Approaching Your Written Assignment: From Reading To Writing

Reading-to-Writing Strategy: Learn how to approach assignments by effectively reading and extracting key information for

What you'll learn

Identify and assess credible and relevant academic sources

Analyse language choices and features to determine tone and accuracy in texts

Develop strategies for managing your reading load and reading more efficiently

Use your readings to plan and inform your writing process

Explore different formats for organising arguments and structuring essays

Synthesise ideas from various sources to incorporate evidence and strengthen your writing

Identify the key elements of paragraphs

Write effective topic sentences and apply proper paragraphing

Introduce counterarguments and clearly state your position

Learn some useful signposting language to introduce and link arguments

Recognise language like reporting verbs that indicate the writer's position and stance.

Recognise and practise features of proper academic writing style

Recognise different forms of plagiarism and develop strategies to avoid them.

Identify instances of plagiarism in academic writing and understand the reasons behind them.

Learn and apply effective techniques to create original text while properly crediting sources.

Master paraphrasing through effective methods and hands-on practice.

Understand different types of coherence in writing and how they enhance readability by connecting ideas smoothly.

Use signposting language and transition words/phrases effectively within and between paragraphs.

Organise ideas logically and emphasise key messages through sentence structures that promote coherence.

Requirements

Basic English Proficiency: Intermediate-level reading and writing skills in English. Technology Access: Reliable internet and a device to view course materials. Time Commitment: Dedicate 1–2 hours per day to complete the course (5 days or longer if needed).

Description

This course is designed to help you build the essential skills needed for academic success, especially if you are an international student whose first language is not English. Adapting to university-level reading and writing can be challenging, particularly when faced with unfamiliar academic conventions and complex texts. This course will provide practical strategies to help you overcome these difficulties.You will learn how to approach written assignments with a clear reading-to-writing strategy, making it easier to understand complex texts, extract key ideas, and structure your work effectively. This is particularly useful for non-native speakers who may need additional support in processing dense academic material.You will also develop techniques for writing strong, coherent paragraphs while maintaining an appropriate academic style, ensuring your arguments are clearly expressed and well-structured. To help you avoid plagiarism, the course will guide you through rewriting and paraphrasing, teaching you how to express ideas in your own words with clarity and coherence.Additionally, you will gain practical strategies for navigating research and dissertation writing, which are often some of the most demanding aspects of university study. Learning how to engage with academic sources effectively will not only help you complete assignments with confidence but also prepare you for more advanced research work in the future. The skills developed in this course will be invaluable throughout your academic journey.

Overview

Section 1: Unit 1- Section 1: Types of Sources

Lecture 1 Recognising different types of sources

Lecture 2 Part 2: Managing Your Reading Load

Section 2: Unit 1- Section 2: Evaluating Sources for Academic Search

Lecture 3 Searching for and selecting academically appropriate sources

Section 3: Unit 1- Section 3: Planning and Writing

Lecture 4 Stages of writing and Synthesising ideas

Section 4: Unit 2- Section 1: Paragraph Writing and Academic Style

Lecture 5 Writing Paragraphs and Maintaining Academic Style

Section 5: Unit 2- Section 2: Writer's Stance

Lecture 6 How to Develop Your Voice in Writing and Enhance Critical Thinking

Section 6: Unit 2- Section 3: Academic Writing Style

Lecture 7 How to maintain an academic style and tone

Section 7: Unit 3- Section 1: Plagiarism

Lecture 8 Understanding Plagiarism

Section 8: Unit 3- Section 2: Paraphrasing and Summarising Techniques

Lecture 9 How to paraphrase effectively

Section 9: Unit 3- Section 3: Coherence

Lecture 10 How to enhance your understanding of coherence

The course is designed to support university students, particularly international students whose first language is not English, in developing essential awareness and skills for research, reading, and writing. It helps them navigate reading materials effectively, manage their time efficiently, and overcome key challenges such as passive reading, overly descriptive writing, and misalignment with the expected tone and genre of academic writing.