FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS SOCIALES

DEPARTAMENTO DE LENGUAS Y CULTURA

English 8: Introduction to Academic Writing
Course Code - Section: LENG 1158-XX
Type of Course: Language
Course Level: Undergraduate
Credits: 2
Year - Semester: 2020-2A or 2B
Instructor: X
Class Schedule: X
E-mail Address: X@uniandes.edu.co
Office and Office Hours: X

Program Description
The Academic English Support Program provides undergraduate students at Los Andes with the
English instruction they need to complete academic tasks in English within the university, as well as
to use English effectively in academic and professional situations outside the university. It is also
designed to help students acquire the strategies they need to continue learning English independently
beyond the classroom. The Academic English Support Program has eleven levels and two cycles:
basic and intermediate/advanced. The purpose of the basic cycle is to prepare students for an
English-language academic environment and to be able to read academic texts, which are required in
their university classes. Successful completion of the basic cycle fulfills the university’s English
reading requirement, and prepares students to take cursos I. The purpose of the
intermediate/advanced cycle is to provide students with specific focused instruction in oral and
written communication, including aspects of both fluency and accuracy. Successful completion of
the intermediate/advanced cycle fulfills the university’s second language requirement.

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 LENG
English Fundamentals
1150
LENG
English 1
1151
LENG
English 2
1152
LENG
Basic English 3 Integrated Academic Skills
1153
LENG
English 4
1154
LENG
English 5
1155
LENG
English 6
1156
LENG
English 7 Intermediate Academic Speaking
1157
Intermediate
LENG
English 8 Introduction to Academic Writing
1158

Student LENG
English 9A Writing for Science and Engineering
s 1159
Choose LENG Writing for Humanities and Social
English 9B One 1160 Sciences
Advanced
LENG
English 10A Student Speaking for Academic Purposes
s 1161
Choose LENG
English 10B One Speaking for Professional Purposes
1162

Course Description
English 8 is a workshop-style intermediate writing course designed to assist students in developing
language proficiency, language strategies, and basic principles of academic writing in English.
Students will learn process writing to allow them to plan, edit, reflect upon, and revise sentences,
paragraphs and essays with increasing confidence and independence. At the same time, students will
progress toward more accurate and more advanced and pragmatically appropriate use of English
grammar and vocabulary, particularly for academic writing.

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Entry Profile
English 8 is the second course in the intermediate and advanced cycle of the English Academic
Support Program. Students entering this level are expected to have a minimum of the following skill
levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR):

Reading Writing Speaking Listening Grammar Vocabulary

B2+ B1 B1+ B1+ B1 B2

When students enter this 52-hour eight-week course, basic expected abilities include:

· generally follow rapid or extended speech with possible repetition or clarification

· take effective notes while listening to a simple, straightforward presentation or lecture
· follow the essentials of lectures, talks and other forms of academic presentation
· express, and give reasons and explanations for opinions in speaking
· ask for clarification during an academic discussion
· read and understand complex academic and general texts on a variety of topics
· write accurate simple, compound and complex sentences
· write cohesive paragraphs and paraphrase information from texts

Exit Profile
Students exiting this level are expected to have a minimum of the following skill levels based
on the CEFR:

Reading Writing Speaking Listening Grammar Vocabulary

B2+ B1+ B1+ B1+ B1+ B2

When students complete this 52-hour, eight-week course, they will be able to:

· discuss basic structures of phrases, clauses, and sentences for feedback, correction, and
learning
· edit, reflect on, and improve writing, using feedback as a basis for learning
· identify the main characteristics of formal academic paragraphs and essays
· plan a comparison/contrast paragraph using block or point-by-point structure
· write a comparison/contrast paragraph using clear and concise language
· create a formal outline for a full-length essay
· write an academic argumentative essay using clear and concise language
· paraphrase, quote, and cite appropriate sources to support a given point of view or claim

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 · introduce, contextualize, and explain examples accurately and appropriately
· employ strategies to avoid and correct common writing errors
· create cohesion using pronoun reference, this phrases, lexical chains, and sentence structure
· use high frequency verbs appropriately and with correct complement structure
· use a range of basic connectors, transitions, and signals (conjunctions, adverbs, etc.)
accurately and judiciously
· use modal verbs, conditionals, and other appropriate language to state a position and to
acknowledge and refute a counterargument
· use appropriate and accurate vocabulary to write about familiar and assigned topics

In addition, students are expected to work independently to improve grammar, vocabulary and
writing skills from previous levels which they have not yet mastered.

Methodology
English 8 is a workshop-like course, which follows the program’s philosophy of learner autonomy. It
provides students with tools, opportunities, and guidance to take charge of their development as
language learners. To pass the course, you will be required to achieve the course objectives and
demonstrate clear progress in your ability to express yourself accurately in English. The course
requires use of new language, error analysis, reflection, and setting realistic goals. You will need to
be an autonomous learner, aware of your own weaknesses and strengths. Learners are expected to
take advantage of the resources and instruction the course provides to improve writing and editing
skills, and to expand and improve grammar and vocabulary for increased confidence and fluency.
The instructor’s role is that of a facilitator and moderator who will guide students closely at the
beginning while providing the necessary tools to achieve the ultimate goal of autonomous
improvement. Individual, pair, and group work are integral to the course. Learning activities may
include reading, writing, listening, speaking, pre-writing, timed writing, journal entries, self- and
peer-evaluation, class presentations, and debates. Assignments for this class will provide the chance
to plan, develop, review, and revise writing. Assessments will require students to demonstrate that
they have used feedback and assignments to make progress toward the course objectives. Since the
primary opportunity to practice English is in the classroom, and since assignments are designed to
provide the necessary tools to achieve these goals, regular class attendance and participation are
expected.

Blended Courses
This is a blended course. This means that you will complete coursework both in class and
online (Sicua), and your instructor will take attendance for both. Each week, you will have 6 hours
in class, and 1.5 hours online. Online work is important to successful completion of the course,
and classroom activities will often depend on doing online tasks first. Your instructor may
set deadlines and assign grades for this work. On Sicua, you will find required online work for

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each week under “Independent Work”. Note that this is NOT ‘homework.’ It is classwork that you
complete in your own time, separate from any homework that may be assigned.

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Content & Objectives
Module 1
Week 1
Diagnosis
Language terms and working with feedback
Basic sentence review
Review of paragraph structure
Week 2
Topic sentences
Support sentences
Concluding sentences
Paragraph Cohesion
Listing-order/explanatory paragraphs
Week 3
Comparison-contrast
Comparison-contrast paragraphs
Planning for block or point-by-point
Week 4 (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Review
Exam 1: Short writing and comparison-contrast paragraph
Module 2
Week 4 (Thursday and Friday)
Basic argumentation
Introduction to essay structure
Week 5
Taking a position and writing a thesis statement
Planning an essay
Relating topic sentences to thesis
Support Paragraphs
Integrating Quotations
Week 6
Counterargument & Refutation
Concluding Paragraphs
Week 7
Final feedback on slow essay
Practice argumentative essay under exam conditions
Review and preparation for Exam 2
Week 8
Exam 2: Argumentative essay
Feedback session

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Course Materials
There is no book for this course. All materials will be available on Sicua. Additional resources may
be made available to you via Sicua or handed out by your instructor.

Assessment
Students’ work is marked on a scale of 0 to 5. 5.00 is the highest possible grade, and 3.00 is the
lowest passing grade. The final official grade is reported as either A (aprobado/pass) for grades of
3.00 and above or R (reprobado/fail) for grades below 3.00. Exams and coursework have the
following values:

Product Week(s) Percent of Final Grade

Unit 1 Coursework Week 1-3 20%
Exam 1 Week 4 25%
Unit 2 Coursework Week 4-7 25%
Exam 2 Week 8 30%
100%

NOTE: Please keep in mind that THERE IS NO LOS ANDES POLICY FOR AUTOMATICALLY
ROUNDING COURSE GRADES. The lowest passing grade is 3.00; any grade lower than 3.00
WILL NOT BE a passing grade.

IMPORTANT: Graded assignments and assessments submitted and/or received after the stated
deadline will receive a score of zero (0) unless you have discussed any issues with the instructor
IN ADVANCE of the deadline and the instructor has agreed to give you an extension. In the case of
accepted excused absences, please refer to articles 45 and 51 of the undergraduate student handbook
(Reglamento de estudiantes de pregrado).

Likewise, any assignment that requires multiple drafts or other proof of work may be rejected or
subject to a grade reduction up to and including a grade of zero (0) for the entire assignment if each
required step is not completed on time and as assigned.

In the event that you wish to dispute a grade, please refer to the procedure explained in articles 64,
65, and 66 of the undergraduate student handbook (Reglamento de estudiantes de pregrado).

Academic Honesty
Students at this level are expected to understand the basics of academic honesty, and to be proactive
and responsible members of the university community. If you are uncertain if something might
constitute academic dishonesty, it is your responsibility to ask your instructor in advance to clarify.
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No student may claim that they did not understand what academic dishonesty is, or use ignorance as
a defense or excuse for dishonest conduct. Likewise, it is the student’s responsibility to act honestly,
not the instructor’s responsibility to prevent dishonest behavior. Failure to adhere to general
standards, or violation of standards described here, given by your instructor, or in any course
materials may result in a grade reduction, up to and including a grade of zero (0). All work submitted
for evaluation is subject to verification of sources, process, and the student’s ability to produce
similar work in English unaided. Academic dishonesty may be reported for further action.

The following are expressly prohibited:

• Writ
ing an assignment or any substantial portion of an assignment in a language other than English and
then using automatic translation software to translate that text to English
• Usin
g tools or sources beyond those provided or approved in advance for use
• Writ
ing any part of an in-class assignment outside of class unless otherwise instructed
• Writ
ing any part of an assessment response (test, exam, quiz, etc.) outside of the designated assessment
period
• Usin
g any portion of someone else’s writing without proper quotation or paraphrase and
citation/attribution
• Usin
g work created for or in another class, including another section of this course
• Pres
enting work that someone else created as your own
• Prov
iding information about an assessment to others
• Solic
iting information about an assessment from others

When in doubt, ask your instructor.

Refer to section 10 (Capítulo X) of the undergraduate student handbook (Reglamento de estudiantes

de pregrado) for further information on university policies regarding academic honesty.

Attendance
From the undergraduate student handbook (Reglamento de estudiantes de pregrado):

Artículo 43: Es facultativo de cada profesor controlar la asistencia de sus alumnos y determinar
las consecuencias de la inasistencia, si ésta es superior al 20%.
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Artículo 44: Los parámetros para controlar la asistencia serán informados a los estudiantes el
primer día de clases, junto con el programa del curso, con el fin de que se comprometan a
respetarlos desde ese momento.

All courses in the program will follow these regulations. Students who miss more than 20% of
classes will fail the course and will receive a grade of R (reprobado/fail). Instructors will inform
students of the procedure for checking and counting attendance on the first day of class. Students are
responsible for keeping track of their own attendance.

Bibliography

Folse, K. (2011). Oxford American dictionary vocabulary builder. Oxford, UK: Oxford University
Press.

Meyers, A. (2014). Longman academic writing series 5: Essays to research papers. White Plains,
NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Oshima, A. & Hogue, A. (2014). Longman academic writing series 3: Paragraphs to essays, 4th ed.
White Plains, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Oshima, A. & Hogue, A. (2017). Longman academic writing series 4: Essays, 5th ed. White Plains,
NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Additional references available at student request

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