ENGALX campus

ENGALX campus

Proficiency

Topics for essay exam

 
 

Write a short essay on one of the following subjects:

 
 

1. Reasons for the ongoing global financial crisis (causal analysis)

2. Proposal to remedy the problem of unemployment (proposal)

3. We should/should not implement shorter working hours and "share" available jobs in order for more people to escape unemployment (argumentation, pick one side)

 
 

You will have four hours to write an essay of approximately 600 words on one of the suggested topics and submit it in an e-mail message to me (anna.linzie@kau.se) no later than 6 pm, May 24.

Although it is a very short essay, please bear in mind the conventions and reader expectations connected to the text type/genre of your choice. Structure your short essay like you would a longer one: an introduction, a number of paragraphs developing the argument, and a conclusion.

As usual, this is primarily a writing exercise. You are not expected to do research on the topic of your choice (you may if you want), and you do not have to be "serious" about the arguments that you present – as long as you produce an essay which adheres to certain academic writing conventions and qualifies as effective communication.

Save some time to proofread your text before you submit it, paying particular attention to subject-verb agreement, punctuation, spelling and so on. Key words: coherence, flow, clarity. Keep it simple!

Good luck!

Anna

 
 

Note on proficiency assignments and our final seminar this week

Dear students,

please remember to prepare for an informal individual oral presentation of assignments 3-4-5 in our final seminar this week.

I promised you that the final proficiency assignment was going to be focused on grammar, which makes sense because you should turn your attention to grammar after having written the essay exam this afternoon. You will have the opportunity to complete assignment 6 in your study groups during the seminar on Thursday, but prepare yourselves by bringing 5 suggestions for grammar exam questions, suitable for the A level (your own level).

Thursday's seminar will be a little different from the previous seminars. We will begin with your oral presentations, then move on to discuss Assignment 6 in your study groups. I will not give a proper lecture, but only talk briefly about a few grammatical structures which you should consider as you prepare for the exam, and then open up to any questions you might have.

Look out for the essay exam topics at 14:00 today!

Best,
Anna

IMPORTANT INFORMATION related to Assignment 4

Dear students,

you are of course absolutely right about Assignment 4. I am sorry about the confusion, but in order for it to make sense, only one person can pick each assignment. Let's go with Theresia's suggestion:

1. Look through the assignments posted by your friends and find one that you like and that nobody else has picked (you will know because there will be no comments on it).
2. Leave a message in the comment space of the blog from which you have taken the assignment saying that you have picked this one. That way, everyone can see that this assignment is already taken, and the person who came up with the assignment knows where to go to find your work.
3. Post the completed task in your own blog.
4. Keep an eye out in your blog for a comment from whoever picked the assignment that you invented.

OK?

Anna

Blog update

Dear students,

I just updated the list of your blogs with Junette's web address and I believe everyone is on the list now.

Best,
Anna

Assignment 3

Dear students,
since you are all going to work as teachers, you are going to get a chance to affect the next few assignments and make them suit your own interests and purposes.

This is Assignment 3 (deadline May 9).

ASSIGNMENT 3: Outline a written proficiency assignment of your own.
Use Academic Writing if you want and try to come up with a task that would allow the person carrying out the task to practice crucial written communication skills at the university level. In other words, formulate a written proficiency assignment that you think would be suitable for your own level and your own purposes in studying English. Post the assignment, with detailed instructions, in your blog before May 9. Instructions may specify for instance number of words, text type, what to focus on, and so on.

This is Assignment 4 (deadline May 16)

ASSIGNMENT 4: Pick a friend's assignment, complete it and post it in your blog
Look through the blogs of your peers and find an assignment that you like. Complete the assignment and post it in your own blog before May 16.

This is Assignment 5 (deadline May 23) and ORAL PRESENTATION (May 27)

ASSIGNMENT 5: Assess your own work and the work of your peers
In your study groups, get together and discuss assignments 3 and 4. Talk about the choices you made when you formulated your own assignment, why you picked a certain assignment among the ones that your friends posted, and if you think that people who picked your assignment responded to your instructions the way you had expected. Write a short essay about/review of this exercise (the combination of assignments 3, 4 and 5) and post it in your blog before May 23.
Oral presentation: Take notes for an informal oral presentation of this group discussion in our final seminar on May 27.

Best,
Anna

Assignment 1 - my comments

Dear students,

well done, you did really well on your first assignment! I have now commented on everybody's work. Only three of you have yet to post the first assignment - and one or two of you part of the first assignment - please do so as soon as you can.

Best,
Anna

Alright?

Everyone on board?

I have updated the list of your blogs and I hope everyone is on it now. If not - shout out loud.

A note on peer response: When you give peer response on Assignment 2, you may obviously comment on the CONTENT (the issue presented as the most important one in the upcoming election), but please remember that the assignments for this course are primarily writing exercises, and therefore the most important aspect is the FORM of the essay that you are commenting on - language, structure, coherence, organization, argumentation.

Best,
Anna

Assignment 2

ENGALX Written Communication

Campus

Spring 2010

Anna Linzie

Assignment 2

Write an argumentative essay on the following subject:

"This question (free choice) should be the most important election issue 2010!"

Keep your essay very short, 400-600 words.

Argumentation

An argumentative text states a position on an issue. Basic features of argumentation:

1. An introduction that awakens interest.

2. A well-defined issue.

3. A clearly stated claim/position.

4. Arguments in favour of the claim, including support for the why and how of each argument.

5. A recognition of possible counterarguments.

6. And finally a dismissal of the counterarguments.

Argumentative texts should be clear, readable, convincing. Since they must attract the reader's interest, and at best convince her or him that the argument presented in the essay is valid, the audience factor becomes crucial.

For more information on argumentative writing, please refer to Academic Writing, Chapter 4 .

Peer response

Linda G comments on Hanna B

Emma O comments on Linda L

Hanna P comments on Mari

Frida Westerberg comments on Junette

Therese comments on Theresia

Hanna B comments on Linda K

Linda L comments on Hanne

Mari comments on Andreas

Junette comments on Frida Warnqvist

Theresia comments on Anna F

Linda K comments on Anna H

Hanne comments on Johan

Andreas comments on Marika

Frida Warnqvist comments on Sofia

Anna F comments on Linda G

Anna H comments on Emma O

Johan comments on Hanna P

Marika comments on Frida Westerberg

Sofia comments on Therese

Your blogs!

Dear students,

these are the web addresses of your blogs - the ones that I have received so far. Anyone missing? Please let me know ASAP!

Best,

Anna

http://hannap89.blogspot.com (Hanna P)

www.teresiaengalx.blogspot.com (Teresia)

www.fridawarn.wordpress.com (Frida Warnqvist)

http://bennedicte86.blogspot.com/ (Hanne)

http://www.lindak-proficiency.blogspot.com/ (Linda K)

http://bystrom88.blogspot.com/ (Hanna B)

www.johankrulle.blogspot.com (Johan)

http://www.therbeng100.blogspot.com/ (Therese)

http://blivandelararenemma.blogspot.com/ (Emma O)

http://fridasengelskablogg.blogspot.com/ (Frida Westerberg)

http://yesantligen40.blogspot.com/ (Mari)

http://www.englishlinda.blogspot.com/ (Linda G)

http://www.engalxvima.blogspot.com/ (Marika)

http://www.annahblogg.blogspot.com (Anna H)

http://www.lindalovgren.blogspot.com/ (Linda L)

http://www.annaengelska.blogspot.com/ (Anna F)

http://www.addelito.blogspot.com/ (Andreas)

http://www.tjoohalia.blogspot.com/ (Sofia)

www.junettepersson.blogspot.com (Junette)

Dear students, thank you very much for starting blogs and letting me know the web addresses! I am only waiting now for a few more, maybe five or so, and then I will post a list of your blogs here.

Best,
Anna

Dear students, I got a few messages with information about your proficiency blogs already, that's great! Please everybody else who did not do so yet, start a blog at blogger.com and let me know the web address so I can post a list of everyone's blog here in my blog. We will need a complete list before the first peer response assignment. For your first assignment, however, you will receive comments from me.

Assignment 1

1. Find a piece of informal writing and a piece of formal writing, compare the two and list a few features distinguishing the two and telling you which is which. Include an excerpt of each text in your blog post!
2. Write two very short texts on the same topic, using informal language in one of them and formal language in the other. Pick a simple topic - the focus is on the language.

Best,
Anna

Welcome!