuation in English – relative clauses (defining, non-defining), adverbial clauses, etc.
5. The Use of Articles
6. Word Order – question, statement, indirect question etc., Subject-Verb Agreement
4. An essay. TOPIC ASSIGNEMENT: Topics will be assigned only after being accepted and selected by the teacher. Students should bring the essay proposal and a short abstract (min. 3 sentences) to the 4th seminar. Unless s/he does so, s/he will be assigned an extra essay. Possible fields of interest include literature, linguistics, cultural studies, etc. ESSAY FORM: Keep to the traditional formal structure: indent paragraphs, make no spaces in between paragraphs. Use Ariel or Times New Roman type size 12, double-spaced. DO not use contractions or phrasal verbs in your academic essays. ESSAY SUBMISSION: Essays should be submitted on 12th January at the latest, second submission of corrected versions is due on 30th January. If you miss the deadline, you fail the course. Your essay should be signed. You submit your essay both physically (in the class) + via e-mail). Include your name in the file title. Send your essays to the following address: tereza.topolovska@pedf.cuni.cz
Annotation
I. Content of the course: The seminars will focus on developing writing skills which fall into the realm key academic abilities.
The content of the course reflects principal requirements put on any kind of text and an academic one in particular, i.e. accuracy of expression, adherence to formal stipulations, complexity of subject matters, their thorough treatment and structuring, and originality of authors’ own contributions.