Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Department of English Language & Literature
Semester 1, 2015-2016
Course Title:
Course Code:
Year of Study:
Number of Credits:
Duration in Weeks:
Contact Hours per Week:
Pre-requisite(s):
Instructor:
Academic Writing
ENG 260
2
3
15
3
Nil
Dr. Sherman LEE
Course Aims
This course aims to help students develop their confidence and ability to communicate
effectively in written English for academic purposes through practice in reading, evaluating and
producing academic texts. The course will focus on developing students’ competence in the
following skills:
1. critically reading and analysing academic English texts;
2. producing written texts from purpose to goal through a process approach of planning,
drafting, eliciting feedback and revising;
3. polishing and editing written texts through attention to: communicative purpose, form and
format, the accurate and appropriate use of grammar and vocabulary, and adherence to
academic writing conventions;
4. summarising, paraphrasing, quoting, citing sources and referencing.
The importance of maintaining academic honesty and of avoiding plagiarism is emphasised
throughout the process of producing written work.
Course Outcomes, Teaching Activities and Assessment
Course Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
Critically read and analyse written texts
ILO1
Reflect on their previous writing experiences to enhance their current and
ILO2
future learning
Interpret, summarise and critique academic texts
ILO3
Gather, evaluate and synthesise information from different academic sources
ILO4
Use a process writing approach: from planning to drafting and revising, to
ILO5
create different genres of academic texts
Identify the elements of good academic writing and apply revision and
ILO6
editing strategies to improve their own and others’ written texts
Identify good academic writing practices and adopt such practices to
ILO7
maintain academic honesty and avoid plagiarism during the writing process
Elicit and respond to constructive peer feedback during the writing process
ILO8
and provide constructive feedback on the writing of their peers
1
TLA1
TLA2
TLA3
TLA4
TLA5
TLA6
TLA7
TLA8
Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs)
Interactive lectures introducing key concepts and skills
Critical reading of texts
Group and class discussions
In-class writing exercises
In-class referencing and citation exercises
Library research
Reviewing drafts of peer writing
Out of class writing assignments (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing)
Assessment Tasks (ATs)
AT1
AT2
AT3
AT4
Class participation
Active participation in class discussions and activities
Reflective Essay
Students examine professional writers’ reflections of their writing
experiences, then produce a written reflection of their own past writing
experiences to explore their problems and needs in academic writing
Article Critique (group work):
In a group of 4-5, students select a journal article which they critically
read and interpret, and produce a written summary and critique of it.
(Each group member must attempt to contribute equally to the
assessment, and sign a declaration to this effect).
Academic Paper
Students gather academic sources through library and internet research
on a selected English/Linguistics topic, then evaluate and synthesise
the information to create a coherent and convincing academic paper in
an appropriate style and following appropriate writing conventions.
TOTAL
10%
20%
30%
40%
100%
Alignment of Course Intended Learning Outcomes, Teaching and Learning Activities
and Assessment Tasks
Course Intended
Teaching and Learning
Assessment Tasks
Learning Outcomes
Activities
ILO1
TLA1,2,3,7
AT1,2,3,4
ILO2
TLA1,3,8
AT1,2
ILO3
TLA1,3,4,8
AT1,3,4
ILO4
TLA1,2,6,8
AT1,4
ILO5
TLA1,4,8
AT1,2,3,4
ILO6
TLA1,3,4,7,8
AT1,2,3,4
ILO7
TLA1,3,4,5,8
AT1,2,3,4
ILO8
TLA1,2,3,7,8
AT1,2,3,4
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Course Schedule
Week
Topic / Content
Activities
Week 1
Sept 7, 10
Course orientation and introduction
Reflecting on one’s writing
experiences
Work due
- What is academic writing
- Avoiding plagiarism
Week 2
Sept 14,17
Elements of academic writing
- Writing as a process
- Writing a reflective essay
Readings and discussion:
professional writers’
reflections on academic
writing
Introducing assignment 1:
Reflective Essay
Week 3
Sept 21,24
Exploring academic style
Exchanging peer review
1(a) Reflective
essay: first draft
- Style and formality
- Voice, vocabulary
Week 4
Sept 28,Oct 1
READING WEEK: no class
Revising reflective essay
Week 5
Oct 5, 8
Cohesion and coherence
Writing more effectively /
paragraph structure:
worksheets and writing
exercises
- Information structure
- Cohesive devices
Week 6
Oct 12, 15
Reading critically
1(b) Reflective
essay: final draft
Introducing assignment 2:
Article Critique
- Critically reading and
evaluating a journal article /
research report
Week 7
Oct 19, 22
Writing a critique
- Using evaluative language
- Writing in a cautious style
Week 8
Oct 26, 29
Writing a research paper (i)
- Identifying a topic
- Conducting library research
- Developing a research
question / working thesis
Week 9
Nov 2, 5
Writing a research paper (ii)
- Developing an outline
- Compiling a
working/annotated
Group work on analysing
and critiquing selected
article
2(a) Copy of
journal article
for discussion
Introducing assignment 3:
Academic Paper
Library workshop:
library and online searches,
catalogues and databases
Testing and refining the
research question and thesis;
eliciting and responding to
peer feedback
2(b) Completed
article critique
3(a) Tentative
topic and RQ
3
bibliography
- More on avoiding plagiarism
Plagiarism worksheet
Week 10
Nov 9, 12
READING WEEK: no class
Library research
Week 11
Nov 16, 19
Using published sources (i):
in-text citations and referencing
Worksheet on citations and
referencing
- APA citation style
- Reporting verbs / verb tense
Week 12
Nov 23, 26
Consultations on academic paper
Week 13
Using published sources (ii):
Nov 30,Dec 3 integrating source material
3(b) Focused
topic, rationale,
refined RQ,
working thesis,
outline of paper,
annotated
bibliography
Individual consultations
Worksheet on integrating
source material
- Paraphrasing
- Summarising
- Quoting
Week 14
Dec 7, 10
Revising and polishing drafts
Exchanging peer review
3(c) Academic
paper: first draft
Course review and
self-reflections
3(d) Academic
paper: final draft
- Revisiting features of
academic writing
- Common writing errors
Week 15
Dec 14, 17
Recapitulation
Academic Honesty
You are expected to do your own work. Dishonesty in fulfilling any assignment undermines the learning
process and the integrity of your college degree. Engaging in dishonest or unethical behavior is
forbidden and will result in disciplinary action, specifically a failing grade on the assignment with no
opportunity for resubmission. A second infraction will result in an F for the course and a report to
College officials. Examples of prohibited behavior are:
Cheating – an act of deception by which a student misleadingly demonstrates that s/he has mastered
information on an academic exercise.

Copying or allowing another to copy a test, quiz, paper, or project.

Submitting a paper or major portions of a paper that has been previously submitted for another class
without permission of the current instructor.

Turning in written assignments that are not your own work (including homework).

Plagiarism – the act of representing the work of another as one’s own without giving credit.

Failing to give credit for ideas and material taken from others

Representing another’s artistic or scholarly work as one’s own

Fabrication – the intentional use of invented information or the falsification of research or other
findings with the intent to deceive
To comply with the University’s policy, all graded assignments have to be submitted to VeriGuide.

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Resources
Bailey, Stephen. (2011). Academic writing: A handbook for international students (3rd ed.).
London & New York: Routledge.
Bishop, Wendy. (2004). On writing: A process reader. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Bishop, Wendy & Strickland, James. (eds). (2006). The subject is writing: Essays by teachers
and students (4th ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.
Casanave, Christine Pearson. (2002). Writing games: Multicultural case studies of academic
literacy practices in higher education. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Cooley, Linda & Lewkowicz, Jo. (2003). Dissertation writing in practice: Turning ideas into
text. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
Crème, Phyllis & Lea, Mary R. (2008). Writing at University: A guide for students (3rd ed.).
Buckingham: Open University Press.
Hyland, Ken. (2006). English for Academic Purposes: An advanced resource book. London;
New York: Routledge.
McCarthy, Michael & O’Dell, Felicity. (2008). Academic vocabulary in use. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Ng, Pak-tao Pedro. (2003). Effective writing. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press.
Oshima, Alice & Hogue, Anne. (2006). Writing academic English. White Plains, NY:
Pearson/Longman.
Swales, John & Feak, Christine. (2012). Academic writing for graduate students, 3rd Edition.
Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
VanderMey, Randall, et al. (2009). The college writer: a guide to thinking, writing and
researching (3rd ed.). Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin.
Williams, Joseph M. (2003). Style: Ten lessons in clarity and grace. New York: Longman.
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