Session 2.

The Process of Essay Writing

LB160 -Book 2 Writing Successful Essays

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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In this session, you will focus on how to write essays on what you do to the inputs to convert them to outputs. Here is a systems model that explains the process visually.
INPUTS
TRANSFORMATION PROCESSES Reading course material Processing the course concepts Considering the relevance to the essay title Considering reader expectations Thinking Writing drafts

Essay title Course material Personal experience

OUTPUTS essays

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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In this session, you will 2.2 Analyse an essay title to be clear about its requirements 2.3 Brainstorm ideas for an essay
2.4 Read from sources for essay writing 2.5 Outline and write a first draft of the essay

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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As explained previously, an essay title may contain some or all of the following components:
An introductory statement about the topic Instruction key words Key concepts Guidelines about the scope of the essay

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Activity 2.1 Purpose: to identify the components of two essay titles. Task: look at the two essay titles below. Which of the above components does each one contain? (A) Explain why Nike is the biggest training show company in the world. (B) Discuss the extent to which a large corporation such as Nike might influence the economic health of a developing country.
Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Session 2: process of essay writing

Activity 2.1: Answers (A) Explain why Nike is the biggest training show company in the world.
Contains instruction word, key concepts, and a scope, which requires the company in discussion to be Nike.

(B) Discuss the extent to which a large corporation such as Nike might influence the economic health of a developing country.
Contains instruction word, key concepts, and a scope, which does not require the company in discussion to be Nike. It can be any similar large corporation.

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Focusing on instruction words:

In essay title A: You already know from Session 1 that explain means to make something clear or give reasons for something. In this case, you do not need to include your opinion as regards Nike being the biggest training shoe company in the world; all you need to do is give reasons on how it is already that. In essay title B: discuss means give reasons for or against an argument; investigate and examine by argument. Here you need to incorporate your opinion of the topic as well as the arguments out there regarding this issue; in other words, you need to come to a conclusion determining the extent of the positive or negative influence of the large corporation on the economic health of a country.
Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Session 2: process of essay writing

Focusing on key concepts:

It is important not only to identify the key concepts in an essay, but also to recognise how they are linked. For example, what is the connection between the key concepts in essay title B? The important word is influence. It is a cause-effect word. Therefore, we can deduce that in this essay title (B), the activity of the large corporations is the cause and the economic health of the (developing) countries in which they work is the effect.
Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Session 2: process of essay writing

Focusing on key concepts (contd) Activity 2.3: Purpose: to consider your understanding of the key concepts in essay title B in more detail. Task 1: name any other large corporationsor multinational companies (MNCs) that might be considered similar to Nike.

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Focusing on key concepts (contd) Activity 2.3: Answers Purpose: to consider your understanding of the key concepts in essay title B in more detail. Task 1: name any other large corporationsor multinational companies (MNCs) that might be considered similar to Nike. Coca-cola, Reebok, Microsoft, Starbucks, Gap, LG, McDonalds, Nokia, LOreal, Pepsi
Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Session 2: process of essay writing

Focusing on key concepts (contd) Task 2: What factors do you think indicate that a country is in good economic health? Choose from the words in the left-hand column below and combine them with the words in the right-hand column. Some words may be used more than once. rising falling prices high inflation low employment stable living standards fluctuating (changing) balance of payment (import a healthy and export balance between country and world)
Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Session 2: process of essay writing

Focusing on key concepts (contd) Task 2: What factors do you think indicate that a country is in good economic health? Choose from the words in the left-hand column below and combine them with the words in the right-hand column. Some words may be used more than once. Possible Answers:
Rising (high) living standards High employment Low inflation Stable prices A healthy balance of payments
Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Session 2: process of essay writing

Focusing on key concepts (contd) Task 3: (a) List some examples of developing countries. (b) How would you define a developing country? Think of the features that differentiate it from a developed country. Various terms are used to refer to developing and developed countries. Some of them are listed below. Sort them into two columns, one headed Developing countries and the other Developed countries. Are there terms you prefer over others?

Underdeveloped countries The Third World The Majority world Western countries

industrialised nations the West the South MEDCs

undeveloped countries The First World LEDCs non-industrialised nations

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Focusing on key concepts (contd) Task 3: Answers (a) Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Peru, Bhutan, Ghana, Lebanon, etc. (b) Features are: A relatively low standard of living; a low per capita income, limited industrial development. Developing countries Developed countries

underdeveloped countries undeveloped countries non-industrialised nations Tha Majority World the South LEDCs (less economically developed countries)

industrialised nations The First World western countries the West MEDCs (more economically developed countries)

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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In brainstorming for an essay, you draw a mind map of all the key concepts you can think of that are related to the topic area and the assignment or essay title. Look carefully at essay title A and question what each of the concepts included means? This will help you understand the assignment topic better.
Essay title A: Explain why Nike is the biggest training shoe company in the world. For. e.g. what does biggest mean? Does it mean quantity produced? Profit? Number of employees? Most widespread? Next, what could some reasons be? Effective marketing strategies? Quality of products? Outsourcing benefits?

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Now fill out this initial mind map:

What does biggest mean? Nike biggest training shoe company in the world Reasons

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Now fill out this initial mind map:

Quantity produced
Number of employees

profit
What does biggest mean? Nike biggest training shoe company in the world Quality of products

controversial Production strategy

Reasons

Outsourcing

marketing

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Activity 2.6: Purpose: to practise doing a brainstorming mind map on an essay title. Task: create your own mind map based on essay title B: Discuss the extent to which a large corporation such as Nike might influence the economic health of a developing country.

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Activity 2.6:
What is a developing country?

What is economic health? Influence of large corporation in a developing country What are the effects in terms of economic health?

What are the features of an MNC?

positive

negative

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Stable living standards

Activity 2.6: Possible Answers

What is a developing country?

Low standard of living

What is economic health? What are the effects in terms of economic health?

Outsource production

What are the features of an MNC?

Influence of large corporation in a developing country

positive
Employment opportunities

negative

Sweatshop production Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Activity 2.7: Purpose: to review the active reading method that you met in Book 1. Task: List as many of the techniques that you can remember from the active reading method described in Book1. When you have finished, group these techniques according to whether they are:
(a) pre-reading (b) during-reading activities post- reading activities.

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Activity 2.7: (a) pre-reading

Be clear what output you want from reading the text. Before you read carefully, look quickly through the text to see what it is generally about (good places to look are: title, introduction, beginning sentences of each paragraph, final paragraph). Draw a mind map of some of the knowledge you already have about the content. Think of a question that the text will answer for you before you read it.

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Activity 2.7: (b) during-reading activities

Keep asking more questions during reading. Read the text carefully, trying to note how it us organised. Underline high level in the text. Write notes on the text.

(c) post- reading activities

Write notes somewhere else, not on the text. If possible, draw mind map. Produce a summary.

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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In courses on professional communication skills, tutors are looking at not only what ideas are included in an essay but also on how they are communicated. They will use a checklist to assess these features, especially as related to the material included from research. Here is the checklist.
Box 2.1 Checklist for a successful essay A Use of relevant material is information from the study and research correct and appropriate for the task? 1. Relevant information from reading is used 2. Irrelevant information from reading is avoided 3. Information from reading or other research is interpreted correctly 4. Information from reading or other research is transferred correctly 5. Information is integrated with the text 6. Text is free from plagiarism 7. Bibliography is constructed correctly
Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Session 2: process of essay writing

Locating source material.

Which source materials are relevant and appropriate? Wikipedia and The Encyclopedia Britannicawhile providing useful information are not normally accepted as appropriate for university study because their content is not developed for university purposes.[do Activity 2.8] As for relevance, an important point to keep in mind is whether the material has any bias and what type that is. Nike company website, for e.g., is good source for statistics, but one cannot depend on it for learning about its influence on developing countries, because it would probably be not as objective as desired.
Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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Session 2: process of essay writing

Types of source material: Primary and Secondary sources.

Primary sources are real world data. They include original documents, such as figures, data, diaries, recordings of interviews and responses to questionnaires. They are considered the evidence needed to support claims made in essays. Secondary sources are one step away from primary sources in that they compile, interpret, and comment on the original documents or data. An example is a report which contains an analysis of interviews and data already collected. Secondary sources provide the explanation of the data.

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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After having read all your sources and taken notes on them, you need to write an outline of your essay. In this outline, you decide also on the position youll be taking regarding the topic: the influence of the large corporation (MNC) on the economic health of a developing country. Taking a position means you will eventually decide on and express your own viewpoint on said topic. The last 2 Activities, 2.18 and 2.19 are related to writing an outline and then a draft of the essay. Consider first the MNC you will be discussing, Starbucks? Nike? Nokia? And then work through the steps suggested in this session and write your essay. Good Luck!

Session 2: process of essay writing

Copyright Material Arab Open University, Lebanon Branch. LB160_Book 2_ Spring 2010_ A joint effort between the Business and Language Faculties.
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