ENG1515/101/0/2023

Tutorial Letter 101/0/2023

Applied English Language for Foundation

and Intermediate Phases: Home
Language

ENG1515

Year Module

Department of English Studies

This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.

BARCODE

CONTENTS
 Page

1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 4
2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES ........................................................................................................ 5
2.1 Purpose........................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Outcomes ........................................................................................................................................ 5
3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION ............................................................................................. 5
4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................... 6
4.1 Lecturer(s) ....................................................................................................................................... 6
4.2 Department ..................................................................................................................................... 6
4.3 University ........................................................................................................................................ 7
5 RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................. 7
5.1 Prescribed book(s) .......................................................................................................................... 7
5.2 Recommended book(s) ................................................................................................................... 8
5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves) ..................................................................................................... 8
5.4 Library services and resources ....................................................................................................... 8
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES .................................................................................................. 9
6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme ................................................................................ 9
7 STUDY PLAN ............................................................................................................................... 10
8 PRACTICAL WORK ..................................................................................................................... 10
9 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................. 10
9.1 Assessment criteria ....................................................................................................................... 10
9.2 Assessment plan ........................................................................................................................... 11
9.3 Assessment due dates .................................................................................................................. 11
9.4 Submission of assessments .......................................................................................................... 11
9.5 The assessments .......................................................................................................................... 12
9.6 Other assessment methods .......................................................................................................... 12
9.7 The examination............................................................................................................................ 12
9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring .................................................................................................................... 12
10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY .......................................................................................................... 13
10.1 Plagiarism ..................................................................................................................................... 13
10.2 Cheating ........................................................................................................................................ 13
10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:……………………………...13
11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES ................................................................................... 13
12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .......................................................................................... 14
13 SOURCES CONSULTED ............................................................................................................. 14

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14 IN CLOSING ................................................................................................................................. 14
15 ADDENDUM ................................................................................................................................. 14

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Dear Student

1 INTRODUCTION
Unisa, as a comprehensive open distance e-learning institution (CODeL), is moving towards
becoming a fully online institution. You will therefore see that your study material, assessments
and engagements with your lecturer and fellow students will be a combination of online and printed
communication. This tutorial letter is intended to offer you some guidance in this regard.

We are pleased to welcome you ENG1515 and hope that you will find it both interesting and
rewarding. We will do our best to make your study of this module successful. You will be well on
your way to success if you start studying early in the year and resolve to do the assignments
thoroughly and in good time for submission.

This module uses a blended learning mode or approach to learning, teaching and assessment.
While there are many definitions of a blended mode, at Unisa a blended mode is understood as a
combination of printed and online material to engage with students. The printed material in this
module include Tutorial Letter 101, Tutorial Letter 501, prescribed textbooks and other printed
materials to which you may be referred. On the other hand, online material refers to all the
electronic material that is used in the module such as online Tutorial Letter 101, Tutorial Letter 501,
e-tutoring, discussion forums, virtual class presentations, among others.

To assist you understand the content and other matters related to the module, several tutorial
letters will be placed on the ENG1515 site on myUnisa during the course of the year. A tutorial
letter is our way of communicating with you about teaching, learning and assessment. Please
make sure you check the myModule site regularly so that you are aware of any new material
that is available or announcements that have been made.

Tutorial Letter 101 (this letter) contains important information about the scheme of work and
resources for this module. We urge you to read this document carefully. Keep it close when you
are working through the study material. The tutorial letter also provides guidance about
communicating with your e-tutors, the module administrative officer or lecturers.

In this tutorial letter you will find the assessment criteria, the assessment plan as well as instructions
on the preparation and submission of the assignments. This tutorial letter also provides you with
all the information you need about the prescribed study material, additional resources and how to
access these. The document contains general and administrative information about this module.
Please study this information carefully and make sure that you obtain the prescribed material as
soon as possible.

At the outset, we would like to point out that you must read all the tutorial letters you receive
throughout the year carefully as they always contain important and, sometimes, urgent information.

We look forward to taking this journey with you and hope you will enjoy the course and find it
worthwhile!

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2 PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES

2.1 Purpose
As the module title, ENG1515: Applied English Language for Foundation and Intermediate
Phases – Home Language, indicates, this module aims to introduce you to various English
language skills appropriate to the foundation and intermediate phases. You will be asked to
consider how these skills may be applied to develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills
further. As you will see, part of developing these skills is understanding how various factors (noise,
social context, historical context, resources, natural habits, knowledge and so on) affect our use
and understanding of language, and how language itself then affects each one of us.

This module aims to equip you with the necessary skills and competencies to
a) lay foundations for the study of language by introducing the general characteristics and functions
of the English language. The module provides students with an overview of the basic levels of
language analysis namely; phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics;
b) develop your knowledge of the four language skills namely listening, speaking, reading and
writing and the interrelationship between them;
c) understand the conceptual knowledge that will help you to apply your language competence and
skills in various real-life contexts and domains; and
d) enhance your language proficiency and literacy development.

2.2 Outcomes
This module teaches a rudimentary understanding of the knowledge and skills involved in teaching
and learning the English Language. Thus, the main outcomes are:
• Students shall demonstrate, through intermediate level language writing skills, that they
understand what the foundations of language study comprise across the four modes of
listening, speaking, reading and writing.
• Students shall demonstrate through their writing skills that they understand the rules of
language.
• Students shall demonstrate academic writing skills at tertiary level NQF 5.

3 CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter, in terms of which the university has placed
curriculum transformation high on the teaching and learning agenda. Curriculum transformation
includes student-centred scholarship, the pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment
practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the infusion of African epistemologies and
philosophies. All of these will be phased in at both programme and module levels, and as a result
of this you will notice a marked change in the teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa,
together with the way in which the content is conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you
to embrace these changes during your studies at Unisa in a responsive way within the framework
of transformation.

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4 LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS
4.1 Lecturers

All the lecturers teaching this module are eager to guide you through the module. Should you wish
to contact them, feel free to do so. Always remember to quote your student number when
contacting the lecturers.

The lecturers involved in this module are listed below as follows:

Dr Dumisile Mkhize (Primary Lecturer)

E-mail: mkhizdn@unisa.ac.za

Mr Sydney Maluleke (Co-Primary Lecturer)

E-mail: mkhizdn@unisa.ac.za

Dr Khulekani Gazu
E-mail: mkhizdn@unisa.ac.za

Mr Moses Ralushai
E-mail: mkhizdn@unisa.ac.za

Dr Tlatso Nkhobo
E-mail: mkhizdn@unisa.ac.za

Ms Zodwa Mkhize
E-mail: mkhizdn@unisa.ac.za
Please note: To streamline queries and ensure that students are assisted as soon as possible, we
have a dedicated email address for this module. We appeal to you to use the address for any and
all student queries. Using this address will ensure that your query is sent to the person who can
best attend to it as soon as possible.

The dedicated e-mail address for this module is: ENG1515@unisa.ac.za

The lecturers responsible for this module are also listed on the ENG1515 myUnisa site.
Please make sure that you always use your @mylife.unisa.ac.za email account when you
communicate with us. Make sure you sign up for this account as soon as you have registered, as
UNISA cannot guarantee that emails from personal accounts will reach us.

4.2 Department

The Chair of the Department: Dr Shandu Phetla

The PA to Chair of the Department: Mr Kutullo Makofane.
His email address is makofks@unisa.ac.za .
Department phone number: (012) 429 4128
The Administrative Officer for ENG1515 will be listed on the myUnisa module site.

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4.3 University

You will find general Unisa contact details in my Studies @ Unisa brochure. Please remember to
use your student number when contacting the University. For ease of reference, some of the
important contact details are:

• Assignment: assign@unisa.ac.za
• Exams: exams@unisa.ac.za
• Aegrotats: aegrotats@unisa.ac.za

Contact addresses of the various administrative departments appear on the Unisa website:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Contact-us/Student-enquiries.

Please include the student number in all correspondence.

5 RESOURCES

5.1 Prescribed book(s)

There are two prescribed textbooks in this module. You need to purchase both textbooks.

• Teaching English language and literacy. 3rd edition by Wyse, D, Jones, R, Bradford, H &
Wolpert, A. 2013. ISBN9780367001773
• Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. 4th edition by Bailey, S. 2015.
ISBN 9780367001780

If you cannot find the prescribed books at a bookstore, please contact the official booksellers
of Unisa.

• Adams Booksellers at www.adamsuniversitybooks.co.za,

• Book Express at www.bookexpress.co.za,
• LJ Armstrongs Booksellers at www.armstrongs.co.za,
• Loot Online (Pty) Ltd at www.loot.co.za,
• Pro Visions Books at www.provisions.co.za,
• Sherwood Books at www.sherwoodbooks.co.za,
• Takealot.com at www.takealot.com,
• Van Schaik Bookstores at www.vanschaik.com
• Way Forward Logistical Solutions at www.wayforwardshop.com and
• Wize Books at www.wizebooks.co.za

Remember, it is your responsibility to ensure that you acquire the prescribed books for the
module.

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5.2 Recommended book(s)

None

5.3 Electronic reserves (e-reserves)

There are no e-reserves for this module. However, as a general rule, E-reserves can be
downloaded from the Library catalogue. More information is available at
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request

5.4 Library services and resources information

The Unisa library offers a range of information services and resources:

• For brief information, go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance
• For more detailed library information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• For research support and services (e.g. the services offered by personal librarians and the
request a literature search service offered by the information search librarians), go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-support
• For library training for undergraduate students, go to
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Training
The library has created numerous library guides, available at http://libguides.unisa.ac.za
Recommended guides:
• Request and find library material/download recommended material:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
• Postgraduate information services: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
• Finding and using library resources and tools:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• Frequently asked questions about the library:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Services to students living with disabilities:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability
• A–Z of library databases:
https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/az.php

Important contact information:

• Ask a librarian: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Technical problems encountered in accessing library online services:
Lib-help@unisa.ac.za
• General library-related queries: Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za
• Queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@unisa.ac.za
• Social media channels: Facebook: UnisaLibrary and Twitter: @UnisaLibrary

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6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

The Study @ Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies

This brochure contains important information and guidelines for successful studies through Unisa.

If you need assistance with regard to the myModules system, you are welcome to use the following
contact details:

• Toll-free landline: 0800 00 1870 (Select option 07 for myModules)

• E-mail: mymodules22@unisa.ac.za or myUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za

You can access and view short videos on topics such as how to view your calendar, how to
access module content, how to view announcements for modules, how to submit assessment
and how to participate in forum activities via the following link: https://dtls-
qa.unisa.ac.za/course/view.php?id=32130

Registered Unisa students get a free myLife e-mail account. Important information, notices and
updates are sent exclusively to this account. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for your
account to be activated after you have claimed it. Please do this immediately after registering
at Unisa, by following this link: myLifeHelp@unisa.ac.za

Your myLife account is the only e-mail account recognised by Unisa for official correspondence
with the university and will remain the official primary e-mail address on record at Unisa. You
remain responsible for the management of this e-mail account.

6.1 The Unisa First-Year Experience Programme

Many students find the transition from school education to tertiary education stressful. This is also
true in the case of students enrolling at Unisa for the first time. Unisa is a dedicated open distance
and e-learning institution, and it is very different from face-to-face/contact institutions. It is a mega
university, and all our programmes are offered through either blended learning or fully online
learning. It is for this reason that we thought it necessary to offer first-time students
additional/extended support to help them seamlessly navigate the Unisa teaching and learning
journey with little difficulty and few barriers. We therefore offer a specialised student support
programme to students enrolling at Unisa for the first time – this is Unisa’s First-Year Experience
(FYE) Programme, designed to provide you with prompt and helpful information about services that
the institution offers and how you can access information. The following FYE services are currently
offered:

• FYE website: All the guides and resources you need in order to navigate through your first
year at Unisa can be accessed using the following link: www.unisa.ac.za/FYE

• FYE e-mails: You will receive regular e-mails to help you stay focused and motivated.

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 • FYE broadcasts: You will receive e-mails with links to broadcasts on various topics related
to your first-year studies (e.g. videos on how to submit assessments online).

• FYE mailbox: For assistance with queries related to your first year of study, send an e-mail
to fye@unisa.ac.za .

7 STUDY PLAN
To complete this module successfully, it is crucial that you start working through the learning
material as soon as possible. If you have internet access, you can download all the learning
material from myUnisa as soon as you have registered for the module.

We recommend that you work through Tutorial Letter 501 in the following order:

February- April: UNITS 1+2

April-June UNITS 3+4
June-August: UNITS 5+6
August- October: Exam Revision
Please be sure to engage regularly with your e-tutor who will have extra teaching activities online.
These activities will enable you to practise your skills and prepare you both for the assignments
and the examination.

8 PRACTICAL WORK
There is no practical component for this module. However, reading both the prescribed texts and
any additional reading would be of practical benefit in this course.

9 ASSESSMENT
9.1 Assessment criteria
Markers use marking guidelines when assessing your assignments, your essays in particular.
Carefully consult the guidelines before you start writing your assignments, and again before you
submit your work to ensure that you are on the right track. These will be provided on myModule.

Short questions are assessed in a similar way, although you need not write introductions or
conclusions for short questions. Remember that short questions must be answered in paragraph
form, and these paragraphs should be well-structured and coherent.

Please bear in mind that both content/organisation and form/expression are important components
in the assessment process.

Content includes both ideas (relevance, weight, originality) and their organisation (introduction,
body and conclusion; support of claims and interpretation; cohesion and control of argument).
Expression refers to your use of English.

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9.2 Assessment plan

• To complete this module, you will be required to submit three assignments.
• All information on when and where to submit your assignments will be made available to
you via the myUnisa site for your module.
• Due dates for assignments, as well as the actual assignments are available on the
myModule for this module.
• To gain admission to the examination, you will be required to submit all the three
assignments.
• Your assignments will comprise a combination of short answer questions and an essay.
• The assignment weighting for the module is as follows: Assignment 01 (30%), Assignment
02 (30%) and Assignment 03 (40%).
• You need to obtain a year mark average of 40% for the assignments to gain admission to
the examination.
• You will receive examination information via the myModules sites. Please watch out for
announcements on how examinations for the modules for which you are registered will be
conducted.
• The examination will count 60% towards the final module mark.

9.3 Assessment due dates

• There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.
• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the myModule landing page for this
module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.
• Please start working on your assessments as soon as you register for the module.
• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for
the submission of the assessments.

9.4 Submission of assessments

• Unisa, as a comprehensive open distance e-learning institution (CODeL), is moving towards

becoming an online institution. You will therefore see that all your study material,
assessments and engagements with your lecturer and fellow students will take place online.
We use myUnisa as our virtual campus.

• The myUnisa virtual campus will offer students access to the myModules site, where
learning material will be available online and where assessments should be completed. This
is an online system that is used to administer, document, and deliver educational material
to students and support engagement between academics and students.

• The myUnisa platform can be accessed via https://my.unisa.ac.za. Click on the myModules
2023 button to access the online sites for the modules that you are registered for.

• The university undertakes to communicate clearly and as frequently as is necessary to

ensure that you obtain the greatest benefit from the use of the myModules learning
management system. Please access the announcements on your myModules site
regularly, as this is where your lecturer will post important information to be shared with you.

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 • When you access your myModules site for the module/s you are registered for, you will
see a welcome message posted by your lecturer. Below the welcome message you will see
the assessment shells for the assessments that you need to complete. All assessments
must be completed on the assessment shells available on the respective module platforms.

• For written assessments, please note the due date by which the assessment must be
submitted. Ensure that you follow the guidelines given by your lecturer to complete the
assessment. Click on the submission button on the relevant assessment shell on
myModules. You will then be able to upload your written assessment on the myModules site
of the modules that you are registered for. Before you finalise the upload, double check that
you have selected the correct file for upload. Remember, no marks can be allocated for
incorrectly submitted assessments.

9.5 The assessments

As indicated in section 9.2, you need to complete three assessments for this module.

There are no assignments included in this tutorial letter. Assignments and due dates will
be made available to you on the myModule website for this module. We envisage that the
due dates will be available to you upon registration.

9.6 Other assessment methods

None

9.7 The examination

Examination information and details on the format of the examination will be made available
to you online via the myUnisa site. Look out for information that will be shared with you by
your lecturer and e-tutors (where relevant) and for communication from the university.

9.7.1 Invigilation/proctoring

Since 2020 Unisa conducts all its assessments online. Given stringent requirements from
professional bodies and increased solicitations of Unisa’s students by third parties to
unlawfully assist them with the completion of assignments and examinations, the University
is obliged to assure its assessment integrity through the utilisation of various proctoring
tools: Turnitin, Moodle Proctoring, the Invigilator App and IRIS. These tools will authenticate
the student’s identity and flag suspicious behaviour to assure credibility of students’
responses during assessments. The description below is for your benefit as you may
encounter any or all of these in your registered modules:

Turnitin is a plagiarism software that facilitates checks for originality in students’

submissions against internal and external sources. Turnitin assists in identifying academic
fraud and ghost writing. Students are expected to submit typed responses for utilisation of
the Turnitin software.

The Moodle Proctoring tool is a facial recognition software that authenticates students’
identity during their Quiz assessments. This tool requires access to a student’s mobile or
laptop camera. Students must ensure their camera is activated in their browser settings
prior to their assessments.
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The Invigilator “mobile application-based service does verification” of the identity of an

assessment participant. The Invigilator Mobile Application detects student dishonesty-by-
proxy and ensures that the assessment participant is the registered student. This invigilation
tool requires students to download the app from their Play Store (Google, Huawei and Apple)
on their mobile devices (camera enabled) prior to their assessment.

IRIS Invigilation software verifies the identity of a student during assessment and provides
for both manual and automated facial verification. It has the ability to record and review a
student’s assessment session. It flags suspicious behaviour by the students for review by
an academic administrator. IRIS software requires installation on students’ laptop devices
that are enabled with a webcam.

Students who are identified and flagged for suspicious dishonest behaviour arising from the
invigilation and proctoring reports are referred to the disciplinary office for formal proceeding.

Please note: This module will not use any of the invigilation or proctoring tools mentioned
above.

10 ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

10.1 Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of taking the words, ideas and thoughts of others and presenting them as
your own. It is a form of theft. Plagiarism includes the following forms of academic dishonesty:

• Copying and pasting from any source without acknowledging the source.
• Not including references or deliberately inserting incorrect bibliographic information.
• Paraphrasing without acknowledging the original source of the information.
10.2 Cheating
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Completing assessments on behalf of another student, copying the work of another

student during an assessment, or allowing another student to copy your work.
• Using social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram) or other platforms to disseminate
assessment information.
• Submitting corrupt or irrelevant files as per examination guidelines
• Buying completed answers from so-called “tutors” or internet sites (contract cheating).
10.3 For more information about plagiarism, follow the link below:
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/myunisa/default/Study-@-Unisa/Student-values-and-rules
11 STUDENTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES
The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD) provides an
opportunity for staff to interact with first-time and returning students with disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and would like additional support or need additional time
for assessments, you are invited to contact Dr Mkhize @ mkhizdn@unisa.ac.za to discuss
the assistance that you need.

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12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I have to acquire the prescribed textbook?
Yes, you must acquire the two prescribed textbooks. They will support your understanding
of the TUT501 and extend your knowledge. You will also need the books for your studies in
year 2 of your qualification. They are also good references that you can refer to later when
you are a teacher in the classroom and might have questions that only become apparent
once you start applying your knowledge within the school context.

I have not yet received my study material. What can I do?

If you have not yet received your study material, you can download digital copies from
myUnisa under the Official Study Material tab.

How can I submit my assignments?

You can submit your assignments online only by uploading the assignment onto myUnisa.

How do I find my e-tutor on myUnisa?

Students have been assigned to e-tutors. Consult the ‘How to find your e-tutor site guide’
available under ‘Additional Resources’ for step-by-step instructions on finding your e-tutor. If
you have tried the steps above, and cannot seem to find your e-tutor, please send an e-mail
in this regard to ENG1515@unisa.ac.za. Remember to include your name, surname, and
student number.
For any other queries, remember that the Study@Unisa brochure contains an A−Z guide of
frequently asked questions and the most relevant study information

13 SOURCES CONSULTED
None

14 IN CLOSING
We hope that you will enjoy this module and we wish you every success in your studies. Best
wishes.

The ENG1515 Teaching Team

15 ADDENDUM

15.1 How to answer questions in a paragraph

Paragraphs in the body of the essay are ways of arranging information in coherent ways so
that they support and provide evidence for your answer. Each paragraph should focus on a
different aspect of your answer and should also have a single focus.

• The first sentence of any paragraph should indicate what that paragraph will be about. We
call this the ‘topic sentence’.
• While the topic sentence makes a particular claim, the rest of the paragraph needs to
support and ‘prove’ it.
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• Make sure that all the quotations and examples in the paragraph have been effectively linked.
Avoid paragraphs that are unfocused and irrelevant, end your paragraph with a sentence that
connects the ideas to the next paragraph.

15.2 Respect academic writing conventions

The register of your answers should be formal. This means that you should never use any
abbreviations or contractions. For example, write out ‘do not’ instead of ‘don’t’ and ‘cannot’
instead of ‘can’t’.

Do not use any slang whatsoever. ‘Slang’ can be defined as a type of language consisting of
words and phrases that are regarded as very informal and that are more common in speech
than writing. A general rule would be not to use the type of language you would use in a
WhatsApp conversation with a friend or on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

Do not ever use bullet points when writing your answers.

Academic writing should always be written in the present tense. This is because the events or
feelings described in a novel, play or poem exist in a special temporal space that is always
present.
When you refer to the author of the novel, poem, or play for the first time, use their full name
and surname. Thereafter, only use their surname. We never refer to an author by simply using
their first name.

15.3 Plagiarism

While you are strongly encouraged to become familiar with a broad range of ideas, be very
vigilant regarding plagiarism

Plagiarism declaration.
Any idea or argument that you incorporate in your essays, if drawn from elsewhere, must be
clearly attributed to its source (and this, very importantly, includes internet sources).

Remember that plagiarism is a serious offence and, while often committed inadvertently, may
result in very low marks being awarded for submitted work.

Please read the detailed explanation below very carefully:

• If you copy something out of a book, an article, a website or another document without
acknowledging its source, and pass it off as your own, that is plagiarism. In effect, you are
stealing something that belongs to someone else, dishonestly pretending that it is your own.
• If you paraphrase material (i.e. change the wording slightly) or use ideas or a line of argument
without acknowledging the original source, this also constitutes plagiarism and the same
severe penalty will apply.
• Although students may work together when preparing assignments, each student must write
and submit his or her own individual assignment. It is unacceptable for students to submit

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 identical assignments on the basis that they worked together. This is a form of plagiarism
and such assignments will not be marked.
• It is not enough to cite sources in the bibliography at the end of your essay. You must refer
to these in the body of your essay, in brackets, next to every statement that is based on
borrowed formulations or ideas.
• You are advised to study the Students’ Disciplinary Code and University Policy on Copyright
Infringement and Plagiarism. These are available on myUnisa.
• The declaration which appears on the last page of this tutorial letter must be attached to every
assignment that you submit while you are a student in the Department of English Studies.
• Even if you do not include the signed declaration form, submitting an assignment to the
university suggests that you understand and comply with the policies regarding plagiarism.
Quote and reference accurately and correctly

Being able to quote correctly is a crucial skill when writing any academic essay. When writing
an assignment, you need to quote from both the primary text and from secondary sources if
you are using any. The purpose of quoting from the primary text is to indicate where exactly
certain ideas you are discussing can be seen in the text. These quotes could thus be seen as
constituting the basic building blocks of your argument.
You quote from secondary sources in order to show how the ideas of others either inform or
contradict your own opinions. In both cases it is never enough simply to quote without
discussing and engaging with that which you are quoting.

The important thing to remember is that all quotations must be discussed. Quotes are your
‘evidence’ to support the main point that you are making in your answer and you need to
explain why that particular quote is relevant or significant. Students may want to use phrases
like ‘this is significant because…’ and ‘this shows the reader that…’ to connect a quote to the
main argument. Remember, you should read the assignment instructions carefully to
determine whether you need to use any secondary sources.

There are certain academic conventions that one needs to follow when quoting from any source:

• The quotation needs to be placed in a full sentence. When you quote from either a secondary
source or from your primary text, you need to ensure that what you are quoting forms part of
a coherent and grammatically correct sentence. This means that when you read the final
sentence out loud, you should not be able to tell which words form part of the quote and which
are your own – together they should make sense as a complete sentence.
• Indicate where your quote comes from by putting the author’s surname and the page number
in brackets after the quote.
• Retain the wording of the original text. When you place something in quotation marks, it has
to remain exactly as it appears in the original text. You cannot change the word order or the
tense. You should decide carefully which sections of a particular quote you want to use and
then structure your sentence around it. Remember that even two or three words can be a
suitable quote. Alternatively, you can use square brackets to indicate changes. These
changes would normally revolve around pronouns and omissions:
• Pronouns: To change a pronoun, put the correct words inside square brackets the replace the
incorrect one.
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• Omissions: To indicate an omission, put three dots inside square brackets.

Books
When using secondary sources in the form of books in the text of your assignment, use
quotations marks if you quote the direct words of another author, for example:

‘The direct words of another author’ (Surname of author, year of publication of the book: page
number on which you found this information) …
You can incorporate the author’s surname into your sentence as well, for example:
As suggested by Initials and Surname of author (year of publication: page number where you
found this information) …
If you quote from another author
If you quote from another author but rephrase or paraphrase his/her ideas, you do not need
use quotation marks. Instead, you only include (Surname of author, year of publication of the
book: page number on which you found this information) in brackets.
In your bibliography at the end of your assignment, you should include all the details of the
secondary source to enable your reader to find this text easily. For example:
Evans, R. Joubert, I. Meier, C. 2017. Introducing children’s literature: A guide to the South
Africa classroom. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
Surname of author(s), Initials. Year of publication. Title of text. Place of publication: Publishing
house.

Websites
While you are allowed to use reputable internet sources, please note that Spark notes,
Wikipedia, eNotes, Shop and the like are not academic resources and are not designed for
use by university students. If you do consult an internet source, use the same style of author
name and date in the text of the assignment. If there is no clear author, use the organisational
author. For example, (University of South Africa, 2015) and in the bibliography
University of South Africa. 2015. Research flagship projects. Viewed 26 April 2016,
http://www.unisa.ac.za/Default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=27089
Organisational author. Year of publication. Title of specific section. Viewed Day Month Year,
<website URL>.
Further examples
The following are examples of the type of reference and quotations you are expected to
provide.
The ellipsis (…) indicates where you would expand on that line of thought.
• I intend to pursue the line of inquiry opened by J. Smith (1998:64─76) regarding Jane Austen’s
attempt to ... and I should like to offer further arguments in support of Smith’s suggestion...
• As suggested by J. Smith (1998:64), it would be fruitful to explore further Jane Austen’s
attempt to subvert society’s expectations. Therefore, I propose to investigate this aspect.
• In approaching the assignment question, I took as my starting point Sarah Werner’s comment:
‘To insist on the primacy of character is to miss the opportunity to contest the idea of
Shakespeare’s universal truth’ (2001:36). My argument partly supports and partly counters
hers.

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15.4 Checklist
Work through the following checklist before you submit your assignments.
I have read and understood the relevant learning material in Tutorial
Letter 501 as well as the prescribed texts.
I understand what the question requires me to do.
I have contacted my lecturers or my e-tutor for more information on
anything I do not understand.
I planned my work carefully, including using visual aids and other tools
discussed in Tutorial Letter 101.
In my assignment I sustain a coherent and tight argument in response
to the questions.
The quotations that I use are integrated into grammatically coherent
and complete sentences.
I have edited my work carefully in order to ensure that I have not made
any language or typing errors.
I have acknowledged any secondary sources that I used in writing my
assignment both in-text and in a bibliography at the end of each
answer according to the Harvard Method of Referencing.
I have numbered the pages of my assignment.
My name and student number appear on the cover page of my
assignment.
The correct unique assignment number appears on the cover page of
my assignment.
I have signed and attached a plagiarism declaration (do not send this
as a separate document).
I have submitted the correct assignment for the correct module.
The document I uploaded onto myUnisa can be opened, read, and
edited by my lecturers (NOT a read-only file)

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15.5 Plagiarism declaration form

READ THE DECLARATION BELOW, SIGN AND SUBMIT IT WITH THIS ASSIGNMENT.

ASSIGNMENT 01
I declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where secondary material has been used
(either from a printed source or from the Internet), this has been carefully acknowledged and
referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. I understand what plagiarism is and am
aware of the department’s policy in this regard. I have not allowed anyone else to borrow or copy
my work
Signature: ………………………………………Date:……………………………………………..

READ THE DECLARATION BELOW, SIGN AND SUBMIT IT WITH THIS ASSIGNMENT.
ASSIGNMENT 02
I declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where secondary material has been used
(either from a printed source or from the Internet), this has been carefully acknowledged and
referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. I understand what plagiarism is and am
aware of the department’s policy in this regard. I have not allowed anyone else to borrow or copy
my work
Signature: ………………………………………Date:……………………………………………..

READ THE DECLARATION BELOW, SIGN AND SUBMIT IT WITH THIS ASSIGNMENT:
ASSIGNMENT 03
I declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where secondary material has been used
(either from a printed source or from the Internet), this has been carefully acknowledged and
referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. I understand what plagiarism is and am
aware of the department’s policy in this regard. I have not allowed anyone else to borrow or copy
my work
Signature: ………………………………………Date:……………………………………………

©
Unisa 2023

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