Advanced Writing for Multilingual Students

Curriculum guideline

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Course
ELLA 1030
Discontinued
No
Course code
ELLA 1030
Descriptive
Advanced Writing for Multilingual Students
Department
English Language Learning and Acquisition
Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 Weeks
Max class size
22
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Contact hours

Lecture: 2 hours/week

and

Seminar: 2 hours/week

Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Learning activities

Some or all of the following methods will be used:

  • whole-class instruction
  • large- and small-group discussion
  • peer review
  • computer-assisted learning
  • in-class writing
  • instructor feedback on written work
  • revision of submitted writing
  • independent research
Course description
This course is designed to support advanced level non-native English-speaking students to meet the language demands of first-year Canadian college courses. Students will focus on how language is used to communicate meaning and develop critical thinking skills for effective academic reading and writing. Instruction will emphasize understanding multiple perspectives in academic texts, addressing prompts accurately, developing a sense of audience, and producing clear and concise language in writing assignments, such as paragraphs, essays, and/or reports. The focus of the course is on refining the skills needed by writers who learned English as an additional language.
Course content

Accuracy Skills

  • elements of formal and non-formal language: being specific and concise, understanding person-based writing when presenting opinions, claims, and points of view.
  • hedging and emphatic expressions to present opinions, claims, and points of view.
  • reporting structures to insert source evidence.
  • appropriate use of active and passive voice.
  • sentence patterns and structure: using a variety of sentence types, avoiding run-on sentences and fragments.
  • transition words, repetition of key words and phrases, pronoun reference, and parallel structure to achieve text continuity and coherence.
  • using appropriate context-specific collocations.
  • identifying and self-correcting individual grammatical and lexical errors.
Writing Skills
  • stages in the writing process: researching, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing.
  • elements of effective academic argument: expressing and supporting a personal point of view, acknowledging opposing arguments, and responding to counterarguments.
  • focused thesis statement and relevant support in paragraphs, essays and/or reports.
  • supporting an argument with credible, relevant, and effective source evidence.
  • paraphrasing strategies.
  • integrating source evidence, including statistics, graphic data, paraphrases, and quotations, employing the APA or MLA citation style.
Reading Skills
  • rhetorical patterns of organization in academic texts: narration, process, definition, classification, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution, and persuasion.
  • writer’s purpose, message, audience, bias, tone, and style.
  • writer’s position, supporting and opposing arguments, and evidence (facts vs. opinions, main ideas vs. support).
  • elements of grammar and lexis used to communicate a persuasive message.
 
Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. evaluate academic texts for content and logical development, analyzing arguments for validity, reliability, and objectivity.
  2. identify and apply elements of language expression that contribute to density, specificity, and conciseness of academic texts.
  3. collect, analyze, and organize relevant information from a variety of credible sources for use in writing assignments.
  4. plan, draft, revise, and edit writing assignments suited to an academic setting, citing sources (APA or MLA style), summarizing, paraphrasing, and integrating source information.
  5. edit their own written assignments to achieve the level of accuracy in grammar, sentence structure, and word choice required in first-year college courses.
  6. demonstrate an understanding of Canadian academic culture and conventions. 
Means of assessment

Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. Students are expected to demonstrate effective study skills, including active participation, regular attendance, punctuality, engaged collaboration, and ability to meet deadlines. Assessment will be based on learning outcomes and course content, and it will include, but need not be limited to, the following tasks:

  • in-class reading and summarizing
  • in-class writing assignments
  • research essays or reports completed over the term
  • grammar quizzes/editing exercises
Sample grade breakdown:
  • In-class writing assignments worth up to 25% (total)
  • Grammar quizzes/Editing exercises worth up to 25% (total)
  • Argumentative essay worth up to 15%
  • Research paper/report worth up to 25%
  • Participation worth up to 10%
  • Total: 100% 
Textbook materials

A list of required and optional textbooks and materials will be provided for students at the beginning of the semester. Students may be required to purchase one or more of the following materials:

  • coursepacks
  • textbooks such as Cambridge Academic English, Advanced by Hewings and Thaine, Routledge’s Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students by Bailey, or Pearson’s University Success Transition Level Writing by Norloff and Renehan. 
Prerequisites
  • IELTS minimum overall test band score 6.5 (academic module only), TOEFL iBT (in-person or online) - minimum score 83, TOEFL Essentials - minimum score of 9 (no score below 8 on any individual section), or any other equivalent testing option that shows proof of proficiency in English for applicants who learned it as an additional language, or
  • Completion of ELLA 0330 and ELLA 0340, or
  • ELLA assessment
Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None