50 Steps to Improving Your Academic Writing Study Book

Table of Contents:
Contents Introduction A. Understanding Academic Convention How is writing different from speaking? How is academic writing different to other forms of writing? What is plagiarism? How can I use other people's ideas in my own writing? How can I reference properly? B. Researching your Essay How do I choose my source material? How should I use the Internet for research? What critical thinking skills do I need to develop? How can I read more efficiently? How can I take notes effectively? C. Preparing to Write How does my mother tongue affect my writing? How can I manage my time effectively? How can I understand my title? How can I brainstorm ideas and develop an outline? What is a thesis statement and how do I write one? D. Organizing your Text What different types of academic writing are there? How is text organized in academic writing? What are the characteristics of a good paragraph? What should be included in my introduction? What should be included in my conclusion? E. Making your Writing more 'Academic' How can I make my essays more 'formal'? Should I use 'I' in my writing? When should I use cautious or tentative language? How can I make my writing more complex? How can I strengthen my argument? F. Developing your Writing Style How can I write a good sentence? How can I make my writing more emphatic? How can I make my writing more coherent? How can I make my writing more cohesive? What kind of linking devices can I use in my academic writing? G. Using Functional Language in your Writing What is the best way of reporting others' words? How can I show cause and effect? How should I define unfamiliar words and phrases? How can I compare and contrast different ideas? What language should I use to interpret tables and graphs? H. Enriching your Vocabulary How can I stop repeating the same language? How can I stop using vague and unnecessary words? What are 'collocations' and how can I use them? What phrases are commonly used in academic writing? How can I use prepositions effectively? I. Improving your Grammar What tenses should I use in academic writing? How can I use modal verbs correctly? How can I punctuate correctly? How can I use articles? How can I use adverbs effectively and accurately? J. Finalising your Writing Why is proofreading important? What proofreading strategies can improve my final draft? What language/grammar mistakes are particularly common? How do I write a good abstract? What final checks do I need to make? Answers Glossary

About the Author :
Chris Sowton is an English Language professional with more than 15 years' experience in the field. He is the author of several EAP books, including 50 Steps to Improving your Academic Writing and the forthcoming 50 Steps to Improving your Grammar. He has taught EAP at King's College London (University of London) and the University of Cambridge, from foundation through to PhD level. He has also taught ESOL and general EFL to a wide range of students. Over the past decade, he has developed and run a large number of teacher training courses in Nepal with the educational charity Global Action Nepal (which he co-founded) and the British Council. He is currently implementing a teacher training programme and a pioneering English language website, www.onlineenglish.training. His qualifications include a DELTA (from University College London) and an MA (from the University of East Anglia).

Review :
"...an extremely informative book ...a sound investment for any student who wants to improve their academic writing in English." EAP Foundation.com, April 2014 "The author has attempted to put everything about writing academically into one, comprehensive volume and has done a sterling job." Peter Fullagar for English Teaching Professional, Issue 88, September 2013 "Overall, I think this is a fantastic book and I recommend it to everyone who teaches IELTS, academic English or essay writing." Sandee Thompson for IATEFL Voices, Issue 238, May-June 2014 "Many students learning academic writing skills would like to obtain an instant understanding and knowledge of the skills required for academic writing without having the bother of reading a book on the subject as well. This user-friendly and colourful study-guide could be a useful aid for such students looking for easily accessible, no nonsense information. 50 Steps to Improving Your Academic Writing is conveniently separated into ten units focusing on different aspects of academic writing and grammar. These units are then each divided into five steps presented as answers to questions such as Step 3 'What is plagiarism?' (a form of cheating and a serious academic offence...), Step 25 'How can I strengthen my argument?' (arguments must be analytical, thorough and persuasive...), through to Step 50 'What final checks do I need to make?', focusing on self-reflection and analysis of the essay draft. The structure of each of these steps has also been separated into different aspects on the topic under consideration, which have been divided into A: Reflection; B: Contextualization; C: Analysis; D: Activation, E: Personalization and F: Extension. Once the reader understands this format, they can gain the full benefit of the thinking behind each unit and how it is related to academic writing as a whole. Sowton successfully outlines the most important processes of understanding, drafting and finalising an essay ready for submission. Although the book is divided into ten units which can be read sequentially, it is probably best used as a reference guide depending on the type of information sought. This would be a useful guide for new students who want a general overview of the writing process, but it could also be used by teachers to discuss key points in a factual and accessible way. I would recommend using this book as a supplement and self-study guide for students new to academia and those wanting some insightful insider tips on the writing process. The elixir of true knowledge of the academic writing process may be hard to find but this is a good first step ... if not the first 50 of them." Christie Goodall for the ESP SIG Journal, Issue 41, April 2013 "The book is compact, colourful, well laid out, easy to use, and additionally offers a glossary and fantastic appendixes... it is an excellent, up-to-date resource which should be considered if you teach academic writing, or writing for exams for that matter. There's something for everyone in it." Amy Jost for ETAS Journal, Vol. 31, Issue 2, Spring 2014 "... this is an excellent supplemental text for a course in English for Academic Purposes and a useful self-study text for students who learn well from reflection. Its thorough examination of the steps to successful academic writing makes it a helpful resource for teachers and students alike." Rachel Ishiguro for TESL Reporter, 2014