PNJA WRITING, YEAR I (2013/2014)
Teacher: Łukasz Borowiec
E-mail address:
Office hours: To be announced – check the website:
Course description
The course is aimed at introducing students into characteristic features of academic writing. Special emphasis is put on various forms of essay writing based on, stimulated by and combined with practising academic reading skills.
Coursebook:
main: Q: Skills for Success Reading and Writing Level 4, OUP.
supplementary: Patterns for College Writing with 2009 MLA Update: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide, by Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell.
Requirements
The students are to write a total of 5 essays in one term.
There are 3 homework essays and 2 Big Test (in-class) essays.
All essaysare evaluated with a mark from 1(very poor fail) to 5 (excellent).
The importance of the essays varies as shown below:
Homework essay 1:MARK x 1
Big test (in-class) essay I:MARK x 2
Homework essay 2:MARK x 3
Homework essay 3:MARK x 4
Big test (in-class) essay II:MARK x 5
+
Participation in classes:MARK x 1
------
TOTAL no. of MARKS:16
The semester mark equals the sum of all marks divided by their amount (for each assignment the student receives one mark).NOTE: every second time you are unprepared for classes your final markdrops by a half.
Homework essays
The essays should be submitted in 2 versions: as a printout (see format suggestions below) and e-mail attachment.
The submission of the printout (not the fact of sending the e-mail) is binding.
Not observing the deadline for submission of the homework essay results in a fail.
The essay failed in such a way cannot be rewritten.
Each homework essay can be rewritten no more than once. The deadline for the rewritten version is 1 week after receiving the fail.
Big Test (in-class) essays
There are 2 Big Test essays in one term.
There is no rewriting Big Test essays.
A fail from one of the Big Test essays requires from a student to take the re-sit during the final class in the semester or at a given date during the winter/summer exam session.
A fail from both Big Test essays results in failing the semester.
The student can fail one homework essay in one term.
BUT NOTE:
1)The final mark is then lowered by 1.
2)If all the remaining essays have been passed and the student made enough contribution to the classes (i.e., received at least 3 for participation), the final mark will be no lower than 3.
The student is allowed no more than 2 absences without providing an explanation.
Essay format:
Printout
Times New Roman 12, double space
The first paragraph is not indented.
All the text is to be justified.
The top right-hand corner of the 1st page: name, year, group number.
Title of the essay justified, Times New Roman 14.
Except page 1 all the pages should be numbered.
Page format: top and bottom margin: 2,5 cm, left margin: 2,5 cm, right margin: 4,5 cm (for teacher’s notes)
Big Test essay
In-class essays should be written LEGIBLY (ILLEGIBILITY is to the student’s disadvantage and has influence on the mark) with appropriate right margin left for teacher’s notes.
The length of all the essays should be between 280-330 words (c. a page and a half).
Syllabus (term 1) - outline
Meeting / In class / At home1 / Introduction to the course; requirements, what is academic writing, etc.
2 / Proofreading rules, HE1-Reading 1
SB p. 28-37 / HE1-Reading 2,
SB p. 38-45, 48-50 (Grammar);
(+Big Test essay 1 reading materials)
3 / Hmk check
+ in class: SB p. 46-48, 50-53
+ writing exercises / Homework essay 1 (HE1)
4 / HE2-Reading 1
SB p. 80-89;
Deadline for Homework essay 1 / HE2-Reading2,
SB p. 89-96, 99-100 (Grammar)
5 / Hmk check
+ in class: SB p. 97-98, 100-103
+ writing exercises / Homework essay 2 (HE2)
6 / Feedback on homework essay 1
7 / Big Test essay 1;
Deadline for Homework essay 2
8 / Feedback on Big Test essay 1 + writing exercises / Big Test essay 2 reading materials
9 / Feedback on homework essay 2 + writing exercises
10 / HE3-Reading1
SB p. 104-113 / HE3-Reading2,
SB p. 113-120, 124-126 (Grammar)
11 / Hmk check
+ in class: SB p. 121-123, 126-129
+ writing exercises / Homework essay 3 (HE3)
12 / General writing skills practice;
Deadline for homework essay 3
13 / Feedback on Homework essay 3
+ writing exercises
14 / Big Test essay 2
15 / Feedback on Big Test essay 2;
signatures, etc.
Homework essay 1 – descriptive essay
Homework essay 2 – problem-and-solution essay
Homework essay 3 – compare-and-contrast essay
A FEW USEFUL LINKS:
Academic Word List Highlighter Tool -
OR
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary – Academic Word List -
Academic Word List – general –
Oxford Text Checker -
Oxford Usage Notes -
Writing Guides and Tips -
1