ID057 – PROOFREADING AND SELF-EDITING

FINAL TASK
GENERAL INFORMATION:

This unit assignment consists of doing the task presented below. This assignment must
be done individually. It must be submitted according to the official submission
procedure described on the web page where this file was downloaded. Assignments
sent directly to the tutor by email will not be corrected. The work must fulfil the following
conditions:

 Type of font: Arial.

 Size: 11.
 Line height: 1.5.
 Alignment: Justified.
 Margins: 2.5 above and down, left and right 3 (usual default configuration)

The assignment has to be done in a Word document. Please, do not write the answers
in bold, in order to simplify the distinction between them and the activities’ statements.
On the other hand, the assignment must still fulfil the rules of presentation and edition,
and follow the rubric for quoting and making a bibliography in the Study Guide.

It is very important to read the assessment criteria, which can be found in the Study
Guide. This final task for Unit 7 will be evaluated according to the conditions of
presentation presented below, the assessment criteria and, especially, the
accomplishment of the objectives of this unit:

 Understanding the strategies for editing and proofreading academic texts.

 Recognizing common mistakes and being able to amend them through editing
techniques.

Student: Marta Santonja Balaguer

Group: 2022-11
Unit: Proofreading and Self-editing (PRSE)

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 Task:
Ask your tutor for the “Entrance Exam” you took before starting this program. Then,
remove the instructions of the “Entrance Exam” and use here only the texts you wrote.
Now, by applying all the notions and knowledge acquired in this course, mark your
mistakes with the following colors:

Spelling
Vocabulary
Grammar
Punctuation
Organization
Font style
Academic writing, argumentation, academic vocabulary, or citations

Then, add comments to each one of those mistakes by explaining how they can be
corrected (in the same way your teacher does when correcting your tasks). You do not
need to rewrite a new version; just mark and comment on those mistakes.

ENTRANCE EXAM

1. Read the following text and answer the questions below:

i. In the light of your own experience, state if you agree or not with this
definition taken from the Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics.

According to this definition of motivation when learning a foreign language by the

authors Richards, J., Platt, J. & Weber, W., the term is described in different ways, but
it always focuses on the desire to do something. In citation, authors’ quotes need to
appear the year of publication. For example Richards, J., Platt, J. & Weber, W., (1986)

On the one hand, instrumental motivation focuses on one’s goals to achieve

something, to learn learning a language to do things, and to better understanding how
to work and do things. (The verb-tenses and structures need to be in accordance, we
would write all the verbs in infinitive). In my own experience, I use it to study English
skills to have an English certificate to improve my resume.

The other type of motivation, integrative, focuses the attention on social and
interpersonal factors. This motivation is important for people who want to socialize with
people from other countries and learn about new cultures. For example, in my case I

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use this motivation (punctuation within sentences, it needs to use a comma. For
example: In my case, I use this motivation…) when I travel and I need to ask
something or to have a real conversation with my Irish colleagues. Thus, the two terms
have different functions, but both are important in the development of a person who
wants to improve a second or foreign language.

ii. Can you think of other types of motivation?

When learning a foreign language, motivation is necessary, as (punctuation within

sentences: there is no need of a comma) a factor to do something. As we have just
seen, there is an instrumental and an integrative motivation.(Subject-verb agreement:
the subject and verbs have to agree with in number. It will be corrected: there are
instrumental and integrative motivations.) But, there are (punctuation within sentences:
there is no need of a comma) also other types of motivation.

Firstly, we have the intrinsic motivation (Informal writing. It is better to write impersonal
way. For example: There is the intrinsic motivation) which is the motivation that comes
from oneself. Something we like and think we want to realize or experience. (Run-on
sentence mistake for placing a conjunction ‘so,’ to join both sentences. It can be
corrected: from oneself, so something one like and think...) It is very common to ask
ourselves why we want to do something? or What will I feel if I do it?. (Punctuation
within sentences. Add colons (:) to start questions list). The same word means that
there is something inside us, such as curiosity or desire to do or experience.

On the contrary, the extrinsic, which is the motivation that implies by external factors
to get something and obtain a benefit. (Omission of pronoun determiner ‘which’ and
preposition ‘by’ for not being necessary in the organization of sentence structure). For
example, when(pronoun is not rnecessary in the sentence) a person who works in a
company wants a better salary, he is working more hours to get it. (Punctuation within
sentences. The correct sentences will be: For example, a person who works in a
company and wants a better salary, he is working more hourse to get it.)

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2. Critical reading. Read the extract below and answer the following questions:

i. Summarize in your own words what the authors (Richards & Schmidt) are
saying.

The main idea is to expose different theories about motivation’s definition. Firstly, the
difference between orientation and motivation. Orientation is defines (grammar
mistake: the subject of the sentence is acted on by the ver. It needs to use the passive
voice: Orientation is defined) as a rational thought to learn another language. It
includes instrumental and integrative factors. (run-on sentences: place a conjunction
‘and’ and comma to join two sentences) (IThere is an argumentation mistake: it will be
correct to define motivation, as the two aspects to have into account in this critical
reading. For later starting to see the similarites and the drawbacks.

On the one hand, the first one refers to the purpose to obtain something, and the
second one is the enthusiasm and positive way of achieving something and being
integrated in a community.

On the other hand, another important distintion (spelling mistake: distinction) is the
difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Highlighting that intrinsic is the
curiosity of learning,(necessary to add a comma to separate sentences) and extrinsic
the external reasons; (add semiconols to divde two related phrases) both expectations
and goals to be achieved to motivated oneself.

Moreover, according to another theory, (Argumentation: research from different

theories. It can be corrected for: according to different motivational authors or
theories...) motivation has a balance between expectancy-value theory and attribution
theory, in other words, the success and the failure in doing it. This is related to the
(preposition not necessary) students’ capacity of autonomy, critical thinking and
learning effectiveness of students learning. To conclude, motivation is the engine of
success or failure in learning a language (repetition of definition, we can eliminate this
one)If a student is not motivated to do something, he/she will fail in the process.

ii. Do you think that they agree with the definition of motivation in second/
foreign language learning presented in point number 1?

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Taking both exercises into account, (It needs to have a reference in which are the
exercises. Adding: both previous exercises) the main topic is the definition of
motivation in learning a second or foreign language, defined as the desire to do or
achieve something.

In the first, two types of motivation, instrumental and integrative, and their meaning are
briefly exposed. (Punctuation. Excessively use of commas in a sentence) However, in
the text above, the definition of motivation is more extended, giving different examples.
(Sentence fragments: adding a clause ‘because’ and delete the comma). For example,
the different theories of being motivated to learn a language, as well as the student’s
role to be successful or not in learning another language.

In my opinion, I definitely agree with the second text, (Argumentation is used with more
words than necessary to give own opinion) because there is a better description to
describe the motivation (For more academic writing, we can use the verb as a noun.
For example: there is a better description in the definition of motivation) in learning a
foreing (foreign) language.

3. In a well-organised essay, describe why motivation is generally considered

to be one of the most important aspects of success/ failure in foreign
language learning (150 words).

Nowadays, we live in an international (for more academic vocabulary, we can use:

globalized) world where it is more and more important to learn a foreign language. This
gives us the necessity to communicate with other people from other countries and to
learn about different cultures, to travel or even to work in another language. (Organize
sentence structure, adding the conjunction ‘and’ and, a correct consecution of verbs
with the same structure).

According to that, we can reply to the question: Why motivation is generally considered
to be one of the most important aspects of a foreign language learning? Motivation has
with many definitions, (no necessary to add this preposition) but it basically refers
(Add a person to the sentence: it) to the choices people make as to what experiences
or goals they will accomplish or avoid.(The sentences can changed to have better
meaning, for example: to the choice people make by asking to themselves what
experiences or goals they will accomplish or avoid).

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Thus, this term takes place as one of the main factors in learning a foreign language,
because it gives a person the desire or curiosity to know or experience it. To sum up,
we will say that someone (spelling mistake: someone) who is motivated to learn a new
language, he/she will be successful (add a comma to separate sentences fragments,
and a person for the sentences) in achieving those goals, but if someone is not,
(sentence must contain subject and verb: if someone is not motivated) he will fail in the
process.

4. In a well-organised essay, describe what impact you hope your enrolment

in this program will have on your professional development (What is your
motivation for enrolling at this program? How do you think you may
contribute to the program? What do you expect to take from it?) Provide
specific examples (150 words).

Moving on the first point, my main motivation for enrolling(for better academic writing,
we can change it by: The main motivation I have had to enroll) in this program is to
improve my teaching skills, developing (Organize sentence structure, adding the
conjunction ‘and’ and, a correct consecution of verbs with the same structure) new
knowledge to encurage (spelling mistake: encourage) my students to learn a foreign
language, in this case, English language.

Moreover, I hope to increase (academic writing by using a noun instead of an infinitive

ver. For example: I hope the increaeament of ) my teaching learning process, for
example: the way to assess my students, and the teaching of teach both written skills
and functional part of the language,(add a connector to divide long sentences and start
a new sentence)Furtehrmore, as a teacher, I can provide my students with many real
situations and activities according to real life so that they understand better the
language, making both easy and real the learning. (Besides, it is a very long sentence
that it can be segmented in different sentences using commas or connectors)

In my opinion, I could contribute to the program with different creative resources both
digital and realia, creating different ways of teaching the subject in the classroom.
Finally, to keep in mind that the teacher’s role is to guide students in their process, but
(no necessary to use this connector, because there is a comma to separate both
sentences) it is also important to be in a continuous formation, trying to learn and to
teach more and more. (verb-tense and structure mistake).

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REFERENCES

Bailey, S. (2014). Academic Writing: A handbook for International Students. Routledge.

Lae, J. & Lange, E. (2011). Writing Clearly: Grammar for Editing (3rd edition). Boton,
MA: Heinle ELT.

Lai, P. (n.d.). Academic Guides: Self-editing: Self-Editing Strategies: Proofreading.

Retrieved June 25, 2019 https://academicguides.wadenu.edu/formandstyle/writing/self-
editing/proofreading