HW0001 - Intro to Acad Comm (Student) PDF

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HWIntroduction to Academic CommunicationStudent’s Course GuideAY 2020/Course teamAcademic course team members Dr Christopher John Hill Ms Khoo Phaik Suan, SusanCourse advisor/Editor Dr Angela FrattarolaEditorial assistant Siti Sulaiha bte KamsaniCopyright © The Language and Communication Centre Nany...

Description

HW0001 Introduction to Academic Communication Student’s Course Guide

AY 2020/2021

Course team Academic course team members

Dr Christopher John Hill Ms Khoo Phaik Suan, Susan

Course advisor/Editor

Dr Angela Frattarola

Editorial assistant

Siti Sulaiha bte Kamsani

Copyright © The Language and Communication Centre Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

To all Students Studying Introduction to Academic Communication Welcome to LCC course, Introduction to Academic Communication! HW0001 Introduction to Academic Communication is a one-semester proficiency course for Nanyang Technological University undergraduates. The broad aim of this course to equip you with basic academic writing skills as well as oral/aural skills to enable you to communicate effectively and efficiently in academic contexts. Please note: You will not be eligible to register for Modern Languages and selected Communication Skills courses, or to graduate from NTU if you do not pass HW0001.

Contents Course Description .........................................................................................................1 Units Unit 1: Sentence Structure.............................................................................................4 Unit 2: Paragraph Structure .........................................................................................15 Unit 3: Compare and Contrast Paragraphs ..................................................................26 Unit 4: Cause and Effect Paragraphs ...........................................................................41 Unit 5: Reader Response Essay: Paraphrasing .............................................................50 Unit 6: Reader Response Essay: Summarising .............................................................58 Unit 7: Reader Response Essay: Structure, Organisation and Language......................64 Week 10 Tutorial: In-class Assignments ..................................................................72 Unit 8: Oral Presentation .............................................................................................73 Week 12 and 13 Tutorial: In-class Presentations ..................................................... 80 Course Assignments .....................................................................................................81 General Instructions ....................................................................................................82 Assignment 1: Paragraph Writing ...............................................................................83 Assignment 2: Summary .............................................................................................. 84 Plagiarism Declaration Form.....................................................................................85 Assignment 3: Reader Response Essay .......................................................................86 Assignment 4: Oral Presentation .................................................................................... 87 Presentation Checklist ................................................................................................ 88 Class Participation ........................................................................................................... 89 Appendix 1: Articles for Assignments 2 and 3 ................................................................ 90

Contents

Unit 1

Course Description Introduction HW0001 Introduction to Academic Communication is a one-semester proficiency course for Nanyang Technological University undergraduates. The aim of this course is to equip you with basic academic writing skills as well as oral/aural skills which will enable you to communicate efficiently and logically, and cohesively in academic contexts. In this course, you will learn how to construct paragraphs; how to summarise and paraphrase effectively; how to write reader response essays and how to give a short oral presentation. This course will also prepare you for the various communication courses that you will take during your studies at Nanyang Technological University.

Learning Objectives The objectives of this course are to enable students to master the important elements of academic reading and writing, including: 1. basic academic literacy skills; 2. critical reading; and 3. essay writing.

Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: 1. make a short presentation; 2. produce a reader response essay; 3. summarise and paraphrase effectively; and 4. write paragraphs using the cause and effect organisation patterns.

Course Schedule The schedule below sets out a week-by-week course plan which includes assignment dates. Tutorial

Topic

Assignments/Remarks

Week 3 Tutorial 1

Sentence Structure

Week 4 Tutorial 2

Paragraph Structure

Week 5 Tutorial 3

Compare and Contrast Paragraphs.

Week 6 Tutorial 4

Cause Effect and Compare Contrast Paragraphs.

Week 7 Tutorial 5

Summary and Paraphrase

Assignment 1 (Paragraph) Students are required to visit the LCC CommCube.

Recess Week

1

Contents

Tutorial

Unit 1

Topic

Assignments/Remarks

Week 8 Tutorial 6

Summary and Paraphrase

Week 9 Tutorial 7

Reader Response Essay.

Week 10 Tutorial 8

Reader Response Essay.

Week 11 Tutorial 9

Oral Presentation.

Week 12 Tutorial 10

In-class Presentation.

Week 13 Tutorial 11

In-class Presentation.

Submit Assignment 2 (Summary)

Assignment 3 (Reader Response Essay)

Assignment 4 (Oral Presentation)

Assignment 4 (Oral Presentation)

Course Assessment There is no end-of-semester examination for this course; continuous assessment will be used for student evaluation instead. This mode of assessment is particularly suited for communication courses as it takes into consideration the development of students’ skills in written and oral communication through the semester. 65%: Written Assignments

- There are 3 written assignments. All assignments are individual. 1. Paragraph. 2. Summary of a Reading Passage. 3. Reader Response Essay.

20%: Oral Presentation

- You will present your reader response essay which you have written in Assignment 3.

15% Class Participation

- Tutorials will be conducted as workshops focusing on written and oral communication skills. To encourage you to participate actively in tutorials, you will be evaluated for the quality and quantity of your contributions to classroom tasks.

The table below provides a detailed breakdown of the course assignments and weightings: Assignment

Word Limit/Duration

Type

Weighting

Assignment 1 Paragraph

150 words In-class Assignment 30 minutes

Individual

15%

Assignment 2 Summary

Individual 300 words Take-home Assignment

20%

2

Contents

Unit 1

Assignment

Word Limit/Duration

Type

Weighting

Assignment 3 Reader Response Essay

300 words In-class Assignment 1 hour

Individual

30%

Assignment 4 Oral Presentation

In-class Assignment 3 minutes

Individual

20%

Class Participation

Weeks 3-13

Individual

15%

Total

100%

3

Contents

Course Description

Unit 1 Sentence Structure

4

Unit 2

Contents

Course Description

Unit 2

Introduction Unit 1 focuses on making your sentences more dynamic, grammatical and readable.Over the course of the semester, you will be taught a range of writing techniques that will enable you to gradually build up your skills from sentence level to paragraph writing and finally to essays. Improving the readability of your writing helps your reader to comprehend what you are saying more accurately. Good writing requires communicating your ideas well to your readers so that they can quickly and easily understand what you mean.

Learning Outcomes After completing this unit, you should be able to: 1. structure sentences properly; 2. use elaborate verbs; 3. expand your vocabulary; 4. use the active voice; and 5. avoid common errors like sentence fragments and run-on sentences.

Ice Breaking Activity ‘Wh’ Questions. Who, what, where, when, how, why Find a partner. You have 10 minutes to write ‘WH’ questions about your partner. After 10 minutes, interview your partner. Lastly, introduce your partner to the class.

Sentence Structure Who-What-Where-When-How-Why This above formula provides a good foundation for a simple and clear sentence. Structuring your sentences in this order help you gain control of your sentences and make them more meaningful. Examples of sentences Who

Wha Whatt

Jo

smiled

Jo

ate breakfast.

Jo

spoke to me.

Jo

called

Jo

ate breakfast

Jo

ate lunch

Where

in the pantry

When

Why

early this morning

to reschedule our meeting.

during his lecture

because he was hungry.

during his lunch break

because the canteen was crowded.

These are two primary pieces of information a reader looks for: 1. who is the sentence about? 2. what are they doing?

5

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Course Description

Unit 2

The ‘who’ and the ‘what’ sections of the sentence must be near each other in order to make your sentence readable and easy to understand. For example, can you understand this sentence on the first reading?



Mechanical engineers who can design and build mechanical devices such as tools, engines and machines are in great demand.

The subject mechanical engineers is separated from the verb phrase are in great demand. If we reduce this distance, we get a more understandable sentence:



Mechanical engineers are in great demand if they are able to design and build mechanical devices such as tools, engines and machines.

A similar problem happens with long lists. When authors provide a long list of items with no context, where the verb does not appear until the end of the sentence, the sentence becomes harder to understand.



Peanuts, shrimp, almonds, milk or anything else with lactose, and wheat or anything with gluten all represent things that people are commonly allergic to.

To revise, just give the context before the list:



People are commonly allergic to things like peanuts, shrimp....

Watch the video to learn more about ordering ideas within your sentence. Video (Anglo-Link, 2012) Word Order / Sentence Structure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPyo8-Pr55Q

Strong Verbs In order to make your sentences more interesting, you may need to expand the range of your vocabulary. That is, you should not just use simple words, but also try to use more elaborate words as well. One example of expanding your vocabulary is in the use of verbs, where you replace ‘simple’ verbs with more ‘strong’ verbs. There are two main ways to do this. 1. Replace the verb ‘to be’ with strong verbs. Some ‘to be’ verbs include: is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been, etc. Example 1 Simple verb: One way to improve your writing ‘is’ to use stronger verbs. Strong verb: Using stronger verbs can ‘improve’ your writing. Example 2 Simple verb: The participants ‘were’ unhappy about the limited food choices at the conference. Strong verb: The participants ‘complained’ about the limited food choices at the conference. 6

Contents

Course Description

Unit 2

2. Use specific and concise verbs. Example 3 Simple verb: He ‘is getting’ a new car.

That sentence is vague. Did he buy the car or was it given to him? Improve that sentence by replacing verbs that are vague with more informative and concise verbs. Srong verb: He ‘purchased’ a new car. Example 4 Simple verb: The hungry animal ‘ate’ his food. Strong verb: The hungry animal ‘devoured’ his food.

Watch the 2 videos to learn about strong verbs. Video (Curriculum Pathways, 2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzhChOZDGDU

Video (ZephyrWritingTips, 2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkCLd-WEXMc

Activity 1.1 Replacing the Verb ‘to be’ The following sentences all contain the verb ‘to be’. Rewrite these using other words. 1. There was a bird in a tree. 2. The aliens were not impressed by our technology. 3. Most people think that zombies are frightening. 4. Authentic Peranakan dishes and desserts are the things I miss about Malacca. 5. There is something really appealing about Star Wars. 6. To be accepted by that country club a person must be rich and famous.

Expanding Your Vocabulary Learning new words helps you communicate better. This doesn’t mean that you have to use complicated or confusing words. Using words that your audience does not understand will only end up defeating the purpose. The ultimate goal of expanding your vocabulary is to be able to choose the right word and use them with greater precision and clarity. Take for example the word ‘good’ 7

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Course Description

Unit 2

Good Part of speech – Adjective. Definition - Having the qualities that are desirable or distinguishing in a particular thing or skill. Other words that can used as a substitute for ‘good’: 1. accomplished 2. capable 3. competent 4. distinguished 5. efficient 6. experienced 7. expert 8. masterful 9. proficient 10. qualified 11. respected 12. skilful 13. successful 14. talented 15. thorough 16. trustworthy Look at the following sentence. Bill is a good surgeon. The word ‘good’ is a very common word and does not really describe Bill’s skills as a surgeon in a meaningful way. The following are other words that can be substituted and give us more insight into Bill’s character and professionalism. Accomplished

Bill is good at what he does as a result of his years of experience or training. His work is above average in terms of quality.

Experienced

Bill’s surgical skills come from his extensive experience.

Skilful/Talented

Besides being skilled at this job, Bill seems to have a knack for surgery.

Responsible/Trustworthy

Bill is dependable and reliable.

Qualified

He has the necessary medical qualifications to work as a surgeon.

Thorough

He is detailed in his work.

Respected

He has gained the respect of his peers because of his skills and knowledge.

Successful

He has done well in his field and he has also gained financial success.

Distinguished

He is a prominent and highly esteemed surgeon with a long track record.

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Course Description

Unit 2

Activity 1.2 Improving your Vocabulary and Making Sentences Look at the following words listed below. Try to think of other words that can be used as a substitute. You may discuss with your friends or use a thesaurus. Using these new words, make sentences that appropriately showcase the correct meaning of the new words.  Very afraid  Very angry  Very annoying  Very beautiful  Very confused  Very detailed  Very dirty  Very easy  Very fat  Very funny  Very happy  Very hot  Very hungry  Very important  Very interesting  Very painful

Active Voice The active voice makes your writing clear, concise and lively. The active voice (where the subject performs the action) places the doer of the action (who) before the verb (what). Passive verbs cause several problems as they can be confusing and often make writing more longwinded. However, there are times when it might be appropriate to use the passive voice. • To make something less hostile − 'this bill has not been paid' (passive) is more tactful than 'you have not paid this bill' (active). • To avoid taking the blame − 'a mistake was made' (passive) rather than 'we made a mistake' (active). • When the emphasis is on the action rather than the doer. ‘The methods used in this study include...’ Examples of active and passive sentences Passive

-

The student’s file was reviewed and a determination was made about eligibility for a student loan.

Active

-

We reviewed the student’s file and determined that he was eligible for a student loan.

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Course Description

Passive

-

It was earlier demonstrated that heart attacks can be caused by stress.

Active

-

Smith in 2005 showed that stress can cause heart attacks.

Passive

-

About 500 students are helped by the CommCube each semester.

Active

-

The CommCube helps about 500 students each semester.

Unit 2

Activity 1.3 Writing Active Sentences Rewrite the following sentences so that the verbs are in the active voice. 1. He was praised by his English teacher. 2. The injured were taken to the hospital by the firemen. 3. The city was destroyed by a major earthquake. 4. The Prime minister was welcomed by his community leaders. 5. The streets were thronged by partygoers. 6. The murderers were caught by the police. 7. The matter will be considered by us shortly. 8. The nuclear power plant had to be closed down by the government.

Activity 1.4 Writing Readable and Dynamic Sentences Using what you have learnt, transform the following sentences to make them more readable. 1. Confidential instructions were given to the FBI agent by someone. 2. It was requested by this lawyer that his client plead guilty to a lesser charge. 3. No solvents were shown by the solvent analysis in the blood or urine. 4. The dangers of smoking were known to the man. 5. The students were taught thermodynamics by the professor.

Activity 1.5 Constructing Dynamic Sentences Use the 4 pointers you have learnt above to make sentences about your orientation activities and how you are settling into life at NTU. Who

What

Where

When

10

How

Why

Contents

Course Description

Unit 2

Avoiding Common Errors In writing, the 2 most common sentence errors are sentence fragments and run-on sentences. A proper sentence must fulfill the following two requirements: 1. a sentence must have a subject and a verb; and 2. that the meaning of the sentence makes sense. Example of a sentence John (subject) ate (verb) the hamburger.

A fragment is a part of something. It is an incomplete sentence. Examples of a sentence fragment Example 1: John the new teacher.

That sentence is a fragment as it lacks a verb and it cannot stand on its own. Example 2: Stopped to let off passengers.

That sentence is a fragment as it lacks a subject and is incomplete.<...