s+ BRAC Institute of Languages ENG 101 ENGLISH FUNDAMENTALS Spring 2024 geen i, Bo ie eee ame way LES 1 og B Eps a eating SBS | Scansitent easton GS ewol FT £2 & Sprograms?as =. f SE Zdobe ef cSee 0 recon S Fapproach $5 =-3 af Shobby! Bs enn 2 "S82 5813 1 oe one Ypene =. et Sr Bi! heritage ® become woven, eUUEation = i S*= SiS! -2a ie egrets “ offer s Si @AO.§& = > Re ro) 19:83 Bese els SIE ALIN mi mm O12 Ee Sp skilsa es, bridging CO i "285 ro? Bode SSE s ndestore ‘represents ensure ting anglagesGug * 5 es IC F oS z (eu) Brac Institute of Langauges (BIL) YY Brac UniversityTABLE OF CONTENTS COURSE OUTLINE & POLICIES: READING & WRITING: 1. Writing as a Process Pre- Writing Journal Writing 2. Active Reading Strategies ‘Skimming Scanning Annotation 3. Summary Writing ‘Sample Summary Citation Guidelines 4. Socratic Dialogue Post-Reading Task: Speaking- Listening ‘Tasks on Chapter 1: The Fox that Killed My Goat 5. Academic Writing: Paragraph The Steps in the Writing Process Structure of Paragraph Unity & Coherence in Paragraph Examples of transition signals and their meanings ‘Sentence Variation 4. Opinion Paragraph Structure of an Opinion Paragraph Facts & Opinion Sample Outline Types of Evidence Sample Opinion Paragraph, 5. Introduction to Academic Essay & Persu: Persuasive Essay Thesis Statement Persuasive Essay: Introduction Persuasive Essay: Body Paragraphs Persuasive Essay: Conclusion Persuasive Essay: Instruction for peer feedback Technical specifications for submission of the Persuasive Essay LISTENING & SPEAKING: 6. Effective Listening & Note-Taking Three Stages of Listening 7. Basic Structure of a Presentation ‘The Structure of a Presentation How to Prepare for a Group Presentation 8. Presentation Delivery Techniques Effective Use of Voice Effective Use of Body 9. Introduction to Debate How should you Structure your Speech How should you Structure your Rebuttal Rubric for Debate 10. Final Presentation: Action Plan for a Sustainable World Presentation Guidelines Checklist for Final Presentation 11. Supplementary Reading 143 149 149 153 155 156 159 164 165 166 168 170 171 172 176a waBRAC Cours i Pankaj Paul - [email protected] Hasna Khanom — [email protected] Kushal Das - [email protected] ‘Shehneela Naz- [email protected] Julhas Uddin - [email protected] Nazneen Zafar — [email protected] Bineeta Rahman- [email protected] Fariah Amin- [email protected] Samira Osmany- samira,[email protected] 40. John Paul Shimanto Sarkar- [email protected] 11. Sabah Tasnia Rowshon- [email protected] 12. Nazia Masood- [email protected] ©PNEMaonGS Course Outline English Fundamentals (ENG101), Spring 2024 Brac Institute of Languages, Brac University Phone: 8824051, EXT 3005 1 __ Rationale: ENG 101 is a foundational GenEd course in which students will develop critical thinking, persuasive argument, and study skills through reading, critiquing, and interpreting texts in Speaking and writing assignments. The contents will cover the four basic English language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) required for students’ academic needs. This course will teach students the sequential steps of the writing process, from prewriting strategies to planning/outlining to writing and revision. Through course elements such as (1) weekly writing and reading, (2) formal essay assignments, (3) clear assessment criteria, and (4) personalised feedback, students will build fluency, confidence, and good habits of work and mind. This will help them build a strong foundation for the challenging writing and thinking tasks they will take on during their time at BRACU and beyond. Students are required to maintain a portfolio (including writer's journal, data log, article review, blog, etc.) where they will reflect on and respond to the weekly readings, and seed ideas for future assignments. Short formal writing assignments are embedded throughout the course, building toward a longer essay assignment with the opportunity for revision Students will practice 'workshopping’ their writing through peer feedback, individual sessions with the instructor, and consultation with the Writing Centre. |. Course Aims & Outcomes: 1, Agademie Process: Jo comprehend and engage with a variety of texts (e.g. academic readings, literature and audio-visual media) Poe oe = 3, 72 perform close and critical readings of an assigned text 4. 12 arn to distinguish researched claims and facts from beliefs and opinions ' To demonstrate their understanding of academic integrity by making use of 5, appropriate referencing strategies in their course work [0 use writing as a medium for interpreting and reflecting on lived experiences and global events“ AL. Writing: 6. To explain, at a foundational level, the necessary elements of academic writing and Practice executing them towards mastery. 7. To explain that writing is a recursive process (prewriting, writing and rewriting) and to demonstrate the ability to take a piece of writing through the different steps of the writing process. 8. To develop fluency in writing, i.e. the ability to write quickly and easily generate 9, Rowahte and dons To learn to be a good reader and constructive editor by reflecting on and assessing others’ writing (through the peer review process). Elements of the course: Weekly reading and writing to build fluency and critical analysis skills (reconstructing, ‘examining and analysis) through regular practice * Formal writing assignments with opportunities for revision, to develop an Understanding of the structure, content and style required of formal writing Clear criteria for writing shared with students and reinforced through assessments, written comments and individual student-instructor conferences explicitly addressing those criteria ‘* Presentations and listening practice Personalized feedback given and received through peer and instructor workshops as part of the revision process to motivate students and build confidence and control OVERVIEW OF ASSIGNMENTS: The writing assignments of this course familiarise students to the academic writing process with a particular focus on paragraph and essay writing. Additionally, speaking assignments include debating and a group presentation, requiring demonstration of presentation skills. Students will complete the semester with a capstone project where, in group, they will plan, design, and present an “Action Plan for a Sustainable World * highlighting one SOG (Sustainable Development Goal). Reading - Short story - Essay Newspaper articles and reports Writing - Informal ~ Writer's Journal ~ Data Log reflection - Article review = Blog Writing - Formal = Point based paragraph = Opinion paragraph assignment = Persuasive essay assignment Speaking/Listening = ‘The Socratic Method’ dialogue = Stating an opinion = Listening activities = Debate * Final Presentation on Action Plan fora Sustainable WorldCOURSE POLICY AST Fen etenciance iv claes fe mandatory © Students need to attend the classes on time © In ease of any emergencies or health issues, students wil email their faculty stating the reason for missing classes, along with relevant supporting or medical documents © any Tdi fella 1 It forthe taldterm exam or Final Exam, he/she will get an “F” in the final grade. ‘+ Hany quizzes or assignments or exams are missed for valid reasons, students will ‘email the course instructor within 3 days with supporting documents ( of medical documents). ‘* For group projects, presentations and writing assignments, marks will be given based on the performance and contribution of individual students. For late submission of assignments, one mark will be deducted for each day. The use of Artificial Intelligence (Al) to generate content, when an assignment does not clearly call or allow for it without proper acknowledgement or approval, is Plagiarism. Any ENG101 graded assessments detected for such plagiarism will be penalised as per the plagiarism policy. As a student-centric university, Brac University aspires to provide high-quality education. in order to maintain this standard, we highly discourage students from adopting any unfair ‘means in their academic endeavours. Cheating, Plagiarism, and Copying are serious academic misconducts, and the University has placed a “zero tolerance” approach to all unethical practices. (¢.9. pictures Plagiarism refers “to represent as one’s own idea or in any academic examination or term test or in expression of an idea or work of another Consequences of Plagiarism: * A failing grade of an assignment or course = Suspension from the university for a period of time * Permanent expulsion from the university Al Placiarism instances will be reported to the concerned authorities for disciplinary Read moreMarks Distribution* | ENG104 Reading & Writing 70% Speaking & 25% Marks Marks Listening ‘Quizes (2)" 107 Listening Quiz (1) iio Assignment 10% Debate | sx idterm Examin | 20% t Portfolio 10% | (Bata log, Blog, article review & Journal) Action Plan | 10% Presentation Final Examination 20% | Attendance & Participation: 5% Total: 100% *Subject to change as per academic needsad BRAC COURSE DELIVERY PLAN | Spring 2024 Dee Nowds assessment Ienttying lenguage ‘Journal wring Prewrting, Journal Weng & needs of learners Extensive Reasing (Fiction) Intensive Reading Strategies ‘Skimming, Seanning & Annotation tasks Usage of language in reading ad 2 ae Be EASES rine sae et ot an MESSER SS. LER orem Waitin Opinion & Reason ae Identification & i. See oan mages cee Effective Listening & Listening Skills, Practise Listening Quiz Note-taking Strategies a ing Qi Quiz 4 (Reading) eae eee psentation Sree “rng ening Posen Introduction to Debate Blog writing Instruction (Speaking) & Blog writing Paregeaps iting: Opinion Varying sentence in-class, ig Paragraph Continues ‘hetog: os eo ph ‘styles: Use of varied words In as aoe Reon meet races bone Expressions tie Debate continues) eee ee language In debate ang psc nee Saas oneness Listening Quiz Opinion Paragraph (continued) eee In-class paragraph and ‘summary waitingister Examination Journal Weling-2 (806) Introduction te Persuasive Essay, Persuasive Essay cont, Deconstructing Introduction to article Rewriting without review changing the meaning Preparing Outline Granbor Cincher Persuasive Essay cont, Reporting Verbs and Moule for Acadamic Introducing Presentation ‘weting lass preparation and Assignment (Problem-Solving Planning forthe group. ‘lta ‘presentation Subjoct-aro Agreement ‘Volee: Active Paselve ‘Sentences, Persuasive Essay cont. and Por Feedback on draft ¢ Peer feedback iting submission Preparation for Final Critieal thinking ana 7 ‘Presentation problem -ssiving skit. on Presentation Sides soGs" shapgans eiglsite Persuasive Essay: Writing incorporating features of Revising aratt2 ‘Assignment ‘eademe writing ig = Persuasive Essay: Waiting [Assignment Submission ‘Assignment ‘Slog Submission Final Presentation Signpost language Verbal Nonsverbs! ‘Expressions, Presentation Final Presentation ‘Tone, stressand Intonation & body language in debate and resentation Revision Revision Final Examination 6a Writing as a Process Steps in Academic Writing Writing is an essential part of your university study and an insey parable skill for academic Success. Without developing your writing skills, it is not possible to score good marks in university courses. This is because most academic courses assess students through written tasks, which may include essays, reports, reflections, assignments, term papers, exam answers, and so on. One of the major objectives of the ENG101 course is to develop your writing skills and prepare you for accepting the challenges of academic writing efficiently. As Part of developing your writing skills, this week, you will learn about the established practices of academic writing, which will help you write effectively and efficiently. More specifically, this week, you will have an introduction to the whole writing process but a detailed discussion on the first step of the process only, Writing as a process: Hf you think that you will have a well-written final draft of your academic writings after sitting down in front of your computer for an hour or two, it probably would be a good idea to adjust your expectations. Usually, there are several steps that writers go through as diagram: 1: Four significant steps in the Academic Writing Process they work on an academic write-up, and the process of writing an academic essay usually takes much longer than just an hour or two. Academic writing is entirely a unique process, and writers go through their individual Stages before making their final drafts. However, close observation of the experienced writers’ writing process discloses the understanding that they go through a systematic Process involving at least four distinct steps: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Following the above steps, perhaps you also can transform your best write-ups even better. Pre-writing Prewriting is the first step in the writing process. We use the term "prewriting" to refer to the work we do on our essay or paragraph before we actually begin writing a draft of it. In this step, a writer thinks, takes notes, talks to others, brainstorms, and develops an outline. Different people can approach the prewriting stage in different ways, depending on their .individual learning style. However, the most widely practiced prewriting steps involve: Preswriting ee Brainstorming PS ‘Makinga list Mapping ——_Freewriting Collecting information Organising ideas (From reading texts, listening tracks, video materials, etc.) Focused Freewriting Private Freewriting Image 2: Tasks done at the Prewriting stage of any writing 1. Brainstorming Brainstorming is a way of gathering ideas about a topic. When you brainstorm, you write down all the ideas that come to your mind. At this point, do not judge the quality of your ideas; they could be good or silly, useful or maybe not. You can decide that later. Right now, you are gathering as many ideas as you can, There are many different ways of brainstorming. However, the following three ways are the most widely used techniques: iotory—leaming about the past (A) Making a list rath (Qo enor (8) Mapping st phot te? (C) Freewriting Engich fr word Travel writing? sence bidogy chery | don he physical A. Making a list: Write single words, Journals phrases, or sentences that are related to your topic. Look at this list on the right which a student made — when brainstorming ideas about her topic: “What should | study in university? "ike reading-—Iterature? aet—deig, parting, 6 protograph? studying omen frend] socal ife ipture WN. B. Mapping: To make a map, use a whole sheet of . Paper, and write your topic in the middle, with @ circle around it. Then put the next idea in a circle above or below your topic, andconnect the circles with lines. The lines show that the two ideas are related. GuD-~«< The example on the left shows a map on “What should 1 study in college?” The writer connected favourite subjects to the main idea. Art and English are connected to favourite subjects to show that they are related. C. What is Freewri ing? Freewriting is a core reading and writing practice, and pre-writing strategy. There are different kinds of freewriting, including: i) Private Free Writing: Alone or in a group, this practice involves writing whatever you like for a set period of time (say, 5 minutes.) Keep your pen moving across the page without stopping to think about what you are writing. Let your thinking follow your writing. If you get stuck, put any unrelated words on the page until something like a chain of thought emerges for you. Stick with the discipline of writing to time, and push yourself to keep going even after you have come to the end of an idea and find yourself chasing after a new one. Write until the time is up. If you are writing in a group and keeping time for others, give everyone a one-minute warning before stopping. This practice is particularly useful as a way to begin a class session or to offer a group the time to clear their heads before embarking upon a shared learning experience. Here are two examples of private freewriting from American students writing about their fears, hopes, and anxieties about beginning their first year at university. Evan | can't believe I'm finally packing for college. | talked to my roommate on the phone and he seems okay. Everybody keeps asking me if I'm nervous about the classes and stuff, but “nervous" isn't really the right word. It will be hard to leave my friends and family, but | am ready for a change. It will be good to start meeting new people. And classes—I'm not too worried about them. I'm sure they won't be that hard. I'm a pretty good student, and | do my work on time. That got me through high school; that should be good enough for college, too Ashle The las thing I needed wth ony two week ti fave for colge was ata in the mal ha said, "You are not yet considered proficient in writing. We have notified your first-year seminar professor and he will be working with you closely your first semester. Enjoy the rest ‘of your summer!” [Note: With our new approach to assessment, at least you won't have to deal with this!] They might as well have written, “You are incredibly far behind the rest of your classmates and probably won't be able to catch up. You will be forced to sit under a neon blinking sign that says ‘bad writer’ so that your professor will know exactly how bad off you are. Enjoy the rest of the summer while you can!” That's exactly how I feel. | always scraped by in high school with just passing grades on writing assignments—the type of grades high 10= lA school teachers give you just for passing the paper ea vacdeapan Blavewry. a be able to eee one pre ve Yon frat-yoor seminar pot your name comet. oor doesn’t think I'm dumb just because I - freewriting is what t sounds like—freewriting with = nn moving and write to a time limit Focused (reewriting always xt or question, For instance social issue, etc. It is : Focused want to keep your pe! ink and then write, of a might invited about ir opinion on a text, situation, aa Se rcuaies wing is generative and exploratory, Not a carefully plotted out paragraph. Here is a sample of focused freewriting on a given topic. Instruction: Do freewriting for at least 10 minutes on the following topic: “Discrimination” Muntasir Discrimination means to treat a person or a group based on their culture, religion, ethnicity, ra etc.The sense of superiority creates discrimination. If a person does not follow what majors follows in a community, unfortunately then in the minds of the majority a sense of superior, arises Discrimination actually can destroy the norms upon which a society is built. When i norms are destroyed then a society cannot go beyond their capability to improve their soci structure and if this discrimination impedes the society's ability to improve themselves then th: lite of those who live in it does not improve. The act of discrimination may also sometimes caus- riots among groups which can destroy the lives of those who engage in those riots and the in Of the families of those who engage in it and also it can cause a great damage to the economy « 3 community.So from this we can deduce that discrimination does not only stops a specific grou: from having socio-economic rights that other people have in the community but also stops all n People of that community from improving their social and private lives. 2. Editing scattered ideas After you have gathered plenty of ideas, il you will need to go back and edit them. This is the time when you choose which ideas are most interesting, and which are the most relevant to nee ia sive Vite yal are your ‘or example, the student writ sould | study io cologo” eed hor itTo edit freewriting, cross out sentences or parts of sentences that are not related. You can add more sentences at the bottom. To edit a map, cross the circles ‘lt that do not belong, and add new ones if sa you get more ideas. You might also Teron aot want 0 aay ele change the lines you have drawn, jomalon’ Tha endag—ierataret ‘at—drming pains cptre poorer Ses mane JOURNAL WRITING What is Journal Writing? Journal writing is a way of documenting your thoughts, ideas, reflections, observations, or experiences in written form. FREEWRITING is one of the most effective and easy forms of journaling. The idea is to write for a specified length of time (usually ten minutes) or to fill a ‘specified number of pages, and not to stop until the timer's sounded or the pages are full What you write about is not important, rather it is important that you write and that you do it without stopping, without thinking, without evaluating or judging what you write. For journaling writers usually maintain a diary, notebook or word page and get their ideas documented in that diary. What are the benefits of keeping a journal? The first and obvious use of writing a journal is that it helps you to remember something Jater: itis a record to look back on. It may be that you do not have time to work out what is, going on right at this minute ~ keeping a note in a journal helps you to recapture the moment later so that we may look at it more deeply. Second, the act of putting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) engages your brains. To write, we have to think. In other words, Journal writing encourages engagement and reflection Third, writing a journal stimulates thought — it allows you to look at yourself, your feelings, ‘and your actions in a different way. By writing things down in a journal, the words are now ‘outside’ of you. You can almost come to look at the words as strangers — ‘Did | really think that?’, ‘How does this fit with that?’ In other words, your words may become more concrete — and in this way, we can play with them, look at them in another light. Fourth, if we allow ourselves freedom (freedom from judgements, and freedom to write as we wish), then the words we form can take us in new directions. Last. and certainly not least, making journal writing part of our routine means that we do actually take lime out to reflect on what might be happening in our practice and in our lives generally. 12 GS‘Tips for Maintaining a Journal: Waiting can de hard, and getting started know how to write @ diary entry, ee You ‘even write about how you aoe they will start to flow naturally, While re ENG101 course, you can consider the folowing Pol writing habits, retoat part. If you foal like yOu do no, iting about anythin, ‘tress over it, You oan start writ 5 renee ‘anything to write, ONC® You start getting be maintaining @ journal for the process of developing journa) vuavally the Ne diary, but it varciost part when writing @ ‘0 be specific, decide what topic you, peasy the mat moan 7H WaT} Spry, don aro Personal and pnt oop track of personal musings on anything mah, Dat we te (HOW oot reo taahion, travol, sports, work, school, dreams, woud lke such iat a few ideas to get you started, Dut If you would ralher Keep your etc. Gary more general, itis totaly uP to you! Create a schedul diary 8 that 2. create aachedule, Saving er Ta wato Init Whether It Bo once 8 day or once YeaAS Seate a schedule that you can adhere to. The more you can make woling in your SES Tarot your routine, the more comprehensive and helpful a practice it will become 3. Seta time limit. A way to stay concise Depending on how much you want to write, ‘and an hour is ideal, ‘4, Date your entries. The great thing about a diary is that you can look back through it ang ‘see how you have progressed over time. 5. Act like you are writing to a trusted friend. If you are wondering how to write a diary ‘entry, the best way to write is as if you are talking to your best friend. This is your personal diary, for your eyes only, so you should feel comfortable wating if you are talking to a trusted companion. 6. Have fun! Writing in your diary should never be a chore or a burden, so remember to have fun with it. It can be a place of solace, a place of creativity, a place of reflection, a place ‘where your thoughts can roam free. When starting a diary, make sure you are writing about things you care about and are passionate about because as long as you enjoy what you're whiting and the process of it, you will never miss an entry. 3 you write in it frequently, but itis up t ‘and on track is to set a time limit for your writing Sot atime limit, Somewhere between 30 minutos Active Reading Strategies At university, you are expected to read a wide range of texts that include course books. academic reference books, lecture slides, journal articles, newspapers, organisational websites, case studies, research reports, etc. You may have several purposes for reading such texts, for instance, to prepare for classes and tutorials, to review information addressed in classes and tutorials, conduct research for assignments, or revise for exams. The reading demands of university study may seem ‘overwhelming, but can efficiently be dealt with by developing effective reading skills, 1B~Z BRAC What challenges do students face in reading academic texts? University students often find it difficult to read academic texts effectively. The challenges they commonly face are. © Finding texts suitable for their purpose * Reading texts in an efficient way © Losing track of ideas when readin; Taking a long time to read Locating main ideas and relevant information * Connecting with information from previously read texts How to deal with these challenges? To tackle these challenges, you need to apply some effective re strategies. It is important to note that reading is an active process that requires you to engage with a text in three stages: the pre-reading stage, the while reading stage, and the post-reading stage At each stage, you need to do some activities so that you can read a text effectively and use the information to suit your purpose. Pre-reading While reading eM tooo or aca Rot Teka a Cee Peace) | ere aad Sd Pee ae a as | Figure 1: The three stages of Reading The Pre-reai a Stage Before you read a text in detail, you need to ask yourself a few questions to prepare for the reading task. You may ask yourself the following questions, among many 4. What is the title and writer's name of this book or text? How much do | know about this text or topic or the writer? 2. What is the genre or structure of this book or text? 3. Does the book or text have any pictures, illustrations, headings etc.? What is my guess regarding the content of the book or text, based on these pictures illustrations, headings? 4. What is my purpose for reading this book or text? Do | want to read the text for general understanding of the text? Do I need any specific information from this text? 14a BRAC dict what you may read in the text and thus tually influence how much information you Asking yourself these questions will help you pre 'd on your purpose for reading, you increase your involvement with the text, and eventually & will understand and remember from it, Additionally, can practice the two quick reading strategies below: A. Skimming B. Scanning A. What is skimming? t to got an overall Idea of the author's ma that you use to re jewing a tex! SHIM eA i gkimming is a speed reading strategy argument, themes or ideas. more in less time, you read only a few selected parts of the text quickly in order to fing When you skim, answers to the following two questions: ‘a. What is the text about? (i.e. What is the writer's message/overall main idea/ central idea in this text?) b. How has the writer organised this text? (i.e, What is the writer saying in each section or body paragraph?) Additionally, skimming skill leads to a better understanding of reading texts as it involves utlising your background knowledge (what a reader already knows about a topic) and the writers’ organisation of ideas in academic texts. How to skim through a text? Skimming is quick because at this stage you read only a few parts of the text, instead of reading the whole. For skimming, you only do the following: Read the litle of the text. It will help you predict the content. Look at illustrations (such as pictures, diagrams, tables, etc.). Notice sub-headings and bold words (if any) in a text Read the introduction and the conclusion. Read the topic sentence and the concluding sentence of each body paragraph. ghee Skimming strategy works best with academic texts because those texts have a cleat Predictable structure. Mf you know that structure, you can quickly decide which section of the ‘ext you want to read and then form the central idea of that text easily What is a top-down view of academic texts? Academic articles or book chapters typically contain an introduction, several paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphs may also be grouped into sections, Here is what academic texts look like: 15Coneiusion Figure: The traditional structure of academic texts Knowing this structure will help you quickly locate the necessary paragraphs or sentences in the text that you want to skim read When to skim? You can decide whether or not to skim by asking yourself the following questions. If your answer is yes to any of these, then skimming is a useful tool © Does this text follow the structure of a typical acadernic text as illustrated above? Do I have a lot of reading to do and only a small amount of time? * Do [need a general idea or the central idea of the text? B. What is anning?: Scanning is another useful tool for speeding up your reading. Unlike skimming, when scanning, you look only for a specific fact or piece of information without reading everything. For instance, you apply the scanning strategy when you look for your name in the attendance record, for exam dates on the notice board, the sports scores in the newspaper, or your favourite dish on the restaurant menu, etc. ‘Scanning means letting your eyes move quickly through the text until you find what you are looking for. Skimming will help you understand how the text is organised, and using this understanding, you can quickly scan only a particular section or paragraph of the text to locate the specific information you need. How to scan a text? 1. Know what you are looking for. Decide on a few keywords or phrases for the information you are looking for. 2. Let your eyes float rapidly down the paragraph or page until you find the wore or phrase you want. 3. When your eye catches one keyword, read the surrounding sentencs carefully. 4. Look for only one keyword at a time. If you use multiple Keywords, do multiple scans. 5, Run your finger down the middle of the page or backward and forward to focus your attention and keep track of your scan. 16~ BAC : veo scanning rey Saray The rnore you pracice String and searing te more QU you wl be abl 1 unre Wt ruc ‘and form the central idea, and locate your specific information. So, keep practis of the central idea At the pre-reading stage, skimming helps you develop an understanding and the structure of a text. Using this knowledge of the text, you may decide to read it for detailed comprehension, which is the “while reading” stage. ‘As you start reading a text, you may face a few of the following challenges: ‘© Understanding what the author is trying to say ‘© Staying focused on the writer's ideas in a text Recalling what the text about without rereading == '* Using the author's ideas in writing assignment with a citation when needed * Revising for an examination To address these challenges, you can practise one effective strategy while reading a text {ake a pen and start marking the text using some corivenient symbols and writing short notes on the margin. This note-taking strategy, called ANNOTATION, can significantly improve eng ar ureter of 8. s What is Annotation? Annotation refers to the act of writing while reading. It means to add notes to a tex! as you read. By using annotation strategy, you create a systematic summary of the text within the document. You can watch a related video on annotation on buX. Annotation is an effective strategy for active reading. You can annotate a text by marking i with symbols and wring your understanding of the main ideas in the margin. By reading 2 Passage from a text carefully, pausing for a while to reflect upon the concept, and thon marking and adding notes on main ideas to that passage as you read, you can significant improve your understanding of it. ‘Annotation involves you (the reader) in doing the folowing: is cing few nee nner Such 8 undrining important inormaten and 2. Writing margin notes How does annotation benefit students? ‘Annotation can have several advantages for you, such as the folowing: 1, This process of marking texts (articles, essays, books, etc.) can help you to ‘concentrate, to understand the text quickly, and to remember more information. 17baw al A. 4 cue Gir Helg YOU IdarHity kay joints in Vente anid wre your awn understanding ner. 9. Annetation 86 Helps you manior haw much of the text you eould understand 4. Gince (howe Margin Noles wxpTA6 Ihe main ideas and major suPpOiNg details of a lax, thay aot 46 @ reading guide for your posL-rending tasks, such as for expressing 10M OPINION, CFOALINY & presentation, surnmmarising the text, ete. How can we annotate a text? Nore are some stops for annotating @ text 4, GIN through @ text to develop a yereral understanding of i. 2. Girote the Key words oF terme in the text, anid the vocabulary that are new to you 4, Mond each paragraph, think about the Kay ideas that you have road—(what is the author arguing, oF how 16 the author supporting the argument?) and underline the key ideas, 4. Write margin notes in your own words. 5. hark the (a7! using annotation symbols ae per your purpose. 6. Check your margin notes to be sure that they make sense to you, and you will be fable 10 decode main ideas and major supporting details from your annotation later without rereading the tert, 7, Go on to the next section oF paragraph, Using Annotation Symbols for » text on paper Here are some of the symbols you can use to mark a text on paper. Annotation symbols for texts on paper ‘Ae you read a text, you may come across words or terms that are unfamiliar. As part of ‘annotation, you can circle those unfamiliar words. However, looking up every unfamiliar word Jn the dictionary will interrupt your reading; therefore, it is important to guess the meaning of those unfamiliar words first, You can try the following tactics for making an “educated guess” at the meaning as you continue reading. 18nt recognize th 4, First, SOUND it out. Say the word-—try @ couple of ways. You might recognize the word when you hear it. the word, Look fr familiar word parts, and see if ffixes shape the root meaning ‘TEXT, Guess at the word's meaning from the way itis used in find that an informal definition iS present in the surrounding he meaning reflected in the next idea. Or, you ‘e way the passage continues inderstand what you are reading the dictionary or the textbook's h the whole paragraph and find 2. Next, examine the STRUCTURE of you can tell how the prefixes and su 3. Then look at the CON’ the sentence. You may sentences. Or maybe you will See may be able to tell the meaning by th DICTIONARY. If you cannot ul steps, pause and turn to tl find yout word, skim throug pronunciation too. 4. Only then, check the after using the above ‘glossary list. When you the most relevant meaning. Check the 5, Then reinforce your understanding by WRITING 2 usabl in the margin of your reading. le brief definition or synonym Writing Margin Notes Margin notes are the most important aspect of annotation. These notes can be on the symbols you have used, for instance, you can write the meaning of an unknown word in the mrargin that you have circled, or you may, write the questions in your mind neal to the question mark. Another important type of notes you should write in the margin are the main ideas or messages of the paragraphs. Depending on the requirements of your post reading tasks, you can also write the theme or Central Idea of the whole text in the margin. ‘The purpose of writing margin notes is to express your understanding of the main ideas or messages in the text in your own words so that you can use these notes later. These notes are usually short and written next to the paragraph, generally on the left margin of a text To write margin notes, read a paragraph of a text, and after reading, cover the text. Now ask yourself questions such as- What does the writer say in this paragraph?”, ‘What do | understand from this paragraph?". Next, write down your understafdin, 1g of this paragraph in brief on the I manner, you can write margin notes for all the main ideas in a text. “a To ensure that your margin notes clear! ly express your understanding of (so that you can use these notes later) you may have to do the ee oo a. Write the main idea and the major supporting details m let points i ting details using meaningful bullet point Do not include examples, explanations, or minor details in your margin notes. Write your notes (the main idea and the major supporting d ising your own ne 2 reel ting details) usi 19ne oA. Feereocreeiat scnderioeesays rv usualy wo srvctred wher each: boy Parearneh xplai fone main idea. On the other hand, , in newspaper articles, scholarly research articles or book chapters, several paragraphs may often explain one main idea. In such cases, you can write only one margin note for those paragraphs. Many students find that marking their study texts with symbols and writing margin notes increase concentration while reading and enhance their understanding. Just deciding what to circle, underline, or write in the margin encourages you to think critically and formulate your own response to the text. Significance of Reading as a pre-writing strategy Reading is crucial in all stages of the writing process, but it plays a vital role in the pre-writing stage. Reading various types of texts and annotating them effectively helps you understand the topic and collect relevant information to develop the topic adequately when you write Asking Questions: ‘Asking questions when reading a text is an effective way of developing your understanding of both the text and your topic for writing. As you read different relevant texts, you may seek satisfying answers to the SWH Questions: Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, and How? When you find answers to these questions, you may keep @ margin note as part of your annotation for future reference. ‘Answering these questions regarding your topic and the text you are reading will help you in several ways, such as the following: -to gain knowledge -to think of your topic in new ways -to discover issues of the topic that are unfamiliar to you -to find more reading materials -to organise your thoughts on the topic -to create a plan for the writing task on your topic ompt you to research for more information by searching the These questions may also p' Internet. understand a topie deeply and then look for answers, formative assignment Is not possible without doing formation propery in your writing. This is why good Whenever you pose some questions to you engage in research. Writing an int ‘some research and reporting relevant writers research their topics at the pre-writing stage, you can use the search engines on the Internet to see fexts are available on your topic. When you search the 20 ‘As part of researching your topic, what kinds of websites and reading '\- Intemet, type the speciic keywords or terms from your broad topic, or the narrowed down [ oe is nerate relevant search i ‘browser's search engine. This will generate ich results focus of your topic in the 's containing those keywords or specific terms. Then, Jook over the search results and identify the most relevant texts. At this stage You can you can ask yourself the questions below: ; Is this text relevant to my topic and purpose? Does this text include facts or opinions? Is the information in this text reliable? Can | trust this writer and the source? sees To find answers to your questions, you can apply skimming and scanning strategies ang thus, create a reading list of the most relevant texts very quickly. Note-taking ‘After selecting the most relevant texts, the next step is to read them. As you read these texts, you should annotate the sections that relate to your topic. You can underline important information and write your understanding of the information in your own words as margin notes. These annotation notes will help you later in the writing process. You also need to keep a note of the following information for each borrowed ideas or information: a) the sources of information (the title of the text, writer's name, website name) b) the original ideas or information in the texts that are relevant to your purpose ©) your understanding of those ideas or information in your own words, and by retaining original meaning to avoid the risk of plagiarism Making mental connections ‘One important aspect of the pre-writing stage is to be able to make mental connections between the purpose and requirements of your writing task, and the notes from your reading and research. Making these mental connections will help you plan well for the nex! stage in the writing process. Therefore, you can follow the steps below to make a mental connection atthe pre-writing stage: 1. Brainstorm your writing topic (do listing, mapping, freewriting, etc.) by using your experience and observations 2. Read to understand your topic by asking SWH questions 3. Research on your topic to develop a critical understanding of various issues relates to the topic Find selective reading materials by applying skimming and scanning strategies 5. Annotate the selective reading materials including the notes on sources, relevant \deas/information, and your understanding of those ideas/information 6. Organize your understanding of the topic from these various sources or reading ‘materials in your own words in a notebook or journal > pyA piece of writing can be called effective when good ideas are expressed clearly and arranged in a comprehensible order. This is why writers engage in a number of pre-writing tasks such as above to gather information as per their purpose of writing on a topic. Using these strategies discussed in this handout can help you confidently begin the writing process. Activity 4 A. SKIM through the text ‘Plagiarism in the Academic Community’ in 3 minutes. Answer the following questions. Questions: Answers 1. What is the central idea of the | Hudson (1975) defines plagiarism and explains its | text ‘Plagiarism in the penalties, types, and ways to acknowledge the | Academic Community’? ‘sources. | 2. What are the main ideas in the text? 3. Which paragraph explains plagiarism by ignorance? Plagiarism in the Academic Community Heurman Hudson 1975 Academic Essays [P1] Scholars, writers, and teachers in the modern academic community have strong feelings about acknowledging the use of another person's ideas. In the English-speaking world, the term plagiarism is used to label the practice of not giving credit for the source of one’s ideas. From an ancient Latin word meaning to kidnap or steal the child or slave of another, plagiarism is universally condemned in the modern academic world, It is equivalent to stealing the livelihood or savings of a worker, for it robs the original writer or scholar of the ideas and words by which he makes a living, [P2] The penalties for plagiarism vary from situation to situation. In many universities, the punishment may range from failure in a particular course to exclusion from the university. In a literary world, where writers are protected from plagiarism by international copyright laws, the penalty may range from a small fine to imprisonment and a ruined career. Protection of scholars and writers, through the copyright laws and through the social pressures of the academic and literary communities, is a relatively recent concept. Such social pressures and copyright laws require writers to give scrupulous attention to the documentation of their sources. 2Students, 28 inexperienced scholars themselves, must avoid various types of = in trek use of offer scholars’ ideas and by going oe words. There are at least aopropriate the source of borrowed ides and See aaa oxpiaghatont nis vovuutad ts wasdao inexaciness in identifying sources properly, These categories are plagiarism by secident, by ignerance or by ‘intention. Plagiarism by accident, or oversight, sometimes is the result of the writers Ce eaercoide oc remember where the ten came for. They may have reac jong 290, heard it in a lecture since forgotten, or acquired it second-hand or third-hand from discussions with colleagues. Although this type of plagiarism is the jeast serious, i must be guarded against: the writes must make an effort to identity the source. is simply a way of saying that inexperienced wrt chen do ot kta hom ot when to acknowtedge the sources. The tectnauos to avoid plagiarism- quoting, footnoting, listing biblography- are easily learned. The writers have no scope to plead ignorance when their sources for ideas are challenged. [P6] The most serious kind of academic thievery is plagiarism by intention. The writers, limited by their laziness and dullness, copy the thoughts and language of ‘others and claim them for their own. They not only steal, but they also try to deceive the reader into believing the ideas are original. Such words as immoral, dishonest, offensive and despicable are used to describe the practice of plagiarism by intention [P7] The opposite of plagiarism is acknowledgment. All mature and trustworthy writers make use of the ideas of others, but they are careful to acknowledge their indebtedness to their sources. Students, as developing scholars, writers, teachers, and professional leaders, should recognize and assume their responsibility to document all sources from which language and thoughts are borrowed. Other members of the profession will not only respect the scholarship but will also admire the humility and honesty. 8B. Read the following questions and answer them by SCANNING the text ‘Plagiarism in the Academic Community’ in 3 minutes. Questions Rhinia 1 ‘Which laws protect the ideas of writers and scholars in the ‘academic community? How many classifications of Plaglariom are discussed in this learn to avoid plagiarism? Which techniques should we | 23academic community? {In paragraph 3, what does the ‘word “self-critical” mean in the context? C. Annotation: Annotate the text ‘Plagiarism in the Academic Community’ using the following symbols and write marginal notes. Annotation symbols for texts on paper Circle unknown vocabulary words you do not know Underline main ideas 7 Place a question mark next to the text you do not understand Activity 2 A. The title of the text below is “Studying: Then and Now". From this title, what is your guess regarding the content of the text? List of predictions below: i) i) ili) B. Take 2 minutes to Skim through the text and answer the following questions. Questions Answers: 1, What is the central idea of the | Ans. In this text, the author's last name and year in a text? bracket, explains/suggests/focuses on .., 2. How many old study habits hi the writer reformed in college? writer's study sessions before important exams in school? 24~¢ Studying: Then and Now IP1] One June day, | staggered into a high school classroom to take my final exarn jy, United States History IV. Bleary-eyed from an all-night study session, 1 checked m, “cheat sheets", which were taped inside the cuffs of my long-sleeved shirt. | had mac. my usual desperate effort to cram the night before, with the usual dismal results | hag made it only to page seventy-five of a four-hundred-page textbook, My high schoo study habits, obviously, were a mess but in college, | have made an attempt to reforn, my note-taking, studying, and test-taking skills. [P2} Taking notes is one thing | have learned to do better since high school days. | use to lose interest and begin doodling, drawing Martians, or seeing what my signature looked like. Now, however, | try not to let my mind wander, and I pull my thoughts back into focus when they begin to go fuzzy. In high school, my notes often looked ike something written in Arabic. In college, | have learned to use a semi-print writing siyle that makes my notes understandable. When | look over my high school notes, | coulg not understand them. There would be a word like “Reconstruction,” then a big blank then the word “important.” Weeks later, | had no idea what Reconstruction was or why it was important. | have since learned to write down connecting ideas, even if | have to take the time to do it after class. [P3] Ordinary during-the-term studying is another area where | have made changes. |r igh school, | let reading assignments go. | told myself that | would have no trouble catching up on two hundred pages during a fifteen-minute bus ride to school. College courses have taught me to keep pace with the work. Otherwise, | feel as though | am sinking into a quicksand of unreal material. When | finally read the high schoo assignment, my eyes would run over the words but my brain would be plotting how to get the car for Saturday night. Now, | use several techniques that force me to really concentrate on my reading. IP4] in addition to learning how to cope with daily work, | have also learned to hai study sessions for big tests. My alknight study sessions in high school were ‘experiments in self-torture. Around 2:00 am, my mind, like a soaked sponge, simp! stopped absorbing things. Now, | space out exam study sessions over several day That way, the night before can be devoted to an overall review rather than ra memorizing. Most importantly, though, | have changed my attitude towards tests. In high school, | thought tests were mysterious things with completely unpredictable questions, Now, 1 ask instructors about the kinds of questions that will be on the exam, and | try to “psych out” which areas or facts instructors are likely to ask about. These practices really work, and for me they have taken much of the fear and mystery out of tests. IPS] Since | have reformed, note-taking and studying are not as tough as they once were. Moreover, one benefit makes the work worthwhile: my college grade sheets look much different from the red-splotched ones of my high school days. 25al WAG hoe 1d the following questions and answer them in 3 minutes by SCANNING the toxt, Questions: 4. What are the benefits of taking notes? 2. Which practices make exams loss scary? 3. In the last paragraph, what does the writer mean by "red-splotched D. Annotate the text above using annotation symbols and write marginal not E. Answer the following questions. 1. Doyou think that students should follow effective study techniques at university level? Why or why not? Explain your opinion with reasons and examples. 2. According to you, is it worthwhile to spend some extra time on the class notes after the class? Justify your opinion with reason and example, Summary Writing: A post-reading task What is a summary? ‘A summary is an accurate representation of someone else's ideas in your own words. A ‘summary includes only the main ideas of the original text, so it is a concise version of the original text. Writing a good summary depends on how well you understand a reading text and how clearly you can express your understanding using your own words. What are the purposes of the summary? Before you write the summary, make sure that you understand why and for who you are writing it. For a busy reader (professor, boss, client, etc.), who has NOT read the original text, your summary should provide a quick and exact overview of the text. Also, since the summary shows how well you have understood the main ideas of a text, teachers can test your knowledge from your summary. Being able to summarise also helps you write ‘advanced level assignments where you can summarise a writer's arguments when analysing an issue, How to write a summary? You can follow the five steps discussed below to write a summary. 26a RAC ‘Step 1: Skim the text and form the Central Id ‘ Skim read the selective’ parts of the original text (Le. skim only the Introduction, the Conclusion, and topic sentences and concluding sentences of body paragraphs.) and write the central idea of the whole text in the margin. Step 2: Identify the writer's main ideas and major supporting details. Read the text carefully, particularly to look for clues to identify the main ideas. Also find the major supporting details that are necessary, without which the main idea may not be clearly understood. Continue to underline such major supporting details along with the main ideas and write margin notes as you find them. Step 3: Create an outline for your summary. ‘Once you have written margin notes in your own words, you can create an outline to organise the main ideas and the major supporting details visually. You need to list these ideas in the same order as in the original text. ‘Step 4: Write your summary using the outlin ‘When writing your summary, make sure to ensure these points: a. Begin the summary with an introductory sentence with the Central Idea, author's last name and publishing year. b. Write main ideas and major sup-ideas only. Exclude minor details such as examples and evidence. Keep the ideas in the same order as in the original text. ‘Write the summary using your own words and sentences. Do NOT copy the writer's sentences. @. Change the wording but not the ideas. Do not change the original ideas or information. {. Use transition words to make the summary flow smoothly and read clearly. 9. Use author's tag (use last name of the author/pronountthe term ‘writer’) Examples: Smith argues that li, He also claims that li, The writer concludes by suggesting that 21yr AC ‘An author's tag is an appropriate verb that conveys the writer's purpose Some recommended verbs for author's tag states clarifies points out compares argues asserts | claims believes defines concludes denies demonstrates discusses highlights elaborates implies emphasises insists evaluates lists explains notes responds, observes suggests outlines rejects Given below is the summary of the text “Plagiarism in Academic Community” by Heurman Hudson, 1975, Sample Summary Hudson (1975) defines plagiarism and explains its consequences, types, and ways to avoid this academic offence. To begin with, the writ prohibited in the academic community. The writer ter defines plagiarism as stealing another writer's ideas and words, which mentions that there are institutional policies and intemational copyright laws based on Which various punishments are given for plagiarism depending on the severity of the situation, The writer also explains the three ways plagiarism is committed by inexperienced writers- by accident, ignorance, and by intention. Firstly, plagiarism by accident occurs when writers fail to recall the sources for their borrowed ideas or words. Secondly, plagiarism by ignorance occurs when writers do not know the techniques of quoting, footnoting, and listing bibliography when giving credit to original authors. Thirdly, the most despicable plagiarism, by intention, occurs when a writer wilfully copies ideas and words from a source and gives readers the false impression that those are their own. To conclude, he encourages writers to carefully acknowledge all sources for their borrowed ideas and words and, thereby, earn respect for their honest practice. Referencs Hudson, H. (1975). Plagiarism in the Academic Community. Academic Essays. 28