WRITING IN ENGLISH

LESSON ONE

Presented by
Dr Sharon Condon

Peking University HSBC Business School

NAME TAGS……..

Complete 2 name tags

• Decorate as you like
• Write LARGE and clearly
• English name please!?
• Use colored pens but choose pens that are easy to see
 NIGHTHAWKS - 1942
Old fashioned American diner – late at night.
Two men – both dressed stylishly in suits
The man with his back to us– threatening?
Woman dressed alluringly – temptress?
Strangers?
Man behind the counter handsome and young.
Why are they there – what is their business being out so late at
night.
The diner offers a refuge – from the darkness and danger
outside.
The occupants are fragile – their sanctuary in stark contrast to
the darkness outside.
 ACADEMIC WRITING
Should academic writing be open to interpretation?

Yes? No? Why?

Answers on page 4.
ACADEMIC WRITING – OPEN TO INTERPRETATION?
The goal of academic writing is to present your
research findings, your analysis of those
findings, and your conclusions in a persuasive
way to your readers.
The need for precision and clarity of
expression is one of the distinguishing marks
of academic writing.
Therefore, the APA Publication Manual emphasizes
that authors should “make certain that every
word means what you intend it to mean” (3.08,
p. 68). Choose your words wisely so that they
do not come between your idea and the
audience.

Hume-Pratuch, J., (2015) Using APA style in academic writing: Precision and clarity,
Academic Coaching and Writing, Retrieved on 31 August, 2018 from
https://academiccoachingandwriting.org/academic-writing/academic-writing-blog/vii-
using-apa-style-in-academic-writing-precision-and-clarity
 AVOIDING DIRECT STATEMENTS….

HOWEVER……………
Direct statements or statements implying full certainty should
be avoided in academic writing. This is to show your lecturer
that you have applied critical and reasoned evaluation, taking
into account a number of perspectives and a range of
evidence regarding a particular topic.
Using cautious language allows ideas, arguments, evaluations
and conclusions expressed in your academic writing to
remain open to interpretation by the reader. This is therefore
a very important academic writing convention.

University of Bedfordshire, (n.d) Retrieved from https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/502551/Academic-

writing-Using-cautious-language-in-your-writing.pdf
University of Bedfordshire, (n.d) Retrieved from https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/502551/Academic-
writing-Using-cautious-language-in-your-writing.pdf
 CAUTIOUS LANGUAGE USE

University of Bedfordshire, (n.d) Retrieved from https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/502551/Academic-writing-

Using-cautious-language-in-your-writing.pdf
OVERVIEW

• Housekeeping
• Class rules
• Teamwork
• Critical reading
• Strategies for reading
 HOUSEKEEPING – THINGS TO DO
• CMS – sign up
Reminder:
• Bring laptop every week
• Bring workbook every week –
penalty 1 point each time
• Be on time – late to class penalty
2 points
• Attend each class – absence
penalty 5 points
 CLASS RULES
During class
 Speak English only!

During class
 No phones
 No laptops (until time allocated)
 Speak up! Have an opinion!

You can fail!

 Failed students have to repeat this course
ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW
• ‘Handshake’ introduction
• Parts of an essay: body paragraph, introduction and
conclusion
• Argumentative essay
• Rebuttal essay
• Reflective writing - farewell
• Debate
• Quiz

• See CMS for syllabus and detail

WHY WRITING IN ENGLISH?

Writing a thesis: Example theses

WRITING AN ESSAY AS A TEAM PROJECT
You will work as a team to produce an argumentative essay.

Teamwork will segment parts of your position paper for research and writing then
synthesizing the parts for the final paper.
 ARGUING

Argumentative essay

“An argument is the

fundamental

building block of

persuasion”.
Arguments and Argumentation

This is NOT what

we mean by

argumentation!
 GROUPTHINK – WHAT IT IS
Groupthink is a term created by Yale University
research psychologist Irving Janus.

Groupthink occurs when groups are too eager to

agree with each other, placing more value on
harmony than risking conflict.

(http://communicationtheory.org/groupthink/)
 GROUPTHINK – WHY IT’S A PROBLEM
Groupthink bypasses critical thinking.

Teams suffering from groupthink:

• Fail to come up with different ideas

• Have a narrow view of gathering and evaluating information

• Do not pay attention to the risks of the choice that groupthink produced
• Poor quality—products, procedures, and overall work results

• Failure to create a Plan B, Plan C, etc. in case things go wrong (i.e., no

contingency plan)(应急方案)

• Over look safety risks that endanger the environment, people, and
other life

• Business risks that could endanger company health

 FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR MELTDOWN
“The fundamental cause can be
found in the ingrained conventions
of Japanese culture, our reflexive
obedience, reluctance to question
authority our ‘groupism’ …and
insularity,”

http://www.asiasentinel.com/society/could-fukushima-cause-a-change-in-japans-groupthink/
 TEAM WRITING

 You are part of a team writing the argumentative

paper.
 Learning how to work effectively with team members
is important and especially so for this class—your
score will reflect your teamwork success.
 Speak up – be an active team member
 Offer ideas – and criticisms
 Don’t just ‘go along’ with other people’s ideas
 CRITICAL READING

Reading an academic article.

What is your strategy?

What do you read first?

Next?
Why?
READING FOR QUICK UNDERSTANDING
A possible approach…….
• Title
• Illustrations
• Abstract/conclusion – if available
• Topic sentences
LOOKING AT THE TITLE

‘Are you a parent, an adult or a child?’

What does this tell you?

Is there anything strange about this title?
What do you think the article is going to be about?
 ILLUSTRATION
P 6 – look just at the two illustrations – just the illustration – nothing else yet!
P 7 – answer the questions for number 3

a. The husband gives the stimulus and a child gives the response T F
b. The stimulus is a statement by the husband T F
c. In the caption, P stands for Parent and C stands for child T F
d. A transaction, in this case, is a stimulus and a response T F
e. The article will be about transactions between children T F
ILLUSTRATION
True or false?
1. The husband gives the stimulus and a child gives the response - false
2. The stimulus is a statement by the husband - true
3. In the caption, P stands for Parent and C stands for child - true
4. A transaction, in this case, is a stimulus and a response - true
5. The article will be about transactions between children - false
 TOPIC SENTENCES
P7 - Question 4
How can topic sentences be used to find information quickly?

Topic sentences – in what number paragraph would you expect to find:

a. __4___ More explanation of the illustration?
b. __3___ More information about Berne’s model?
c. __5___ More information about the problems with transactions?
d. __2___ More information about Berne’s idea?
e. __1___ More information about Berne’s life?
 FINDING INFORMATION
P7 – question 6

Finding information
a. Eric Berne was from…Montreal………………………
b. He first practiced psychiatry in………New York…………….
c. Berne developed his ideas in………San Francisco…………………
d. Berne believed that personal problems come from………people’s
relationships…………
e. Berne thought that you sometimes feel good because……you have made
someone else feel bad……………….
f. Berne said that people can behave like…………a parent, adult or a child………
g. Berne believed that people can switch……………between roles (without
problems)………
h. Berne said that problems arise if…………both people want to play the same
role…….
 APPLYING THE THEORY…….CRITICAL THINKING
First couple:
W: You can’t go out in that shirt. I’ll iron another one for you =P
H: Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you =C
Second couple:
H: What shall we do this evening? =A
W: Let’s go to a restaurant =A
Third couple:
H: I don’t know what to wear =C
W: I’ve put out some clothes for you = P
Fourth couple:
W: Where shall we go at the weekend? =A
H: Why do I have to make all the decisions? =P
 STRATEGIES DURING READING
Definition of ‘Strategy’:
1. A method or plan chosen to bring about a
desired future, such as achievement of a goal or
solution to a problem.

When you come across a new word when reading – what is

your strategy?

P 8 – Question 1.6

Business Dictionary (2016) Retrieved from

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/strategy.html
 NEW WORD STRATEGY

Do you think the following statements are true or false?:

a. When you meet a new word in a text you should immediately
look it up in a dictionary
b. You should never look up a new word while you are reading
c. You should decide the part of speech before looking up a word
in a dictionary
NEW WORD STRATEGY…….
STRATEGIES AFTER READING……
What do you do to remember what you have
read?

Use the ‘new words’ box provided in this

workbook?

See page 10
 POP PRESENTATION
Choose a random topic
Make sure you understand it
Write your name in the space provided
Write your topic down
Hand in topic and name

Get prepared to present on this topic.

Each presentation must be (10 points):

• 2 minutes in length – 2 points
• Contain no repeated information – 2 points
• Have no notes being used – 2 points
• The presenter to use eye contact with the whole audience, to move and use the space and to
be engaging and animated – 2 points
• Quality of content (interesting, engaging, no ‘fillers’) – 2 points
CMS SIGN UP

CMS course code: WRGFEB

Password: happytimes
 ACTION FOR NOW

Now:
Class we chat group to organize
Hand in name tag
Make sure you have been marked for attendance
Prepare your pop presentation – 2 minutes
This week:
Sign up to the CMS and access the syllabus and APA
style guide
REFERENCES
Groupthink (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2015 from
http://communicationtheory.org/groupthink/)

Guffey, M.E. & Loewy, D. (2015) Business communication, process and product.
Cengage Learning: Stamford, CT, USA.

Lifespan Hospital System (n.d.) Stages of group development. Training material

from corporate communication certification program. Providence, RI.

Wood, J. (2008). Communication fundamentals, p. 236. Mason, Ohio: Cengage