English - Academic Writing C2

In this course students write and revise essays of various genres including description, evaluation, explanation, argument and analysis, while learning how to evaluate and interpret written texts of others in regular workshop sessions.

In each essay, students will show that they are familiar with and can apply conventions of Anglo-American academic writing such as beginning a text with an introduction, supplying a transparent, coherent set of supporting paragraphs, and ending with a succinct conclusion. They will be able to apply conventions of grammar and mechanics consistently, and will demonstrate a sensitivity to readers’ needs by responding to feedback given by fellow students in workshops and by the instructor in consultations and in writing.

Students will receive both peer and teacher feedback on each draft and will revise their texts to demonstrate a command of the conventions of each genre (e.g. in an evaluative essay they will be able to respond to readers’ needs for information, state a clear judgment, provide evidence for it, use appropriate strategies such as comparing and contrasting, citing sources responsibly, anticipating and acknowledging counterarguments, and adopting a credible voice).

After completion of this module, students have improved their ability to communicate clearly and powerfully in formal written English, become familiar with some common forms of expository writing, increased academic, professional and everyday vocabulary, developed regular habits to continue this learning process, and generally have increased their self-confidence with regard to written text production.

In addition, students can understand formal texts with increased ease, summarize information from different written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation; they can express themselves spontaneously very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

Corresponds to C2 of the CER.

Ability to begin work at the C2 level as evidenced by a placement test score in the range of 75 – 100 percent. (Please check current announcements as the exact percentages may vary each semester.)

In this workshop-style course we explore a range of topics through short readings and essay-length composition writing. Students will participate in writing workshops in which they demonstrate an ability to analyze texts of fellow students and provide appropriate feedback.Techniques for evaluating one’s own writing will be practiced, with opportunities to revise drafts. Oral and written peer evaluations will form a regular component of the class sessions including use of an online peer forum and online instructor feedback.

Text material, online platform with forum and text archive allow students to develop writing ability in a process-oriented manner.

Handouts and selected extracts from published sources will be used in the course. Key literature will be advised by the teacher and/ or listed in the course description.

Performance, testing the learning outcomes specified in the module description, is examined by a cumulative portfolio of competence and action-oriented tasks consisting of multiple iterations of three texts (each 400-500 words) in various genres.

Students will also demonstrate the ability to produce texts spontaneously in a final in-class writing assignment (exam).

The drafts of each text, as well as the final in-class assignment will count equally toward the final grade.

As the course may be offered in various formats (online or classroom) the form and conditions of the final exam (with or without aids) will vary. Where audio or video is recorded, we observe the Basic Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO, Art. 12 -21).