Syllabus

English II Writing: Structure and Style

Waseda University

Political Science & Economics

Autumn 2009-2010

Textbook:

Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Introduction to Academic Writing. Longman Academic Writing Series: Level 3 (Pearson Longman, 2006).

Other materials:

Students are also expected to have A4 size paper, pencils and pens of several colors for editing purposes, and access to a computer, word processor, or typewriter (to produce and edit typewritten documents).

Objectives:

The production of written work is fundamental to intellectual life at the university level. This first-year writing course is designed to help students develop the skills and strategies required for such work. Classes progress from the elements of paragraph writing to the production of complete essays. A broad range of issues is dealt with, from essential grammatical information and basic paragraph structure to the rhetorical conventions of academic expression, as well as matters such as formatting, citation, and the need to avoid plagiarism. In every case, the aim is to produce effective original writing with style that is clear, argument that is persuasive, and organization that is logical.

Assessment:

Grades will be determined from:

Attendance 30%

Participation 10%

Assignments 40%

Exams 20%

Schedule: The schedule may change slightly. Pay attention in class for announcements of changes to the schedule.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Class 1:

Introduction to the writing course

Thursday, October 1

Class 2:

Review of paragraph writing fundamentals; format of papers

Monday, October 5

Class 3:

Paragraph practice (I); punctuation (I)

Thursday, October 8

Class 4:

Paragraph practice (II); punctuation (II)

Monday, October 12

Class 5:

Paragraph practice (III); cohesion and coherence (I)

Thursday, October 15

Class 6:

Paragraph practice (IV); cohesion and coherence (II); extra topic (I)

Monday, October 19

Class 7:

From paragraph to essay; common errors (I)

Thursday, October 22

University Holiday: No Classes

Monday, October 26

Class 8:

Types of essay; common errors (II)

Thursday, October 29

Class 9:

Generating ideas; article usage in English

Monday, November 2

Class 10:

Outlining; paraphrasing and plagiarism (I)

Thursday, November 5

Class 11:

The introductory paragraph of an essay (I); paraphrasing and plagiarism

Monday, November 9

Class 12:

The introductory paragraph of an essay (II); idioms/set phrases; extra topic (II)

Thursday, November 12

Class 13:

The concluding paragraph of an essay (I); academic vocabulary (I)

Monday, November 16

Class 14:

The concluding paragraph of an essay (II); academic vocabulary (II)

Thursday, November 19

Class 15:

Mid-semester Review; Q & A session

Monday, November 23

Class 16:

The supporting paragraphs of an essay (I); major types of English

Thursday, November 26

Class 17:

The supporting paragraphs of an essay (II); sentence structure in English

Monday, November 30

Class 18:

The expository essay (I); use of abbreviations in English; extra topic (III)

Thursday, December 3

Class 19:

The expository essay (II); use of foreign words in English

Monday, December 7

Class 20:

The expository essay (III); style in academic writing: grammar and vocabulary

Thursday, December 10

Class 21:

The expository essay (IV); quotations/producing citations

Monday, December 14

Class 22:

The argumentative essay (I); proper nouns in English

Thursday, December 17

Class 23:

The argumentative essay (II); prepositional usage in English

Monday, December 21

Class 24:

The argumentative essay (III); common errors (III); extra topic (IV)

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Class 25:

The argumentative essay (IV); common errors (IV)

Monday, January 11

Seijin no Hi

Coming of Age Day: No Classes

Thursday, January 14

Class 26:

The comparison and contrast essay (I); word formation in English

Monday, January 18

Class 27:

The comparison and contrast essay (II); word order in English

Thursday, January 21

Class 28:

The comparison and contrast essay (III); quantities and numbers in English

Monday, January 25

Class 29:

The comparison and contrast essay (IV); overview of an academic paper

Thursday, January 28

Class 30:

FINAL REVIEW; Q & A session; concluding remarks