Skills Development: Writing and Composition

Course Codes: AN10003BA, AN18003BA, AN1002OMA

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Fall Semester, 2017/2018

Seminar, 1st year BA

Instructor: Fagyal József Szabolcs

Office hours: Monday, 3:00-4:00 p.m.; Office: Room 105

Monday, 4:00-5:40 p.m., Room II

Monday, 6:00-7:40 p.m., Room II

E-mail address:

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Course Description

The seminar aims to introduce students into the basics of academic writing with special emphasis on rhetorical strategies, treatment of material and formal requirements. During the semester students will become more familiar with individual genres, such as position papers, summary writing and research papers. The ulterior aim is to develop the students’ argumentative skills in writing, and to start preparing them for the end-of-year EYE.

Requirements

Attendance will be registered and the maximum number of absences is THREE - more than three absences will result in failing the course. The extent and quality of class participation will be taken into consideration for the final grade, as well as the separate grade for each and every written assignment (CV, Position Paper, Process Paper, Summary and Research Paper). Students are required to hand in all their assignments in PRINT at the beginning of class; the same applies to late submissions with the only notable exception that they are also required to send the document to my e-mail address as soon as possible, so that the exact time of delay can be calculated.

Out of all the course components, only one re-sit will be granted; in case you fail in more than one component, the course is a failure.

Plagiarism and its consequences

Students must be aware that plagiarism is a crime which has its due consequences.

The possible forms of plagiarism:

1. word by word quotes from a source used as if they were one’s own ideas, without quotation marks and without identifying the sources;

2. ideas taken from a source, paraphrased in the essay-writer’s own words and used as if they were his/her own ideas, without identifying and properly documenting the source.

Plagiarism, depending on its seriousness and frequency, will be penalised in the following ways:

1. The percentage of the submitted paper will be reduced.

2. The essay will have to be rewritten and resubmitted.

3. In a serious case, this kind of academic dishonesty will result in a failure.

4. In a recurring, and serious case, the student will be expelled from the English majorprogramme.

Late Submission

1. Deadlines must be observed and taken seriously.

2. Minor written assignments submitted after the deadline will be penalised by a reduction in the percentage (1%/hour).

Schedule

Week 1 / 11 Sept /
  • Orientation

Week 2 / 18 Sept /
  • The Importance of Writing
  • Secondary school written assignments vs. Academic writing

Week 3 / 25 Sept /
  • Formal requirements of a CV

Week 4 / 2 Oct /
  • CV due
  • Plagiarism
  • Structural requirements (thesis, topic sentence, transitions, etc.)
  • Strategies and phases of writing (pre-, while, post-writing)

Week 5 / 9 Oct /
  • What to consider when writing a Process Paper?

Week 6 / 16 Oct /
  • Process Paper due
  • Writing an Argumentative Essay

Week 7 / 23 Oct / NO CLASS
Consultation Week / 30 Oct / NO CLASS
Week 9 / 6 Nov /
  • Argumentative Essay – first draft due
  • Peer response session

Week 10 / 13 Nov /
  • Argumentative Essay due
  • Guidelines to Summary writing

Week 11 / 20 Nov /
  • Summary due
  • Requirements of a Research Paper
  • Usage of secondary sources

Week 12 / 27 Nov /
  • Research Paper – first draft due
  • Oral presentation of your chosen topic
  • Peer response session

Week 13 / 4 Dec /
  • Research Paper due

Week 14 / 11 Dec /
  • Evaluation

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