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