This thorough course focuses on writing and the process of writing to prepare students to research and write a thesis that is on par with one delivered and defended by a native English speaker. With an emphasis on critical reading and idea generation skills, students will attend all classes to collaborate and participate in discussions and project development. Students will be expected, therefore, to read, research, reflect, discuss and work cooperatively, as part of the writing process. These skills enhance writing ability, will provide students with a strong foundation for delivering their thesis, and also contribute generally to success in learning—whether in the classroom or the conference room.
Learning Outcomes:
Critical speaking skills
- Note-taking skills, paraphrasing and summarizing
- Developing and improving pronunciation, intonation in speech
- Understanding and using correct and complex grammar structures, and academic idioms
Critical Reading Skills
- Analyzing content (understanding the difference between narrative and expository text)
- Identification of relevant documents for research
- Evaluating source materials, including those found on the internet
- Relearning and revising correct grammar, increasing academic vocabulary and range of technical/academic idioms/expressions
Writing skills
- Organizing one’s own ideas and thoughts
- Presenting the ideas, thoughts and findings of others
- Emphasizing writing skills in the expository and analytical genres
- Recognizing elements of effective essay writing (attention-getter, thesis statement, topic sentences, supporting details/arguments, conclusions, executive summaries, memorable statements, etc.) and incorporating these elements into their essays
- Developing and using correct grammar, relevant vocabulary
Collaboration skills leveraging the strengths of the team/class
- Informal speaking through group discussions
- Problem-solving and group decision-making skills
- Project management skills using the resources and technologies readily available and accessible
- Information organization
- Analysis and/or idea exposition and development
- Peer-review of outline-development
Reflection
- Incorporating corrections and suggestions into submitted documents
- Adding new information to knowledge already attained and making connections between existing knowledge and new information
