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In-sessional Courses : Academic Literacy (2)

Academic style and language

Introduction Discuss with a partner why each of the following could be criticised for not being of an academic style if they were written in an academic essay.

1. It isn’t really known why this has happened, but I think it’s definitely really important to highlight the lack of investment in big parts of the infrastructure like transport.

2. Actually, building an improved transport network system is unlikely to get rid of the

problem completely.

3. The interest rate in the 1980’s went up and down, but in recent years it has increased hugely.

4. Personally, I think the law needs to be changed, and I think this is shown by the large

increase in cases related to protection of Copyright, but I expect it will be difficult to do because there are so many new issues related to new technology, for example the Internet.

5. Many people have said that the effects of global warming are evident in the climatic

change recorded in many places; however, there are some scientists who are still not convinced that such changes are not simply part of a natural pattern. In my opinion, it is definitely true that global warming is ruining the environment, and it is easy to see the effects all around us.

6. Apparently, in south Sudan, a bit less than one percent of girls complete primary education and only one schoolchild in four is a girl, which is appalling.

7. Globalisation has dramatically affected the balance of trade. Some countries have increased

their production rate and therefore exports. Other countries have seen a reduced level of competitive advantage, for example in terms of labour costs etc. And this has caused MNCs to consider whether relocation, particularly of factories, would be advantageous.

International Foundation Courses and English Language Studies (IFCELS)

Stylistic Conventions for Academic Writing Which sentences from the examples you have just looked at need to be changed because of the following academic conventions?

Use formal English – which means reducing, and generally removing, colloquialisms, slang and phrasal verbs

Be objective – avoid the use of subjective words which can be open to interpretation

Be impersonal – consider whether statements you are making can be

presented without the personal pronouns ‘I’, ‘we’ or ‘you’

Support the presentation of facts / opinion and argument with reference to published research / materials

Consider the length / balance and linking of sentences

Avoid abbreviations and contractions

Consider the appropriate level of language for the strength of argument / position

Choose three of the sentences and change the style so they match the academic conventions listed above. (i) (ii) (iii)

Task : Reading to analyze style Read through the following 4 excerpts from different texts related to the issue of Human Rights. Analyze the style of writing in the texts, and decide how closely you think each follows the conventions of academic style. As you read, fill in the following table in note-form. In the first column decide on the ranking of the texts from 1 = ‘most academic’ to 4 = ‘non-academic’:

Style

Ranking

Examples of following academic style conventions

Examples of not following academic style conventions

A

B

C

D

(A) The relation between globalization, development and human rights raises policy and legal

questions. One such question is whether globalization of market-oriented economic system is

essential for development and protection of human rights? While searching for an answer to this

question we should analyze how we perceive the concept of development and human rights,

especially in the context of developing countries. Human rights have become an integral part of the

process of globalization in many ways. The Western countries are increasingly using their view of

human rights concept as a yardstick to judge developing countries and to deal with economic and

trade relations to extend development assistance. At the same time globalization intensifies

impoverishment by increasing the poverty, insecurity, fragmentation of society and thus violates

human rights and human dignity of millions of people.

Development or economic development is widely perceived as a historical process that takes place

in almost all societies characterized by economic growth and increased production and consumption

of goods and services. Development is also often used in a normative sense as a multi-valued social

goal covering such diverse spheres as better material well-being, living standards, education, health

care, wider opportunities for work and leisure, and in essence the whole gamut of desirable social

and material welfare. But, in today‟s globalization, the concept of development itself is interpreted

differently and the concept of right to development is not taken seriously.

The Preamble of the Declaration of the Right to Development, adopted by the UN General

Assembly in 1986, describes “development as a comprehensive economic, social, cultural and

political process that aims at the constant improvement of the well-being of the entire population

and of all individuals on the basis of their active, free and meaningful participation in development

and in the fair distribution of resulting benefits”. The 1990 UN Global Consultation on the Right to

Development as a Human Right, stated that the right to development is an inalienable human right

with the human being as the central subject to the right and that all the aspects of the right to

development set forth in the Declaration of the Right to Development are indivisible and

interdependent, and these include civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. It was further

maintained that the right to development is the right of individuals, groups and peoples to

participate in, contribute to, and enjoy continuous economic, social, cultural and political

development, in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized. A

development strategy that disregards or interferes with human rights is the very negation of

development.

Chapter 5: Globalization and its Impact on Human Rights, by Mathews George Chunakara

from : Globalization and Its Impact on Human Rights (ed.) George Mathews Chunakara

Published by Christian Conference of Asia, Hong Kong.

Dr. Chunakara is Asia Secretary of the World Council

of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland.

http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=1559&C=1398

(B)

Another Horror Story, This Time in Jordan

Labor abuses in overseas sweatshops are so common that they are now seldom

deemed newsworthy. But year-long research by a worker rights advocacy group has uncovered so

spectacular a case of exploitation that on May 3 the New York Times featured it in a long article

under a four-column headline: "An Ugly Side of Free Trade: Sweatshops in Jordan."

The spectacular nature of this particular sweatshop scandal is that it is an unusually globalized

operation. It involves a large international network of investors, garment manufacturers, retailers,

and workers from countries outside of Jordan -- principally Bangladesh and China -- to take

advantage of duty-free entry of goods from Jordan into the United States under a joint Free Trade

Agreement with weak labor rights provisions (it requires factories only to live up to Jordanian labor

law, not to internationally recognized labor rights).

As the promotion literature of one Jordanian free trade zone puts it, the attraction is "duty-free, tax-

free, quota-free access to the largest market on earth." Among the big name companies that last

year exported $1,200,000,000 in clothing from Jordan to the United States are Wal-Mart, Kohl's,

Gloria Vanderbilt, Target, L.L. Bean, Kmart, Sears, and Victoria's Secret.

Worst Conditions Ever Seen by Worker Rights Activist Who Has Seen Much

Exhaustive details on the scandal were revealed May 3 in an illustrated 168-page report, "U.S.-

Jordan Free Trade Agreement Descends Into Human Trafficking and Involuntary Servitude," by the

National Labor Committee in New York headed by Charles Kernaghan, longtime worker rights

activist.. He personally interviewed dozens of workers in Jordan, supplementing research by his

staff in Jordan and in Bangladesh.

"These are the worst conditions I have ever seen," Kernaghan, who has seen and documented

horrible conditions aplenty in Central America and China, told the Times.

Of the 48,000 workers in Jordan's garment export industry, at least 25,000 are "guest workers" --

men, women, and some children from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as from China and

Bangladesh. The Jordanian workers apparently are treated in accordance with Jordanian law (no

forced overtime, for example), but the guest workers clearly are not, despite the requirements of the

U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement.

Human Rights for Workers: Bulletin No. XI-5 May 10, 2006

http://www.senser.com

Robert A. Senser, editor

Copyright 2006

http://www.nlcnet.org/live/article.php?id=10

http://www.nlcnet.org/live/article.php?id=10

(C)

Refugee and returnee girls are therefore the most vulnerable of the vulnerable and in their weak position it is

unlikely that they can know their own rights – let alone fight for them. In view of the enormous inequalities

and obstacles which need to be overcome for girls‟ education in emergency situations, the international

community should fight on behalf of these vulnerable girls so that their rights are realized.

It has been found that taking only one approach to solve this problem is not sufficient. We must adopt a

multi-pronged approach and attack the problem from many different directions if we are to finally smash the

vicious cycle in which these girls are trapped. The following approaches have been found to be useful

components of a successful girls‟ education campaign in refugee/returnee situations:

Sensitization of communities is vital and should be unremitting because a great deal must be done to

change the population‟s negative attitudes towards girls‟ education.

Girls‟ education campaigns should be spearheaded by the appointment of female education

coordinators who not only act as good role models but can lead and coordinate the campaign.

It is necessary to appoint more female teachers in schools including senior teachers where at least

one is responsible for mentoring the girls in each school.

Training courses for teachers and any other type of training should always include a gender element.

Secondary schools should be supported to enable more girls to pass through the education system

and become teachers and other role models.

Schools and dormitories should be built especially for girls to enable them to study in a safe and

comfortable environment and keep them at school.

To help girls stay in school and continue on to higher learning, girls should be given full or partial

scholarships thus lessening the financial burden on their parents.

Separate latrines should be constructed in mixed-gender schools and girls should be provided with

sanitary materials and decent clothes to avoid embarrassment at school

The situation in south Sudan is unique in terms of gender inequalities and the violation of girls‟ education

rights. South Sudan has proportionately fewer girls going to school than any country in the world according

to Martha Hewison in “Sungudo: A Report on Educational Gaps and Opportunities in Ezo and Tambura

Counties, South Sudan, 2005.” According to UNICEF less than one per cent of girls complete primary

education and only one schoolchild in four is a girl. The lack of female teachers – just seven per cent of the

teaching force – reinforces this gender imbalance. Nearly 90 per cent of women are estimated to be illiterate

and to make matters worse there is virtually no infrastructure in south Sudan as it is recovering from 21 years

of civil war.

As a result of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005, four million IDPs and half a million

refugees are expected to return to their homes in south Sudan. The mix of all these returnees with the already

impoverished host communities will overburden the education system enormously. If care is not taken boys

will benefit more from the few chances available and the situation for girls will grow even worse with gender

inequities becoming further entrenched. It is important for the international community to take steps to

ensure that the education of girls will be able to take root and bloom in these circumstances. Affirmative

action in the form of scholarships for girls is strongly recommended.

Tim Brown : Extracted from Vol 12 2006 : Human Rights Tribune

(D)

While the context of the post-Cold War international era offers considerable scope for reflection on

human rights, the new conditions of globalization add further complexity to our assessment of the

future. Although it is common to find human rights commentators writing under the assumption that

the post-Cold war order remains an order of states, over which the hegemony of the Unites States

presides, a growing body of scholarly work argues that in the current period hegemony cannot be

understood simply as the dominance of a single state. According to this thesis, in the age of

globalization, power is located within what Cox has termed the nebleuse, a group of formal and

informal institutions without democratic pretensions (Cox 1995). Included in the nebleuse are

organizations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization,

the Trilateral Commission, Davos meetings and the Group of Seven. According to Cox and other

globalization theorists, rather than understanding hegemony as a state-centric , core-periphery

phenomenon (Wallerstein 1983), today hegemony describes a complex of non-territorial. core-

periphery social relations that generate and sustain new patterns of economic growth and

consumption (Cox 1994).

The conclusion drawn from this approach to globalization is that while the state continues to play a

significant role in the new global order, the state no longer initiates policy, but, rather, reacts to

global forces against which it can mount little resistance( Held & McGrew 1999). The new role of

the state under conditions of globalisation is to act as a unit of administration, to orchestrate the

conditions of globalisation rather than to act as the independent political decision maker described

in traditional theory. Furthermore, the development of a global free market in financial services,

which represents another powerful characteristic of globalisation, has restricted governments‟ scope

to run deficits, causing major cuts in the spending on health, education, housing, food subsidies and

social welfare payments ( UNDP 1997). As expressed by Panitch, in the age of globalisation, states

are the „authors of a regime that defines and guarantees, through international treaties and

constitutional effect, the global and domestic rights of capital‟ ( Panitch 1995 : 85). Globalization

has therefore diminished the state‟s traditional decision-making role, forced the privatisation of key

industries and services, and brought job cuts and increased levels of unemployment. Thus, the

impact of globalization on human rights, particularly, but not exclusively, on economic and social

rights, will have consequences for human rights that are not yet fully understood.

p.26 - 27 The Politics of Human Rights – A global Perspective

Tony Evans

Pluto Books 2005

Task : Functional Language for Academic Essay Writing

Work with a partner, and decide on alternative language that can be used to express the functions below in an essay: 1. thesis statements: ● This essay will consider to what extent … ●

2. topic sentences: ● Firstly, it is important to establish … ●

3. arguments (presenting opinion): ● There is strong evidence to support the assertion that … ●

4. Extending an argument / discussion ● Given this evidence, it could be argued that … ●

5. Presenting counter-argument ● However, there is also a body of opinion that suggests … ●

6. Comparing and contrasting ● By comparison, … ●

7. Cause and effect ● Consequently, … ●

8. Presenting additional information ● Moreover, … ●

9. Referring to sources: ● According to a report published by … , ●

10. Referring to data: ● As shown in Table 1, … ●

11. Illustrating a point: ● For example, … ●

12. conclusions: ● It can therefore be concluded that … ●

Self-study assignment Look on the Library internet site http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/index.cfm?navid=979 . Here you should be able to find past exams papers for the courses run at SOAS. Find a title that is relevant to the subject/s you are studying. Copy out the tile in full, and make sure that this is front of you at all stages of planning / writing. You need to put the full title at the top of the sheet you hand in so the teacher is aware of what title you are tackling Your assignment is to produce a 200 word introduction for the title you have chosen. You should go through the process of planning / drafting and writing the introduction so the work handed in has been checked by you to make sure that the following areas have been considered: grammatical accuracy

use of a range of structures – including examples of complex sentence

structures appropriacy of style and register of the vocabulary used

a clear link between the title chosen and the introduction content

a thesis statement

http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/index.cfm?navid=979

Task Now match each of the language boxes (A – L) with one of the functions above

A

According to Smith (1998), there is .......

As Smith (1998) points out / notes / argues in his article on .......

Smith (1998) argues that ......

.......... He also goes on to suggest that there is ........

Additionally, he argues that .......

He makes a further point about ......

B

In conclusion, there are several reasons why ...... is beneficial / detrimental to society.

There are, to conclude, a number of reasons why .....

To conclude, it can be said that .......

In conclusion, although there is some evidence to suggest that ......, it can be argued that ...... should

be adopted / is preferable to .......

C

It is clear / evident that ......

There is significant / considerable / strong evidence to suggest that ......

There can be no doubt that .......

It can be argued that ......

It has often been observed / suggested / noted that ....... (using a generally-held view to support your

argument)

In my view / opinion ......

Smith (1988) puts forward a strong case / makes a valid point / provides clear evidence that ......

when he notes that .....

D

A good illustration of this is the case where ......

An example of this problem is .......

....... will be a good example to illustrate this point.

........ is a case in point.

For instance, .......

To illustrate this point, take the example of .......

E

This essay will examine / investigate / consider ........ Firstly, it will outline / discuss ...... , then it will

....... Finally, it will argue / conclude that .......

The aim of this essay is to examine ........

In this essay, ........... will be discussed. Firstly, ......... will be considered. Next .......

This essay will discuss whether …

This essay will propose that …

F

There are a number of important differences between X and Y, specifically in terms of …

In contrast to … , …

When comparing X and Y, it is clear that …

G

Such a problem / development / situation / measure / trend / an analysis is ......

There are, moreover / in addition / furthermore, reasons why ......

Consequently, it is necessary to .......

An additional argument is that .......

In this sense, it could be argued that ......

Given this evidence / situation, it could be argued that .....

H

There is some evidence to suggest a link may exist between …

Due to X , …

As a result of X , …

I

In addition, …

Additionally, …

Furthermore, …

J

Firstly, it is necessary to consider the advantages of ........

Another issue to consider / note is ........

A further argument to support the idea / notion of ......... is .........

Having considered the advantages of ......., it is important to examine the disadvantages.

There are three main arguments in favour of ....... Firstly, ........

Although there are some points in favour of ......, there are also some arguments against it.

An additional problem with ........ is ........

K

It might be argued that ......However, it is clear that ...../Yet, ...../but, in fact, ....../On the other hand,

......

It is widely believed that ......On the contrary .......

While / Although / In spite of the fact that ....there is, actually, considerable evidence to suggest that

......

L

As can be seen from the figures in Table 4 (Smith 1998), there is .....

The data in Figure 3 (Social Trends 1997) reveals that there is ......

Statistics in Social Trends (1997) reveal that there is .......

As shown by the data in Table 3 (Jones 1998), there is .......

The data in Figure 1 (Social Trends 1997) illustrates the point that there is .......

①

In-sessional Courses

Academic Essay Writing Syllabus (up to Reading Week)

Week 1 General Introduction Writing for a Purpose Interpreting Essay Questions Week 2 The Process of Academic Writing Referring to Other People’s Writing Referencing and Plagiarism Week 3 Planning an Essay Defining Terms Week 4 Writing an Introduction The Thesis Statement The Language of Introductions



②

In-sessional Courses Academic Writing 1:

Session 1

Lesson Content Introduction Writing for a Purpose

Interpreting Essay Questions

1) Introduction

Get to know you activity Introduce yourself to the people next to you and find out: - Where they are from - What they are studying - What they were doing before they came to London - Any particular areas of interest within their subject - Why they are taking this class -What experience they have with essay writing and their concerns

Common Concerns of Students

Here are some questions raised by students in previous Academic Essay Writing courses.

Read and discuss them in groups and decide which of these questions you would like to explore during the course? Are there any other questions that you would like to add to the list? Concepts and Approaches What, by definition, is an academic essay? What are the differences in convention between writing an essay and a dissertation? How formally or informally should an academic essay be written?

③

Are there different styles of essay writing? Is there a typical British approach to essay writing?

Skills How do you analyse and break down essay titles? How do you structure an essay? How do you construct a paragraph or expand a point? How do you avoid repeating words – especially linking words? How can I learn academic vocabulary? How do we attribute materials that we use from reference books to avoid plagiarism? How can I develop a personal, creative style? How much time do you need to write an essay?

2) Writing For a Purpose Writing an essay for your university department will involve a number of different skills, all of which will improve with practice. Over the next few weeks you will be considering the different aspects of producing an academic essay that meets the expectations of your department. Discuss with your partner:

Why write essays? What are their purposes for you as a writer, and for your tutor as a reader?

What ‘tasks’ do you feel you have to accomplish when you

write an essay? What do you need to demonstrate?

④

Write down your thoughts: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Demonstrating Key Knowledge and Skills

Now compare the points you made in your discussion with the following set of Guidelines for Postgraduate students in the department of Economics, and underline what you think are the key words:

70% and above (Distinction) As for the (60-69%) below plus:

Shows clear evidence of wide and relevant reading and an engagement with the conceptual issues

Develops a sophisticated and intelligent argument Shows a rigorous use and a sophisticated understanding of relevant source

materials, balancing appropriately between factual detail and key theoretical issues. Materials are engaged directly and their assumptions and arguments challenged and/or appraised

Shows original thinking and a willingness to take risks

60-69% (Merit) As for the 50-59% below plus:

Shows strong evidence of critical insight and critical thinking Shows a detailed understanding of the major factual and/or theoretical issues and

directly engages with the relevant literature on the topic Develops a focused and clear argument and articulates clearly and convincingly

a sustained train of logical thought Shows clear evidence of planning and appropriate choice of sources and

methodology

50-59% (Pass below merit)

Shows some understanding of the major factual and/or theoretical issues

involved Shows some evidence of planning and selection from appropriate sources Demonstrates some knowledge of the literature The test shows, in places, examples of a clear train of thought or argument The text concludes appropriately

⑤

3) Interpreting Essay Questions The approach you take to writing an essay can usually be decided from the point when you choose the title and start the process of analysing what the tutor is asking and expecting. As you saw earlier in the lesson, higher grades are given for being able to ‘demonstrate critical thinking and analysis of the topic’, ‘select and present appropriate source material’, ‘develop a strong and balanced argument’, focused on the question ‘ and based on wide reading around the topic, and show ‘the answer is planned and well organized with a logical train of thought and a clear conclusion’. Success in all of these areas depends on spending enough time analysing the title before moving on to the next stage. Task 1 : Keywords in titles The following are keywords that can appear in titles. Discuss with a partner which word you think is the closest match for each of the definitions below: Justify To what extent Compare Outline Account for Contrast Define Critically evaluate Examine

Give reasons for; explain why something happens

Show how two or more areas are similar. Indicate the relevance or

consequences of these similarities

Weigh the arguments for and against something, assessing the evidence on both sides. use criteria to guide your assessment of which opinions /

theories / models / ideas are preferable

Give the exact meaning of the topic. Where relevant, show that you understand why the definition may be problematic

Set two or more areas or arguments in opposition so you can highlight

differences and indicate how significant the differences are

Look at the topic in detail

⑥

Give evidence to support an argument or idea; give reasons why a conclusion can be supported

Give a short description of the key points

Consider how far/much something is true or significant , or not

Can you think of any other question words which are used in essay titles?

Task 2 : Question Framing Obviously these keywords need to be considered in the context of the full title, but will generally be used to present a central question that needs to be recognised and then answered. Rather than the title asking the student to just write about a topic, the essay title directs attention to particular issues that can be analysed by each individual writer. Particularly with your first essay, you should try to check that you have understood the question/s being asked, and the approach and organisation expected in answering. Discussing the essay topics with other students on the course is a good starting point, and if necessary speaking to the tutor who set the questions about what you think the title is asking. This requires good time management of the writing process, and should be done within the first week after receiving the titles whenever possible. Review the following examples of titles previously set on different courses at SOAS. Decide which could be related to your department/s:

1. Compare and contrast the major schools of population growth and development.

2. Critically discuss the argument that globalisation is good for

the poor.

3. Which is a greater threat: a strong China or a weak China?

4. To what extent can intellectual property rights be viewed as human rights?

5. Of what value is human rights discourse to developing

societies?

6. What factors influence whether a company headquarters selects a local or expatriate manager to head its subsidiary in the Chinese business world?

⑦

7. ‘Economic globalisation is nothing new; it is not global, and it has not produced the benefits for developing countries which its proponents have predicted.’ Discuss.

8. What has been the impact of political crisis and/or social

change on modern South East Asian fiction?

9. Discuss the cinema’s role as a meditative mechanism through which shared understanding helps to bind individuals to cultural groups.

10. ‘There is a gap between global policy and practice in

international development.’ Discuss.

11. Law is culture, culture does not travel well, therefore law does not travel well. Discuss.

12. How do children learn the meaning of words?

When starting to analyse a title and how you will approach it you should:

a) read the title a few times

b) highlight words which suggest what approach to take

c) highlight words which guide you as to the subject matter / focus

d) try and rewrite the question in your own words

e) decide which aspects of the question are explicit and which are

implied (i.e. which suggest certain things you should mention based on previous knowledge of the topic)

f) start to find connections between the title and the course

lectures / reading covered during the term the assignment is set

Example question analysis

1. ‘Economic globalisation is nothing new; it is not global, and it has not produced the benefits for developing countries which its proponents have predicted.’ Discuss.

Discuss - guides your approach. Since this is a quotation of opinion, you will consider the arguments and evidence for and against holding such opinion/s, and refer to examples for support. The subject matter / focus is economic globalisation in relation to developing countries. This provides the boundaries / limitations for the essay.

⑧

The shaded sections present a strong position that you can analyse and agree with / reject according to different source material, evidence and opinion (including your own in the conclusion of the essay). The question could be rephrased as:

To what extent does economic globalisation have a history? Does economic globalisation affect all countries equally? Have developing countries benefited less than other countries? In theory, were developing countries expected to benefit more than they

have in reality?

Task 3 : Question analysis

1. Using either one of the titles above, or an essay title your department has given you, go through the same process, underlining / highlighting and adding notes as necessary.

2. When you have completed steps a-e above, discuss your ideas with a

partner.

In-sessional Courses Exam Essay Writing – Lesson Four

Comparing and Ideas and Theories

Often in exam essays, like other essays, you are required to compare and contrast ideas and theories relevant to the essay question. A question may ask you specifically to do it, e.g. Discuss the arguments for and against…… On the other hand, the need for comparison may only be implied in the question. Look through the past paper questions on the final page. Even if they do not relate directly to your own discipline, consider what exactly they are asking or implying that you should compare.

Either way, it is important to ensure that your revision includes consideration of opposing theories, and your assessment of them. In fact, when revising one theory it is essential that you address other perspectives on the same issue. Using any of the language linking words and phrases below, take two key opposing schools of thought from your field of study, and plan how you could compare them in a couple of sentences.

Expressing Difference

On the other hand,…. Conversely,……. By Contrast,…. ……, while……. ……, whereas,……. …….in contrast to……..

While comparisons often focus on difference it is also important to point out similarities as well.

Expressing Similarity

Likewise,…. Similarly,…

International Foundation Courses and

English Language Studies (IFCELS)

Assessing Ideas and Theories

When introducing other people’s ideas and theories you are also expected to make some kind of assessment of them, rather than just describing or explaining them. You will not have time to do this during an exam, and so it must be done as part of the revision process. Therefore, when revising a theory or approach it is important that you consider the criticisms of it – this normally happens when you start to address views that oppose it. Going back to the comparison of the opposing schools of thought that you did earlier, now note down the main weakness of each one. With the help of the language below and the notes that you have made, explain the two schools of thought that you have chosen to another student, and make a brief assessment of them.

Introducing a weakness or limitation

A serious weakness of this account is…… The key problem with this explanation is….. One major drawback of this approach is….. One of the limitations of this account is……. One question that remains unanswered is….. There is, however, an inconsistency with this argument…

Specifying a weakness or limitation

…..fails to take X into account…..t ….overlooks the fact that X contributes to Y…… ….makes no mention of…….. …fails to give an adequate explanation of ….. ….fails to resolve the contradiction between….. ….makes no attempt to differentiate between….. ….fails to fully acknowledge the significance of….. ….relies too heavily on…..

Developing a Revision and Exam Strategy Look at these comments, made by tutors marking exam essays.

This gets pretty repetitive towards the end Manages to avoid contact with the question altogether. Wanders around -gets the point here and there. No relevant literature is cited nor is the question addressed. Is clearly not familiar with the subject, and fails to develop an

argument . No clear indication of their own views on the subject. Essay only partially completed Too general. No readings are mentioned. Doesn't really examine the views of the different schools of thought on

this, but has some ideas. Repetitive, fractured answer. -Largely missed the point.

Try and make a comprehensive list of DOs and DON’Ts which addresses:

how you should approach your exams…… ………and from this, how you should, therefore, approach your revision.

Taking the Exam – key advice

Read the question carefully

Always look for the academic relevance of a question.

Only select a question if you have clear and well-supported views on the subject.

Answer the question that is actually written on the exam paper rather

than the question that you wish had been written on the exam paper.

Give your essay a clear purpose and state it in the introduction – thesis statement.

Plan carefully before you start writing and keep referring back to the

question to ensure that you have answered it completely.

Assess your completed plan for relevance and focus, before starting to write an essay.

Take a direct approach, be concise and specific, and don’t pad out your

essay – quality always wins over quantity.

Refer to relevant schools of thought, theories, concepts, thinkers, writers.

Support as much as possible with evidence and examples.

Define key concepts – as well as making your essay easier to follow it

deomonstrates an important academic skill to the assessor.

Indicate how ideas relate to each other – nothing should be a mystery in an exam essay

Manage your time for the whole exam – it’s likely that you’ll lose more

marks through giving an essay insufficient time than you will gain marks through giving extra time to another essay.

Be disciplined about time management – once you start falling behind

time it’s very difficult to catch up, and your decisions will become more rushed.

Development Studies

Examine the arguments for and against the claim that globalisation enhances the prospects for ‘development’.

Linguistics

Discuss the notion of ‘competence’ in language teaching, with reference to the various linguistic theories that have contributed to its definition.

South East Asian Studies

How have different Indonesian authors considered ideas linked with the forging of a new nation?

African Studies

‘An Afrocentric perspective has added to our understanding of African cultures.’ Discuss

History of Art and Archaeology

Discuss the various interpretations given to Liangzhu culture jade ‘cong’and ‘bi’.

International Studies and Diplomacy

What has the current war in Iraq taught us about the problems that the United Nations is likely to face in the future?

International Management

‘In any organisation, strategic planning is primarily a political process.’ What are the arguments for agreeing with this statement? For disagreeing?

Ethnomusicology

Assess and critique the approach of TWO ethnomusicologists to the writing of music ethnography.

C:\DOCUME~1\jy4\LOCALS~1\Temp\Temporary Directory 4 for fwdfoirequestremedialenglish.zip\lecture skills week 1.doc

In-sessional Courses: Lecture Skills

Week 1

In today’s class we are going to watch some SOAS lecturers giving advice about strategies students can use to get the most out of their lectures.

Task 1

Working with a partner discuss the following questions:

Why are lectures a significant part of the learning process at SOAS?

How should students prepare for lectures?

What should students get out of a lecture?

What exactly are students expected to do during lectures?

What should be noted down during a lecture?

How can note-taking skills be improved?

Can students do anything after a lecture to reinforce the lecture content?

Report back to the class some of the most interesting ideas you had



Task 2

Listen to the first speaker and make notes in answer to the questions above.

http://www.vimeo.com/1477879

1) Dr Kevin Manton IFCELS SOAS

Task 3 Compare your notes with a partner.



Task 4 Listen to the second speaker and make further notes.

2) Satoshi Miyamura Economics Department SOAS

Task 5 Compare and contrast the advice given. Discuss with your partner which pieces of advice you find most useful. Compare the notes you made on the two lecture clips with your partner- how could you improve your notes?


Task 6 note-taking Below are a number of points for you to discuss with another student. Talk them over and then compare your ideas and answers with those of others in the group. Discussion point 1 How is note-taking different from dictation? Discussion point 2 What are notes for? Who are they for? Discussion point 3 What is the best system for making notes? Taking notes is not a simple activity. This sequence indicates the main decisions we have to make: What is s/he saying? What does it mean in the context of the talk? Is it important in terms of the subject? Should I note it down? How can I note it down?

Basic rules for note-taking 1 be selective – decide what is important according to the speaker and according to your knowledge of the subject; 2 be brief – use abbreviations and symbols; 3 be clear – show how the speaker's ideas and arguments are related to one other. Below are three discussion points related to the three 'rules'. Again, talk about them in pairs before comparing your ideas with those of other students in the class.

Task 7 Referring back to the notes you made on the video clips- discuss with your partner how you could use these three rules to improve your notes.


Task 8 Further note-taking practice Watch two more SOAS lecturers speaking on the same topic- make further notes and attempt to adopt the three basic rules for note-taking. http://www.vimeo.com/1652106

3) Dr Lars Laaman SOAS History Department



4) Paolo Novak SOAS Development Studies

School of Oriental and African Studies

IFCELS

INSESSIONAL COURSES

PRESENTING AND WRITING DISSERTATIONS

The Literature Review

Why do a literature review?

A literature review gives an overview of the field of inquiry: what has already been said on the topic, who the key writers are, what the

prevailing theories and hypotheses are, what questions are being asked, and what methodologies and methods are appropriate and useful. A

critical literature review shows how prevailing ideas fit into your own thesis, and how your thesis agrees or differs from them.

How many references to look for?

This depends on what the literature review is for, and what stage you are

at in your studies. Your supervisor or tutor should specify a minimum

number of references. Generally speaking, a reasonable number of

references in a literature review would be:

undergraduate review: 5-20 titles depending on level.

Honours dissertation: 20+ titles.

Masters thesis: 40+ titles

Doctoral thesis: 50+ titles.

How to write a literature review

1. The literature search

Find out what has been written on your subject. Use as many

bibliographical sources as you can to find relevant titles. The following are

likely sources:

Bibliographies and references in key textbooks and recent journal

articles. Your supervisor or tutor should tell you which are the key

texts and relevant journals.

Journal abstracts, Library and Information Abstracts

Electronic databases

2. Noting the bibliographical details

Write down the full bibliographical details of each book or article as soon

as you find a reference to it. This will save you an enormous amount of

time later on.

3. Reading the literature

Before you begin to read a book or article, make sure you have written

down the full details (see note bibliographical 2 above).

Take notes as you read the literature. You are reading to find out how

each piece of writing approaches the subject of your research, what it has

to say about it, and how it relates to your own thesis:

Is it a general textbook or does it deal with a specific issue(s)?

Is it an empirical report, a theoretical study, a sociological or

political account, a historical overview, etc? All or some of these?

Does it follow a particular school of thought?

What is its theoretical basis?

What definitions does it use?

What is its general methodological approach? What methods are

used?

What kinds of data does it use to back up its argument?

What conclusions does it come to?

Other questions may be relevant. It depends on the purpose of the review.

Usually, you won’t have to read the whole text from first to last page.

Learn to use efficient scanning and skimming reading techniques.

5. Writing the review

Having gathered the relevant details about the literature, you now need to

write the review.

Important note: do not confuse a literature review with an

annotated bibliography.

An annotated bibliography deals with each text in turn, describing and

evaluating the text, using one paragraph for each text.

In contrast, a literature review synthesises many texts in one paragraph.

Each paragraph (or section if it is a long thesis) of the literature review

should classify and evaluate the themes of the texts that are relevant to

your thesis; each paragraph or section of your review should deal with a

different aspect of the literature.

Like all academic writing, a literature review must have an introduction,

body, and conclusion.

The introduction should include:

the nature of the topic under discussion (the topic of your thesis)

http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/learning/reading

the parameters of the topic (what does it include and exclude)?

the basis for your selection of the literature

The conclusion should include:

A summary of major agreements and disagreements in the

literature

A summary of general conclusions that are being drawn.

A summary of where your thesis sits in the literature (Remember!

Your thesis could become one of the future texts on the subject—

how will later research students describe your thesis in their

literature reviews?)

The body paragraphs could include relevant paragraphs on:

historical background, including classic texts;

current mainstream versus alternative theoretical or ideological

viewpoints, including differing theoretical assumptions, differing

political outlooks, and other conflicts;

possible approaches to the subject (empirical, philosophical,

historical, postmodernist, etc);

definitions in use;

current research studies;

current discoveries about the topic;

principal questions that are being asked;

general conclusions that are being drawn;

methodologies and methods in use;

Remember that the literature review needs to relate to and explain your research question. Although there may seem to be hundreds of sources of

information that appear pertinent, once you have your question you will be able to refine and narrow down the scope of your reading.

Practising Academic Discussion Skills

Task 1

Ensuring clarity by defining words

Define the following words:

Culture

Democracy

Sovereignty

Imperialism

Social class

Multiculturalism

Islamophobia

One feature of academic language and style is that terms are defined clearly and specifically. a) In each of the following statements, the underlined word is not specific and can therefore have more than one meaning. On your own, decide on your own definition for each underlined word.

In general older women make better mothers.

Nation states rarely consist of only one cultural group.

Children shouldn’t be allowed to participate in the labour market.

Heterogeneous populations give rise to societies that are more interesting.

Task 4

Further mini-discussions- choose one of the following topics to prepare for the

forthcoming weeks’ classes. Each student should be responsible for leading a

discussion on one of the following topics:

Should the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport be legalised?

Should human cloning be banned ? Should reproductive human cloning always be

prohibited?

Should prostitution be legalised ? Do the benefits of legalisation or decriminalization

outweigh the possible dangers?

Should the European Union become a federal superstate, with consequent loss of national

sovereignty for member countries?

Is it correct for university authorities to ban racist speakers

Should there be further restrictions on the advertising, selling, and smoking of tobacco?

Should it be banned?

Do non-human animals have rights?

Should we stop eating other animals? What are the moral, environmental, and health issues

involved?

Should gay couples be given the same legal rights as heterosexuals in adopting children?

Should there be a ban on television advertisements aimed at children?

Should age of consent laws be made more liberal?

Should Cannabis/Marijuana be legalised?

Should parents be allowed to select the gender of their offspring?

When is it justifiable for protesters and activists to break the law for the sake of their cause?

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In-sessional Courses: Reading Skills and Note-taking

Session one: General introduction to reading What are the issues?

With a partner, discuss what specific problems you think that you might have with the academic reading involved with your university course.

With the teacher, unpack what these problems really mean.

Then write down a few questions that you would like this course to answer for you.

1.

2.

3.


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Functions of reading You will find that you have to read in a number of different ways depending on the task involved. Reading is usually part of a greater process. Therefore, the way that you read depends on the nature of the activity that follows. In groups, note down different functions that reading might serve in relation to other academic activities, e.g. preparation for a lecture. 1.

2.

3.

4.

For each reading function think of what and how you might read and what information you might focus on. Make a note alongside your list above. e.g. reading as preparation for a lecture – general reading of chapters and articles selected from the course reading list – emphasis on broad ideas rather than details. Reading for different contexts Here is an article by the leading linguist David Crystal concerning the issue of ‘language death’.

Choose one of the contexts below to guide your reading and take any notes that you think would be appropriate.

Read the article as preparation for a lecture on language death

Read the article as preparation for a tutorial presentation that you have to give concerning the main reasons for language death, how it happens, and what possible solutions there are.

Read the article to get statistical evidence to support your argument that language death should be treated as a serious issue.

Read the article to get the main arguments for and against the issue of language death for an essay that you are writing.

Try not to use a dictionary, and read specifically for the context you have chosen.

When note-taking, consider not only extent and detail of the information that you need, but also how you will note it down, e.g. paraphrase, quotation, etc.

When you have finished, compare your notes with the rest of your group, and discuss the decisions you made regarding your approach to the text.

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LANGUAGE DEATH A language dies only when the last person who speaks it dies. One day it's there; the next it is gone. Here is how it happens. In late 1995, a linguist, Bruce Connell, was doing some field work in the Mambila region of Cameroon. He found a language called Kasabe, which no westerner had studied before. It had just one speaker left, a man called Bogon. Connell had no time on that visit to find out much about the language, so he decided to return to Cameroon a year later. He arrived in mid-November, only to learn that Bogon had died on November 5.

On November 4, Kasabe existed as one of the world's languages; on November 6, it did not. The event might have caused a stir in Bogon's village. If you are the last speaker of a language, you are often considered special in your community. You are a living monument to what the community once was. But outside the village, who knew or mourned the passing of what he stood for?

There is nothing unusual about a single language dying. Communities have come and gone throughout history, taking their languages with them. But, judged by the standards of the past, what is happening today is extraordinary. It is language extinction on a massive scale. According to the best estimates, there are now about 6,000 languages in the world. Of these, about half are going to die out during the next century. This means that, on average, there is a language dying out somewhere in the world every two weeks or so. A survey published in February by the US Summer Institute of Linguistics established that there were 51 languages with only one speaker left - 28 in Australia alone. There are almost 500 languages in the world with fewer than 100 speakers; 1,500 with fewer than 1,000 speakers; more than 3,000 with fewer than 10,000 speakers; and a staggering 5,000 languages with fewer than 100,000 speakers. Ninety-six per cent of the world's languages are spoken by only 4% of its people. No wonder so many are in danger.

Even a language with 100,000 speakers is not necessarily safe. It will not die next week or next year; but there is no guarantee that it will still exist in a couple of generations time. That depends on the pressures being imposed upon it - in particular, whether it is at risk from the dominance of another language. It also depends on the attitudes of the people who speak it.

Breton, in north-east France, is a classic example of a language reducing dramatically in numbers. At the beginning of the 20th century it was spoken by a million people; it is now down to less than a quarter of that. Breton can be saved if enough effort is made - the kind of effort that has already helped Welsh to recover from a dramatic decline - otherwise it could be gone in 50 years. In recent times, this has already happened to two other Celtic languages in northern Europe: Manx, which was formerly spoken on the Isle of Man, and Cornish. Both are currently attracting support, but once a language has lost its last native speaker, resurrecting it is difficult.

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Many things can kill a language, from natural disasters to cultural assimilation and genocide. On July 17 1998, an earthquake off the coast of East Saundaun province, Papua New Guinea, killed more than 2,200 people and displaced a further 10,000: the villages of Sissano, Warapu, Arop and Malol were destroyed; some 30% of the Arop and Warapu villagers were killed. The people in these villages had been identified as being sufficiently different from each other in their speech to justify the recognition of four separate languages, but the numbers were very small: in 1990, Sissano had only 4,776 speakers; Malol was estimated to have 3,330; Arop 1,700 in 1981; and Warapu 1,602 in 1983. The totals for Arop and Warapu will have diminished by at least 500 speakers. Moreover, as the survivors have moved away to care centres and other locations, will these communities (and thus their languages) survive the trauma of displacement?

Even if a people continue to inhabit their traditional territory, their language may still die as a result of cultural assimilation. Much of the present crisis stems from the big cultural movements that began 500 years ago, as colonialism spread a small number of dominant languages around the world.

When one culture assimilates another, the sequence of events affecting the endangered language is usually characterised by three broad stages. The first is immense pressure on the people to speak the dominant language. The second stage is a period of bilingualism: people become increasingly efficient in their new language while still retaining competence in their old. Then, often quickly, bilingualism starts to decline, with the old language giving way to the new. This leads to the third stage, in which the younger generation increasingly finds its old language less relevant. This is often accompanied by a feeling of shame about using the old language, on the part of the parents as well as their children. Those families that do continue to use the language find there are fewer other families to talk to, and their own usage becomes inward-looking and idiosyncratic, resulting in "family dialects". Within a generation, healthy bilingualism within a family can slip into self-conscious semilingualism, and thence into monolingualism.

It is too late to do anything to help many languages where the speakers are too few or too old and where the community is too busy just trying to survive. However, many other languages are not in such a serious crisis. Often, where languages are endangered, things can be done to revitalise them. There are successful examples in Australia, North America and Europe. The conditions have to be right for there to be a likelihood of success: the community itself must want to save its language; the larger culture of which it is a part needs to have a respect for minority languages; there needs to be funding for courses, materials and teachers.

Is language death such a disaster? Surely, you might say, it is simply a symptom of more people striving to improve their lives by joining the modern world. So long as a few hundred or even a couple of thousand languages survive, that is sufficient. No, it is not. We should care about dying languages for the same reason that we care when a species of animal

5

or plant dies. It reduces the diversity of our planet. In the case of language, we are talking about intellectual and cultural diversity, not biological diversity, but the issues are the same.

Diversity occupies a central place in evolutionary theory because it enables a species to survive in different environments. Increasing uniformity holds dangers for the long-term survival of a species. The strongest ecosystems are those which are most diverse. The need to maintain linguistic diversity stands on the shoulders of such arguments. If the development of multiple cultures is a prerequisite for successful human development, then the preservation of linguistic diversity is essential, because cultures are chiefly transmitted through spoken and written languages. Encapsulated within a language is most of a community's history and a large part of its cultural identity. "Every language is a temple," said Oliver Wendell Holmes, "in which the soul of those who speak it is enshrined."

Sometimes what we might learn from a language is eminently practical, as when we discover new medical treatments from the folk medicine of an indigenous people. Sometimes it is intellectual, as when the links between languages tell us something about the movements of early civilisations. Sometimes it is literary: every language has its equivalent - even if only in oral form - of Chaucer, Wordsworth and Dickens. And of course, very often it is linguistic: we learn something new about language itself - the behaviour that makes us truly human, and without which there would be no talk at all. Ezra Pound summed up the core intellectual argument: "The sum of human wisdom is not contained in any one language, and no single language is capable of expressing all forms and degrees of human comprehension."

Not everyone agrees. Some people accept the Babel myth: that the multiplicity of the world's languages is a curse rather than a blessing, imposed by God as a punishment for the overweening pride of humanity. If only we had just one language in the world - whether English, Esperanto, or whatever - we would all be better off. World peace would be established.

Let us leave aside the question of whether there ever was a single language pre-Babel. (Genesis 10 suggests that there was not, as it lists the sons of Japheth "according to their countries and each of their languages" - long before the Babel event.) A monolingual world would not bring peace. All the big trouble spots of the world in recent decades have been monolingual countries - Cambodia, Vietnam, Rwanda, Burundi, Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland. And all big monolingual countries have had their civil wars. If people want to fight each other, it takes more than a common language to stop them.

The common reaction among the members of a community two generations after the one which failed to pass on its language is: "If only my grandparents' generation had..." The first generation is, typically, not so concerned as its members are still struggling to establish their new social position and new language. It is their children, secure in the new language and in a much better socio-economic position, with battles over land claims

6

and civil rights behind them, who begin to reflect on the heritage they have lost. The old language, formerly a source of shame, comes to be seen as a source of identity and pride. If their language has gone, unrecorded and unremembered, there is no way they can get it back. By contrast, if a modicum of effort has been devoted to language preservation, even in the most difficult of circumstances, it leaves the option open for future generations to make their own choice.

Can we save a few thousand languages, just like that? Yes, though it would not be cheap. To save a language you must get linguists into the field, support the community with language teachers, publish grammars and dictionaries, write materials for use in schools - and all over a period of several years. Conditions vary so much (for example, between written and unwritten languages) that it is difficult to generalise, but a figure of £40,000 a year per language cannot be far from the truth. If we devoted that amount over three years for each of the 3,000 endangered languages, we would need about £360m to make a real impact. It sounds a lot, but it is equivalent to just over one day's Opec oil revenues in an average year.

During the 1990s, several organisations were established to try to raise funds. In Britain, the Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL) was started in 1995, and there are similar organisations in the US, Germany, Japan and elsewhere. A Unesco project is also under way. The problem, in all cases, is funding. In 1998-99, the FEL had only £1,600 to give out. Out of the 30 applications the organisation received, it was able to support only four altogether.

Languages are like people, in one way, as I said at the outset - but in another way they are not like people at all. When people die, they leave signs of their presence in the world, in the form of their dwelling places, burial mounds, and artefacts - in a word, their archaeology. But spoken language leaves no archaeology. For, when a language dies, which has never been written down, it is as if it has never been.

The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/

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HOMEWORK: READING IN UK UNIVERSITIES

When you start a university course in the United Kingdom, you will have the same problem as every other student: how to get through the vast amount of reading given for each course. There is not enough time to read everything line by line. You need to be able to read efficiently. The way you read something will depend on your purpose. You need to read quickly to find relevant sections, then read carefully when you have found what you want. General efficient reading strategies such as scanning to find the book or chapter, skimming to get the gist and careful reading of important passages are necessary as well as vocabulary building exercises in your own area. Learning about how texts are structured can also help you to read more efficiently. When you pick up a book for the first time, use the index, the preface, the blurb (publisher’s comments on the cover), the table of contents and glance through it rapidly in order to identify the relevant sections. Look at the chapter titles. If the chapter seems useful, look at the headings and sub-headings. Quickly survey any useful chapters by reading the first few lines of each paragraph or by reading the first and last paragraphs. When you think you have identified relevant sections, skim through them, read the conclusion perhaps, to be sure they are relevant. Many students still rely on painstakingly slow word-by-word reading. It soon becomes clear to them, however, that they cannot read every word in the library. You will need to practise:

Understanding meaning: deducing the meaning of unfamiliar words and word groups; relations within the sentence/complex sentences; implications - information not explicitly stated, conceptual meaning, e.g. comparison, purpose, cause, effect.

Understanding relationships in the text: - text structure; the communicative value of sentences; relations between the parts of a text through lexical and grammatical cohesion devices and indicators in discourse.

Understanding important points; distinguishing the main ideas from supporting detail; recognising unsupported claims and claims supported by evidence - fact from opinion; extracting main points to summarise; following an argument; reading critically/evaluating the text.

Reading efficiently: surveying the text, chapter/article, paragraphs, skimming for gist/general impression; scanning to locate specifically required information; reading quickly.

Note taking.

School of Oriental and African Studies

International Foundation Courses and English Language Studies

INSESSIONAL COURSES

RESEARCH READING SESSION 1 – INTRODUCTION

Name…………………………………….

Discuss the following with another student:

1) READING LISTS AND SOURCE MATERIALS

1. Were you given a reading list? If so, how is it organised? How useful is it as a

guide to ‘essential reading’ etc?

2. Did you have to compile your own reading list? If so, how did you go about

it?

3. Discuss any difficulties you have encountered with your reading lists and how

these might be solved.

4. Discuss what proportion of books, journals, electronic data and materials you

use and any difficulties you have in assessing these.

5. What is your experience of using primary and secondary sources?

6. What type of texts do you read: analytical/ factual/literary etc. Make a list of

the ones you read most frequently.

2) RECORDING YOUR READING

1. How do you record the materials you have read? E.g. do you use:

a card system?

a computer system?

an annotated bibliography?

Other?

2. Do you take notes from your reading? If so, what format do you use? How do

you rate the effectiveness of your note-taking?

Good

Reasonable

Poor

3. How do you rate your ability to summarise/paraphrase from your reading?

Good

Reasonable

Poor

3) READING SKILLS

Effective reading involves a number of skills. How would you rate your ability in

the following?

Good Reasonable Poor

1. Speed of reading

2. Understanding of general meaning

3. Understanding of vocabulary

4. Skimming – extracting key information

5. Scanning – locating specific information

6. Understanding relation between parts of text

7. Distinguishing the main idea from

supporting ideas

8. Understanding main arguments

9. Distinguishing arguments from counter-

arguments

10. Identifying stylistic features

11. Understanding inferred meaning e.g.

cultural aspects/references etc

12. Relating reading of a text to other texts

4) Discus what areas of your reading you wish to improve on this course

In-sessional Courses Grammar Improvement – Week 4

The Passive Form

(BE) + Past Participle (Variable depending on tense) (Unchanging)

There are no strict rules about when to use the passive form rather than the active. However, there are some tendencies which are summarised below: The importance of the agent The identity of the agent The necessity to state an agent. „Formality‟ of language Creation of distance Cohesion/Anaphoric Reference Task 1: Function of passive forms Have a look at these texts. Identify where the passive has been used and why it has been used there. Also, consider why it hasn’t been used in some places

To discover which communication structure is the most effective, Shaw (1978) conducted a laboratory experiment to test if certain communication patterns in a group had structural characteristics which limited the performance of the group. While all communication patterns studied were, in theory, adequate for the group to do the task, he wanted to know if any of them were significantly better. Huczynski, A and d Buchanan (1991) ‘Organisational Behaviour’ Prentice Hall p204


Margaret Mead can be credited with challenging the assumption that maleness and femaleness are more or less equivalent across cultures by claiming that the behaviour and personality attributed to one‟s sex vary markedly. I have been careful to use the words maleness and femaleness, because I want to distinguish between sex, the biological features of the individual, and gender, the appropriate behaviours and attributes that are associated with sex. Schlegel, A (1996) ‘Gender Issues and Cross-Cultural Research’ in Inkeles A and M Sasaki (Eds) ‘Comparing Nations and Cultures’ Prentice Hall p195

Commercial television was introduced in the late 1950s because it was claimed that it would bring competition into broadcasting, and make the service more responsive to popular demand. Curran J and J Seaton (1997) ‘Power without Responsibility’ Routledge p181

The subsequent analyses first compare the labor force behavior and and occupational distribution patterns. The distribution of the marital groups on each of the variables is then described. Finally, occupational models are estimated separately. The results of “committed” never-married women are compared with those for all women and described in the text where appropriate. Roos P (1996) ‘Marriage and Women’s Occupational Attainment’ in Inkeles A and M Sasaki (Eds) ‘Comparing Nations and Cultures’ Prentice Hall p222

As was pointed out earlier, there are many jobs to be done in a group if it is to be both productive and satisfying to its members. These functions can be either performed by the formal group leader or by the members. The leader and the members all play the roles in the group. Through them a group atmosphere is created which enables communication, influence, decision-making and similar processes to be performed. Huczynski, A and d Buchanan (1991) ‘Organisational Behaviour’ Prentice Hall p199

Task 2: Reformulation exercise Now rewrite the underlined sections of these sentence, using either the passive or the active form. How do you think the sense of each sentence is affected?

Once children have achieved the full grammatical repertoire, they choose among the different ways of expressing a message.

In assessing an analogy used in an argument, we need to look at it in terms of the similarities and differences between the two things being compared. I doubt whether this prediction will stand the test of time. If the nations of the world take immediate action, the destruction of the global environment can be slowed substantially. Classical sociologists saw religion as central to the social fabric of a traditional society. This judgement would be disputed by many, though the quality of available evidence leaves endless room for argument. Bacon and Descartes shared an essential belief in the positive power of science. The all-too-brief career of Blaise Pascal shows a far more complex attitude to scientific discovery.

C:\DOCUME~1\jy4\LOCALS~1\Temp\Temporary Directory 10 for fwdfoirequestremedialenglish.zip\week 1 Style review session 1 jd.doc

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In-sessional Courses Academic Vocabulary and Style

Session 1

1) What aspects of academic style are you having difficulties with? How would you define the nature of Academic Style in English? 2) Which aspects of academic vocabulary are you having difficulty with? Have you received any feedback from other tutors about this aspect of your Academic English? 3) Have you found any useful strategies to solve your own problems in these areas? 4) Have you found any useful internet resources that can help in these areas? 5) Which type of classroom activities do you think would help you improve your style and vocabulary?



2

In-sessional Courses Academic Vocabulary and Style Session 1

Review of academic style Task 1 Have a look at the style of this paragraph and underline any examples of poor style.

A lot of people think that the weather is getting worse. They say that this has

been going on for quite a long time. I think that they are quite right. Research

has shown that we now get storms etc. all the time.

Task 2

Academic writing attempts to be:

precise

formal

impersonal

objective

What do we mean by these four terms? How does written academic style

differ from normal speech and writing?

Task 3

Complete the table below with a diagnosis of what is wrong in the paragraph above and a possible alternative in academic style. Example Problem Alternative

A lot of people think….. Imprecise It is widely believed ………..

…the weather….. Imprecise The climate.. (weather is short term)

..getting worse…. Informal

They say….

…going on..

….quite a long time..

I think…..

Research has shown.. Vague- whose research?

…we now get…… Informal

Storms etc..

…al the time…



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Task 4

Compare your alternatives with a model paragraph below.

It is widely believed that the climate is deteriorating. It is claimed

that this process has been continuing for nearly 100 years. This

belief appears to be supported by Darlinstein (2004), who shows a

55% increase in the frequency of severe winter storms since 1905.

Have a look at the list of rules for academic style. Discuss with your partner if

they apply to all subject areas and which rules you consider to be the most

important.

Source: Bailey, S (2003) Academic Writing A Practical Guide for Students p76-77 (Routledge

London and New York)

Rules for academic style


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Task 5

In the following, first underline the examples of poor style and then rewrite

them in a more suitable way.

a) Lots of people think that the situation in Iraq is getting worse.

b) You can’t always trust the numbers in the report.

c) The second thing is that most kids in the district will become criminals.

d) I think there’s a big risk of strikes, disorder etc.

e) Sadly, serious crime like rape is going up.

f) Regrettably, the inflation in Russia led to increased poverty, illness and

so on.

g) Sometime soon they will find a vaccine for malaria.

h) A few years ago they allowed women to vote.

i) What were the main causes of the London bombings of 7/7?

Task 6

Re-write the following paragraphs in better style.

1) These days a lot of kids are starting school early. Years ago, they

began at five, but now it’s normal to start at four or younger. Why

is this? One thing is that mums need to get back to work Is it good

for the kids? Jenkins has studied this and says that early

schooling causes social problems like stealing, drug-taking etc. I

think he’s right and we should pay mums to stay at home.

2) Why are there so many jams on the roads these days? One thing

is that public transport like trains, buses etc is so dear. A long

time ago cars cost a lot but now, unfortunately they’ve got much

cheaper. Another thing is that driving is a lot nicer than waiting for

a bus. The trouble is that if everyone buys a car the roads get

packed.


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Task 7

a) Look back at some writing you have done so far on your SOAS

course. Can you find any examples of poor academic style? Try

to correct them.

b) Email a one page draft from one of your assignments to your

teacher ([email protected]). Have you paid attention to style in

your essay? Try to proof read your essay and find examples

where you can improve your style.

Task 8

Consider the following three extracts from different academic essays and comment on the style. Try to identify 3 features in the texts that you consider to be good style.

Extract 1

Repatriation is regarded as one of the three traditional and distinct solutions to protracted refugee situations, in addition to resettlement in a third country and integration in the country of first asylum. Since the end of the Cold War, it is often said that repatriation is the durable solution of choice for the international community and other stakeholders (eg. UNHCR, 2006a, p.2; Crisp, 2004, p.4; Macrae, 1999, p.1). Yet repatriation has been criticised from some quarters as inadequate, too narrow and not necessarily suitable for all stakeholders in all refugee crises, and specifically the timing and the voluntary nature of repatriation have been called into question by some commentators (Bradley, 2006, p.6). These debates have given rise to further consideration of the other durable solutions. To determine the viability of repatriation as a durable solution and its appropriateness for all stakeholders in the 2000s, this essay will examine its benefits and shortcomings, evaluate the two alternative durable solutions of resettlement and integration, analyse a broader definition of repatriation and its unsuitability as the preferred solution for all actors, before presenting a more nuanced and comprehensive policy of durable solutions which seeks to maximise the advantages to all stakeholders in different refugee situations. Defining terms To be fully equipped to assess the pros and cons of repatriation, resettlement and integration as durable solutions it is first necessary to clarify some of the terms involved. 'Repatriation' can be narrowly understood as, "the physical return of refugees to their country of origin in which UNHCR and others might assist, for example, through the provision of transport, registration," (Macrae, 1999, p.3). Furthermore, UNHCR 1985 Executive Committee stated that, "in addition to being voluntary, return must also be conducted in conditions of safety and dignity" (cited in Bradley, 2006, p.6). Individuals are required to sign a form stating that they wish


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to freely participate in a repatriation programme (Hammond, 1999, p231). Thus we have a working definition of 'repatriation' which encompasses return, voluntariness, safety and dignity; a broader conception of repatriation will be considered later on. The significant stakeholders in issues of durable solutions for refugees comprise states of origin, states of asylum, donor governments, UNHCR and other UN agencies, other regional and international organisations such as the World Bank, NGOs, peacekeepers, and of course displaced people themselves (Bradley, 2006, p.3; Jacobsen, 2001, p.11). Any successful durable solution should hold central the well-being of the refugees and seek to maximise the benefits of the other stakeholders.

Extract 2

Transnational corporations (TNCs) are key actors in contemporary process of economic

globalization, and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) a prime driver. In Latin America FDI

boomed in the late 1990s, increasing from $20.2 billion in 1990-95 to $70.7 Billion in 1996-2000

(Mortimore 2006). The increase in FDI reflected the changing nature of the world economy;

as economies liberalized and communication and transport technologies improved, TNCs

developed global production networks, relocating activities to wherever there could be most

efficiently executed (Evans,1998).This was hailed by many as a great opportunity for many

Latin American countries to access world markets through TNCs, thus increasing exports,

employment and investment (Gereffi, 2006). In the longer-term countries hoped to expand

and upgrade domestic industry through backward linkages and technology and skills

transfer (Paus, 2005). Nevertheless, even those positive about the potential of FDI have

recognized that all these benefits are not inevitable. It is now accepted by many that the

government has an important role to play in building local capabilities and facilitating

spillovers. This essay therefore begins by outlining the justification for government

intervention to maximize the contributions of FDI, with a focus on efficiency-seeking FDI in

Mexico and the Caribbean Basin (hereafter MEXCAR). It shows that in order to move out of

the low-value added trap, ‘smart industrial policies’ of targeting, incentives, and domestic

capability-building will be required. However, this essay argues that this process of industrial

and technological upgrading may be fraught with contradictions; prioritizing policies to

attract TNCs may actually undermine state capacity to implement the domestic reforms

needed to maximize the contributions of FDI to economic development. This implies that

states in Latin America should be cautious of limitations on their institutional, political, and

financial capacities, and should focus more on building active and selective policies towards

FDI as part of wider domestic economic development strategy.


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Possible answers: style task A) Currently, significant numbers of children are starting school at the age of four or less, whereas thirty years ago five was the normal age. There appear to be various reasons for the change; mothers, for example, need to rejoin the labour force. There are mixed views about the effects of this change on the children concerned. Jenkins (1989) claims that early school attendance causes social problems such as theft and drug taking. There seems to be considerable evidence to support his views and there may be an argument in favour of a state subsidy for women to stay at home with their children. B) There appear to be two principal reasons for the growing traffic congestion. Firstly, public transport has become increasingly expensive relative to the falling cost of motoring. In addition, car ownership is much more convenient than using public transport. Together, these factors result in higher vehicle density.


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In-sessional Courses

Academic Vocabulary and Style Session 1

The Academic Word List (AWL) The Academic Word List (AWL) is divided into 10 sublists of word families. Each of these sublists contains 60 words, except for sublist 10, which contains thirty words. When studying the sublists, one should attempt to learn the various derivations (the verb, noun, adjective and adverb forms + variants) for the word families given. For the exercises given in this website, the word families for each sublist have been further divided into six groups for ease of study, with three separate gap-fill exercises for each group. Ideally, students should work through the three exercises for each group, and should complete all the exercises for the six groups of a given sublist before going on to the next sublist. Some of the exercises will include different derivations for the words given.

Have a look at this website for exercises on the AWL.

http://www.academicvocabularyexercises.com/

Try this exercise:

1. Fire fighters had to abandon their efforts to fight the fire, because the building was in danger of _______________.

2. If you _______________ a bear while hiking, the best thing to do is to back away quietly.

3. There is a beautiful little park _______________ to the house we're going to buy.

4. I usually find that Jasper doesn't really know what he's talking about; however, I'm _______________ to agree with him on this point.

5. By _______________ a clause in the contract guaranteeing a fixed price, management was able to avoid paying for the increase in fuel costs.

6. I didn't need any help. The instructions were pretty _______________.

7. American politician Jesse Jackson once said, "If my mind can _______________ it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it."

8. I lost the game, but I told myself that I had improved a lot _______________.

9. She was offered over a million dollars to _______________ nude in a magazine, but she refused.

10. There is an _______________ dispute between the two countries regarding fishing rights off the coast.

International Foundation Courses and

English Language Studies (IFCELS)

http://www.academicvocabularyexercises.com/


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AWL Sublist 10 - Exercise 1a

Matching exercise

1. Firefighters had to abandon their efforts to fight the fire, because the building was in danger of _______________.

collapsing

2. If you _______________ a bear while hiking, the best thing to do is to back away quietly.

encounter

3. There is a beautiful little park _______________ to the house we're going to buy.

adjacent

4. I usually find that Jasper doesn't really know what he's talking about; however, I'm _______________ to agree with him on this point.

inclined

5. By _______________ a clause in the contract guaranteeing a fixed price, management was able to avoid paying for the increase in fuel costs.

invoking

6. I didn't need any help. The instructions were pretty _______________.

straightforward

7. American politician Jesse Jackson once said, "If my mind can _______________ it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it."

conceive

8. I lost the game, but I told myself that I had improved a lot _______________.

nonetheless

9. She was offered over a million dollars to _______________ nude in a magazine, but she refused.

pose

10. There is an _______________ dispute between the two countries regarding fishing rights off the coast.

ongoing

international foundation courses and english … · multi-pronged approach and attack the problem...

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