longman academic writing series

longman academic writing series

The Importance of Academic Writing Skills

1. Introduction

Although not everyone’s aims are to climb the proverbial ladder, it is self-evident that too many people in these circumstances will feel blocked and many will seek a way to improve themselves. This leads us to the second main point.

This has implications in many areas. 25% of employers are providing remedial training for all or significant numbers of their employees. The majority of this training is related to the improvement of written communication and completing basic maths tasks. The problems with numeracy, while paralleling those of literacy, are not our concern here. The important thing to note is that given the general poor levels of basic skills of a number of employees, it is highly likely that academic skills are even worse. This means that a large proportion of people are effectively unable to progress in their jobs and generally cannot, in modern society, improve their milieu because promotion is highly unlikely without academic skills.

It is an obvious fact that communication is a key tool in the world of business. Relegation of this communication to an inferior level can have serious implications. This can be seen in a recent UK survey administered by the Confederation of British Industry. The results of the survey suggest that, in terms of basic general skills, 44% of employers are not satisfied with the levels of literacy they are finding in school and college leavers.

Academic writing is an essential communication tool in the pursuit of higher education. It is the medium in which ideas and thoughts are articulated, thereby resulting in the expression of knowledge and understanding. As the quality of thought and understanding of a topic is tested through the competency of the written word, it is vital that this medium is perfected.

2. Understanding the Longman Academic Writing Series

This Longman Academic Writing Series, Level 4, “Essays to Research Papers.” With all the components, the textbooks increase in complexity from the simpler to the more complex: Sentence Essentials, Fundamentals of Academic Writing, and the two books contained in the Level 4 text. Each component is designed to be used independently, providing flexibility to the user. Grammar books can be used in conjunction with any academic writing book, depending on the level of the user. Vocabulary books are self-explanatory and are designed to complement the other books. The series Consortia Academy recommended could be easily integrated with Longman and consists of four books: Writers at Work: The Paragraph, Writers at Work: The Essay, and Writers at Work: Writing Skills and Strategies. These books are designed for individual study and include a combined key to edit the books into a teaching curriculum. This program is supposed to provide the student enough tools to study on their own without the aid of an instructor. I have no personal experience with these books and cannot give an accurate comparison to Longman.

3. Developing Effective Writing Strategies

Place each paragraph on a separate piece of lined paper. This will allow room for more detail in paragraph plans and enable writing to be inserted later. This method is very effective when a piece of writing is to be spread over a long period of time and when the subject matter is complex and difficult to understand. With the outline and plans set, constructing the writing will now be a much easier task.

Another key to organization is ‘signposting’. It is important to give what is written a sense of direction, to make it clear and easy to understand. To do this, insert an introduction to the piece at hand, so the reader is aware of what is to come and what to expect. If it is a long piece of writing, summarizing what has already been read will reinforce what the reader has learned so far and assist in gaining a comprehensive understanding. During the writing process, do not attempt to do this while writing as it is likely to confuse the piece. Instead, do it when taking breaks or at the end of a writing session.

Once you know what you’re writing and for whom you’re writing it, the next step is to think about what writing strategies should be used to be effective. Organization, the layout, grammar, and spelling all play a vital part in implementing a well-written piece. What one must consider first is the organization of the writing required. This will depend on the nature of the writing task. Figure out how the paper is supposed to progress. Then construct an outline to cover the main points that must be covered. From this, develop more detailed paragraph plans and build up from there. Having an idea of how the final product will look, right from the beginning, will make the end result easier to achieve.

4. Mastering Academic Writing Techniques

Those of us who are university-educated professionals are comfortable and familiar with academic writing of some kind. Nonetheless, as we progress through our educations, we are obliged to learn more about what makes writing ‘academic’. This realization typically arrives as we start working on our first writing assignment that requires research and documentation. At this point, we are generally not completely sure of the exact requirements of the assignment because we have not yet developed the understanding of the conventions involved in the exact kind of writing that the assignment calls for. This can cause trial and error and often leads to a dissatisfying product as a result of wasted time and frustration. Time constraints and due dates normally interfere with one’s ability to spend the time that is needed to learn and internalize these conventions. Therefore, there is often a demand for a crash course of sorts in the specific kind of writing that the assignment requires.

Academic writing is different from other kinds of writing like journalistic or creative writing. While there are certain traits and principles that you must make use of in all kinds of writing, academic writing has its own set of policies and conventions that must be followed. Whether you are learning how to write an editorial, give an official speech, or write a research paper for credit or for publication, it is crucial to first learn how to identify and uphold the writing conventions that are a part of this exact kind of writing.

5. Enhancing Your Academic Writing Skills

A useful technique when discussing tactless issues is to distinguish a source criticism from an issue criticism, discuss the source or the issue in the third person, and to make it a rule to continue the discussion in that very moment a counter-argument comes to mind. (To discuss tactless issues is to venture into terra incognita: the arguer does not know whether he was right to bring the issue up and the discussants will not know whether they are right to continue the discussion. With this method, they can test the waters and make a provisional judgment whether the risk was worthwhile.)

As an individual, you can advance the cause of model-based reasoning and discourse skills by mastering the skills of a critical reader, learning to bring up tactful issues and counter-arguments, and trying to redesign the work of others. As a critical reader, you should be able to pinpoint the essence of an argument or story, asking such questions as: What is the point? Would it be possible to put that in other words? Can I illustrate that? What are the implications of this argument? These questions get at the very center of an author’s meaning. At the same time, you should try to evaluate the author’s supporting arguments, being open-minded yet hesitant toward them, giving the benefit of a doubt but defaulting to critical self-scrutiny. And if nothing is at stake, or when all else fails, you can always play the devil’s advocate.