What is “Academic”
Writing?
Acha, Nicolas
Teacher: stella Maris
Saubidet Oyamburu
Language &
Written Expression VI
July 13, 2014
L. Lennie Irvin
Introduction: The Academic Writing Task
Writing in college
is something different to what you have been doing in school. This composition
class will be focused on what “Academic” writing is like and hopefully will
give you the tools you need to face the challenges you will encounter in your career.
Once you are given your first academic writing task in college, you have to know that your success depends mainly on how you understand and approach to the writing task. Indeed, the mental representation of the task makes a huge difference. Some students arrive at college with strange ideas about what they will be asked to do and others with no idea at all, but some misconceptions are general to most students and must be clarified.
Once you are given your first academic writing task in college, you have to know that your success depends mainly on how you understand and approach to the writing task. Indeed, the mental representation of the task makes a huge difference. Some students arrive at college with strange ideas about what they will be asked to do and others with no idea at all, but some misconceptions are general to most students and must be clarified.
Myths about
Writing
These are some of
the things people believe about writing and that lead to problems in their
attempts to write.
Myth #1: Writing is
a Formula
Writing is not a
linear process. On the contrary, it is a recursive process in which we are
constantly moving from one step to the other.
Myth #2: You can’t
start writing until you know the end
Ideas come up as
you write, you have to start writing and you will find your way.
Myth #3: Perfect First
Drafts
There is no such
thing as a perfect first draft. Start writing something, think about it, revise
it and correct it; maybe then you can have a respectable first draft
Myth #4: some got
it, I don’t - the genius fallacy
Of course, some
geniuses had it. But the rest of us mere mortals can become good writers after
some effort and study.
Myth #5: Good
grammar is good writing
Good writing
implies causing a particular effect upon the audience. Concentrate on the
content of your work and you will have time to correct the grammar
Myth #6: The five
paragraph essay
The most classic
format for compositions with an introduction, three supporting paragraphs and a
conclusion. Although it is a very useful format for writing an essay, it is not
the only one.
Myth #7: Never use
“I”
In fact, most of
the times you will be asked to give your opinion and make an analysis. It is ok
to use “I” in the semi-formal style of your writings.
The Academic Writing Situation
The most common
problem in novice writers is the lack of sense of the writing situation in
general. The challenge for the writer is to create a context for the reader. In
a speaking situation, we can use different strategies to make ourselves clear.
Separated in place and time from the audience, the writer must use punctuation
and word choice to convey meaning.
Looking More
Closely at the Academic Writing Situation
As any other
specialized writing situation, writing in college has its own codes and
conventions that you have to be aware of. These are some of the aspects you
have to consider.
- Audience
- Context
- Message
- Purpose
- Genres
This is like what
you have been doing for years at secondary school, but there are some
differences in college. Lee Ann Carrol got to this description after a study of
student writing in college:
What are usually called “writing assignments” in college might more
accurately be called “literacy tasks” because they require knowledge of
research skills, ability to read complex texts, understanding of key
disciplinary concepts, and strategies for synthesizing, analyzing and
responding critically to new information, usually within a limited time frame
Every writing assignment is an opportunity to
demonstrate your knowledge and show your proficiency in the skills of thinking,
interpreting and presenting. Let’s analyze the elements of the college writing
“literacy task”.
Ø
Knowledge
of Research Skills
One of the most important steps of your writing is
carrying the necessary research. You will have to find for in depth information
from different sources and keep track of them.
Ø
The
ability to Read Complex Texts
Reading complex texts implies thinking critically on
what you are reading. You have to be able to distinguish facts from opinions as
well as biases and assumptions. Making inferences based on known information
and get your readers to make the same inferences that you have made.
Ø
The
Understanding of Key Disciplinary Concepts
You have to demonstrate that you know what you are
talking about by applying and using the key concepts correctly in your
writings.
Ø
Strategies
for Synthesizing, Analyzing and Responding Critically to New Information
For every writing assignment you will be asked to deal
with unfamiliar information that you have to grasp and use later in your
writings.
In College, Everything’s an Argument: A Guide for
Decoding College Writing Assignments
Based on a particular topic or reading, you will be
asked to write an “essay” in which you will have to present an argument and
support your claim with appropriate evidence.
v
Academic
Writing is an Argument
Presenting an argument in college writing means to
state your point of view in a persuasive way so that you win your audience’s
agreement of your position.
v
Academic
Writing Is an Analysis
When you are asked to write an analysis what is really
expected of you is to break the subject into small parts and show how they
relate to each other. The interpretation you make of this relationship will be
the claim that you have to support with strong evidence.
Three
Common Types of College Writing Assignments
There are different kinds of assignments based on the level
of the teacher’s direction that you might receive in college. These are:
The
Close Writing Assignment
- Is Creon a character to admire or condemn?
- Was the south justified in seceding from the union?
These kinds of assignments are already making two
counter claims so your task is to decide which one is right and find the
evidence to support it.
The
Semi-open Writing Assignment
- · Discuss the role of law in Antigone
- · Explain the relationship between character and fate in Hamlet
It asks you to analyze a particular topic or subject,
arrive at some interesting insights and present your findings in the form of a
claim.
The
Open Writing Assignment
- · Analyze the role of a character in Dante’s The Inferno
- · What does it mean to be an “American” in the 21st century?
These tasks give you the freedom to choose your
writing subject and your thesis statement. It may seem easier to write without
restrictions, but you must have a good understanding of the subject matter
before selecting an interesting and manageable topic for your writing.
Ø
Picking
and Limiting a Writing Topic
One of the most difficult challenges in writing is to
select an interesting and appropriate topic to develop. You should look for
gaps and confusing items in the readings until you find a question that can be
stated and then answered. Try to limit your topic to a manageable size that can
be properly supported.
Three
Characteristics of Academic Writing
There are certain characteristics that all teachers
expect to find in your writings. Chriss Thaiss and Terry Zawaki conducted a
research and found three dominant characteristics:
1-
Clear
evidence that you have been persistent, open-minded, and disciplined in study.
2-
The
dominance of reason over emotions or sensual perceptions.
3-
An
imagined reader who is coolly rational, reading for information, and intending
to formulate a reasoned response.
The Format of the Academic Essay
There are specific characteristics that your pieces of
writing should have according to the assignment, but in general, the
characteristics of the “Critical Essay” will serve you as a reference.
Characteristics of the Critical Essay
- · It makes a point and supports it with enough evidence to be convincing.
- · What it claims should be a debatable interpretation.
- · It consists of an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
- · Transitions between the different main points should be clear to the reader.
- · It should be carefully edited to avoid grammatical mistakes.
Conclusion
You must be very conscious of the kind of tasks you
are doing because your success depends on your understanding and approach to
the writing assignments.
Works cited
Carroll, Lee Ann. Rehearsing New Roles: How College
Students Develop as Writers.
Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 2002. Print.
Thaiss, Chris and Terry Zawacki. Engaged Writers &
Dynamic Disciplines: Research on the Academic Writing Life. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook,
2006. Print.
