E-Book Overview
Transferable Academic Skills Kit: Module 8: Essay Writing The Garnet Education Transferable Academic Skill Kit was short-listed for the Duke of Edinburgh English Speaking Union English Language Book Award in 2008. TASK is a flexible learning resource that has been carefully designed to develop the key transferable skills that promote students' success in university and college study. Whether you are a student or a teacher, the TASK series provides a tried and tested teaching and learning tool suitable for a broad range of academic disciplines. A series of supported exercises relates theory to practice and provides students with the tools to develop a framework of skills that can then be used in a wide range of contexts both inside and outside the academic world. TASK can be followed as a complete course or individual modules can be selected to address specific needs. Created by members of the academic staff of the International Foundation Programme at the University of Reading, TASK forms a part of the university's skills provision for home and international students at all levels. Key Features * Teaches the basic principles of essay writing * Teaches students how to plan their writing * Helps students to arrange their arguments in a logical sequence * Explores how to close an argument and draw conclusions * Practises using appropriate language * Provides guidelines for future essay writing assignments Also available as a boxed set of all twelve modules.
E-Book Content
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In highereducationit is necessaryto be able to structureand organiseessaysin an appropriateway, accordingto academicconventions.This moduleprovidesan introduction to academicessaywriting.lt guidesyou throughthe processof structuringan essayso that you are preparedfor the kind of writingyou will haveto do in a typicalBritishacademic institution.You will havethe opportunityto developyour ideasand to producedetailedessay module), outlineson topics such as trafficcongestion(coveredin the Problem-Solving Englishas a global languageand urbanovercrowding. Unit 1 looksat some basic principlesof writingacademicessays.You will analyseessay questionsand practisestrategiesfor organisingyour ideasand gatheringinformationon a topic. Unit 2 helpsyou get startedby showingyou how to write a thesisstatementand begin an essaywith an interestingintroduction.Unit 3 dealswith the main part of the essayand how to plan and write effectiveparagraphs,while Unit 4 dealswith the conclusion.Unit 5 examinesthe languageof essays;you will identifythe featuresof academicstyle and practiseusingformal,objectivelanguage.Finally,Unit 6 looks at some basic principlesto help you in the futurewith academicwriting,includingredraftingand what lecturersexpect. A sampleessayis includedin this unit to demonstrateessaystructureand presentation. tsythe end of the module,you will be more able to interpretessayquestionsand understand what lecturersexpectfrom you. You will be able to tacklethe processof writingan essayin a more organisedand systematicway, movingfrom a clear plan and outlineto a wellorganisedand well-writtenessaywith an effectiveintroductionand conclusion.
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SkillsMeF Gettingorganised Learnsome basic principlesof academicwriting:essaystructure;analysingessay questions;brainstormingideasand issues.
Getting started Understand how to plan your writing. Learn to create effective introductions and write thesis statements.
The body of the essay Practisearrangingyour argumentsin a logicalsequence.Learneffective paragraphing.Practisesupportingyour arguments.
Summariesand conclusions Learn how to close your argument and draw conclusions.
Academicstyle and register Practiseusingappropriatelanguage:formalvs. informalstyle a