Day 7: Analyzing Thesis Statements (Cont.)

Module 1.3:  Thesis Statements

Objectives:
Students will be able to

• identify thesis statement in an essay.
• identify the characteristics of an effective thesis statement.
• distinguish between effective an ineffective thesis statements.
• revise current thesis statement in the diagnostic essay so it fits audience and purpose.

Analyzing Thesis Statements
PPP

II. Sample introductions
 handout
* The thesis statement is the last sentence in the introduction and it is identifiable because it tells the reader what the essay/article is going to be about (the purpose or goal of the paper). 

III. The purpose or goal of the paper is not the only part of the thesis statement. In an academic essay or research paper, there should also be a preview of the topics covered in the body paragraphs. The reader should be able to identify how many body paragraphs or sections there will be in the content of the paper, and exactly what they are.
handout
handout

IV. Parallel Structure
handout

V. Reflect about the changes you would make to the thesis statement in your diagnostic essay.
 
Homework:
a) Finish the handout on parallel structure for next class.
b) Revise the thesis statement in your diagnostic essay. Finish your reflection on the Word document and upload it to Dropbox by next class.
c) Remember to work on your Reflection Paper 1, due this coming Friday.

Sources:
Material retrieved from esltaresources.blogspot.com

Day 6: Thesis Statements

Module 1.3:  Thesis Statements

Objectives:
Students will be able to

• identify thesis statement in an essay.
• identify the characteristics of an effective thesis statement.
• distinguish between effective an ineffective thesis statements.
• revise current thesis statement in the diagnostic essay so it fits audience and purpose.

I. Review

II. Sample introductions
 handout
* The thesis statement is the last sentence in the introduction and it is identifiable because it tells the reader what the essay/article is going to be about (the purpose or goal of the paper). 

III. The purpose or goal of the paper is not the only part of the thesis statement. In an academic essay or research paper, there should also be a preview of the topics covered in the body paragraphs. The reader should be able to identify how many body paragraphs or sections there will be in the content of the paper, and exactly what they are.
handout
handout

IV. Parallel Structure
handout

V. Reflect about the changes you would make to the thesis statement in your diagnostic essay.
 
Homework:
a) Finish the handout on parallel structure for next class.
b) Revise the thesis statement in your diagnostic essay. Finish your reflection on the Word document and upload it to Dropbox by next class.
c) Remember to work on your Reflection Paper 1, due this coming Friday.

Day 5: Analyzing Purpose

Objectives
Students will be able to

• identify audience and purpose for different texts.
• detect and incorporate tone into your writing.
• propose revisions based on analysis of the diagnostic test.
• review common modes of writing.

1. 2: Analyzing Purpose
PPP
Exercise: Identify audience and purpose in different texts.

Homework
Reflective Essay #1

For your first reflective essay, please consider and respond to the following prompt:

Reflect and write about your experience writing for an audience. What kind of audiences have you written for, either in English or your native language? Depending on the audience, how did you writing strategies, language and motivation differ? Which kind of writing do you prefer and why?  Is one audience more difficult for you than another? Why?

Your response should be 300-400 words, be submitted in a Microsoft Word file, 12-pt. font, Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1-inch margins on all four sides. 

Due date:  Friday, February 1, 2013, 3:00

Day 4: Analyzing Audience

Objectives:

Students will be able to

•  understand the fundamental role that audience plays in the stages of the writing process.
•  identify both explicit and implicit audience.
•  understand how reader orientation differs across cultures.
•  Evaluate audience focus and markers in the student's own diagnostic essay and judge its effectiveness based on their knowledge of the audience in writing.
• Strategize revision of the current audience to the newly written audience description so that is more effective.

Module 1.1 (cont.)

 Thinking about your Audience when writing

Elicit how we can know when something is written for a particular audience. How do things change when the audience changes?

Audience and Purpose/Handout: 

1. Consider the following differences between the two: vocabulary, examples used, sentence structure, use of pronouns, specifics mentioned, organization, tone
2. What did the writer include in the first example that she left out in the second? Why?
3. What did she include in the second that she left out in the first? Why?  

Writing Across Cultures
Video

Think back to your Diagnostic Essay: Who is your audience?

1. Who do you think the audience for the diagnostic is? 

2. How can you tell from your writing?

3. Discuss the accurate audience (someone from the opposite side since it s a persuasive/argumentative essay).
4. Is there something you would change with this new perspective, why?

5. Open a Word document and reflect on the importance of having audience, about what you see in your diagnostic essay regarding this, and how you can improve this piece of writing by focusing on a specific audience.

Homework:  
Continue with the audience analysis of your diagnostic essay. Remember, now that you have a specific audience in mind, go over each of the different sections of your diagnostic, what is adequate to keep because it is appropriate for this essay, what needs to be changed to fit the needs of this new reader(s), what kind of changes should be implemented, etc.  Record all these thoughts and reflections on the Word document you started in class and put on Dropbox. This audience analysis must be completed by next class.
Don't hesitate to email me  if you have any questions (torresx2@illinois.edu). You can also come to my office hours (Office 4052, 4th floor, FLB - Mondays and Wednesdays 4:00 - 5:00, or by appointment.)

Sources

 ESL 115 TA Resources. Audience: Communication Model (Lesson). Retrieved from

 http://esl115ta.blogspot.com/2013/01/audience-communication-model-lesson.html

 Jayes J. and Menendez, B. Prompt for Reflective Essay #1. Retrieved from 

 http://esl115ta.blogspot.com/2012/01/reflective-essay-1.html

Day 3: The Communication Model

Objectives:

Students will be able to

• learn about the goals and objectives of Module 1.
• discuss the Communication Model.
• relate the concept of audience to their writing.

 Module 1

Reflection and Critical analysis of the Diagnostic Essay (and of own writing in general)

When we finish Module 1, your assignment will be to write a Diagnostic Analysis.  In order to achieve this goal, we will devote time in class to discuss several essential aspects of writing: audience, purpose, thesis statement, etc.

 Module  1.1   

The Communication Model

Video:  The Communication Model

  Handout: Key Terminology in the Communication Model

Thinking about your Audience when writing

Elicit how we can know when something is written for a particular audience. How do things change when the audience changes?

Handout: Audience and Purpose

1. Consider the following differences between the two: vocabulary, examples used, sentence structure, use of pronouns, specifics mentioned, organization, tone
2. What did the writer include in the first example that she left out in the second? Why?
3. What did she include in the second that she left out in the first? Why? 

Think back to your Diagnostic Essay:

1. Who do you think the audience for the diagnostic is? 

2. How can you tell from your writing?

3. Discuss the accurate audience (someone from the opposite side since it s a persuasive/argumentative essay).

4. Is there something you would change with this new perspective, why?

Sources

ESL 115 TA Resources. Audience: Communication Model (Lesson). Retrieved from

 http://esl115ta.blogspot.com/2013/01/audience-communication-model-lesson.html

 Price, K. (2012). Communication Model. Speech Class Videos. Retrieved from

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDoZZQlCjA4

 

Day 2: Diagnostic Test

 

Today you'll take a diagnostic test. This test is not intended for grading; its purpose is to assess students' strengths and weaknesses, which in turn will facilitate the designing of more targeted instruction. 

Please read the instructions for the test carefully. You'll have the entire class to write your essay.

Day 1: Welcome to ESL 115!

ABOUT ESL115

ESL 115 is a writing course that fulfills the University rhetoric requirement.  It is the final course in the undergraduate sequence of required ESL courses.

Textbook: No texbook is required
                 Recommended: Diana Hacker's Rules for Writers

Course Objectives:

• To develop research and writing skills for various types of academic assignments expected of undergraduate students at the University of Illinois
• To develop critical reading skills that will facilitate the processing of academic texts
• To practice listening and speaking in the classroom context

Course Description:  This is an all-skills course which focuses principally on introducing students to the idea of academic writing at the paragraph and essay level.

The course discusses American academic writing in terms of its general characteristics (directness, clarity, conciseness) and its structure (including the thesis statement, specific support, organization, unity, coherence, and cohesion). Common rhetorical patterns are reviewed. The conventions of writing in various academic disciplines are discussed and analyzed. A strong emphasis is placed on developing effective strategies for writing source-based papers in the academic environment. Critical thinking skills in reading and writing are developed through the analysis of various types of writing. Readings are used as a stimulus for discussion of a topic and/or as a source of support in writing assignments. The library research paper is the major project in this course. The research process is team-taught with an instruction librarian at the Undergraduate Library. Students learn how to choose a focused topic, develop a thesis statement, and to find and evaluate library materials to use as support in their writing.

Type of work: Students do a variety of individual, pair, small group and whole class

activities, which are supplemented by homework assignments.

Dropbox

Learning how to write well is important simply because words have power. Watch this vide on
The Power of Words
A Brief History of Writing

Next class: Diagnostic Test

Homework:
Please read the first day handout you received today. Next class, we'll devote a few minutes to discuss any doubt or question you may have about the contents of this document.


Sources

ESL 115 TA Resources. Retrieved from
 http://esl115ta.blogspot.com/?zx=c65b4730dfd5d987

Simply Viral. The Power of Words, retrieved from:
http://www.simplyzesty.com/viralvideos/the-power-of-words/

Young Explorers: A Brief History of Writing. The British Museum. Retrieved from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7nM3YOwu00