Academic English Skills: Introduction to Academic Writing

By: Iwan Syahril

What is freewriting?

✤ “Freewriting is a brainstorming activity in which you write freely about a topic because you are looking for a specific focus” (Oshima & Hogue, 1999, p. 6).

✤ The purpose of freewriting is to generate as many ideas as possible. So, the more we freewrite, the more ideas we have.

How to freewrite?

✤ Choose the topic that you want to freewrite. Write it at the top of a clean sheet of paper.

✤ Write about the topic without stopping for about 10 minutes. This means that you should be writing constantly, or you should NOT STOP.

➡ Write down everything that comes to your mind.

➡ Do not judge your ideas.

➡ Do not worry about spelling or grammar.

➡ If you run out of things to say, continue writing whatever comes to mind.

Now, let’s practice.Choose a topic and then write nonstop for about 5 minutes.

Questions

✤ What difficulties do you usually find when you write?

Some answers may include:

- writer’s cramp (mental blocks)

- high level of anxiety.

- the pressure of being judged.

- no chance for revision.

✤ How do great writers write?

Process Approach to Writing

✤ Writing is indeed a thinking process.

✤ Unlike conversations, the nature of writing is that it can be planned and given an unlimited number of revisions before its “release”.

✤ The process approach is an attempt to take advantage of the nature of the written code to think as they write.

Process Approach to Writing

✤ Focuses on the process of writing that leads to the final product.

✤ Helps student writers to understand their composing process.

✤ Helps build repertoires of strategies.

✤ Gives time to write and rewrite.

✤ Places central importance on the process of revision.

✤ Lets students discover what they want to say as they write.

✤ Gives feedback in the composing process, not just the final product.

✤ Encourages feedback from both instructors and peers.

Now, let’s practice.

For your reflection paper (the 1st assignment) you will be responding to the question:

“Who am I as a learner?”Please take out your journal and start freewrite about this topic. You have 5 minutes.

Academic English Skills: Note-taking Strategies

By: Iwan Syahril

Questions

✤ How do you take notes?

✤ Is there any difference when you take notes in Indonesian and in English? Explain.

Taking Lecture Notes• Take notes. Don’t just listen. You won’t

remember the information later.

• Don’t try to write everything. Note taking is not dictation.

• Write important information.

Source: Blass, L., & Hartmann, P. (2007). Quest 1: Listening and speaking. New York: McGraw-Hill.

So, what does this mean?Let’s do some practice. Look at the handout and listen to the lectures.

2 SPECIAL SKILLS

✤ There are 2 special skills you can focus on to improve your note-taking ability.

Improving Speed.

★ Practice rapid writing.

★ Using abbreviations.

Increasing Listening Efficiency.

Let’s practice listening for directions.

IELL 3: Academic English SkillsEDITING YOUR WRITING: FOCUSING ON SENTENCE GRAMMAR

November 13, 2009.

Simple Sentences

✤ Every subject must have a verb, and every verb must have a subject.

✤ A sentence with a subject and a verb is called a simple sentence.

✤ A subject tells who or what the sentence is about.

✤ A verb tells what the subject is or does.

✤ A simple sentence can have more than one subject or verb.

๏ Every morning, her mother and father wake up at six o’clock.

๏ She never gets up of speaks to anyone before nine o’clock.

Correct or incorrect?

Does every sentence have a subject and a verb?

✤ Night is the best for me.

✤ In the evening.

✤ I call my friends.

✤ We go to a club.

✤ And have a good time.

✤ Everything silent, serene, and perfect.

Let’s do more practice!

Fragments

✤ If a sentence does not have a subject or a verb it is called a fragment.

✤ There are three problems a fragment can have:

๏ No subject. Also loves to follow my teenage brother around.

๏ No verb. He short for his age and a little heavy.

๏ No subject and verb. And big brown eyes.

Let’s do some practice!

Run-on sentences

✤ A run-on sentence happens when two simple sentences are run together without correct punctuation to correct them.

✤ Run-on sentences: Adam is a sweet boy he really loves animals.

Adam is a sweet boy, he really loves animals.

✤ Correct sentences: Adam is a sweet boy. He really loves animals.

Let’s do some more practice!

Academic English Skills: Paraphrasing

By: Iwan Syahril

What is paraphrasing?

✤ Paraphrasing is a writing skill in which you “rephrase” (rewrite) information from an outside source in your own words without changing its meaning.

✤ Avoid writing paraphrasing that is too similar to the original. A paraphrase is unacceptable when it contains the same vocabulary and sentence structure as the original.

✤ Tips: 1) Find synonyms - use thesaurus; 2) Change the grammar.

✤ Example:

Language is the main means of communication between peoples.

➡ Humans communicate through language.

Let’s do some practice!

✤ PARAPHRASE THIS!

So many different languages have developed that language has often been a barrier rather than an aid to understanding among peoples.

✤ Original sentence:

So many different languages have developed that language has often been a barrier rather than an aid to understanding among peoples.

✤ A possible answer:

Because there are so many languages in the world, language is an obstacle rather than an aid to communication.

✤ PARAPHRASE THIS!

For many years, people have dreamed of setting up an international, universal language which all people could speak and understand.

✤ Original sentence:

For many years, people have dreamed of setting up an international, universal language which all people could speak and understand.

✤ A possible answer:

For a long time, people have wished for an international language that speakers all over the world could undertsnd

✤ PARAPHRASE THIS!

If all people spoke the same tongue, cultural and economic ties might be much closer, and good will might increase between countries.

✤ Original sentence:

If all people spoke the same tongue, cultural and economic ties might be much closer, and good will might increase between countries.

✤ A possible answer:

A universal language would certainly build cultural and economic bonds. It would also create better feelings among countries.

Academic English Skills: Introduction to APA style

By: Iwan Syahril

What & Why APA?

✤ APA is a writing style described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

✤ APA style describe rules for the preparation for manuscripts for writers and students.

✤ APA style is not only used in Psychology, but also in other fields such as Sociology, Business, Economics, Nursing, Social Work, and Criminology.

✤ Using APA style will make it easier for readers to follow your writing because it is a format that is commonly used internationally.

What should my paper look like?

✤ Paper is typed and double-spaced on a standard paper (8.5 x 11 inches).

✤ Margins are set to 1 inch on all sides.

✤ Paper should include a title page.

✤ A running manuscript head appears in the upper right-hand corner of each page showing the short version of the title and a page number.

✤ Papers are numbered consecutively beginning with the title page in the upper right-hand corner of each page.

Title Page✤ The title of your paper.

➡ about 10-12 words long, centered in the middle of the page.

✤ The author’s name and institutional affiliation.

➡ centered, directly below the title.

✤ A running head.

➡ A short version of your title, no more than 50 characters (including spaces & punctuation).

➡ It is left-justified, and also appear at the top right-hand of the page.

✤ A page number

➡ It is placed at the upper right-hand corner after the running head.

Headings✤ ONE LEVEL

Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

✤ TWO LEVELS

Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

• THREE LEVELS

Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading, ending with a period, with the following text on the same line.

✤ FOUR LEVELS

Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Centered, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading, ending with a period, with the following text on the same line.

✤ FIVE LEVELS

CENTERED UPPERCASE HEADING

Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Centered, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading, ending with a period, with the following text on the same line.

You need to cite a reference when:

Quoting – when you repeat another source word for word.

Summarizing – when you use or refer to facts or ideas, and

condense the material from another source using your own

words.

Paraphrasing – when you use or refer to ideas from another

source but put them into your own words.

In Text Citations

✤ The basic format is to give the author surname, year of

publication, and sometimes the page number.

✤ For subsequent references to the same study within the same

paragraph you do not need to repeat the year.

For example:  Chan (1996) referred to the effects of… Chen also outlines..

In Text Citations

✤ When a work has two authors, always cite both names every time the reference occurs in text. Note: “and” is used in text, and “&” is used within parentheses.

Example:

Bachman and Palmer (1996) argue that it is much more useful to see language use being realized as learners performing specific language use tasks.

It may be more useful to see language use being realized through the performance of specific tasks (Bachman & Palmer, 1996).

Two Authors

Three, four, or five authors

✤ Cite all authors the first time the reference occurs in the text.

In subsequent citations, include only the surname of the first

author followed by “et al.”Example:As discussed in the previous chapter, Dunkel et al. (1993) do not agree with this perspective.As discussed in the previous chapter, there is an alternative perspective (e.g., Dunkel et al., 1993).

Six or more authors

✤ Cite only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”

Note: in the reference list, cite the first six authors in full, and

then shorten the remainder to “et al.”

Order in a citation in the same parentheses - same author

✤ Arrange two or more works by the same authors by year of publication.

Example:Past research (Gogel, 1984, 1990) has shown intuitions to be incorrect.

Two or more works by different authors

✤ List in alphabetical order by the first author’s surname.

Separate the citations by semicolons.

Example:

Several studies (Balda, 1980, 2005; Kamil, 1978; Pepperberg &

Funk, 1990) come to the same conclusions.

Secondary Source

The original work  is called the primary source.

The textbook is called the secondary source.

Name the original work in the text and its date, the secondary

source, and the date of the secondary source.

Example:

Supporting data appear in a study by Wong (1962, as cited in

Marconi & Hamblen, 1990).

Citations of source for a quote or paraphrase✤ Give author last name, publication date, and page number in

parentheses.

Examples:๏ (Cheek & Buss, 1981, p. 332)๏ (Shimamura, 1989, chap. 3)๏ Cobb (1994) suggests that interventions work because “the

third party can alter persons’ discursive positions and, in the process, generate a new pattern of interaction, a new interdependence” (p. 58).

Quotations

1) Fewer than 40 words; 2) More than 40 words; 3) More than 500 words

Make sure your quotation is accurate, i.e., the same as the original in wording, spelling, and interior punctuation.

Quotations - fewer than 40 words

➡ Put the quotation into the text, and enclose with double quotation marks.

➡ Use single quotation marks within double quotation marks to set off material in the original source that was enclosed in double quotation marks.

Example:She stated, “The ‘placebo effect’… disappeared when behaviors were studied in this manner” (Miele, 1993, p. 276), but she did not clarify which behaviors were studied.

Quotations more than 40 words

Use a block quotation, i.e., a freestanding block with no quotation marks, not right justified, start on a new line, indent 0.5 inches from the left margin (same as for a new paragraph).

✤ Quotations – more than 500 words You should probably obtain permission from the copyright holder.

The Reference List

✤ Every citation in your reference list should be in the text/body of your paper.

Unlike a bibliography, the reference list does not cite works for background or for further reading.

Layout of the Reference List

✤ New page at the end of your paper.Type the word References in upper and lowercase letters, centered, at the top of the page.Generally double-spaced (exception for student papers).Entries should have a half-inch hanging indent.The basic information that needs to be included is author surname and initials, year of publication, title, and publishing data. Separate each part with a period and a single space.

References 

Brenneis, D., & Lein, L. (1977). ‘You fruithead’: A sociolinguistic approach to children’s dispute settlement. In S. Ervin-Trip & C. Mitchell-Kernan (Eds.), Child discourse (pp. 49-65). New York: Academic Press. 

Dersley, I., & Wootton, A. J. (2000). Complaint sequences within antagonistic argument. Research in Language and Social Interaction, 33(2), 20-46. 

Doe, B., & Doe, S. (Eds.). (1994). Stressful life events: Their nature and effects. Nashville, TN: Bodem Books. 

Henry, W. A. (1990, April 9). Making the grade. Time, 135, 28-31. 

New drug appears to sharply cut risk of death from heart failure.  (1993, July 15). The Washington Post, p. A12. 

Research and Training Center on Independent Living. (1993). Guidelines for reporting and writing about people with disabilities (4th ed.) [Brochure].  Lawrence, KS: Author.

General forms - Non-perodicals

Author, A. A. (pub date). Title of book.  Location: Publisher.

Example:

Doe, B., & Doe, S. (1994). Stressful life  events: Their nature

and effects.  Nashville, TN: Bodem Books.

General forms -Periodicals

✤ Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C.  C. (pub date). Title of article. Title of  Periodical, xx, xxx-xxx.

Example:Garcia, A. (1991). Resolution without  disputing: How the interactional  organization of hearings minimizes  argument. American Sociological  Review, 56, 818-835.

General forms - Part of a nonperiodical

✤ Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (pub date). Title of  chapter. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C.  Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx- xxx). Location: Publisher.

Example: Brenneis, D., & Lein, L. (1977). You fruithead: A sociolinguistic approach to children’s dispute settlement. In S. Ervin-Trip & C. Mitchell-Kernan (Eds.), Child discourse (pp. 49-65). New York: Academic Press.

Electronic Media - In Text Citations

Give author surname, publication dateIf no page numbers, give paragraph number and use ¶ symbol or para.If no paragraph number, give heading and number of ¶ following it.Example:(Myers, 2000, para. 5)(Beutler, 2000, Conclusion section, para. 1)

✤ If you cite an entire website in your text, give the electronic address in the text. Do not cite in the reference list.

Example: The APA’s website provides answers to frequently asked questions about style (http://www.apa.org).

There are two main guidelines:1.Direct readers as closely as possible to the information being cited (i.e., the specific document instead of the homepage).

2.Make sure the address works! Check that you have transcribed it correctly. The best way is to copy it directly from the address window in the browser and paste it into your paper. Also, test the address regularly.

Electronic Media - Reference Citations

Electronic Media - Reference List General Forms✤ The basic information that needs to be included is the author (if possible),

the document title or description, an address and a date (of publication or retrieval).

Here are the general forms:Online periodicalAuthor, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2004). Title of article. Title of

Periodical, xx, xxx-xxx. Retrieved month day, year, from source.

Online documentAuthor, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2004). Title of work. Retrieved

month day, year, from source.

Electronic Media - Reference List General Forms

If the retrieval element is an internet address, DO NOT endwith a period.

Example:Article in an Internet-only journalFredrickson, B. L. (1999, March 7). Cultivating positiveemotions to optimize health and well-being. Prevention &Treatment, 3, Article 0001a. Retrieved November 20, 2000, fromhttp://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume3/

pre0030001a.html

Let’s do some practice!

Are you ready?