Academic Writing in English

NIL

The objective of this course is to introduce students to more complex and academic concepts and skills of English for academic purposes with the consideration for majors of science and engineering. This course supports students in terms of applying scientific knowledge and language in English as well as academic skills obtained in the first two years of compulsory English courses to more realistic learning and research tasks. Such tasks include academic writing (accuracy and fluency), academic discussions, presentations, student-generated research topics and scientific investigation of such topics in a small group and/or individually. In other words, students will be trained to take initiative, plan their own academic research in English, and communicate their study and research in English with their peers and professors more freely.

NIL

ASE I & II; AWE I & II; AE2Y I & II

none

Week 1: Orientation for the course
Week 2: Academic and Social Communication: E-mailing
Week 3: Writing e-mails for Academic and Social Communication. Students analyze e-mails written by their peers in English using guidelines.
Week 4: Understanding definitions of scientific terms in English (how definitions in English are typically written)
Week 5: Writing definitions of scientific terms in English
Students select terms from the research areas of their own courses and practice how to write definitions.
Week 6: Understand product specifications.
Students bring product specifications to class and analyze those features by themselves.
Week 7: Writing Product Specifications
Week 8: Understanding Technical Manuals
Week 9: Critiquing and Improving Technical Manuals. Writing a technical manual on PPT for presentation as a group.
Week 10: Presenting the group Technical Manual on PPT to other groups.
Week 11: Outlining Research for short lab meetings. Understanding Research Article/Paper (RA/RP). Review RA Abstract elements. Outlining the RA of students' choices for presenting. Students prepare individually a short research description on a research top of their choices. Practicing presenting the research description at a lab at UEC.
Week 12. Students learn the different styles of RA abstracts of different research areas. Students work in groups and analyze sample abstracts and improve the abstracts that have problems
Week 13: Students revise their own abstracts and conference with the teacher and peers.
Week 14: Students finalizing and submitting their abstracts for grading.
Week 15: Course evaluation. Review the key components of the syllabus.
(The syllabus is subject to change)

TOEIC・TOEFL・IELTSを受けた経験仕事に英語を使用した経験が高く評価されている。

This course requires students to work outside of the classes for preparation for projects, presentations and other homework.

Students will be assessed according to the following criteria:
Class participation and attitude: 10%; QuickWrites: 10%; E-mail writing: 10%; Definition writing: 10%; Product specification writing: 10%; Manual writing: 20%; Abstract writing: 30%
(This evaluation system is subject to change.)

Students can talk to the teachers before or after the classes directly, and/or make appointments with the teachers by email.

Your participation in class is one of the most important elements of your overall achievement in this course. You must try to use English in class and participate actively in class activities required by the teachers. Inappropriate use of Japanese in class will be considered unacceptable behaviors and could lead to lower final grades. In addition, you are expected to make contributions to group activities and collaborate with your peers for research, presentations or any other collaborative tasks.

1. There will be one or more English competency exam(s) which students must take during the semester.
2. There may be class observation conducted by the department teachers or other English teachers.