Dustin Hosseini Module 3 Assignment EAP: Teaching Academic Writing 1 June 2010 The University of Bath Cambridge ESOL

Centre 50724 Word count: 4433

Table of Contents
1. 2. Introduction: Review and key issues! Needs analysis background! 2.1. Learner proles and learning styles! 2.2. Learner perceived strengths and weaknesses! 2.3. Diagnostic assessment dened! 2.4. Diagnostic testing and results! 3. The course! 3.1. Learning aims and objectives overview! 3.2. Constraints! 3.3. Course organization, content, and approach! 3.4. Materials! 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Assessment ! Conclusion! References! Appendix 1: Course Plan! Appendix 2: Needs Analysis and Test Results! Appendix 3: Completed Samples of Needs Analysis Instruments! 3 6 6 7 8 8 10 10 11 11 13 13 16 18 20 28 35 35 35 35

10. Appendix 4: Completed Diagnostic Tests! 11. Appendix 5: Samples of Assessments and Evaluation Tools! 12. Appendix 6: Samples of Course Materials!

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Introduction: Review and key issues

In a previous essay on writing (Hosseini, 2010), I had written that writing was neither an area that received attention in my own formal language studies, nor was it an area that I had focused on while teaching learners English as a foreign language (EFL). However, the intense nature of undertaking simultaneously both the Cambridge Delta and an MA TESOL has forced me to exercise my academic writing skills on a regular basis. In addition, during the last year I have been assisting a group of students in developing and practicing their English L2 writing skills. As a result, my appreciation for writing has been strengthened and it has reminded me that writing has been and still is one of my better communication skills. Writing allows one to reect, revise, and ultimately express themselves before submitting the product, which is a tangible, identiable representation of a writer (Hyland, 2002:1092). It is for these reasons that I have chosen to pursue EAP writing as my specialism for the Delta Module Three Assignment, as I feel that learners who undertake academic studies should be equipped with the tools to write effectively, which includes understanding the strategies and processes that can be employed to construct writing samples at length that are acceptable and appropriate to not only the learners but their potential academic community. General English language teaching (ELT) sometimes employs writing to convey contexualized grammar items that can then be practiced (Hosseini, 2010) by getting learners to produce postcards, short letters, or even e-mails. One example (Gairns and Redman, 2002:27) has learners write a postcard with the goals of practicing comparatives and superlatives and recycling holiday-related vocabulary. According to Harmer (2004:330) this is writing-for-learning. I feel this type of writing will likely assist learners in understanding grammar points and possibly enable them to communicate with other speakers of English in a relatively informal way, though it will not necessarily improve the skills needed for writing academic essays or literature reviews for a university-level course of study.
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However, after working on an exams preparation course, I was exposed to and actively used writing-for-writing, or tasks that use writing as the main vehicle for improving a learners written skills. An example of this is to have learners read a book or article and write a review (Harmer, 2004:334), while another is to have learners write a descriptive essay of their home or hometown. Such tasks do not use grammar as a premise to writing tasks, but rather allow learners to write and develop their skill. Before moving on to the teaching academic writing, it is interesting that both teaching general and academic writing often entail (Alexander et al., 2008; Harmer, 2004; Hyland, 2002; Reid, 2001): employing eclecticism (e.g. various resources and techniques) to facilitate the instruction of the basic writing skills that will allow learners to construct texts independently (brainstorming, organizing ideas, etc.) raising the learners self-awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses in writing and use this knowledge so that learners can improve and strengthen their writing skills getting learners to understand the writing process (writing, revising, rewriting, etc.) However, academic writing differs in that the academic writer must carefully consider the readership of the paper being composed. This includes the writer clearly transmitting their intention(s) as well as ne-tuning the appropriacy of the message for the readership (Alexander et al., 2008). For example, a writer arguing for or against a position in an academic paper might use various hedging devices and/or appropriate discourse markers to clarify their position and their message (ibid). Additionally, various sources would be used and likely referenced within the academic paper through direct or indirect citations to bolster support for the position being argued (ibid).

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

On the other hand, the same message typed to a friend in an e-mail or on an online forum might not include hedging devices; it might be very direct and to the point. Additionally, the above writer, I feel, is likely not to cite references or published works in an informal e-mail. These, however, are just a few ways that general writing differs from EAP. Academic writing also involves getting learners to understand the various processes involved in the organization, construction, and composition of an academic text, which can enable learners to approximate and join the target discourse community (Alexander et al., 2008; Hyland, 2006; Reid, 2001) of their academic eld, to which they will hopefully become contributors. One aspect of organization in English language academic writing is that sections within a text often start from general point and lead up to one that is specic (Alexander et al., 2008:208). However, becoming a member of a specic academic discourse community does not equate to joining a tribe (Alexander et al., 2008:5-6) as discourses are not [entirely] self-contained (Hyland, 2002:1094) and often share some common features. In addition, learners should not have to accommodate the demands and established traditions of a discourse community without critical consideration (Benesch, 2001:39). Some of the processes learners should be aware of if they wish to function effectively in an Anglophone university are (Alexander et al., 2008): understanding where to get sources (e.g. journal articles, reviews, books; from the library, Internet, InterLibrary Loans, etc.) knowing how to refer to sources used in ones own writing and understanding academic conventions on referencing outside information (e.g. APA or MLA styles, etc.) understanding the potential implications of plagiarism and understanding how to avoid it skimming/scanning techniques for extracting key/pertinent information from text

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

understanding how to expand ideas in text and link them appropriately (e.g. using written discourse markers, such as connectives/linkers like however, furthermore, in addition)

using a register appropriate to ones eld (e.g. register that is formal and uses TEFL-related terminology, such as in this paper).

However, what learners should be taught depends on their level. This list is not exhaustive and a needs analysis must be carried out, analyzed, and discussed before a writing course can be created. 2. Needs analysis background 2.1. Learner proles and learning styles The group that I have selected consists of learners whom I have taught during the past academic year. Our lessons were held once weekly for 60 to 90 minutes each session. The main focus was on improving the writing skills of the learners since the majority are potential postgraduate students. I have chosen this group because I have an established relationship with them and felt that the mutual trust achieved during the course would motivate the learners to readily participate in this study. Most of the learners have a level of English roughly equivalent to an IELTS 5 to 5.5. Each learner has achieved a rst degree in their respective home country; however, their current motivations are to improve their English language skills, specically writing, to prepare for postgraduate studies in the U.K., which can be a linguistically demanding process for English L2 learners. Most learners recognize the need to improve their writing skills, as they are aware that postgraduate courses often require extensive writing. In brief, the learners form a relatively culturally and linguistically diverse group representing six countries (P.R. China, Italy, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan). The learners L1s consist of the following: Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Italian, Japanese, and Russian. The learners ages range from the early twenties to late thirties, and are all potential postgraduate students who might pursue courses ranging from engineering to literature.
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Turning to the learning styles questionnaire (a completed sample can be viewed in Appendix 3: Completed Samples of Needs Analysis Instruments), the questions relate to learner study preferences and styles. Most learners are happy to work either collaboratively or independently, and half of the learners would do some homework while the other half would do a lot of homework to improve their writing skills. Regarding multiple intelligence-related styles that assist in facilitating learning, a third prefer writing things down or using their hands to facilitate learning, another third prefer using logic and enjoy solving problems, while the last third would be assisted by having oral explanations of ideas. More detailed information on the learners can be found in Appendix 2: Needs Analysis and Test Results (this consists of General and statistical information about the learners, Learning Styles, Perceived learner strengths and weaknesses, and Learner strengths and weaknesses as evidenced by the data).

2.2. Learner perceived strengths and weaknesses The needs analysis partly consists of open-ended questions, and this forms a kind of diagnostic self-assessment (Harris, 1997:13) that would assist me in creating the course and compare the learners perceived views with the data taken from the diagnostic writing tests. In addition, this diagnostic self-assessment would serve to raise the learners awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses in writing through critical reection.

According to the detailed data tabulated in Appendix 2, learners are generally aware of their own weaknesses and strengths. Listed here are some of the self-identied learner perceptions: a lack of vocabulary impedes expression in writing improving vocabulary (e.g. choosing the appropriate word) can assist learners express ideas more clearly organizing ideas before/during writing is problematic

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

learners require further practice in structuring an essay linking ideas within an essay presents difculties drafting and revising ones own work is difcult.

In sum, most learners believe they need to improve accuracy in writing, which includes organizing and linking ideas. Additionally, learners feel that their knowledge of vocabulary must be expanded as a prerequisite to facilitating writing skills, but also recognize the need to understand the drafting and revision processes in writing. Detailed information on the learners self-perceptions can be found in Appendix 2. 2.3. Diagnostic assessment dened Several experts (Alexander et al., 2008; Knoch, 2007; Brindley, 2001) note that the purpose of diagnostic assessment is to identify learner strengths and weaknesses. This kind of assessment can help place a learner into an appropriate level before a course begins. Diagnostic assessment falls under formative assessment, whose goal is to improve instruction (Brindley, 2001:137) and is less formal (Alexander et al., 2008:305-6) than prociency assessment, which comes under summative assessment. This will be discussed further in section 4. 2.4. Diagnostic testing and results To dened the needs analysis of the learners of the future writing course, I used two writing tasks from the IELTS exam, specically question one and question two. Question one involves deciphering information presented in a graph and writing a short report of 150+ words based on this information within 20 minutes, which usually requires language related to trends (increase, drop slightly, etc.) Question two requires learners to compare and contrast a viewpoint, which requires knowledge of linking devices and how to organize ideas logically in a longer essay of 250+ words, and is to be completed in 40 minutes. These were chosen as I felt that the results from the tasks would complement each other and provide a better picture of what the learners are capable of, and to highlight areas in which the learners require improvement. I feel that these tests are appropriate since they appear to provide a relatively good gauge which can measure the learners writing samples for university level studies.
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As evidenced in Appendix 2 and Appendix 3, there are four objectives that must be addressed to improve the learners writing skills, and these are listed below: A. B. C. Development of the learners ability to expand their vocabulary base to facilitate expression in writing Development of the ability to organize of ideas before and during the writing process (e.g. pre-, during, and post-writing skills) Development of the ability to link ideas coherently through appropriate use of written discourse markers to assist both the writer and reader through the writing sample D. Development of skills related to drafting and revision of written work would assist learners in becoming self-aware of their own mistakes and errors Each of the above would be achieved through equipping learners with the theory, which they could then apply to practice. Regarding A, one example of this includes raising learner awareness of word families and derivations, with the goal of getting them to put what they learn to practice. These points, along with the learner-perceived strengths and weaknesses should be taken into account both to present a clear picture of the learners need, and provide a background for the creation of the writing course, which will be discussed in the following section.

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3.

The course 3.1. Learning aims and objectives overview

While the overall learning goals of the course are reected in the results of the diagnostic tests and needs analyses in the above section and in the appropriate appendices (1-3), there are two key aims (Richards, 2001:120) of the course. By the end of this course, each learner should have: developed the ability to write a variety of coherent and cohesive texts (e.g. compare/contrast, argumentative) that approximate those in academic writing greatly expanded their active and passive academic vocabulary base

The objectives (Richards, 2001:123) for the course are those listed in section 2.4, and in addition, they are cross-referenced in pages 22-27 of Appendix 1: Course Plan. The underlying idea of the course are based on three overarching principles (Alexander et al., 2008:87-8): a developmental approach towards the aims and objectives ongoing revision and consolidation (e.g. recycling) of course content transferability of what is taught/learned in the classroom across the academic spectrum. In other words, the aims and objectives can be achieved when an incremental approach to learning is taken, which means, for example, learning about essays through processes or about words through word parts. Continuous recycling and exposure of material to learners should assist in acquisition of new concepts. Finally what is learners take from this course should apply to their further academic studies (e.g. learning the process of writing and applying it to academic writing). However, there are a few constraints to consider.

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3.2. Constraints This course is expected to take place at a university in southwestern England during the summer months when most mainstream students are not attending university. The main constraints of the course might include budgetary issues and number of learners enrolled, timetabling of rooms, staff on hand, as well as the purchasing of texts for this course. With a majority of mainstream students away, most classrooms should be available for booking. The English language unit has several staff on hand who can teach the course, and most staff have previous experience of teaching academic English courses. All texts used on the course can be found ordered through Amazon.co.uk or may be ordered directly through the respective publishers. 3.3. Course organization, content, and approach The suggested course as designed (Appendix 1) is the rst 30 hours of a longer course of 225 hours, which would last approximately 15 weeks. It would convene three hours daily (Monday through Friday) from 0930 to 1100 and 1130 to 1300, with a 30 minute break in between sessions A and B, each of which runs 90 minutes. I suggest 30 hours per week over 15 weeks because I feel that these learners will need ample time and input in order to improve their writing skills before the start of their postgraduate studies in the U.K. The A sessions are primarily focused on raising awareness of and developing writing skills and the B sessions focus more on skills related to vocabulary, but some overlap is expected and planned as shown in appendices 4 and 5. The end of each B session contains a built-in review slot of 20 minutes, whose purpose serves to allow learners to ask instructors to review areas most difcult for them. This slot can also be used to extend instruction of vocabulary, if needed, and to allow instructors to bring in other activities which might assist the learners in achieving the course aims and objectives, especially those which present particular difculties for the learners.

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I would identify the content and organization of the course as reecting those of a multidimensional, process-type syllabus. Hedge (2000:339-40, 410) explains a multidimensional syllabus as one that combines a few organizing principles, which might include skills related to functions, structures, and vocabulary. In my course, structures might be those commonly found in a compare/contrast essay. Functions might include the ability to write a compare/contrast or argument essay, and vocabulary would include understanding and expanding word families through afxation. Regarding approach, according to Hutchinson and Waters (1987:72-73) this course takes a learning-centered approach, which takes into account that the learners and their situation have inuence upon the course syllabus. As noted in the needs analysis, development of vocabulary and writing are clearly two key areas of concern for the learners. That said, the course is not composed of these areas only and learners will not spend their time only reading and writing. The course anticipates and expects learners to engage each other and the instructor through discussion of new ideas. One example of this might take place when learners brainstorm, organize, and collate ideas for an essay, and another might be when learners conduct peer reviews and editing of each others work. Further still, vocabulary will be expanded in context through reading and discussion of academic passages, as will the instruction of written discourse markers. By instructing learners through a variety of interweaved threads (e.g. grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, etc.) learners are more likely to effectively learn what is being taught (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987). Thus, this relates to a process approach (Hedge, 2000:359), in that the course is focused on how the learners acquire language through what they experience and do in the classroom, and this is called experiential learning (Alexander et al., 2008:87).

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3.4. Materials Since this course is the rst I have created independently, I have decided to err on the side of caution and use a variety of published materials, effectively taking a relatively eclectic approach to the course. The following resources are used in the course: Academic Writing (Zemach & Rumisek, 2003) EAP now! (Cox & Hill, 2004) Focus on Vocabulary (Schmitt & Schmitt, 2005) Uncovering EAP (McCarter & Jakes, 2009) Writing, Second Edition (Hedge, 2005)

I feel that taking an eclectic approach to teaching means using a variety of source materials in the classroom, which should allow learners to obtain the maximum amount of varied input from which students can generate output. I have chosen the aforemetioned resources because I feel that when aspects of the materials are combined, as reected in Appendix 1, they directly address the identied areas of concern in the needs analysis, and directly address the overall course aims as mentioned in section 4.1. For example, Focus on Vocabulary addresses not only vocabulary needs but also functions as a launching point for discussions and essay writing. Activities borrowed from Writing and Uncovering EAP provide a variety of tasks that the instructor can synthesize to suit the learners changing and emerging needs, and the overall aims of the course. Lastly, Academic Writing provides a variety of activities that can get learners to understand the processes involved in academic writing. Examples of these resources are listed in Appendix 6: Samples of Course Materials. 4. Assessment

Now turning to the last section, I will discuss assessment and how learners will be assessed in this course. Reid (2001:31) notes that research on writing assessment is ongoing, and that research conducted has concentrated mainly on identifying writing assignment choices and assessment criteria for instructors and learners as
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well as the fairness of evaluation of writing. That in mind, I will need to consider which types of writing assessment to give learners during the course that will assess their writing skills in a relatively consistent and fair way. I will dene writing assessment criteria by adapting/borrowing a current set of criteria (e.g. IELTS) to which the learners writing samples can be compared and graded; this is a form of criterion-referenced assessment (Hughes, 1989:17). Doing this should allow for the assessment process to be more transparent and help maintain fairness for all involved, as well as give the learners something tangible to aim towards. When considering assessment in this course, I have had to consider what kind of assessment to implement. As discussed in the needs analysis, there are formative and summative approaches to assessment (Brindley, 2001:137). The diagnostic tests used are designed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the learners (Hughes, 1989:13) and are reective of integrative tests in that they required learners to plan, organize, and write a response at length rather than merely selecting a correct response, as is common with discrete items tests (ibid). In addition, these diagnostic tests are direct (Hughes, 1989:15) as they require learners to perform the measured skill: writing. As evidenced by the course overview and the suggested daily plan (Appendix 1), this course employs both assessment types, but tends to utilize formative assessment more frequently, especially regarding assessment of writing throughout the course. For example, students are expected to write a type of essay (e.g. compare and contrast) for homework after learners have been exposed to that kind of essay through practice in the classroom. These essays are then used in the class, and serve as a the basis for peer editing and redrafting. This process in itself is the formative assessment which is ongoing throughout the course, as the learners writing is constantly being assessed. In addition, this can motivate learners to become better as it is a form of classroom assessment (Alexander et al., 2008:321).

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Regarding vocabulary assessment (samples in Appendix 5), this is also formative as weekly vocabulary tests are planned, which will directly assess the extent to which the learners have acquired vocabulary studied during the week through. However, the vocabulary is also recycled throughout the week by having learners read and re-read the texts. This is done not only to (re)expose learners to new vocabulary items, but also to provide a basis for writing some of the essays. In addition, learners are encouraged to create vocabulary cards, which can then be used in class for further recycling activities. Vocabulary would not be assessed in a summative manner, as this would involve creating a large test based mainly on vocabulary, which would both time-consuming to construct, administer, and mark. In addition, if learners understood that there would be a large vocabulary test looming at the end of the course, they might feel pressured to study and learn every word by heart. Thus one effect of a large vocabulary test might be negative backwash. The end of course writing assessment would be summative in nature and would use different IELTS writing questions one and two (samples can be found in Appendix 4 and Appendix 5). In other words, the assessment would remain the same, with the actual tasks changed. This is done to standardize pre- and post-course assessment, and so that the results could be cross-referenced against IELTS writing criteria. As I noted in section 3.3, IELTS question one requires learners to answer a question in 20 minutes based on interpretation of data presented in a graph, and IELTS question two requires learners to compare and contrast or argue for/against that topic within 40 minutes. In my opinion, these assessments are reliable, practical, and valid. If a different set of learners were to complete these tests under the same conditions, the results would likely differ mainly in relation to the language level of the learner. The questions and rubric would likely be very similar, and marking of the assessment would likely retain a similar standard.

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Regarding validity, these tests assess writing directly, and look like a writing assessment (see samples in Appendix 4). Lastly, the tests are highly practical and should not consume excessive time or resources. Overall, the effects of assessment through the vocabulary tests and writing assignments should lead to benecial backwash (Hughes, 1989:2), as vocabulary and writing will be directly tested. Turning to course evaluation, this will be done through reviewing each learners progress on a weekly basis. This entails their progression in formulating coherent and cohesive essays in and outside of the classroom, as well as how well they do on vocabulary tests. Evaluation would also be done through weekly one-to-one interviews, drop-in sessions, as well as informal discussions with the learners (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987). The review slots during each lesson could also serve to identify areas of the course that require adjusting or ne-tuning. 5. Conclusion

As discussed in the rst section, writing-for-writing is an important part of any writing course, but for academic writing, it is one of the keys to a students success. Learning and understanding the realities of academic writing through writing exercises, as well as developing and strengthening a learners writing processes, are perhaps the just a few keys to getting English L2 learners to approximate the discourse of their future academic community of choice. From the needs analysis, several key weaknesses have been identied and the course is designed to address these. Some of the benets of this course for the learners would include the objectives of the overall aims as identied in section 3.1. In sum, by the end of this course, learners should have a greater understanding and appreciation of the skill of writing overall, as well as a better understanding of how they can help themselves to study and acquire new vocabulary items.

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While the course as planned is for the rst thirty hours, other areas relevant to academic writing (e.g. referencing, plagiarism) would be included later in the course and learners would be exposed to other types of academic writing, such as reports and longer essays, as learners will very likely have to produce text at length in their future academic course of study. One possible limitation is that learners can be unpredictable at best. While the learners may have performed at a certain level in the diagnostic test, this level may not reect their actual level. In other words, they might have done poorly on the diagnostic test, but may have higher level, and the opposite is also likely. Another might be that the materials might be too far above the level of the learners. In conclusion, this is the rst academic course I have ever created. I recognize that there are some limitations, but I feel it would benet this group of learners.

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6.

References

Alexander, O., Argent, S., & Spencer, J., (2008). EAP Essentials: A teachers guide " " " ! ! ! to principles and practice. Reading: Garnet Publishing Ltd. practice. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.! to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Ch. 20. Education Australia. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Benesch, S., (2001). Critical English for academic purposes: theory, politics, and Brindley. G. (2001). Assessment. In R. Carter & D. Nunan, (Eds). Cambridge Guide

Cox, K. & Hill, D. (2004). EAP now! Frenchs Forest, New South Wales: Pearson Gairns, R. & Redman, S. (2002). Natural English Intermediate Students Book. Harmer, J. (2004). How to Teach Writing. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching, Fourth Edition. " ! ! Essex: Pearson Education Limited. ELT Journal, 51(1), pp.12-20. Oxford University Press.! Harris, M. (1997). Self-assessment of language learning in formal settings. ! Hedge, T. (2000). Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford: Hedge, T. (2005). Writing, Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hosseini, D. (2010). LSA 3 Systems Essay: Writing. Unpublished manuscript, ! ! " ! " ! Cambridge ESOL Centre 50724, Bath, U.K. University Press. A learning-centred approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Journal of Pragmatics, 34, pp.1091-1112. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. ! ! http://www.scribd.com/doc/5208947/ielts-writing-samples-task-1 Hughes, A. (1989). Testing for Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge Hutchinson, T. & Waters, A. (1987). English for Specic Purposes: "" Hyland, K. (2002). Authority and invisibility: authorial identity in academic writing. Hyland, K. (2006). English for Academic Purposes: An advanced resource book. IELTS Writing Samples Task 1. (2008). Retrieved from ! !

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Knoch, U. (2007). Diagnostic Writing Assessment: The Development and Validation " ! " ! " ! ! " ! of a Rating Scale (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ! ! http://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz and Reading. Oxford: Macmillan Education. Macmillan Education. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Ch. 4. Cambridge University Press. Word List. White Plains, New York: Pearson Education, Inc. Oxford: Macmillan Education. !

McCarter, S. & Jakes, P. (2009) Uncovering EAP: How to Teach Academic Writing McCarter, S. & Whitby N. (2006). Improve Your IELTS: Writing Skills. Oxford: Reid. J. (2001). Writing. In R. Carter & D. Nunan, (Eds). Cambridge Guide to

Richards, J.C. (2001). Curriculum Development in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Schmitt, D. & Schmitt, N. (2005). Focus on Vocabulary: Mastering the Academic Zemach, D.E. & Rumisek, L.A. (2005). Academic Writing: from paragraph to essay.

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Vocabulary Reading Writing Process/Product Homework

Course Plan:

Weekly & Focus

Day

Grammar

Appendix 1: Course Plan

Introduction to the basics of essay writing Practice skimming & scanning by reading an introduction to Process Writing Have a discussion with learners on what an essay entails

Raise learners awareness of what it means to know a word Raise learner awareness of how to learn and memorize new word through vocabulary cards Encourage learners to be autonomous learners by having them create their own vocabulary dictionary

Raise learners awareness of the importance of cohesion by providing context and practice Focus on building vocabulary through reading Practice skimming/scanning technique

Raise learners awareness of pre-writing tasks, such as brainstorming ideas, and organizing ideas

Brainstorm, organize, and outline ideas Learners make ash cards from new words; perhaps assign different learners specic words

Raise understanding of the importance of word families

Provide practice of reading for gist and detail of a text

Raise awareness of the structure of a paragraph Practice writing a short case study-type text

Make ash cards from new words and study those words

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

Introduce and apply peer editing Timed compare/contrast essay

Raise awareness of text cohesion through discourse markers of addition and contrast, and practice skimming and scanning of text for specic info (discourse markers) Introduce learners to developing knowledge of collocations by recognizing patterns

Further practice of the importance of cohesion within texts

Further learner understanding of the various categories of written discourse markers used in texts (contrast, deduction, example, addition, summation) Vocabulary assessment

Further practice of discourse markers

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Vocabulary Reading Writing Process/Product Homework Raise awareness of the differences between formal and informal style Further practice of comparison/contrasting; raise their awareness of structures related to this Expand learners vocabulary through skimming/ scanning of text for details and specic information Raise learners awareness of lexical sets through practicing identication of lexical sets under topical headings Raise learners awareness of how afxes and root words Further compare/contrast essay practice Vocabulary expansion, focus on afxation through reading Further learners knowledge and appreciation of redrafting a text Peer editing/redrafting practice Vocabulary expansion through ashcards Expand awareness and knowledge of word families Raise learners awareness of collocations through use of a text Questionnaire and comparative summary based on results of the questionnaire Conduct peer editing, redraft, and revised based on peer notes Conduct vocabulary assessment Introduce learners to developing cause and effect arguments Expand practice of cause/ effect arguments through writing Further argument essay practice

Weekly & Focus

Day

Grammar

Practicing the basics

Vocabulary activity based around afxation Looking at words, guring out meaning from context

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Code C1 Raising awareness of features of written discourse (e.g. cohesion, register, linkers) EAPN EAP Now! (Cox & Hill, 2004) Application of theory to practice AW Academic Writing (Zemach & Rumisek, 2003) Focus on Vocabulary (Schmitt & Schmitt, 2005) text or test booklet Uncovering EAP (McCarter & Jakes, 2009) Writing, 2nd Edition (Hedge, 2005 HW2 Description Code Book C2 D1 Raise awareness of post-writing skills, (e.g. drafting and revision techniques) FOV Application of theory to practice UEAP D2

A suggested daily plan for executing the course

Key to Goal & Book Codes:

Code

Description

A1

Raise awareness of vocabulary expansion

A2

Practicing expanding vocabulary

B1

Raising awareness of basic pre-writing skills

B2

Application of theory to practice

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

Sessions:

Each day is divided into Session A and Session B. It is expected that Session A will run from 0930 to 1100. Students will have a 30 minute break, and then return from 1130 to 1300 for Session B. The total hours of in-class study each day is 180 minutes. Students will study in class for a total of 15 astronomical hours per week.

The last 20 minutes of each day can be spent reviewing problematic areas the learners nd difcult. Alternatively, this can be used as a time to consolidate vocabulary acquisition through various vocabulary-related activities. When possible, having learners do timed writing tasks would also be very appropriate.

This plan reects only the rst 30 hours of a longer course.

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Suggested Activity and Resource(s) Have a discussion with learners on what an essay entails (EAPN, pp.11): 30 mins 30 minutes Practice skimming & scanning by reading an introduction to Process Writing (AW, pp.2-4) 60 minutes Suggested Time Suggested Homework 70 minutes Raise learners awareness of what it means to know a word by doing the Word knowledge quiz (FOV: pp.x-xii) Raise learner awareness of how to learn and memorize new word through vocabulary cards (FOV: pp.xii-xiii) Encourage learners to be autonomous learners by having them create their own vocabulary dictionary (HW2, p.143-144, task 4.12) Review 20 minutes Raise learners awareness of pre-writing tasks, such as brainstorming ideas, and organizing ideas; Pre-writing tasks (AW, pp.5-6, 8) 40 minutes Raise learners awareness of the importance of cohesion by providing context and practice (EAPN, pp.25-6) 50 minutes B1 Brainstorm, organize, and outline ideas (FOV, p.14); Understanding the reading, task 1; EAPN, p.14) 70 minutes Practice skimming/scanning techniques Focus on building vocabulary through reading, Target Words: (FOV pp.11-12, paragraphs 1-5; pp.14-15, Word Meaning, tasks 1-6) A2 Target Words: (FOV pp. 12-13), paragraphs 6-16; FOV pp.14-15, Word Meaning, tasks 7-12; FOV pp.15-16, tasks 1-12) A2 Learners make ash cards from new words; perhaps assign different learners specic words

Day

Session

Goal(s)

B1

B1

A1

B1

C1

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

A2

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Suggested Activity and Resource(s) Review 20 minutes Suggested Time Suggested Homework Check understanding of outlines; check homework of outline created for (FOV, p.14, understanding the reading, task 1) 20 minutes Raise learners awareness of the structure of a paragraph, its parts, and how to identify topic sentences Paragraph structure (AW, pp.11-13) 70 minutes B1/B2 Topic sentences and the main idea (AW, pp.14-15) Introduce learners to word families and raise their understanding of the importance of word families Provide practice of word families (FOV, pp.16-18) 70 minutes Review 20 minutes A2 Learners make ash cards from new words; assign different learners specic words Review pre-writing tasks (AW, p.16) Provide practice of reading for gist and detail of a text (UEAP, p. 19-20 - 1.1) Raise awareness of organization and language elements in a text (UEAP, p.19-20 - 1.1; p.12 needs analysis questionnaire) Provide practice of peer interviewing based on needs analysis questionnaire Practice writing a short case study-type text based upon information gathered 90 minutes C1, C2 learners can nish their essays at home and expand upon them if needed Raise awareness of text cohesion through discourse markers of addition and contrast, and practice skimming and scanning of text for specic info (discourse markers) (EAPN, p.48; FOV, p.12-13) 40 minutes A1, C1 further practice of the importance of cohesion within texts (EAPN, p.44-45 with reference to p.48) 30 minutes A1, A2 (FOV, p.18-21) Introduce learners to developing knowledge of collocations by recognizing patterns (FOV, p.18)

Day

Session

Goal(s)

B1

B1/B2

A1/A2

B1, B2, C1, C2

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

A1, C1

A1, A2

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Suggested Activity and Resource(s) Review 20 minutes Suggested Time Suggested Homework Introduce peer editing to learners Have learners peer edit the case study-type essay done yesterday (HW2, pp.139, 140, exercise 4.11) 50 minutes D1, D2 this task can be nished at home if needed additionally, use (AW, pp. 21-24) for students to consolidate at home Check homework on cohesion in texts Further learner understanding of the various categories of written discourse markers used in texts (contrast, deduction, example, addition, summation) (EAPN, pp.66-69) 40 minutes C1, C2 have learners continue this task at home, using the chart on p.68 as a guide for recording discourse markers 40 minutes Remind learners of outlines/mind maps Using (FOV, p.21 exploring the topic) have learners write a timed (20 minutes) compare/contrast essay of 150 on how emotions are expressed in different cultures Conduct peer review/editing as a follow up Briey check vocabulary homework Conduct vocabulary assessment: (FOV, test booklet, Unit 1 Test) Check answers 30 minutes A1, A2 Learners should note all words they missed and focus on these for study

Day

Session

Goal(s)

D1, D2

C1, C2

B1, B2, C1, C2, D2

A2

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

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Suggested Activity and Resource(s) Suggested Time Suggested Homework Raise learners awareness of how afxes and root words affect meaning and develop learners awareness of deciphering word meaning through analysis of afxes and roots in context Consolidate knowledge of afxes through discussion and making a card activity of roots and afxes. Full activity can be found below: <http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/ improve-comprehension-word-game-1042.html> 40 minutes Review 20 minutes A1, A2 (FOV, p.23-24) Learners read Nuclear and Extended Families or The Global Trend toward Nuclear Families with the aim to identify up to 10 prexes or sufxes and their meaning. Further learners knowledge and appreciation of redrafting a text (UEAP, p.123-124). Using the compare/contrast text the learners did for homework, apply the practices of peer editing and redrafting in small groups 90 minutes Using the card activity created on the day previous, learners will now play the card game. Full instructions can be found at: <http:// www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/ improve-comprehension-word-game-1042.html> Follow up by having learners discuss how helpful this activity was. 45 minutes Looking at words, guring out meaning from context (FOV p.26-27) 25 minutes A2 Learners continue to make ash cards for new words A2 This task can be completed for homework if learners do not nish. 20 minutes Review Remind students of outlining (FOV & EAPN, p.14) as well as cohesion in a text (EAPN, pp.25-6) Learners complete a short questionnaire and will write a timed (40 minutes) comparative summary of 250-300 words based on this information (FOV, p. 30) Conduct peer editing, redraft, and revised based on peer notes 90 minutes

Day 7

Session

Goal(s)

A1, A2

D1, D2

A1, A2

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

A1, A2

B1, B2, C1, C2, D1, D2

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Suggested Activity and Resource(s) Suggested Time Suggested Homework Expand awareness and knowledge of word families (FOV, pp. 28-29) use this activity to build upon learners knowledge of word families 30 minutes A2 Learners continue to make ash cards for new words Ask learners to bring all cards made for the next lesson. Raise learners awareness of collocations through use of a text (FOV, p.29; 23-24) 40 minutes Review 20 minutes Introduce learners to developing cause and effect arguments using the idea of drugs and their effects as a basis (HW2, p.102-103) Learners will be able to produce their rst cause/effect argument 60 minutes Expand practice of cause/effect arguments by having learners try to write a 150 word argument using essay prompts (FOV, p.30) 30 minutes The prompt the learner did not choose can be set for homework. This cause/effect argument essay should be at least 250 words in length, however. Using the vocabulary cards made by the learners, get learners to identify word families, collocations, and other areas in common that words share Have learners identify the part of speech for words in a family 40 minutes Briey check vocabulary homework Conduct vocabulary assessment: (FOV, test booklet, Unit 2 Test) Check tests Review 30 minutes A1, A2 Learners should note all words they missed and focus on these for study 20 minutes

Day

Session

Goal(s)

A1, A2

A1, A2

B1, B2, C1, C2, D1, D2

B1, B2, C1, C2,

10

A1, A2

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

A2

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Age Number of years studied English Semesters/ years of formal study Main goals for studying writing Main focus of study during formal studies Activities/resources used during independent studies Hours per day spent on independent studies late 30s 2 semesters IELTS exam 8-9 hours 6 (20 years ago) watches BBC iPlayer or TV, reads newspapers to take the IELTS exam; to write an essay of 300 words within 40 minutes late 20s 5 10 semesters 4-5 hours studying English was a part of the curriculum in school and university watches lms in English, writes summaries about what shes read to write correctly because she will do a Ph.D. in the U.K. early 20s 10 3 semesters about an hour to speak and use English reads books in English and uses English (speaking) on a daily basis to improve this skill (for university studies)

Learners Name

M/F

L1 & Nationality

Chizuko Yamauchi

Japanese/ Japanese

Claudia Sechi

Italian/Italian

Denis Shershenikhin

Russian/ Russian

Appendix 2: Needs Analysis and Test Results General and statistical information about the learners

Doris Kuang-Wei Liu 16 11 years

Mandarin Chinese/ Taiwanese late 20s less than 2 hours

to develop vocabulary and grammar

reads novels, watches TV programs and movies

to improve grammar skills, as well as vocabulary; to be able to write university papers

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

early 20s 8 8 years to develop vocabulary and grammar 5 hours speaks a lot to improve his English to do well on the writing part of the IELTS exam early 20s 6 years (?) through school years 3 hours records new words, does a little bit of reading, writing, and listening to do research in university; he will have to write a lot as a result

Jiao Ao

Mandarin Chinese/ Chinese

Mohammed Almadhi

Arabic/Saudi Arabian

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Learning styles living in the U.K. helps because English is everywhere and this helps improve her English language skills

Learning Styles

Learners Name

What helps or does not help the learner study

Other learner thoughts on their writing skills

Chizuko Yamauchi

I enjoy learning with others and learning on my own. Working with my hands can help me learn better. To help my writing skills, I will do some homework.

reading a lot of books can help the learner create well-formed sentences modeling essay can help the learner create well-formed essays

Claudia Sechi

I enjoy learning with others and learning on my own. Thinking about and solving problems helps me learn better. To help my writing skills, I will do a lot of homework.

deep knowledge of grammar can help having a large vocabulary can help

Denis Shershenikhin

I enjoy learning with others and learning on my own. Hearing an idea be explained can help me learn better. To help my writing skills, I will do some homework.

online/computer programs can help in studying English classes can help not enough time after work/ tiredness doesnt help in studying reading can help when the teacher corrects the learner this can help for good writing, correct grammar should be used good structure in writing is also important

Doris Kuang-Wei Liu

I enjoy learning with others and learning on my own. Hearing an idea be explained can help me learn better. To help my writing skills, I will do a lot of homework.

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

reading and hearing more English can help the learner to study better reading is important in studying writing we need to read more (e.g. newspapers, articles, novels) good time management can help using the Internet can help reading books can help

Jiao Ao

I enjoy learning with other learners. Working with my hands can help me learn better. To help my writing skills, I will do a lot of homework.

Mohammed Almadhi

I enjoy learning with others and learning on my own. Thinking about and solving problems helps me learn better. To help my writing skills, I will do some homework.

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Learner perceived areas of writing that cause the most difculty organizing ideas before writing choosing the best word to express an idea Other areas the learner has selfidentied as problematic speaking: specically pronunciation needs improvement listening: understanding native speakers needs improvement organizing ideas before writing creating structure in an paragraph/essay drafting and revising own work for errors choosing the best word to express an idea creating structure in an essay drafting and revising own work for errors

Learners Name

Learner perceived strengths and weaknesses in writing

Chizuko Yamauchi

lack of vocabulary impedes expression in writing skills grammar is strong and this assists writing skills

Claudia Sechi

sentence construction in Italian inuences the learners English L2 writing, specically word order example: una lingua difcile. Literally (it) Is a language difcult. (It is a difcult language.)

Denis Shershenikhin

can form good ideas weaknesses include language accuracy, bad grammar needs to expand vocabulary

Perceived learner strengths and weaknesses

Doris Kuang-Wei Liu

choosing the best word to express an idea linking ideas together choosing the best word to express an idea linking ideas together drafting and revising own work for errors

organizing ideas is an issue lack of vocabulary is an issue a good grasp of grammar is a strength

choosing the best word to express an idea arguing ideas drafting and revising own work for errors

describing graphs

Jiao Ao

linking words cause difculties, as learner does not know how to use them correctly a lack of vocabulary is an issue

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

Mohammed Almadhi

feels that writing has improved since his arrival to the U.K.

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Chizuko Yamauchi Claudia Sechi Denis Shershenikhin the learner achieves the task very well, using appropriate language to describe trends in the graph presented the range of lexis used meets the demands of the task the essay is written in a clear, logical order overall the task is achieved the learner clearly structures the essay into four appropriate sections (intro, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion) ideas divided into the paragraphs, though they could be linked better the learner often drops denite articles (the) at the beginning of sentences or does not use the plural form when generalizing (e.g. Train started with a point instead of Trains) some words are created by the learner (the most high) where other forms already exist the essay is presented as a single paragraph, rather than broken down and structured into smaller parts the learner infrequently uses linking devices where these might have assisted in connecting ideas register is an issue at times - with the learner using till for until, as well as using contractions where the present perfect simple might have helped clarify the learners expressed thoughts (e.g. expressing trends), the present simple has been used and this does not give the reader a clear picture of the data

Strengths in IELTS task 1

the learner provides a good attempt to achieve the task the essay is clearly divided into logical paragraphs for each point made good attempt made at linking ideas with linkers (on the other hand) the overall use of words to describe trends is appropriate, but some improvement/clarication of such words would help the learner

Weaknesses in IELTS question 1

Appendix 2 continued Learner strengths and weaknesses as evidenced by the data

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

the learner exhibits problems forming appropriate subject/verb agreement spelling errors indicative of the learners L1 (Japanese are numerous (rstry for rstly) the learner slightly misunderstood the task, which deals with one city, not travel to other countries incorrect collocations are formed (go job, instead of go to work) some words are pluralized and others are in the singular when the opposite would be more suitable some adverbs are misused (slightly for signicantly or related word)

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Chizuko Yamauchi Claudia Sechi Denis Shershenikhin overall, the learner achieves the task relatively well learner writes at length in a relatively coherent manner a wide range of vocabulary is used sentences are well structured and written at length overall the task is achieved the learner writes at length in a relatively coherent manner the essay is organized into paragraphs, though the conclusion seems unclear as it ows from the previous paragraph paragraphs could be divided up into smaller parts there is a lack of linkers used in connecting the ideas of the text contractions are used, though they generally should not be in academic writing there are some spelling errors or confusion on words (at the contrary) there are some errors involving subject/ verb agreement (if he or she choose) will can be used for will be able Russian punctuation is sometimes used (e.g. leading quotation marks close to the line rather than above it - ,,lazy) there are some spelling mistakes (this for these) logical ow and parallel structures are not used where they could clarify meaning lack of relative clauses causes sentence to be slightly wordy

Strengths in IELTS task 2

has knowledge of linkers and tries to use these in the passage uses linkers she has a knowledge of in a relatively consistent and appropriate manner the structure and organization are relatively clear task is achieved overall, though more detail could have been included

Weaknesses in IELTS question 2

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

some linkers attempted are either used too frequently (e.g. so) or are not formed using the right components (e.g. at a result) the learner uses some words inappropriately (touch instead of meet, and another instead of other) there is a lack of relative clauses which would clarify meaning there are some issues with subject/ verb agreement (people has been) some articles are not uses appropriately or at all there are a few spelling errors countable/uncountable words

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Doris Kuang-Wei Liu Jiao Ao Mohammed Almadhi N/A N/A N/A N/A

Strengths in IELTS task 1

the essay is clearly and logically divided into different sections a relatively wide range of vocabulary is used to describe the graph

Weaknesses in IELTS question 1

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

grammar errors impede the ow of the essay sometimes be verb forms are omitted verbs are not always marked for tense or conjugated correctly for number/person subject/verb disagreement denite articles (the) used where they might not normally be

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Jiao Ao Mohammed Almadhi spelling is generally good throughout the learner understands the importance of dividing ideas within an essay into paragraphs the task is well achieved for the learners level the essay is clearly divided and signposted through usage of linkers paragraphs are used, though some could be divided into smaller parts learner has errors in choosing appropriate determiners and/or choosing the correct number to go with that determiner (e.g. every countries vs. all countries) the learner attempts the task but does not achieve the task because the question remains unanswered the learner has issues with to innitives (if nobody to travel, instead of travels) the learner confuses word forms (have to communication, instead of communicate) the learner makes spelling errors there are some errors with modals (maybe damage, for may damage) register/style is an issue (using maybe instead of perhaps) if-clauses cause some trouble for the learner some linkers are creative but not appropriate (e.g. in the start) countable/uncountable words

Doris Kuang-Wei Liu

Strengths in IELTS task 2

overall, the learner attempts to construct the essay using separate paragraphs connected by the theme the level of vocabulary is relatively appropriate, though could be better

Weaknesses in IELTS question 2

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

the task does not appear to have been achieved, as the learner strays slightly off topic in the beginning and does not directly address the question the learner has issues in formulating correct subject/word agreement the essay appears to lack cohesion; linkers are not uses consistently or where they could clarify points not using to innitives is a commonly occurring error (e.g. choose [to] visit) occasionally used where -ing forms would be more appropriate countable/uncountable words

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Appendix 3: Completed Samples of Needs Analysis Instruments Please see the attached document of appendices. Appendix 4: Completed Diagnostic Tests Please see the attached document of appendices. Appendix 5: Samples of Assessments and Evaluation Tools Please see the attached document of appendices. Appendix 6: Samples of Course Materials Please see the attached document of appendices.

Dustin Hosseini - EAP: Teaching Academic Writing!

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