Бакалавриат 2020/2021

Академическое письмо

Статус: Курс обязательный (Социология и социальная информатика)

Направление: 39.03.01. Социология

Кто читает: Департамент социологии

Где читается: Санкт-Петербургская школа социальных наук

Когда читается: 1-й курс, 3 модуль

Формат изучения: без онлайн-курса

Преподаватели: Чунихин Кирилл Александрович

Язык: английский

Кредиты: 3

Контактные часы: 10

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course teaches practice skills of academic writing to facilitate students’ effective communication within transnational academia. Exploring major writing conventions, at this seminar students perfect techniques of producing scholarly texts in English. Ultimately, a firm foundation for students to further evolve as authors is established.

Learning Objectives

• to shift students from intuitive writing, commonly a disorderly technique of expressing thoughts in a language, to rationalized writing—a conscious procedure of creating academic knowledge within a language.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Awareness of major characteristics of academic writing in English
• Ability to approach writing consciously
• Ability to create academic texts

Course Contents

• Introduction to Academic Writing I
  Academic writing. Academic communication. Rational vs. intuitive writing. Thinking on paper.
• Introduction to Academic Writing II
  Academic and creative writing. Composition.
• Practice 1: Academic English Conventions
  Style. Flow.
• Practice 1: Academic English Conventions (cont.)
  Target audience. Organization.
• Patterns of Thinking and Writing
  Structures of academic narratives. Elements of a text.
• Practice 2: Writing Paragraphs
  Inductive and deductive reasoning. Evaluative, descriptive, illustrative, contrasting paragraphs.
• How to Write a Sentence?
  Sentence as a though patters. Subordinating and coordinating styles of writing.
• What is an Argument?
  Nature of academic discourse. Designing a research, asking worthy academic questions. Moving from questions to hypothesis and research statements.
• Practice 3: Designing a research
  Creating sample research questions and thesis statements.
• Metaphor
  Limits of using metaphors within academic discourse. Metaphor as an epistemological tool.
• Critical Thinking
  Science vs. pseudo-science. “Alternative history.” Techniques of validating data.
• Academic Communication: Genres
  Oral and written genres. Structuring an academic utterance.
• Sources
  Plagiarism. Approaching primary and secondary sources.
• Academic Business: Proposal and Grant Writing
  Procedures and strategies of advancing a research.

Assessment Elements

• Participation in class discussions
• Writing assignments
• Exam
  The exam is taken in the form of defending written project proposal. The grade for the exam is made both from the essay and discussion of essays held at the final seminars.
• Proposal

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (3 module)
  0.25 * Exam + 0.25 * Participation in class discussions + 0.25 * Proposal + 0.25 * Writing assignments

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Strongman, L. (2013). Academic Writing. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=816736
• WILLIAM STRUNK, J. (2017). The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition (Vol. FOURTH EDITION). [S.l.]: William Strunk Jr. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2181327

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Quinn, M. E. (2007). A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. Booklist, 104(1), 160. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=f5h&AN=26761076
• Sawaki, T. (2016). Analysing Structure in Academic Writing. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1243326