Writing is a unique way of using language. It is an effective, interpersonal way of communication presented through signs and symbols. George Orwell said that ˝ Good writing is like a windowpane˝. Due to the actuality that most students are asses based on the academic writing papers they produce and that is the case for both college and university, there is no need to emphasise the importance if this kind of writing.
English language departments played great role in teaching writing, and in developing a general idea of what is to be considered as good writing. Whilst this make sense, because who is more competent to pass the knowledge required for good-quality writing but the ones who specialized and dedicated their careers to the language itself. But there are those who do not agree entirely with this approach, and are of the opinion that there is more to academic writing that to the creative or some other types of writing. MacDonald (1987) argues that academic writing and other discipline-specific writings, which are a subcategory of academic writing, bear many distinguishing characteristic and therefore should be thought and evaluated carefully with taking these specifics into account.
So, what are the important characteristics of Academic Writing? Despite that scholarly writing recognises a number of genres and types of academic writing, there are some conventional guidelines common for them all, which should be followed regardless of the genre of the paper or the class it is written for.
Firstly, anyone who has ever done any academic writing paper or anyone who is going to do it must bear in mind that it is different from creative writing or personal writing, as these are in most cases types of informal writing. Academic w...
... middle of paper ...
...entually it comes to light, but it is always better sooner than later. That is why I am of the opinion it should be thought as a class of its own, at the freshman year on college or at the final year at high school.
Works Cited
COTTRELL STELA, (2002) The Study Skills Handbook (Palgrave Study Skills). Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 146
L. LENNIE IRVIN.(2010 ) Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing,
Volume 1, a peer-reviewed open textbook series for the writing classroom, and is published through Parlor Press.
R. M. RITTER. (2002) The Oxford Guide to Style. The Oxford University Press
SUSAN PECK MACDONALD. (Mar., 1987) Problem Definition in Academic Writing. College English. Published by: National Council of Teachers of English. Vol. 49, No. 3 (Mar., 1987), pp. 315-331
George Orwell quote at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/writing_2.html#oJKqm6ExDVKqM6je.99
My English 1310 course was taught by Professor Daniel Stuart. He taught us the concept of academic writing and why it is important. Academic writing is the process of down ideas, using a formal tone, deductive reasoning and third person. Writing done to carry out the requirements of a college or university on a research based level. It requires a starting point or introduction, followed by a thesis on the preferred topic, then comes proving and disproving of the evidence based arguments. Learning academic writing is important because it is a way to communicate our thoughts clearly and originality. It helps us think and see what evidence we can come up to contribute to that thinking. This course approached this idea of academic writing by
I am more knowledgeable about invention, arrangement, style, and delivery, all in which create a masterful piece of text. A few examples, I have learned to organize and construct my thoughts and ideas clearer. I have been taught to use stronger transitions and focus more on the delivery and content of the body element of essays. Further, the instructions and advice I have received throughout this term have influenced my understanding of the purpose of writing. My outlook on writing has been modified by shifting my perception of writing from, writing to prove I am a good writer by perceiving it as using “fluffy” or BIG words to impress my audience. I grew to understanding that good writing’s purpose is to engage the writer by mind-striking ideas and arguments, which therefore will prove and title me as a “good writer”.
...Academic Writing. Ed. Gerald Graff. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 179-189. Print.
In Downs and Wardle’s article, they argue and identify the flaws in teaching writing in college. Demonstrating the misconceptions that academic writing is universal, but rather specialized in each case. Citing studies and opinions from esteemed professionals, Downs & Wardle state their points and illuminate the problem in today’s many colleges.
Hyland, Ken. “Disciplinary Discourses: Social Interactions in Academic Writing.” Writing about Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print.
It would be foolish to claim that I have never overanalysed and disregarded conveying ideas and theories properly, in the interest of impressing my reader. Nevertheless, this aspiration indicates there is more to academic writing than simply passing information.
"Writing in the Disciplines: English." Writing in the Disciplines: English. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
As I look back into my high school years, I thought I wrote papers well. But then coming into a college environment, my papers were mediocre. By overlooking at my past papers, I found that they were unorganized, sloppy and had bad use of diction. From now on, I will use the tools I learned in English 1100-40 as a foundation for the future papers I intend on writing in college. Following the criteria of organizing ideas so that they flow, impacting the reader with diction and also by being creative, will help become an ideal writer. Following the criteria of staying motivated in short and long term goals, taking responsibility for actions and finally the ability to study well will help me develop into a supreme student.
As a second language learner I have never expected myself to be a perfect writer throughout the semester. Even If English was my first language still, I would not be a perfect writer. It is not about first or second language, it is about how well I understand the learning objectives. Then organizing and writing with my own ideas and putting them in my paper. I am going to be honest, I am not good at English subject and English subject is my strongest weakness than the other subjects. In this paper I will discuss and analyze my own writing, reflecting on the ways that my writing has improved throughout the semester.
Writing is an important part of everyone’s life, whether we use it in school, in the workplace, as a hobby or in personal communication. It is important to have this skill because it helps us as writers to express feelings and thoughts to other people in a reasonably permanent form. Formal writing forms like essays, research papers, and articles stimulates critically thinking. This helps the writer to learn how to interpret the world around him/her in a meaningful way. In college, professors motivate students to write in a formal, coherent manner, without losing their own voice in the process. Improving your writing skills is important, in every English class that’s the main teaching point; to help students improve their writing skills. Throughout my college experience I have acknowledge that
Traditional academic writing styles differentiate from styles found outside the university. These writing styles are different due to various reasons such as audiences, the topic, setting, format etc. The traditional academic writing style has been what I learned and use in school. This writing style has prepared me for my own writing life beyond the University.
Academic writing refers to a style of expression used by researchers to document their discipline specific study in a standard written structure. It is characterized by a formal tone, a determined focus on the research problem and precise word choice. It may include formal academic rhetoric or jargon to convey unambiguous and agreed meaning to researchers of their respective fraternity. Academic writing can vary depending on the subject, the methodology and the intended audience; however it follows certain conventions which can be summed up as:
However, their purposes for writing are sometimes not the kind valued by Western academic communities. The nature of academic literacy often confuses and disorients students, “particularly those who bring with them a set of conventions that are at odds with those of the academic world they are entering” (Kutz, Groden & Zamel, 1993, p. 30). In addition, the culture-specific nature of schemata–abstract mental structures representing our knowledge of things, events, and situations–can lead to difficulties when students write texts in L2. Knowing how to write a “summary” or “analysis” in Mandarin or Spanish does not necessarily mean that students will be able to do these things in English (Kern, 2000). As a result, any appropriate instruction must take into consideration the influence from various educational, social, and cultural experiences that students have in their native language. These include textual issues, such as rhetorical and cultural preferences for organizing information and structuring arguments, commonly referred to as contrastive rhetoric (Cai, 1999; Connor, 1997; Kaplan, 1987; Kobayashi & Rinnert, 1996; Leki, 1993; 1997; Matalene, 1985), knowledge of appropriate genres (Johns, 1995; Swales, 1990), familiarity with writing topics (Shen, 1989), and distinct cultural and instructional socialization (Coleman, 1996; Holliday, 1997; Valdes, 1995). In addition to instructional and cultural
Crème, P., & Lea, Mary R. (2008). [PDF format]. Writing at University (3rd edition.), McGraw Hill Education. Retrieved from www.kantakji.com/fiqh/Research/ti134.pdf.
Academic writing skill is very essential for the college students. Through academic writing, the students can express their thoughts, feelings and point of view on a certain issue or topic. In presenting ideas about variety of issues, students need to follow certain rules in writing academic essays. Academic writing is a specific type of writing that is needed in writing formal essays in a certain course. To create a well-constructed essay, it is very important for the students to use academic writing style. It has specific features which include academic tone in the essays. To achieve formality of tone, students must maintain the objectivity of their written texts. Unfortunately, some of the students tend to use personal pronouns