Techniques d'expression

Alina-Mihaela Sufaru
alina.sufaru@uvsq.fr

This course is designed to improve students' academic language skills in written and spoken English. We will focus primarily on the organization, coherence, and development required for college papers, without overlooking professional correspondence. Emphasis will be placed on applying the conventions of written English, including grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. We will equally work on enhancing oral skills needed in a variety of academic and professional contexts, such as debates and presentations. Upon completion, students should be able to construct solid arguments, write, edit, and revise persuasive papers.

- Working with academic texts (typical structure of academic texts; common functions of academic texts; styles of academic writing; planning a writing task)
- Working with academic vocabulary
     - Word combinations (verbs, nouns & prepositions) & correct usage of link words
     - Expressing opinions & ideas
     - Expressing cause & effect / If Clause
     - Expressing evaluation & emphasis / comparing & contrasting
- Noun, adverb, and adjective clause; participial phrases
- Sentence structure & punctuation
- Sentence problems: sentence fragments, choppy, run-on and stringy sentences

Students will be provided with a course pack the first week of classes.

Recommended books:

- Brown, Douglas H & Cohen, Deborah S. & O'Day, Jennifer. Challenges : a process approach to academic English. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Prentice Hall Regents, 1991.
- Brown, Kistine & Hood, Susan. Writing Matters: writing Skills and Strategies for Students of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
- Coe, Norman & Rycroft, Robin & Ernest, Pauline. Writing Skills: A Problem-Solving Approach. Cambridge/ Cambridge University Press.
- Fournier, Paul. Strategies for Correct Writing. New York: Pearson ESL, 2003.
- McCarthy, Michael; Hewings, Martin & Thaine, Craig. Cambridge Academic English. Cammbridge University Press, 2011.
- Meyers, Alan. Gateways to Academic Writing: Effective Sentences, Paragraphs, and essays. London: Pearson Education, 2004.
- Murphy, Raymond. English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
- Oshima, Alice & Hogue, Ann. Writing Academic English. New York: Pearson Longman, 2006.
- Strunk, William; White, E.B.; Angeli, Roger. The Elements oF Style. Harlow: Longman, 1999.
- Wallace, Michaela J. Study Skills in English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
- Wellman, Guy. Wordbuilder: Vocabulary development and practice for higher-level students. Oxford: Macmillan Education, 1989.

Formative assessment: class participation, midterm exam, papers, project work.
Summative assessment: final exam – based on TD analyses & subject matter.

For further information, please contact the course coordinator: alina.sufaru@uvsq.fr.