LF:VLAW051 Academic Writing - Course Information

VLAW051 Academic Writing

Extent and Intensity

0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).

Teacher(s)

Mgr. Robert Helán, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Joseph Lennon, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Veronika Dvořáčková, Ph.D. (assistant)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. Robert Helán, Ph.D.
Language Centre, Faculty of Medicine Division – Faculty Branches of University Departments – Faculty of Medicine
Contact Person: Mgr. Robert Helán, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Language Centre, Faculty of Medicine Division – Faculty Branches of University Departments – Faculty of Medicine

Timetable

Fri 13:30–15:10 C15/113

Prerequisites

VSAJ0222 English 1 II -p || VLAJ0222 English 1 II -p
Students should have the minimum knowledge of English corresponding to the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 19 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/19, only registered: 0/19, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/19

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• General Medicine (programme LF, M-VL)

Course objectives

To familiarize students with selected lexico-grammatical features of English academic style by means of language analysis of exemplary academic texts.
To develop students' strategies for the specific phases of the writing process (prewriting, writing, editing).
To discuss and achieve an understanding of important themes, issues and debates related to academic writing in the context of English as a foreign language.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to apply their knoweldge from the course in their writing of discipline-specific articles.

Syllabus

• 1. Introduction to the Course; Introduction to Academic Writing: Audience, Purpose, Organization, Style, Flow, Presentation; Features of Academic Writing
• 2. The Writing Process; Writing Stages: Pre-Writing, Writing, Re-Writing, Editing; The Use of Techniques from Creative Writing; Types of Academic Publications; Structure of a Research Paper
• 3. Academic Vocabulary: Synonyms, Nominalizations, Levels of Formality, Paraphrasing; Collocations: Using Corpora for Language Learning
• 4. Academic Grammar: Objective Language, Hedging, Metalanguage; Selected Points of Grammar for Academic Writing (Passive vs. Active Voice)
• 5. Abstracts and the Writing of Abstracts: Types of Abstracts, Their Structure and Typical Moves, Summarizing and Paraphrasing
• 6. Medical Case Reports: Structure and Language, Case Presentation Section: Problem-Solution Pattern; Conventions of Medical Writing
• 7. Revision – Midterm Evaluation
• 8. Constructing a Research Paper I: IMRaD Structure; Introductions: Creating a Research Space, Citations and Tenses, General-to-Specific Pattern
• 9. Constructing a Research Paper II: Methods Sections; Selected Points of Grammar for Academic Writing: Linking Devices
• 10. Constructing a Research Paper III: Results Sections; Selected Points of Grammar for Academic Writing: Location Statements, Making Comparisons
• 11. Constructing a Research Paper IV: Discussion Sections, Levels of Generalizations, Expressions of Limitations
• 12. How To Get Published: Writing for Specific Audiences; Target Journal Analysis; Selected Points of Grammar for Academic Writing: Gerunds and Infinitives
• 13. Remaining Issues and Topics
• 14. Final Revision and Consolidation, Final Evaluation

Literature

recommended literature
• KLAUSER, Heriette Anne: Writing on both sides of the brain. New York: Harper Collins, 1987.
• GODSON, Patricia. Becoming an Academic Writer. Texas A and M University: Sage, 2013.
• SWALES, John and Christine B. FEAK. Academic writing for graduate students : essential tasks and skills. 3rd ed. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press, 2012, xiv, 418. ISBN 9780472034758. info
• ŠTĚPÁNEK, Libor, Janice DE HAAFF, Alena HRADILOVÁ and David SCHÜLLER. Academic English – Akademická angličtina: Průvodce anglickým jazykem pro studenty, akademiky a vědce (Academic English: a guide for students, academics and scientists). Praha: Grada, 2011, 224 pp. ISBN 978-80-247-3577-1. info
• BAILEY, Stephen. Academic writing : a handbook for international students. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 2011, xx, 293. ISBN 9780415595803. info
• GILLETT, Andy, Angela HAMMOND and Mary MARTALA. Successful academic writing. 1st pub. Harlow: Pearson, 2009, xxvi, 334. ISBN 9780273721710. info
• HARTLEY, James. Academic writing and publishing : a practical handbook. London: Routledge, 2008, viii, 196. ISBN 9780415453219. info
• SWALES, John. Research genres : explorations and applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004, xii, 314. ISBN 0521533341. info
• The A to Z of medical writing. Edited by Tim Albert. London: BMJ Books, 2000, 145p. ;. ISBN 0727914871. info
• HUFF, Anne Sigismund. Writing for scholarly publication. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 1998, xi, 185. ISBN 0761918051. info
• SWALES, John. Genre analysis : English in academic and research settings. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990, xi, 260. ISBN 0521328691. info

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures
Student oral presentations
Individual/pair/group work
Discussions of relevant issues tackled in the lectures
Written reflections on course material
Final written work

Assessment methods

Attendance and active participation in seminars
Oral presentation of assigned chapter(s) from required reading
Final drafts of assigned written work (abstract and research article introduction)

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Předmět je určen pro studenty 3.ročníku se zaměřením P-PooL

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2017, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/med/autumn2017/VLAW051