ING 112A - Basics of Academic Writing

Course Objectives

This course aims to enhance students’ reading and writing skills simultaneously;
reinforces students’ perception of the reading-writing link, enabling them to decipher
academic texts more efficiently; teaches them to write academic paragraphs and
argumentative essays by implementing APA in-text citation rules to avoid plagiarism.
Reading skills: 1. Identifying the main points and details, 2. Analyzing the view and
the tone of the text, 3. Finding and interrelating relevant information, 4. Distinguishing
between general and specific information, 5. Identifying pros and cons and eliciting
arguments, 6. Eliciting topic related/key words, 7. Enhancing academic vocabulary, 8.
Taking notes while reading, 9. Interpreting charts and graphs, 10. Improving critical
thinking, analysing and synthesising skills
Writing skills: 1. Organizing and grouping ideas, 2. Outlining, 3. Paragraph writing
with topic, supporting and concluding sentences, 4. Direct quoting, paraphrasing and
summarising information by using correct in-text citation method, 5. Writing
argumentative essays following a certain format, 6. Supporting the main points in the
essay with findings from outside sources, 7. Using academic tone, genre language and
appropriate transition signals to achieve coherence and unity
Speaking Skills: 1. Carrying out in-class group work 2. Convening for brainstorming
about a certain topic 3. Participating in a debate on a certain topic

Course Description

The students of English 112 course improve their reading techniques, learn to analyze
outside sources and elicit proper information by differentiating general from specific
data, and develop their academic writing skills by including proper in-text citation
methods in their piece of writing going through the processes of reading and analyzing
texts, critical thinking, planning, drafting and editing. They learn how to write a formal
sentence definition, interpret charts and graphs, use direct quotation, paraphrase and
summary by implementing APA citation rules. Students working on text exploration
and academic writing simultaneously produce a paragraph and an argumentative essay
both for their homework assignments and exams. Besides, they participate in the in-
class discussions of the reading materials.