Course introduction writing IV 2016 (week 1)

Course Introduction (Week 1)

W R I T I N G I V(HE285)

Prof. Dr. Ron Martinezdrronmartinez@gmail.com

Goals for the week

• Reflect on and question current beliefs about academic writing

• Gain a fresh understanding of the nature of (academic writing)

Today’s agenda

• Present some highlights from class survey• Explore your beliefs and current knowledge on

academic writing• Consider dialogism in writing, and the notion

of “correct”• Introduce next week’s homework

‘Other’

(Optional) What other activities would you like to do in this class?

“I would like to practice writing parts of essays separately. For example, how to write a good introduction, how to conclude an essay written or prepared by someone else, etc.”

Please rate the likelihood of the following happening sometime in the future.

Online: Beliefs about academic writing

• Activity is meant to guide reflection on current beliefs you hold on academic written discourse.

• Meant to be collaborative (i.e. generate discussion in pairs), but answers should be submitted individually. Ideally, discuss each question first, then provide your answer.

• When finished, you may take a break.

OK, let’s go over your results!

Grammar and Vocabulary as a matter of “choice” (not “correct”)

Examples of journal article structure

Examples of journal article structure

Examples of journal article structure

“Subtext” video

Discuss in pairs:

• Can you relate?• What insights does it provide (if any) into the

nature of the writing process itself?• Bonus: How was he able to choose his words?

User comments on “Subtext” video

User comments on “Subtext” video

Some “Subtext” insights• Lev (the writer) has a specific “agenda” in mind

before he begins writing.• The whole process of writing involves him trying

to maximize the effect of his discourse to achieve that agenda.

• The writing process is “dialogic”: in dialogue with himself, in dialogue with the intended reader.

• Lev is (painfully) aware that word choice is of paramount importance; the right choice of words can mean the difference between his “goal” and flat-out rejection.

Lexical Priming (Hoey, 2005)

“As a word is acquired through encounters with it in speech and writing, it becomes cumulatively loaded with the contexts and co-texts in which it is encountered, and our knowledge of it includes the fact that it co-occurs with other words in certain kinds of context.” (p. 8)

Summary for Week 1• In the context of genre, language is about choice, not

necessarily “right” and “wrong”.• Academic writing is laden with a number of

institutionalized conventions (e.g., journal article structure, academic abbrevations, referencing), and these conventions can actually be of help to non-native (of English) writers.

• Especially in argumentative-type essays (the most common academic genre), it is the author’s “position” that drives the discourse. Before anything else, this is the sine qua non of the writing process.

HOMEWORK FOR NEXT CLASS (MON.

MARCH 14)

Homework

• (If you haven’t done so already) Please read the “They Say/I Say” chapter (“I take your point”);

• Read Chapter 1 (“They Say”);• Complete grammar worksheet, “The Grammar

of Introductions” (online), print, and bring to class Monday.

Read the two articles online

1. Read the New York Times article on Zika first2. Then read the article written by a Brazilian3. When finished, discuss the different points of

view with 2 other classmates. For example, are there points that you disagree with? Points that you especially agree with?