Academic Style

For a long time, the book pictured above, "The Elements of of Style" by Strunk and White was considered to be the Bible for native English speakers writing for academic purposes. A summary of the most important lessons from the book can be found here. If you are interested in getting the entire original version, check Amazon. 

As you may have guessed, we will be talking about academic style in class today. An outline for today's class can be found below...

Academic Style 

Objectives: Students will be able to...

1. Understand and explain the different between formal and informal style
2. Understand and use different techniques designed to make their writing more formal
3. Apply the lessons learned in class to their out of class writing

I. Warm-Up

How was your weekend? Anyone do anything fun? How are your other classes going? Does anyone have questions for this class? 

In an effort to get everyone interested and talkative, let's try a couple more tongue twisters: 

1. Father, mother, sister, brother -hand in hand with one another.
2. Three thin thieves thought a thousand thoughts. Now if three thin thieves thought a thousand thoughts how many thoughts did each thief think?
3. The thirty-three thankful thieves thought that they thanked the other thirty-three thankful thieves throughout Thursday.

II. Vocabulary Quiz

I hope you studied! 

III. CAE Analysis Warm-Up 

Each week, I give each of you individual feedback on your homework assignments for class. But, since, "two heads are better than one" (and there are 16 of us in the room for each class), I want to practice making an outline for this example CAE question. 

First, brainstorm your outline (and answers to the questions) within a small group. Then we will discuss the strategies together as a class. Be sure to take notes!

IV. Overview of Academic Style

This presentation gives a brief overview of several tips and techniques designed to help you write more formally. As we go through the presentation, be sure to take notes. After the presentation, you will be given a summary of the information (to complete your notes) and we will do a brief "Academic Style Workshop" using these activities. 

V. Mini-Presentations on Academic Style

If there is time, the class will be divided into four groups. Each group will be responsible for creating and presenting a short presentation on one of the "tips" listed in the presentation (and presentation notes). Groups will be determined randomly using the all-powerful group randomizer

1. Group 1 -> Using Formal Language
2. Group 2 -> Being Concise and Precise
3. Group 3 -> Using Impersonal Language
4. Group 4 -> Being Cautious

Homework for Next Monday (November 24th, 2014)

1). Attend the WEBCHAT FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

In celebration of International Education Week, the Office of English Language Programs will be having a webchat for English language learners on November 20th at 8:00 a.m. EST (16:00 Moscow time). In the webchat “Learn English with US! 15 Fun Tips from American English,” we will share 15 different approaches to learning English.

Instructions for learners to join: 1) Go to http://bit.ly/learnAE 2) Select "Enter as guest.” 3) Type your first name + country (example: Jenny USA)

-----> After you attend the webchat, write a short summary of what was discussed (250-300 words). Do this in your reflection GoogleDoc by Friday, Nov. 21st at 11:55pm.

OR

Write a 250-300 word summary of one of the articles from "Forum" magazine. 

2). Prepare for another vocabulary quiz with these words

3). Respond to the new discussion board topic. Same rules apply as always: one post, one response. Please make sure to complete this by Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 at 11:55pm.

Coherence & Cohesion Presentations

Last week, you guys spent some time creating and giving presentations on the very complex topic of coherence and cohesion in academic writing. I just wanted to share your work! Nice job!

Upcoming Opportunities to Practice English

Opportunity #1: WEBCHAT FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
In celebration of International Education Week, the Office of English Language Programs will be having a webchat for English language learners on November 20th at 8:00 a.m. EST (16:00 Moscow time). In the webchat “Learn English with US! 15 Fun Tips from American English,” we will share 15 different approaches to learning English.

Instructions for learners to join: 1) Go to http://bit.ly/learnAE 2) Select "Enter as guest.” 3) Type your first name + country (example: Jenny USA)

FACEBOOK
Are you a learner looking for tips on how to learn English? Participate in our webchat (“Learn English with US! 15 Fun Tips from American English”) during International Education Week! On Thursday, November 20th at 8:00 a.m. EST (16:00 Moscow time), we will share 15 different approaches to learning English. Join us! #AmericanEnglish #IEW2014 To join: Go to http://bit.ly/learnAE. Select "Enter as guest.” Type your first name + country (example: Jenny USA)

TWITTER
Learning English? Join “Learn English with US! 15 Fun Tips from #American English” webchat Nov. 20th 8am EST (16:00 Moscow time) http://bit.ly/learnAE #IEW2014

Opportunity #2: New MOOC: Principles of Written English, Part 2 

The English Language Office at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is pleased to announce that part two of the popular MOOC (Massively Open Online Course) , “Principles of Written English” will begin on February 4, 2015. In this second part of the academic writing course, participants will focus on proofreading and self-editing, revision vs. editing, common errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, understanding tone and diction, and vocabulary development. The course materials will be offered via readings, videos, and various types of homework assignments. There are also suggested optional textbooks for additional writing work. Participants will take part in online discussions as well as peer review of their writing. As a part of this course, students will be expected to complete one full essay. For those that were not able to participate in part one of the courses there is no need to worry. While all three sections in this series are complimentary, each section can be taken as a “stand-alone” course.

For more information, please consult this document. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

The Five Paragraph Essay

Welcome back to Foundations of Academic Writing! What better way to start off your week than with a critical, engrossing and fun discussion of the characteristics of effective academic writing in English. I hope everyone had a nice weekend and enjoyable holiday break last week. 

Today we are going to turn our attention to a discussion of one of the most common forms of academic writing: the five paragraph essay. An outline for today's class can be found below....

The Five Paragraph Academic Essay

Objectives: Students will be able to...

1. Identify and explain the importance of the major components of a five paragraph essay
2. Identify and explain the importance of thesis statement
3. Explain how the five paragraph essay structure is used to promote "coherence" and "cohesion" in academic writing. 
4. Explain how this structure can be used to help them write more effectively for the CAE exam

I. Warm-Up

How was the weekend? Did anyone do anything fun over the weekend (or the holiday break)? How are your other classes going? Any questions about this class? 

II. Vocabulary Quiz

It's time to "face the music"! I hope you studied! 

III. Five Paragraph Essay Structure

To begin, you will have a chance to show what you know about five paragraph essay structure. With a partner, complete this activity that asks you to identify and define the major parts of a five paragraph essay.

After you've a had a chance to try and identify each part of the essay, we will discuss the answers as a class using two presentations (found below)...

1. EAP Introductions & Conclusions
2. EAP Body Paragraphs

IV. Coherence & Cohesion
Your reflection question from last week asked you to talk about "coherence" and "cohesion", two very important characteristics of effective writing. Now, it's time for you to demonstrate your understanding of these two rather complex topics.

In small groups (3 or 4) decided by the "Group Randomizer", you will come up with a short (1-2 min) presentation that defines both "coherence" and "cohesion", with examples, and explains how the two concepts are different. You will also be asked to create a visual aid.

V. Application: CAE Exam
It is important that the skills we are discussing in class apply to helping you do well on your CAE exam, so let's starting developing a procedure for doing well on the writing section of the exam. We will do so using this guide. We will make additions to it throughout the course of the semester, so be sure to check for updates.

Homework for Next Monday (11/17/2014)
1). Prepare for another vocabulary quiz with these words
2). Respond to the new discussion board topic. Same rules apply as always: one post, one response. Please make sure to complete this by Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 at 11:55pm.
3). CAE Practice (Essay Writing): Write a 220-260 word response to the prompt which I will email to you. There are a few things I'd like you to do when answering:
           -Restrict yourself to 45 minutes
           -Share your answer with me directly via the GoogleDoc.
           -Submit your response by Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 at 11:55pm

Holiday Break Update

I hope this post finds everyone well, rested and enjoying the end of the holiday break. I'm curious as to how many of you went "trick or treating" last Friday, but I guess I will have to wait until next Monday to find out! 

As I promised last week, here is an update with the homework. Please let me know if you have any questions. You will notice that the word count for the reflections has gone up from 100-150 to 150-200 words. Please follow this guideline in order to ensure full credit. 

The homework is as follows...

1. I have just finished posting the new reflection prompts. Please be sure to respond to them by Friday, Nov. 7th at 11:55pm. 
2. I also posted a new discussion board topic. Same rules as always apply: one post, one response, by Friday, Nov. 7th at 11:55pm. 
3. Don't forget to review the vocabulary words for the quiz next Monday.

Below, I've included pictures of the classes' conceptualizations of the communication model. Which is your favorite? 

Happy Halloween!

Hi all. I hope this post finds you well. I just wanted to share a bit about Halloween! On Friday, October 31st, 2014, people all of the U.S. will celebrate Halloween. But what is Halloween? What are its origins? How do people celebrate it? What are the popular costumes this year? 

Below, I've included a few links below to help you answer all your "Halloween 2014"-related questions. Enjoy and have a "Spook-tacular Halloween"! 

1. The Origins of Halloween
2. Classic Halloween Costumes
3. Charlie Brown & The Great Pumpkin
4. A Few "Classic" Halloween Jokes
5. Halloween Music: Rihanna "Disturbia" and "Boris" Pickett "Monster Mash"

BONUS!  Since it's Halloween, here are some obligatory, embarrassing pictures of your teacher in his last Halloween costume. I went as a Zombie teacher! My friends went as other members of a fictional Zombie High School. Enjoy :) 

Day Two: Intercultural Communication, Audience and Purpose

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a nice weekend and is ready to re-engage in our ongoing discussion of the Foundations of Academic Writing. Today we are going to discuss a few foundational considerations: the degree to which culture influences our communication as well as the importance of understanding who we're writing for (our audience) and why we're writing (our purpose). An outline for today's class can be found below: 

Day Two: Intercultural Communication, Audience & Purpose

Objectives: Students will be able to...

1. Understand and explain the role that culture plays in influencing the way we communicate
2. Understand and explain the importance of audience and purpose in the writing process

I. Warm-Up

What did you do over the weekend?

II. Writing Review

We will begin class by reviewing the writing you did for last week. This will include: 

• Reviewing the discussion forum
• Comments on the "Reflection Journals"
• General & specific feedback on the Diagnostic Essay activity

III. Culture & Communication

With a partner, take five minutes and discuss the following questions. You can write your answers or have a free discussion, but be prepared to share with the class. 

1. What is "culture"? Give an example.
2. What role does "culture" play within a society? 
3. How does culture influence the way we communicate? 

We will discuss the answers to these questions as a class and then we will review this short presentation. Finally, you will find a new partner and discuss the answers to these questions. Once again, you will have five minutes and you will be expected to be prepared to share your thoughts with the class.

IV. The Communication Model

Now, a couple of general questions for the class: 

• How does communication work? 
• If you had to draw a picture of the way that communication works, what would it look like? 

Now, let's take a look at this short video from teacher Krista Price about the way communication actually works. As you watch, consider the answers to these. When the video finishes, you'll have a chance to discuss the answers with a new partner. After that, we'll see if it's necessary to watch the video one more time. If so, we will. If not, we'll discuss!

V. Audience & Purpose

Finally, we will discuss a little bit about the concept of audience and purpose and the roles they play in your writing using this worksheet and focusing on the following questions: 

1. When communicating, who is the "audience"? Can there be more than one? Explain.
2. When communicating, what is the "purpose"? Can there be more than one? Explain. 
3. Why is it important to have a clear idea of who your audience is and what your purpose is? 

Homework

For next class, please be sure to do the following assignments: 

• Prepare a response in your reflection journal
• Post an answer to the "Week Two: Forum Discussion" and respond to one of your classmates' posts
• Prepare for a short academic vocabulary quiz