Bachelor
2020/2021
Academic Writing
Type:
Compulsory course (HSE University and University of London Parallel Degree Programme in International Relations)
Area of studies:
International Relations
Delivered by:
Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
When:
1 year, 3, 4 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Ekaterina Talalakina
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
4
Contact hours:
54
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The course is designed to introduce the students to college writing, specifically to the peculiarities of the academic essay. The course focuses on the key elements of English for Academic Purposes such as the lexis and grammar typical of academic genre. The course is tailored to the specific needs of the International Relations major, hence the activities build on the topics relevant to IR. The course activities highlight the peculiarities of various types of academic essays with the special emphasis on argumentative type. Additionally, the use of sources is practiced through the application of the APA style of referencing.
Learning Objectives
- To build the basic skills of academic argumentation in English and written representation of undergraduate research in the sphere of international affairs
- To acquire the basic skills of Academic Writing (structural elements, academic register peculiarities, academic vocabulary)
- To apply AW skills to the specific subject area of International Affairs
- To master academic presentation
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Awareness of the academic genre peculiarities, criticizing a paragraph based on genre
- The skills of outlining an essay
- The skill of proofreading the essay for the correct use of the punctuation signs
- The skill of using transition signals to signpost the flow of ideas
- The skill of using formal style in academic writing
- The skill of evaluating sources
- The skill of using concordancers to check collocations
- The skill of comparing and contrasting using appropriate transisions
- The skill of making an APA style list using academic sources
- Familiarity with APA style
- The skill of using paraphrasal strategies
- The skill of using the academic sources in preparation for the literature review
- The skill of synthesizing information
- Familiarity with various types of claims
- The skill of identifying logical fallacies
- The skill of using hedging devices
- The skill of using definitions
- The skill of using cause and effect connectors and structural elements
Course Contents
- Essay planPre-writing strategies such as mapping, clastering, outlining
- Academic genreAcademic style, dos and don't list, sample paragraph critique
- PunctuationProofreading for punctuation, rules for using commas, semi-colons, colons and other punctuation signs
- Relationships and connectorsPatterns of organization and relationships between ideas as sturctural elements of the essay
- Formal and Informal styleThe distinction between formal and informal writing through the vocabulary and sentence structure
- Facts vs opinionsSelecting evidence to support the thesis of the essay
- Academic collocationsExploring the academic vocabulary and concordancing tools
- Comparison and contrastExploring the comparison and contrast pattern of organization and its transision, as well as structural elements
- Selecting and evaluating sourcesThe distinction between various types of references
- Incorporating references in APAWorkign with in-text citations in APA style
- Ways to avoid plagiarismParaphrasal and citation strategies
- APA reference listCreating an APA reference list for literature review
- Literature ReviewBuilding the skill of synthesizing
- Types of ArgumentsExploring fact, value and policy claims
- Logical FallaciesExploring logical fallacies
- HedgingHedging instruments as ways to avoid logical fallacies
- DefinitionUsing defining language to introduce the key concepts of the essay
- Cause and effectExploring the causality as a pattern organization
Interim Assessment
- Interim assessment (4 module)0.2 * portfolio + 0.2 * quizzes + 0.3 * speaking (e.g. presentations) + 0.3 * writing (e.g. essays)
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Johnson, A. P. (2016). Academic Writing : Process and Product. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1222793
- Tusting, K., McCulloch, S., Bhatt, I., Hamilton, M., & Barton, D. (2019). Academics Writing : The Dynamics of Knowledge Creation. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2138179
- Wallwork, A. (2016). English for Academic Research: Grammar, Usage and Style. New York: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=528290
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Bailey, S. (2017). Academic Writing : A Handbook for International Students (Vol. Fifth edition). London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1650435
- Write Here, Right Now : An Interactive Introduction to Academic Writing and Research. (2018). Place of publication not identified: publisher not identified. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsotl&AN=edsotl.OTLid0000681
- Казарова, Е.И. Writing Practice. Учебное пособие по развитию навыков письменной речи [Электронный ресурс] / Е.И. Казарова. — 3-е изд., стер. — Москва : ФЛИНТА. 2019. — 102 с.. – ISBN 978-5-9765-2004-2. – Режим доступа: https://new.znanium.com/catalog/product/1047957