Improving your writing and grammar through cloze and reading

Can you place the following prepositions into the correct spots in the following passage?

WORDLIST:    * for * under *  between *  but *  by *  from *  in
                            *  into *  like *  of *  on *  since* to * with 

The world has been jolted again, this time __ the senseless and tragic events __ Paris. Because one __ the perpetrators may have smuggled themselves ____ Europe masquerading as a refugee, there is the risk __ a backlash. This would be most regrettable and unfair, _____ so many __ the refugees are themselves victims __ the Islamic State, much ____ the victims __ terrorism __ Paris.


This should not distract ____ the fact that a human tragedy __ unprecedented proportions is unfolding. Waves __ refugees fleeing violence and war are flocking __ the borders __ Europe ____ Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Others are migrating northward, ____ such places as Eritrea, Mali and Libya, seeking deliverance ____ dictatorship, ethnic exclusion, religious hatred and hunger.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has shown political courage and humanitarian solidarity __ announcing her country's intention __ accept 500,000 refugees this year alone. And here __ Canada? _____ our previous federal government, we planned __ accept just 10,000 Syrian refugees this year. The new government intends __ take __ 25,000 __ the end __ the year" an improvement, __ be sure, ___ is it enough?


You can check your answer here


This activity is called a cloze (or gap fill)  and it can easily be created by copying and pasting any piece of text into a website called George's Online Cloze Creator.         You can then choose which words you wish to delete as you can see in the image below.   Explore this tool.   Just remember to keep the original text so you can check your answers after.

Cloze activity is one of the most challenging for second language learners, but it is also one of the most beneficial.     It combines focussed grammar with reading in context.

Classroom Engagement Through Effective Questioning -- from a workshop

Here is the slide presentation and handout from a workshop delivered by English Language Support to graduate students at VIU on November 17th.

Classroom Engagement through Effective Questioning:

 A workshop for MASLM

November 17,  2015

Presented by Les Barclay and Bruce Cornwall

http://viulanguagesupport.blogspot.ca/

1.  Introduction   The wise man know what he does not know.

2.  Effective questions and discussion vs.  ineffective questions and discussion

                      

            Effective                                                                      Ineffective

3.   Fundamental Principles                                             & Strategies

        *  Attitude = spirit of inquiry                                            *   Have a clear purpose

        *  Be a critical thinker (reading & listening)             *   Practice

        *  Be collaborative                                                           *  Notice

        *                                                                                          *

What is the problem I am trying to solve?   What is the key concept I need to understand?

     

4.   What underpins engaged and critical reading and listening?

5.   Making good questions:

 a)   Principles                                                                   Strategies

  *   Build a conversation                                             *  Attend to grammar and vocabulary

  *   Focus on critical and higher order thinking          *  Use 10 Question Types

  *   Good questions have multiple answers                *  Don’t know/expect the answer

  *   Seek to build connections and understanding     *   Use follow-up questions

  *   Consider multiples voices and perspectives        *   Keep spoken questions simple and clear

  *   Good questions can lead to more questions       *    Save complex questions for written form

  *   Good questions are useful                                    *    Be guided by purpose

   Ten Higher Order Question Types

1.     Explore – facts, theories

2.     Challenge –assumptions, conclusions, interpretations 

3.     Relate/Compare – theories, ideas, issues

4.     Diagnose – motives, causes

5.     Action – to reach conclusions, actions

6.     Cause and Effect – look for causal relationships

7.     Extension – expand the conversation

8.     Hypothetical – what if

9.     Priority – identify most important issues

10.  Summary – bring it all together

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

           b)  grammar:  Statement usually goes

                   SUBJECT  (+AUXILIARY) + MAIN VERB (+OBJECT )

            But in a question it goes  QUASM    (QU=QUESTION WORD)

         Power is destructive. à

            Power can destroy. à

            Power destroys. à

            Power destroys communities. à

           

             Remember the 7 “WH”   questions:  

             Who   What  Where   When   Why   How   Which

               

            c) practice 1 – unscramble the questions

               Statement:   Inequality is the most important global social issue.

       

 Practice 2:    

People who serve as change agents in their organizations or communities also must work in intentional ways to produce the desired effects.

*****************************************************

The change agent, from this definition, is a person committed to a dynamic leadership process, lifelong learning,  and relationships.  

6.    Critical Listening

Think as you read,  watch listen …

• What surprised,  shocked, intrigued you?
• What didn’t you know?
• What do you disagree with?   What do you agree with?
• What was important?
• What was wrong?
• What was incomplete?
• What was biased?
• What came to your mind?
• How does this connect to you, your country, your
• What did you learn?

1 Question:  ____________________________________________________

1 Observation/Statement:  __________________________________________

7.      I will change the way I make questions by …

          

English Language Support for week 6

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving long weekend and are ready for mid-term exams and other assignments.   Your things to do list is probably growing.     There are many tips in this blog to help you study smarter, not just harder.

Workshops on offer this semester at the Writing Centre

There are some great workshops available at the VIU Writing Centre this semester.   Take your English up a notch by attending some of them.  You can find out about them by visiting their website. Click below.

Academic Integrity and APA for BBA Students

Today's   workshop slideshow

BBA Academic Integrity Workshop

Answer to the referencing question

Citation:

( Dodds, 2012, p.61-62)

Reference:

Dodds, R. (2012). Sustainable tourism: A hope or a necessity? The case of Tofino, British Columbia,       
       Canada. Journal of Sustainable Development, 5(5), 54-64.    
       doi: 10.5539/jsd.v5n5p54 



Getting a citation 








Paraphrasing is really the second part of this Academic Integrity workshop.    Watch for an upcoming Paraphrasing workshop.   In the meantime,   this blog post provides some key information and tips.

VIU English Language Support

Our slideshow from tomorrow's Hospitality Management Mini-Conference presentation-workshop

Are you good at email?

Students and teachers often complain that they get too much email and this is a valid complaint.

Email Overload Is Costing You Billions -- Here's How To Crush It

Top Tips:

For Receiving Email

1. Use separate email accounts for separate purposes. I recommend 3 accounts.   For example,  use one specific account for VIU matters,  and another account for personal non-VIU matters.  Have a third as a general account where when you have to give an email address to someone  you don't know (ie. a business) you use this.  This is where your junkmail will go. 
2. Try not to check it constantly as this wastes time.   Have a routine of regular times to check your messages, such as first thing in the morning,   first thing when at work,  before or after lunch,  and later in the afternoon.   Four times a day should be enough.  And have a set time for fully processing/managing all your daily emails.
3. Use your folders to organize your mail.
4. Don't be afraid to delete emails.
5. Make certain that you are receiving important emails such as from VIU ISS.
6. Keep your inbox to a minimum.  Some suggest no more than 25 messages.  All other messages should be read, filed, or deleted.
7. Acknowledge that you received the message.   Otherwise the sender may not be sure you got their message.    Keep this reply short and prompt.
8. Use the 80/20 principle.  

For Sending Email

1. Don't send an email unless it is really necessary.   If there is a better way to communicate (i.e. talking to someone or using a wiki),  then do this.
2. Always include a clear "subject line".
3. Make certain that your name is in English, and that you have an appropriate email address (i.e. one that indicates who you are, and is not silly or offensive).  Otherwise,  it may not be read.
4. Keep it short.    Long messages are better sent as letters, perhaps as an attachment to a short email message.
5. Use spell-check.
6. Reply promptly,  clearly,  and briefly.
7. As with all writing,  consider the reader and write for them.   You are not writing for yourself.
8. Have your email program remember email addresses so you don't have to type them in each time.    If you do type in an email address,   be certain to spell it correctly.   A misspelled email address is a serious problem!
9. Put your most important point at the beginning of the message.
10. Avoid text-speak (i.e. emojis).   This is email, not texting.   
11. Remember 'please' and 'thank you'.
12. Have a signature block at the end of the message.   A message should always be signed to ensure the recipient knows who sent the message.

Remember that email is a tool for fast convenient (and potentially mobile) communication.  Use it for this.   It should be not be a place to store information or for discussion;  these are better left to wikis or discussion forums.

You may want to explore Evernote  or  PBWorks for these purposes.

I really like this webpage

11 Essential Tips to Manage E-mails Effectively

Evaluating Resources: Workshop Tuesday February 17th 1:00-2:00 in the Writing Centre in the Library

Hi Ladies and Gentlemen,

There will be a workshop on Evaluating Resources for Assignments: How and Why on Tuesday February 17th from 1:00 to 2:00 in the Writing Centre on the fourth floor of the library.

This workshop will combine the criteria for evaluating print and online resources with doing an assignment: choosing a rhetorical structure (argument, problem-solution-evaluation, chronological development, process, comparison/contrast), making an outline, and developing a thesis statement.

By finding and evaluating the most authoritative resources for your assignment, choosing a thesis statement and a plan to develop the thesis becomes clearer. Giving yourself an authoritative voice should also improve the quality of your work.

In summary, this workshop will take a pragmatic approach to evaluating resources by using the evaluation criteria generated to do an assignment.

About critical reviews -- an introduction and some models

It is almost certain that while at university you will be asked to write a critical review of something.   This may be a journal article, a book, a movie, or something else that can be summarized, analysed, and evaluated. These three verbs constitute the essence of a critical review.    A critical review is like a summary with positive and negative evaluative statements embedded within.

An upcoming blog post will detail the components and process of writing critical reviews.   For now,  you can learn by modelling.

One the best models for a critical review is the Economist magazine's weekly book reviews.  These cover a variety of topics and are typically very short and to the point.    You can read them here.

I recommend the following reviews.   The first is of a fiction book,  the second of a biographical book, and the third is a business-related text.   As you read,  it is not vital that you understand them completely,  but notice the structure and the language used,  particularly at the beginning and end of each review.

Unhappy families

The right mix

Death by a thousand cuts

Paraphrasing ... an essential skill for academic writing

In academic writing you support your ideas with the ideas of others,  then cite and reference these 'authors', following whichever referencing system (i.e. APA,  MLA,  Harvard) is required.   Please note that I wrote "use the ideas",   not  "use the words" (as in direct quoting).   Good writers use direct quotations rarely.   That means  unless you want to be caught and punished for plagiarism,   you need to know how to paraphrase.

What is paraphrasing?   Simply put,  it  is taking the ideas of someone else and putting them in your own words,  plus citing and referencing the author of the idea/s.      There is no need for quotation marks, but you need to change the words and grammar sufficiently for it to differ from the original.    Only the idea should remain the same.    A writer can paraphrase a phrase,   a clause,  a sentence or a paragraph.   When we get to larger units than paragraphs,  the process is called summarizing.  

Paraphrasing is not easy.   A writer needs a strong vocabulary and grammar skills,  plus access to a good thesaurus/dictionary.   The internet has made copying and pasting too easy,  which results in too many writers just composing texts with bits and pieces copied from other texts.   Without quotes and citations,  this is plagiarism;  with many quotes and citations,  it is bad writing.     The way to effective paraphrasing is following an effective method.   I recommend the following 5-step method.

1. Read and understand the original idea.
2. Cover or turn over the original text.
3. In point form,  write down the idea.
4. Using the notes from step 3,  write the idea in grammatically correct form.
5. Compare your paraphrase with the original.   Does the idea accurately reflect the original idea?  Is the vocabulary and grammar sufficiently different?

Don't forget to note the page (or paragraph) number and the referencing information.

Beyond this larger strategy, there are some specific techniques a writer can use to paraphrase.

1. Use synonyms for all but generic words (ie.  business, school, computer) which have no substitutes.
2. Restructure the grammar of the sentence.
3. Make phrases into clauses,  or clauses into phrases.
4. Convert active tense to passive tense,  or passive tense to active tense.
5. Change word forms

As an example,  study the following.

The original text:

The central point the reader is to draw from this unique narrative is that character and plot are intertwined.

An unacceptable paraphrase (which only changes the words) is:

The main idea the reader should conclude from this original story is that character and plot are strongly connected.

An acceptable paraphrase (which changes both the words and the grammatical structure) is:

Upon reading this unique story,  one should conclude that character and plot are strongly connected.

An unacceptable paraphrase (where the original meaning is inaccurately conveyed) is:

When reading this story,   you should enjoy the connection between the characters and the plot.

MIT's Academic Integrity Handbook provides some excellent examples of acceptable and unacceptable paraphrasing here:

Avoiding Plagiarism - Paraphrasing

And you can practice paraphrasing and check your answers at Owl Writing Lab

Finally,   it is important to remember that effective paraphrasing is founded strong reading ability (you need to understand what it is you are paraphrasing),   strong vocabulary,  and strong grammar.   The better your reading and writing is,  the better your paraphrasing will be.

Using blogs and other website sources for academic purposes

In response to a student asking about using a webpage as a reference,   I found this page from the official APA Style Blog

It is important to remember that much/most of what exists on the Internet is not considered academic.

Anyone can post anything,  and this may not be true,  accurate, or supported.     Alarm bells always ring for me when there is not identifiable author or organization for a webpage/web article.     It is even more vital to be a critical reader when doing research on the Internet.  A Canadian Writer's Reference (5th edition) provides useful advice about evaluating web sources on pages 355-357.  

This graphic from  http://libguides.frostburg.edu/content.php?pid=263617&sid=2177956#7360303

also provides a handy  framework for guiding academic use of internet sources.

"Academic Style" or "How to Write so that Others Understand You and Are Impressed"

Style is vitally important in writing.  Your overall writing presentation,  the words you use and how you use them has a great impact on your readers.   And, of course,  you write for your readers.

Academic writers wants to appear academic and professional.  They do this in various ways.   First, they use academic words and phrases,   such as "major"  instead of "big",   "much"  or "many" rather than "a lot of",  "effective" rather than "good".    The words you use should convey precise meaning.  For example,  "good" is too general;  as a reader,  I want to know good in what way? Except for social media,  you do not write the way you speak,  or you should not.    Professional style also avoids jargon, slang, or colloquialisms. This
style of language is too informal for academic professional writing.

Academic writing also adopts a style of writing sentences that are neither too short, nor too long,  but which are clear and demonstrate the writer's knowledge.    My rule of thumb is that a sentence should not exceed 3 lines on a page.   A sentence should reflect one idea.   An idea can be complex,  thereby requiring numerous clauses.   But if it is too complex,  it is best to break it into several sentences.   Don't make it too difficult for the reader.   As a writer,   you know what you mean,  but you should put yourself in the shoes of the reader.    
One important way to support our points when writing is by examples.   Examples can be introduced within a sentence,   or as a sentence on their own.   Remember to say something about the example given rather than just throw it in.   Try to use powerful examples that are current and ideally universal.    Examples from history don't necessarily need to be avoided, but they should be blended with those nearer to us in time.
Examples from one's own country may not necessarily apply in other countries.     Examples must be credible,  relevant,  and easy to comprehend.

One of the challenges writers in Canada who come from other countries face is that what is considered good academic style in their country may not necessarily be considered good in Canada.    In North America,  you don't write to show off.    Using "multi-syllabic words"   that most people don't know (for example:  pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis ) or filling your writing with unnecessary words to make it longer  is just bad writing.  The democratic ethos holds that good writers write in a way that anyone with the necessary context and background knowledge should be able to understand.

It is also important to remember that all academic writing is not good academic writing.   There are many bad writers in academia who do not necessarily write clearly and concisely.    A good way to improve your writing is to find some models of  exemplary academic and professional writing,  and emulate them.   Read the Economist or Time magazine.     Or Harvard Business Review.       Find a writer you like and study their style.    

Remember it takes time to develop a style that fits you and fits your reader.    Knowing the key principles comes first,  then following them.  

You may find these internet resources useful.

You can read the online version of one of the best style books,  appropriately name The Elements of Style here.

Words and phrases to avoid

More words and phrases to avoid  (with alternatives)  from the British Council

Workshop in the Writing Centre

At 1.00 today  (Monday) ,  in the Writing Centre, Daniel Burgoyne, Writing Centre tutor, Chair of English, Co-author of "Academic Writing - an Introduction," will give a workshop on how use and give credit to other people's work that you present in your own writing. It's something a lot of people struggle with, and a fundamental academic skill. Come and hear what he has to say.

"Someone" and "they"

The reputable Economist magazine takes a stand and supports it.    According to their language blogger, it is acceptable to write,   "If someone at VIU needs help with their English writing,  they should go to the Writing Centre."

Johnson: Singular they

The Writing Centre at VIU

The Writing Centre at VIU can be extremely helpful plus has a great roster of workshops happening this semester.   Check it out when you are in the library. Click the webpage excerpt link below to explore their full webpage.  

The Writing Centre | Vancouver Island University (VIU)

Government of Canada's Language Web Portal plus some business writing resources

I came across this website today quite by accident, but it looks very interesting and worthy of exploration.

Language Portal of Canada


Also,  for business students,   the Business Writer's Free Library has a bountiful supply of resources.

Business Writer's Free Library

Finally,   this business writing blog is definitely worth subscribing to.

Business Writing

Creating an Outline -- an integral part of the pre-writing process

                                            

Once you have written your thesis statement,  it is time to start planning and organizing the essay, and collecting the support for your argument.    You can't begin doing your main research until you know the type of support you need.  (Or at least,  you shouldn't unless you want to waste your time and effort.)

An outline is an integral part of the pre-writing process.   The key word to notice here is "process", as opposed to "product".  Process is fluid, not static.    Just because you have written an outline as part of your writing plan,  doesn't mean you can't change it.   Plans are meant to be changed; they should not be straitjackets that fully restrict us.   They are a planning tool.


Two primary benefits of an outline are that:

1. You can build and  see the support for your thesis
2. You can see the logic of your argument

An outline exists in a middle state between structure and creativity.  Its focus ought to be on ideas and their organization.    It follows from brainstorming and precedes the written essay constrained by issues of grammar, vocabulary and style.   You should not be worried about these latter issues when working on an outline.

Your outline should also help you better plan your time as you write your essay.   For example,  you may spend one day on one section of the outline (i.e.  one of the paragraphs or sections) and another day on another section.     

Here is a good template for a typical 5 paragraph essay.

(Source:   https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/sites/default/files/global/documents/library/essay_outline_worksheet.pdf

Here is a blank template you can use:

Here is the same essential structure in a more graphic format:

Here is another graphic template you might want to use:

If your teacher asks you to hand in a formal outline using Roman Numerals,  here is what one looks like:

The Purdue OWL: Sample Outlines



How detailed your outline is depends on its purpose.   Are you submitting it to your teacher,  or is it only for your own use?       If it is for the writer only,  then point form will be enough.


Here are some web resources that will be helpful for preparing an outline.  


9 Different Types of Outlines for 9 Different Types of Essays

Be wary of Wikipedia

This recent BBC News story ought to remind students and teachers of the inherent risk and hence academic inappropriateness of using Wikipedia for academic research,  and why it is not acceptable as an scholarly source.

Be wary of Wikipedia, say scientists

Rules for Better Cover Letters

A couple of interesting articles I came across on the Net.   Nothing new to MBA Internship students.

7 New Rules For Writing The Perfect Cover Letter

Writing a Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the heart of  all academic writing.  It provides the energy and supports the clarity of an essay.   You can think of it using many metaphors --   it is the spine that holds an essay together;  it is a road map and the keys to the car.  And of course,  it goes by other names -- the "point",  the "main idea", the "claim".     It underlies all good presentations -- both written and spoken.

Many times,  teachers read an essay, or listen to a talk,  and wonder,  "What is the point?  What is the writer trying to do?  What am I supposed to do?"  Writers sometimes fall into the trap of simply describing,  where there is no point,  or their point is hidden or convoluted.  Sometimes there are multiple points.    And yet it is vitally important that everthing in a text coheres.  Consider the definition of cohere (adjective = coherent)

1. To stick or hold together in a mass that resists separation.

2. To have internal elements or parts logically connected so that aesthetic consistency results: "The movie as a whole failed to cohere" (Robert Brustein). 

It is your thesis that causes the text to cohere.   There is a point that is clear and interesting and everything else is somehow connected to.   The reader (or listener) should at the end of reading or listening know or understand something he/she didn't before.    And of course,   it is entirely possible (but regrettable) to have a sound thesis while all the rest of the essay is in shambles.

Problems may arise from several causes.    Too often the writer does not fully know or understand his or her own thesis.   It has not been thought out.    It has not been communicated to another yet.    There are several qualities to a good thesis:

• It is stated explicitly in one complete sentence.
• It is focused.   
• It is written clearly and succinctly.
• It considers the reader.
• It is located at the beginning of the text in the introduction (typically in one of the first 3 paragraphs, as the final sentence in the paragraph)
• It is repeated in different words in the conclusion of the essay.
• All the supporting information in the body of the essay relates to it (and it may well be repeated at one or more points in the body of the essay)

There are some things a thesis is not:

• It is not a statement of fact.
• It is not a question.
• It is not confusing,  ambiguous or vague.
• Is not too broad.

What you are doing in writing a thesis is focusing on one interesting aspect of a topic or issue. Do not fall into the trap of simply describing a process.   Find something unique or unusual to say about it, then persuade the reader of your point.    

For example,   if your topic is the development of the Internet,  don't simply describe it, or even just one part of this development.    Look at one aspect of the development,  and make a point.    You could argue that the early creators of the Internet wanted it to be free of control,  and this can be demonstrated through its entire development,  and seen through the constant stresses as forces attempt to control it.    A writer supports a thesis in different ways, but it is important to support it in order to persuade the writer that the thesis is valid.        

Types of support for a thesis  (from  Education.com)

• explanations
• examples
• details and descriptions
• facts
• reasons
• anecdotes/stories
• expert opinions 
• quotations
• diagrams/visuals

Of course,   a writer must be careful and balanced  in the use of these various types of support.    

Finally,   one of the best strategies is to have your teacher or a peer read your thesis and give you feedback.    You shouldn't spend all the time to write a full essay if it is founded on a faulty thesis.

Some useful resources about thesis statements:

Justice Institute of Canada -- Thesis Statements   (this is a short and easy to read resource)

Owl Writing Lab -- Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements

How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement (PDF from Wilfred Laurier University)

How to Write a Thesis Statement (wiki How)