Basic academic writing: A reference guide.
Date
1997
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Research, and Publication Department.
Abstract
Writing is a skill which is not acquired naturally (being the result of maturation process) It is a skill which must be taught and learnt. Any normal human being once born is expected to acquire the language of those around him. Writing however, must be taught formally, It presupposes an instructor (teacher) and a person being taught (learner) in a relatively formal setting It is therefore possible for person to be born, live, and finally die without knowing how to write if not formally taught. It is indisputable among linguistic that language is speech not writing. We normally learn to speak before being introduced to graphic symbols of the language we speak.
The most important factor which makes writing difficult as opposed to speaking is the absence of para-linguistic devices. Features such as gestures, facial expression, body posture and intonation are crucial for clarifying the intended meaning. Consequently, a writer has to plan his/her facts very carefully so as to compensate for these para-linguistic features present and applied in the spoken form.
My ten years’ experience as a teacher of English for Academic purposes (commonly known as Communication Skills) has shown me that most students in tertiary institutions have a common and serious problem essay writing; particularly essays which are assigned and evaluated by a lecturer.
In view of the above, | have tried to help students by writing this reference booklet revolving around what | have observed to be the major problems facing many students. Basic Academic Writing is divided into 9chapters: (1) Pre-writing stage, (2) Essay structure, (3) Paragraphs, (4) Making a good argument
(5) Presenting references, (6) Choosing the right words, (7) Punctuation marks,
(8) Capitalization, and (9) Grammar.
Description
This book was sent to DRPS for publication.
Keywords
Pre-writing stage, Essay structure, Paragraphs, Good argument making, References presentation, Right words choosing, Punctuation marks, Capitalization, Grammar, Noun usage, Pronoun usage
Citation
APA