Course title
Paragraph Writing   [Paragraph Writing]
Course category	Liberal Arts and Fundamental Studies	Requirement		Credit	1
Department		Year	1～4	Semester	3rd
Course type	3rd	Course code	020061
Instructor(s)
鈴木 光晴   [SUZUKI Mitsuharu]
Facility affiliation	Graduate School of Engineering	Office		Email address

Course description

Outline (Paragraph Writing)： The ability to autonomously deepen academic knowledge in university is nurtured through researching about a particular topic, analyzing the data, and writing and developing an argument around the topic. As such, this course aims to help students to learn the basic structure of a paragraph and to acquire skills for writing cohesively and coherently in English. The classes are formed according to the degree of students’ English proficiency and advancement. This course is offered as an introductory writing course in the English curriculum of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.

Expected Learning

Objectives (Paragraph Writing)： 1) Students should understand the function of a topic sentence and how to structure a paragraph. 2) Students should understand how to write clearly and effectively with appropriate style. 3) Students should be able to use appropriate words and expressions to write with logical consistency. 4) Students should be able to identify appropriate support information for their paragraphs and use transitions between sentences to connect ideas. [Competency Development] Intercultural Understanding, Global Awareness, Communication Skills, Reading Comprehension Skills, Effective Writing Skills

Course schedule

Class 1. Orientation: course overview Class 2. Unit 01: A Paragraph as a Product, the basic format and featured aspect of paragraph writing: indentation, topic sentence, supporting sentences, concluding sentence. Doing Tasks to understand how a paragraph develops logically. Class 3. Unit 02: Writing a Topic Sentence(TS), the definition of a topic sentence, how TS works in a paragraph, how to develop a topic by focusing on one main idea and write strong topic sentences, practice writing topic sentences; giving one another comments and suggestions about each other’s TSs in groups of four; reading the best one per group to the class; the instructor feedback. Class 4. Unit 03: Writing Supporting Sentences (SSs), the features of SSs, tips for creating SSs as main points, discerning good SSs, the explanation of supporting details/examples followed by SSs, practice writing three SSs for one TS; comparing your sentences in small groups; the whole class discussion with the instructor feedback. Class 5. Unit 04: Writing a Concluding Sentence(CS), tips for creating effective CS, understanding a connection between TS and CS, practice writing CSs using the techniques presented in the textbook,correcting fragment errors (pp.24-24) Class 6.　- Review: Units1-4: Paragraph Format and Basic Paragraph Structure, 　　　　　- The Methods of Process Writing: generating ideas, organizing, drafting, revising, further revising, editing, final draft 　　　　　-Practice Activities for the writing process, following TASK 1-TASK 9 (pp.28-33) Class 7. Unit 05: Writing a Paragraph that Explains Your Character 　　　　　- Completing an assignment with Tasks 5.1-5.9; turning in your paragraph 　　　　　- Nouns & Articles Class 8. Unit 06: Writing a Paragraph that Describes Your Daily Life 　　　　　- Completing an assignment with Tasks 6.1-6.9; turning in your paragraph 　　　　　- Sentence Connectors 　　　　　- Subject-Verb Agreement / Singular vs. Plural Class 9. Unit 07: Writing a Paragraph that Expresses Your Opinion 　　　　　- Completing an assignment with Tasks 7.1-7.9; turning in your paragraph 　　　　　- Tenses (p.57) Class 10. Unit 08: Writing a Paragraph that Gives Advice and Instructions 　　　　　- Completing an assignment with Tasks 8.1-8.9; turning in your paragraph 　　　　　- Run-Ons (p.64) Class 11. Unit 09: Writing a Paragraph that Compares and Contrasts Two Things 　　　　　- Completing an assignment with Tasks 9.1-9.9; turning in your paragraph 　　　　　- Choppiness (1): Writing Complex Sentences (pp.71-72) Class 12. Unit 10: Writing a Paragraph that Explains Japanese Culture 　　　　　- Choppiness (2): Writing Complex Sentences (pp.79-80) Class 13. Unit 11: Writing a Paragraph that Describes Data Expressed in Graphs 　　　　　-Analyzing the model (pp.82-83), completing Task 11-1 & 11-2 (pp.84-86) 　　　　　-Parallel Structure (p.92) 　　　　　【Self-Study Assignments】 Task11-3, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (pp.87-91) Class 14. Unit 12: Writing a Paragraph that Summarizes What You Have Read 　　　　　- Summarizing the reading passage “AI and the Future of Work: Will Our Jobs Disappear” 　　　　　- Miscellaneous: editing / correcting errors (pp.101-103) Class 15. Wrap up 　　　　　 Final Exam, Course Evaluation

Prerequisites

This course carries 1 credit. In addition to 30 hours that students spend in the class, they are recommended to prepare for, and review, the classes using the textbook and the reference books, spending the standard amount of time as specified by the University for each class. Students must attend at least 2/3 of a course in order to receive credit for that course. If students do not fully attend the class for two times, it should be counted as one time of absence.

Required Text(s) and Materials

SHIZUKA Tetsuhito. (2019). Writing Facilitator: Introduction to Paragraph Writing Revised Edition. [Publisher] SHOHAKUSHA. \1,900

References

Assessment/Grading

Class Participation (20%: pair work, group discussion, each student’s active class participation and contribution), Assignments & Quizzes (40%: in-class tasks, quick-writes/free-writing activities, writing assignments as a process writing, peer-review), Final Exam & Term Paper (40%: The final exam will be conducted in Class 15): Total 100%

Message from instructor(s)

Strive to find your own VOICE to communicate your message to others throughout English writing. “The style is the man. (Le style est l'homme même.)” (Buffon)

Course keywords

English, academic writings, paragraph writing, process writing, peer review,

Office hours

By appointment via email

Remarks 1

Remarks 2

Related URL

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com　 https://www.ldoceonline.com/jp/

Lecture Language

Language Subject

English

Last update

3/22/2019 7:48:45 PM