Lengua Inglesa I Academic Paragraph Writing (3rd edition)

FL copias

Año: 2019 p. 76

978-987-1976-86-7

Writing is not only a linguistic but also a cognitive and social process. It is obviously a linguistic process because, when we write, we need to deal with language. It is also a cognitive or thinking process since, while we write, we analyse ideas and draw on mental resources. This implies careful research on topics. Finally, writing is a social process as, if we want to become a member of a certain linguistic community, we need to be well-informed about the sociocultural conventions of that community. This means that we may have to write in a way that we may not be familiar with at the beginning. This is especially the case when writing in academic settings, for example, at university. Writing is then linguistically, cognitively and socially challenging, and writing in another language is even more challenging. Writing in English as a foreign language is demanding in more than one way. First, it is important for the writer to be aware of conventions that are different from the ones that rule the mother tongue. For instance, while Spanish writing may be digressive, English writing tends to be linear. Second, while Spanish-speaking readers may value emotional impact, English-speaking readers would expect a style that is more direct and to the point together with a fixed text pattern. Again, writing is a challenge and, as every challenge, it requires knowledge, preparation and practice. This handout is an attempt to provide students of English Language I with the necessary knowledge, skills and strategies to write academic paragraphs in English. It contains activities that will help them practise writing as they deal with the main topics of this course. The handout is divided into three chapters: The Academic Paragraph, Paragraph Writing Tasks and Self-monitoring, Teacher and Peer Feedback. We hope that this handout can help students learn how to write academic paragraphs in English in an organised and enjoyable way.