Keywords

General description

This module aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to write a clear and logically structured academic text following general academic as well as more field specific conventions on citations, style and formatting.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to
• identify and refine those areas in the mechanics of writing they need to improve, especially points of grammar and punctuation
• increase the flow of their text from paragraph to section level by using appropriate cohesive devices
• employ a formal academic style
• express their own voice in their writing
• express a topic for research in a concise and clear fashion
• structure a research proposal

Contents

This module will introduce the students to the importance of flow in the Anglo-Saxon tradition of academic tradition and will familiarize them with the linguistic devices necessary to achieve such cohesion in their own writing. In addition, the module will consider the differences between academic and non-academic style conventions, citing sources and avoiding plagiarism, as well as expressing their own voice. The module will also allow students to identify areas of written language they still need to work on, and will provide them with tools and exercises to help them refine their command of the mechanics of writing. We will finally cover the writing of a research proposal and ways to formulate clearly a topic for research.

Teaching methods

This module is made up of class sessions including group work (20 hours), as well as independent out of class tasks (61 hours). The module will be two periods long and will take place in the autumn semester of the first year of the master’s degree programme.

Teaching language

English

Evaluation and evaluation criteria

Pass/fail.
• Active participation • Satisfactory completion of all tasks to a minimum of level B2 • A clearly written and well-structured research proposal (minimum B2 level) following accepted academic conventions

Study materials

Will be distributed by the teacher and/or through Moodle.

Belongs to following study modules