Your First Few Writing Assignments For The Course
Your First Few Writing Assignments For The Course Will Be Summary Pape
Your first few writing assignments for the course will be summary papers, and, in fact, summaries are used in a wide variety of genres - both at the university and in the workplace. Read through the powerpoint below to get some information about summary writing. Pay particular attention to the way that summaries should be structured and the "templates" that you can use for beginning summaries - they might be helpful for you as you write. Your first paper for the class will be a summary and response to an article related to language. Four articles below the guidelines; you can choose one article, summarize it, and respond to it.
The guidelines for the summary paper are linked below as well. Read through the guidelines, and go back and refer to the powerpoint on summary writing as you need it.
Paper For Above instruction
The assignment requires writing a summary and a response to an article related to language. The process involves selecting one of four provided articles, summarizing its main points, and then providing a personal or critical response to the content. This task aims to develop skills in concise academic summarization, critical thinking, and engaging with scholarly or informational texts.
The first step involves thoroughly reading the available articles to understand their core arguments, methodologies, findings, and implications. Summarization should be succinct, capturing the essential points without unnecessary details or personal opinions. Effective summaries follow specific structural templates, which can be found in the provided PowerPoint presentation. These templates serve as useful guides for organizing information clearly and coherently, emphasizing the structure of an introduction, body, and conclusion, and highlighting key components like thesis statements, supporting evidence, and implications.
Once the summary is complete, the next component is to develop a thoughtful response. This involves critically engaging with the article's content, assessing its strengths and weaknesses, relevance, and implications for the field of language studies. Personal insights, agreements, disagreements, or questions about the material should be articulated clearly, supported by evidence or reasoning.
Throughout the writing process, students should refer to the guidelines linked in the assignment and utilize the summary structure templates from the PowerPoint to ensure clarity and coherence. The final paper should be well-organized, between 500 and 700 words, written in academic style, and free of grammatical and spelling errors.
This assignment not only boosts your summarization skills but also encourages critical thinking and personal engagement with scholarly texts about language, which are valuable skills in both academic and professional contexts. Remember to cite the article appropriately and adhere to any specific formatting expectations outlined in the linked guidelines.
References
- Gordon, G. (2009). The elements of academic writing. Routledge.
- Hacker, D., & Sommers, N. (2016). A pocket guide to academic writing. Bedford/St. Martin's.
- Kirkman, A. (2014). Academic writing: A handbook for international students. Routledge.
- Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (2012). Academic writing for graduate students: Essential tasks and skills. University of Michigan Press.
- Lunsford, A. A., & Ruszkiewicz, J. J. (2016). Everything's an argument. Bedford/St. Martin's.
- Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2017). They say / I say: The moves that matter in academic writing. WW Norton & Company.
- Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2008). The craft of research. University of Chicago Press.
- Leki, I. (2007). Apprenticeship II: Academic writing in a second language. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods. Sage publications.
- Wallace, M. (2018). Critical reading and writing for postgraduates. Sage Publications.