79139 - Academic Writing Laboratory(B)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the workshop students are expected to produce executive summary of research reports, reviews, scientific compositions, essays addressed to specialized magazines. Students will be able to produce different kinds of papers paying specific attention to the formal and structural features, communicative efficacy and critical validity.

Course contents

The coursework consists in lectures supplemented by written exercises in small groups and individually (You learn to write by writing).

Lectures Topics : 1. Argumentative Essay. Characteristics and Structure (Title, Thesis, Evidence, Conclusions, Examples) 2. Argumentative Styles and Methods 3. Reading Techniques 4. Fast Reading, Critical Reading, Argumentative Patterns 5. Writing Techniques. Paraphrase and Summary 6. Argumentative Texts. Conception. Documentation. Planning. Drafting. Revision 7. Digital Italian and Printed Italian 8. University Textbooks. How to identify a topic. Sources Collection. Index Drafting. 9. Dissertation and basic principles of classical Rhetoric (inventio, dispositio, elocutio, memoria, actio). 10. Bibliography and bibliographical references. Bibliographical Research and Database.

The practical exercises aim to improve ability to self-assessment through discussion with the Professor and through teamwork. Exercises will cover comprehension exercises and text analysis, summaries and paraphrasing exercises, writing short texts as papers and reviews, conception and design of Essays, drafting and writing essays and three-year and five-year dissertation, exercises literature search, access to databases, exercises on the use of different types of Dictionaries. Whenever possible, we will try to limit most of the workload at individual workshop provided.

Readings/Bibliography

Basic Textbooks

1) Scrivere all'Universita'. Manuale pratico con esercizi e antologia di testi , a cura di Paola Italia, Debora Bennati, Milenda Giuffrida, Mondadori Education, , 2014, pp. 238 (giÃÆ' Le Monnier).

2) G. Ghini, Guida alla Tesi di laurea. Un approccio retorico-pratico, pro manuscripto, 2010

3) L. Serianni - A. Castelvecchi, Italiano. Grammatica, sintassi, dubbi, Garzanti editore, 1997

Additional Recommended Textbooks

A. Ciliberti, L. Anderson (a cura di), Le forme della comunicazione accademica, Milano, Angeli, 1999

W. Iser, L'atto della lettura, Il Mulino, 2000

M. Beltramo, Abilità di scrittura, Torino, Paravia, 2000

F. Gatta, R. Pugliese, Manuale di scrittura, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2006

B. Severgnini, L'Italiano. Lezioni semiserie, Milano, Rizzoli, 2007

G. Steiner, La lezione dei maestri, Garzanti, 2006

U. Eco, Come si fa una tesi di laurea, Bompiani, 1977

Massimo Cerruti, Monica Cini, Introduzione elementare alla scrittura accademica, Laterza, 2014, rist.

Teaching methods

Lectures and practical exercises in small groups

Assessment methods

A final exam (written) aims to ensure adequate ability for text analysis, increased linguistic knowledge (lexical knowledge systems, use of Dictionaries, syntax) and the skills necessary for the production of texts according to the basic principles of academic writing.
A final written exam will also evaluate:

• the ability to understand and identify different kinds of linguistic styles and texts types,
• the ability to lay summaries, to review and the knowledge of the categories of speech,
• the growth and awareness of argumentative logic,
• knowledge of the methods of bibliographical quotation.

Final written exam will consist in the production of a Paper according to the advice and the textbooks studied during the workshop.

Teaching tools

Projector, Blackboard, PC

Office hours

See the website of Leonardo Allodi