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WRIT 6400
Uris Hall G24
Section 001 (M/W 8:40-9:55)
Instructor: Dr. Michelle Cox
Office Hours: M 10-12 and by appt.
Office: 101H McGraw
michelle.cox@cornell.edu
Academic Writing for International Graduate Students
Welcome to Academic Writing for International Graduate Students! This course is designed to
develop graduate-level writing, with a focus on research writing and understanding conventions of
writing in students’ disciplines.
Learning Outcomes
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To become more confident, fluent, and adept as a writer in English
To understand writing as a process and develop a more effective writing process
To understand texts as deeply rhetorical, situated, and following genre conventions
To understand the structure of and rhetorical moves within academic research articles
To better understand discipline-specific writing by investigating the genres, styles, and
citations practices used within the student’s field
To become more familiar with the conventions of writing with sources and strategies for
avoiding plagiarism
To become more familiar with resources that support graduate-level writing and research
available at Cornell
Materials
The following books have been ordered through the Cornell Bookstore (as well as put on reserve in
Uris Library):
Swales, John and Christine Feak. Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills,
3rd ed. University of Michigan Press: 2012. 978-0472034758
Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein, They Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, 3rd
ed. Norton: 2014. ISBN: 978-0393935844
You will also a laptop or a notebook to write with during class.
Projects
Writing and Language Blog: The goal of this assignment is to encourage reflection on your growth
as a writer and as a user of English. Each week, post a brief reflection (minimum: 200 words) on
your insights related to writing, English, and/or language. Here are a few prompts to get you
started:
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Insights about the process of writing or your growth as a writer
Insights about English usage, language learning, or language itself
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Insights about vocabulary (i.e. connotations of English words, Cornell slang, idiomatic
English, terms specific to your field)
Insights about style (i.e. particularly effective language you’ve noticed in texts you are
reading)
Post these insights to the Writing and Language Blog on Blackboard by 5:00 on Tuesday. Each
week, instead of writing a blog entry, one student will prepare to lead a brief discussion on the
entries.
Interview Project: This project will allow you to learn from an experienced writer in your field
about academic writing as well as give you experience writing from a source (an interview) in the
genre of the short essay. For this project, you will find a published article by one of your professors,
interview the professor about his/her writing process for this article, how he/she learned academic
writing, types of writing (genres) commonly written in the field, current controversies in the field,
and what advice he/she has for graduate student writers (including suggestions for writing guides).
Then, you will summarize what you learned from the interview in a 3-5 page short essay, which you
will informally present to the class.
Research Report: Kenneth Burke, a literary scholar once wrote:
Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others have long preceded
you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion too heated for them to pause
and tell you exactly what it is about. In fact, the discussion had already begun long before
any of them got there, so that no one present is qualified to retrace for you all the steps that
had gone before. You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of
the argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him; another comes
to your defense; another aligns himself against you, to either the embarrassment or
gratification of your opponent, depending upon the quality of your ally's assistance.
However, the discussion is interminable. The hour grows late, you must depart. And you do
depart, with the discussion still vigorously in progress. (A Philosophy of Literary Form, 1941,
p. 110-111)
The project of your entire graduate career will be finding entry points into the ongoing
conversation of your field, a task that requires that you learn the literature of your field, learn how
to respond to that literature (by, for example, conducting research), and communicating your
responses. This project is meant to help you begin this journey, by reading the literature on one
topic in your field. You may choose to do one of the following:
 Identify an ongoing debate in your field, an issue for which there are competing
schools of thought (see Swales & Feak, p. 89). In a report research, define the issue,
present different views on the issue (by referring to key articles that represent
those schools of thought) and then summarize where the field stands today on this
issue.
 Identify an idea in your field that once held favor but has since been replaced by
other views (see Swales & Feak, Task 23, p. 99). In a research report, describe the
once-promising idea, and then explain the reason it was abandoned, referring to key
articles that moved the field’s understanding of this issue forward.
This project will result in a 5-7 page report.
Genre Analysis Project: This project will allow you to explore the rhetorical and structural
features of three genres common in your field. You will select three samples of each genre,
determine key features of each genre, and then compare the genres to one another. The essay
should have the following parts: introduction (introduce the topic of the essay); analysis (present
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your analysis of each genre); and discussion (compare and contrast the three genres). This project
results in a 4-6 page essay.
Final Reflection: At the end of the semester, you will reflect on what you have learned in this
course as a writer in English by reflecting back on your blog entries and projects, as well as reflect
on your next steps as a writer. This reflection will be 2-3 pages.
Policies
Course attendance: The graduate writing and speaking courses are highly interactive. Knowledge
gained by attending the course cannot be replicated by reading a textbook or peers’ notes. Thus,
attendance in each class meeting is crucial. If you know ahead of time that you will need to miss a
class meeting, discuss the situation with the instructor and work together to create a plan for
keeping up with the class. To avoid penalties for late work, homework and projects may be
submitted electronically. Students are who are regularly late for class, regularly leave class
early, and/or who miss more than three class meetings are in danger of receiving an
Unsatisfactory (U) for the course.
Conferencing: Students will be expected to meet with me three times throughout the course: in the
beginning, middle, and at the end. The purpose of the conference is to address any questions,
determine personal goals, discuss progress and next steps, and to develop strategies to improve
communication.
Academic Honesty: All the work you submit in this course must originate with you in form and
content with all contributory sources fully and specifically acknowledged. Carefully read Cornell’s
Code of Academic Integrity. The Code is contained in The Essential Guide to Academic Integrity at
Cornell, which is available at newstudentprograms.cornell.edu/AcademicIntegrity-Pamphlet.pdf. In
addition to the Code, the Guide includes Acknowledging the Work of Others, Dealing with Online
Sources, Working Collaboratively, a list of online resources, and tips to avoid cheating. In this
course, the normal penalty for a violation of the code is a “U” for the term.
Note to Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability-related need for reasonable academic
adjustments in this course, provide the Instructor with an accommodation notification letter from
Student Disability Services. Students are expected to give two weeks’ notice of the need for
accommodations. If you need immediate accommodations or physical access, please arrange to
meet with the Instructor within the first two class meetings.
Assessment
This course is a credited un-graded course. In order to earn a Satisfactory (passing) mark for the
course, students must not have more than four absences and must accumulate a minimum of 75%.
Grade Breakdown:
10% Participation: I consider class participation to include five elements:
 preparedness (bringing necessary books, materials, completed work, and drafts for
workshops to class)
 being present (consistently being in class, on time for class, and staying for full class
meetings)
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active listening (active engagement when the instructor or a peer speaks)
active contributions to class discussion (offering comments and questions that enhance
class discussion)
 active writing group, workshop, and conference participation (offering useful questions,
suggestions, and comments to peers’ writing as well as being open to peers’ response to
your writing).
If you consistently engage in these 5 areas, you will get full credit for participation.
10% Writing and Language Blog: If your blog entry is posted on time, is original (does not repeat
a past entry or a peer’s entry), and responds to one of the prompts provided in the syllabus, you
will receive full credit for that entry.
10% Reading Responses and Exercises: For some of the readings, you will be asked to write a
brief (1-2 pp. double-spaced) response. For some projects, I also assign exercises. To receive full
credit, the response or exercise needs to be complete and be handed in on time. If you will be
absent, the work may be emailed to me.
60% Writing projects (15% each): To receive full credit, writing projects need to be handed in on
time and must include a cover letter and final draft. If you will be absent, projects may be emailed to
me. I will assess final drafts using a rubric that focuses on learning outcomes of that particular
project. These rubrics will be available before projects are handed in. For each writing project, hand
the following: the final draft (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 1” margins) and a cover letter in
which you answer the following questions: 1. What did you learn about writing from this project?
2. What did you revise between drafts and why? What peer feedback, readings, exercises, or
instructor feedback was the most useful to your revision process? 3. If you had more time, what
would you revise further and why?
10% Final Reflection: To receive full credit, the Final Reflection must thoughtfully reflect on your
process during the course, discuss your next steps as a writer, and be at least two full pages long
(double-spaced).
Course Schedule
Week 1
Introductions
Introductions. Discuss syllabus,
Blackboard site, sign up for
conferences, Interview Project.
Sept 3
Discussion: the writing process and
writing strategies (Swales and Feak,
p. 2)
For Next Time:
 Read Ilona Leki, “Models of Second
Language Acquisition” and Miyuki
Sasaki’s “An Introspective Account of L2
Writing Acquisition.”
 Write a 1-2 page (double-spaced) reading
response in which you compare your
experiences with language learning with
the models and experiences presented in
these texts.
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Week 2
Writing in an L2 (Conference Week)
Share reading responses in small
groups.
Discuss Leki and Sasaki as a class.
Sept 8
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
Share reading responses in small
groups. Discuss Kubota and Tsai as a
class.
Sept 10
Week 3
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 1 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Read Ryuko Kubota, “My Experience of
Learning to Read and Write in Japanese
as L1 and English as L2” and Ming-Daw
Tsai, “Learning is a Life-Long Process.”
 Write a 1-2 page (double-spaced) reading
response in which you compare your
experiences with language learning and
writing with the experiences presented
in these texts.
For Next Time:
 Contact the professor you’d like to
interview (interview must be completed
by September 22),
 Find and read an article published by this
professor and write a response (at least
200 words) in which you answer the
following questions: what is the focus of
the article? What contribution does this
article make to the field? What questions
does this article raise for you? As a piece
of writing, what are the article’s
strengths?
 Draft interview questions.
Interview Project
In small groups, share article
response.
Share interview questions and
finalize.
Sept 15
Discuss plans for the interview: will
you record the interview? How will
you take notes?
Sept 17
Share responses with small group.
As a class, discuss chapters on
quoting, paraphrasing, and
summarizing.
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 2 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Read Swales & Feak chapter 5, “Writing
Summaries” (pp. 188-227 – you do not
need to do the exercises) and Graff &
Birkenstein Part I, “They Say” (pp. 1951). While you read, keep notes on
questions the readings raise for you and
useful information for the Interview
Project.
 Write a brief response (1-2 pp., doublespaced) comparing attitudes toward
plagiarism and practices for citing
sources used in your country with that of
the US.
For Next Time:
 Complete interview with the professor.
Prepare interview notes for class.
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Sept 19
Optional: ELSO Friday Series Workshop: Making Use of Cornell’s Libraries to Support
Writing and Publication. To register, go to https://cornell.mywconline.net/.
Week 4
Interview project
Discuss highlights from the
interviews in small groups.
Sept 22
In-class exercises: writing from the
interview notes, using direct quotes,
paraphrases, and summaries.
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
Sept 24
Workshop Interview Essay with your
writing group. Be sure to hand in a
copy to me.
Week 5
Interview Project
Week 6
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 4 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Prepare to hand in Interview project
(prepare the final draft and the cover
letter).
 Prepare brief presentation that highlights
key points of your essay.
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
For Next Time:
 Please note: our next class meets in a
library classroom (location TBA). Be sure
to come prepared with the focus of your
Research Report.
Interview Project Due. Informal
presentations. In groups, brainstorm
focus of the next project, Research
Report.
Research Report
*Meet in Library * (location TBA)
Oct 6
For Next Time:
 Revise your Interview essay, using
feedback. This draft should be as
complete and finalized as you can make
it.
 Print three copies for Monday’s
workshop.
Paperswap Workshop.
Sept 29
Oct 1
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 3 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Write the first draft of your Interview
essay (at least 3 pages).
 Print four copies for class (one for you,
one for each writing group member, and
one for me).
Library session on strategies for
identifying and obtaining sources,
using Cornell library resources. By the
end of this class, you should have
identified a number of sources for
your project and understand how to
borrow sources not held by Cornell.
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 5 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Read Swales & Feak chapter 2 (pp. 5593). Complete Task 7 (p. 70) (if possible,
use article written by your professor).
Complete Task 14 (p. 82), focusing on the
concept or topic you will base your
Research Report on. (These two
exercises will be handed in.)
 Continue identifying sources for your
Research Report.
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Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
Oct 8
Week 7
Discuss Swales & Feak. Discuss
insights from analysis of definitions in
published articles (Task 7). In writing
groups, share extended definitions
(Task 14). Create your Research
Notes Table for taking notes on
sources.
Research Report
Discuss experiences finding sources:
what strategies did you use? What
problems did you encounter? Were
you able to resolve these problems?
Oct 13
In writing group, discuss Research
Notes Table. Your goal is to be able to
tell a story based on your Table. In
two or three sentences, tell your
writing group what concept you are
focusing on and what your research
tells you about that topic. Based on
this “story,” develop a rough outline.
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
Workshop first draft. Be sure to hand
in a draft.
Oct 15
For Next Time:
 Complete your Research Notes Table,
drawing on information from at least 6
sources. (This table will be handed in.)
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 6 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Read Part 2 of Graff & Birkenstein (pp.
55-101), taking note of useful sentence
skeletons.
 Write the first draft of your Research
Report (aim for at least five pages). Print
4 copies (one for you, one for each
member of your writing group, and one
for me)
For Next Time:
 Skim the following readings that focus on
style and language: Feak & Swales: Flow
(pp. 30-48), Graff & Birkenstein Part 3
“Tying It All Together” (pp. 105-159), and
Nigel Caplan, Unit 6 “Hedging, Boosting,
and Positioning” and Unit 7 “Collocation
and Corpus Searching” (PDFs).
 Revise your essay, using feedback from
your group and ideas from these
readings. While revising, use “track
changes” so that your group can easily
see the revisions you made during
Monday’s workshop. Print 3 copies (one
for you, and one for each group member).
 Bring a highlighter to the next class.
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Week 8
Oct 20
Research Report (Conference Week)
In-class revision exercise: in your
draft, highlight all signal words and
phrases (including transitions,
signposts, hedges, boosters, etc. – all
the words that guide a reader through
your text).
Share revisions with group and
discuss further revisions, referring to
assigned readings.
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
Oct 22
Week 9
Paperswap Workshop.
For Next Time:
 Prepare to hand in Research Report (final
draft and cover letter).
 Prepare brief presentation on your
project: what did you learn about your
topic from this project? What did you
learn about research or writing from this
project?
Genre Analysis Project
Research Report due. Informal
presentations. Discuss next project:
Genre Analysis Project.
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 8 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 To begin our discussion of genre: find an
article that discusses how to write email
messages effectively. Based on this
article, make a bulleted list of tips. (This
list will be handed in.)
 Print an email that you’ve received (omit
any identifying or personal information).
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
For Next Time:
 Make a list of genres used in your field,
by students and by professionals,
accompanied by brief descriptions of the
genre. Sources to use: writing guides in
your field, syllabi from your courses,
discussions with upper-classman and
professors, searches online for
syllabi/writing guides. (This list will be
handed in.)
Oct 27
Oct 29
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 7 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Revise your draft one more time, with the
goal of writing a finalized draft. Make
sure the References page is complete and
that correct APA format is used for intext citations and references.
 Print 3 copies for Wednesday’s
workshop.
In small groups, discuss your bulleted
list of “email tips.” Accumulate list as
a class. Then, in small groups, analyze
printed email. Compare: structure,
voice, length, openings, closings.
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Week 10
Nov 3
Nov 5
Week 11
Rhetorical Analysis Project
As a class, create a grand genre list;
break down into categories; discuss
genre conventions and approaches to
investigating them.
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 9 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Decide on the three genres you will
investigate for your Genre Analysis
Project. Find three samples of one of
these genres for the next class. Skim
them, so that you become familiar with
some of their features.
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
For Next Time:
 Finalize genre analysis table begun in
class and print to hand in.
 Find three samples of the second genre
you are analyzing. Use them to complete
a Genre Analysis Table for the next class.
(This table will be handed in.)
Share samples with small group.
Create genre analysis table: what
features will you compare? Complete
genre table during class.
Genre Analysis Project
In small groups, share samples and
analyses.
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 10 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Find three samples of the third genre you
are analyzing. Use them to complete a
Genre Analysis Table for the next class.
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
For Next Time:
 Now, create a table in which you
compare the three genres you focused on
for your analyses.
Nov 10
Nov 12
Week 12
Nov 17
Nov 19
In small groups, share samples and
analyses.
Genre Analysis Project
Share Genre Comparison Table with
small group. Your goal is to move
toward telling a story about these
genres. Create an outline for your
essay. Review Swales & Feak,
“Language Focus: Showing
Similarities and Differences” (pp. 225227).
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 11 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Write the first draft of your Genre
Analysis Essay. Print three copies for the
next class (one for you, one for each
group member, one for me).
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
For Next Time:
 Revise Genre Analysis. Print three copies
for Monday’s workshop.
Workshop first draft of Genre
Analysis essay.
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Week 13
Genre Analysis Project
Paperswap workshop. Sign up for
presentations.
For Next Time:
 Post Blog 12 by 5:00 on Tuesday.
 Prepare to hand in Genre Analysis (final
draft and cover letter).
 Prepare a PPT presentation on your
project. Your PPT should have at least 5
slides: a slide with an overview of the
presentation, a slide on each genre, and a
slide comparing the three genres.
Discussion on blog posts led by
_________________________.
For Next Time:
Start working on Final Reflection.
Nov 24
Nov 26
Genre Analysis Presentations.
Week 14
Dec 1
Dec 3
Final Reflection
Genre Analysis Presentations.
For Next Time:
Complete Final Reflection to hand in.
Final Reflection due. Wrap-up
discussion. Course evaluation. Sign up
for conferences.
Final Conferences will be held during exam
week.