English for Academic Purposes I (2024) Assignment 1 Guidelines

_________________________________________________________________________________

Assignment 1 Guidelines
Purpose
The main purpose of this assignment is for you to prepare an essay plan. Based on this, you
will transition into the writing of a full-fledged, academic discursive essay (i.e. Assignment 3).

Instructions
• Choose one of the topics listed below.
• Brainstorm ideas and write 4 topic sentences covering pros and cons.
• Visit the HKU library website and find relevant academic sources using its keyword
search.
• Identify 4 such texts which you think can support the main idea you wrote into each
of your 4 topic sentences.
• Read “Assignment 1 Assessment Criteria” posted on SOUL to find out how your
work will be graded.
• Complete this assignment using the “Assignment 1 Essay Plan Template” on SOUL.

Essay Topics

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cybersecurity

2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of space exploration

3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of “cancel culture”

4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of generative AI

5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of mandatory vaccinations

6. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of celebrity culture on the

youth

1
English for Academic Purposes I (2024) Assignment 1 Guidelines
_________________________________________________________________________________

Submission Deadline
Lesson 8 (upload to the relevant Turnitin submission link on SOUL before 11:59 pm)

Late submission is subject to penalization as stated in the Course Syllabus document.

Discursive Essay Structure

Introduction
• give background information on the topic
• say what different positions there are
• give an outline of how the essay is organised
• stay neutral and detached from the topic (i.e. be objective)
Body
• give 2 benefits and support each with an academic reference
• give 2 drawbacks and support each with an academic reference
(organize these into 4 separate paragraphs)
Conclusion
• summarize the different positions explicated
• evaluate the significance of these positions
• state your own views on the topic

Reminders about the Use of Sources

• Only English-language sources can be used.
• Only the following 5 types of academic sources can be used for this assignment. You
can refer to lecture handout “L05 Sources of Information” for more information.

1. Journal articles (preferred most)

2. Scholarly books
3. Theses / dissertations
4. Government/NGO publications
5. Conference papers

If you are not sure whether or not what you are reading is academic, consult your lecturer.

2
English for Academic Purposes I (2024) Assignment 1 Guidelines
_________________________________________________________________________________

How to Complete the Essay Plan Template

Depending on the type of sources you are planning to use, you should provide detailed
information as shown in the sample below. All these publication details will be useful when
you put together your reference list for your Assignment 3 essay.
If you are using a journal article, you should give the following details:
(a) full names of all authors
(b) year of publication
(c) title of the article
(d) title of the journal
(e) volume number, issue number and page range
(f) DOI or URL (web address)
If you are using a scholarly book, you should give the following details:
(a) full names of all authors
(b) year of publication
(c) title of the book
(d) publisher
(e) URL
If you are using a government/NGO report, you should give the following details:
(a) full names of all authors
(b) year of publication
(c) title of the report
(d) name of the government / NGO
(e) URL
If you are using a dissertation/thesis, you should give the following details:
(a) full names of all authors
(b) year of publication
(c) title of the dissertation/thesis
(d) degree type thesis or dissertation
(e) name of institution, and name of the database
(f) URL
If you are using a conference paper, you should give the following details.
(a) full names of all authors
(b) year of publication
(c) title of the article
(d) title of the conference
(e) URL
3
 English for Academic Purposes I (2024) Assignment 1 Guidelines
_________________________________________________________________________________
Assignment One Sample
➢

Essay Topic Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of

immigration
Introduction (write in point form) definition
Background
• Immigration = the intentional movement of an individual to a
destination
country where they do not possess citizenship.
• As of 2015, no. of international migrants = 244 million worldwide, statistics
→41% increase since 2000.
• Only a handful of countries see a net positive migration rate
each year,
e.g. Australia, Canada, the United States examples
Body Paragraphs
(write ONE topic sentence in each box below in your own words; grammar must
be correct)
One benefit of immigration is the creation of
multicultural societies composed of groups representing
Advantage 1
different cultural histories, values and practices, which
generate creativity and productivity.
Apart from cultural benefits, immigration increases the size
Advantage 2 of the economic pie available to natives and hence the
nation, as a whole, can gain from immigration.
The added population of the new immigrants increases
Disadvantage 1 the demographic pressures on all of a country’s
environmental resources by reducing the amount of
undeveloped land.
Disadvantage 2 Social welfare and educational resources may become
insufficient as transfers occur from indigenous residents to
immigrants.
Conclusion (write in complete sentences; grammar must be correct)
Your Stance with reasons
• Immigration should be supported because the economic growth reason
Your
brought by immigration can generate a large amount of
stance
revenue to tackle the increasing cost of social welfare and
educational services, as well as to compensate for the loss of
undeveloped land.
Please note that this sample is for your reference only. Do not copy directly from it.
 Academic Source 1
Type of source: Book
(a) Edward J. Erler, John Marini, Thomas G. West
(b) 2007
(c) The Founders on Citizenship and Immigration: Principles and Challenges
in America
(d) Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
(e) https://catalog.princeton.edu/catalog/SCSB-5324806
(f) N/A
Academic Source 2
Type of source: Dissertation
(a) Suzanna Elizabeth Challen
(b) 2011
(c) Measuring Immigration Policy
(d) Doctoral dissertation
(e) Harvard University, Digital Dissertation Consortium
(f) https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/N9NT1C
Academic Source 3
Type of source: Journal article
(a) Merlin Schaeffer, Jutta Höhne, Céline Teney
(b) 2016
(c) Income advantages of poorly qualified immigrant minorities: Why school
dropouts of Turkish origin earn more in Germany
(d) European Sociological Review
(e) 32, 1, 93-107
(f) https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcv091
Academic Source 4
Type of source: Book
(a) Bjørn Lomborg
(b) 2007
(c) Solutions for the World's Biggest Problems: Costs and Benefits
(d) Cambridge University Press
(e) https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511493560
(f) N/A

5
English for Academic Purposes I (2024) Assignment 1 Guidelines
_________________________________________________________________________________
Screenshots of the 4 Academic Sources (showing cover pages only)
Academic Source 1

Academic Source 2

6
English for Academic Purposes I (Semester 2, 2023)
Assignment 1 Guidelines
_________________________________________________________________________________

Academic Source 3

Academic Source 4