SCHOLARLY WRITING

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course introduce students to the principles, steps and practices in academic writing and critical thinking. The philosophy of the course is to help students write clearly, logically, comprehensively and structurally appropriate. It is also to help you learn the rules of academic writing and the general nature of reports. It thus provides opportunity to enhance students’ scholarly aptitude in writing. Students will also be equipped with effective reading skills. With regard to writing, emphasis is placed on good paragraph development rhetorical styles and textual development. The course is also expected to help students to acquire appreciable narrative and summary skills; therefore, a selection of short stories or a novel will be read and students will be expected to summarize   some of these stories using academic language. Students must also be able to use the APA referencing style and write good academic reports, proposals, narratives, descriptive exposition and argumentative essays.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students will:

•  Demonstrate considerable competence in their choice of language for scholarly writing
  
• Develop effective reading skills and desirable academic writing competence
•  Analyse academic writing in terms of rhetorical purpose, audience, content, genre, pattern of development, and stylistic features
• Adapt writing to different audiences, purposes, and contexts
• Synthesize and report on the scholarly literature
• Demonstrate and apply knowledge of basic essay structure, including introduction, body and conclusion
• Employ descriptive, narrative and expository modes of writing

 

COURSE CONTENT

• Scholarly Writing
  
• Paragraph structure (topic sentence, supporting examples, transition sentence)
  
• Basic rhetorical modes (narration, description, exposition)
  
• Writing process (pre-writing, writing, re-writing)
  
• Effective use of quotation, paraphrase and summary
  
• Stylistics (vocabulary, conciseness)
  
• Correct paper formatting
  
• Grammar Usage & mechanics
  
• Reading and responding to assigned readings
  
• APA writing Style
  

 

Compulsory Reading Materials

• Faigley, L. R. Graves, & H. Graves (2013). The brief penguin handbook. (3^rd ed.) Toronto, ON: Pearson Custom Publishing
• Glenn, C. et al. (2013). The Hodges Harbrace handbook, 18^th Edition. New York: Cengage.
  

 

Optional Reading Materials

• Williams, J. (2011). Style: Ten lessons in clarity and grace, (10^thed.) Boston: Longman.
  
•  Clouse, B. F. &Grevstad, P. (2011). The student writer, editor and critic. (1^sted.) McGraw-Hill Ryerson