Introduction

Writing English for Academic Purposes is a distance learning course designed to teach English writing skills.  It is ideal for:
 - students who are either about to enter college or university,
 - students already in college or university who want to improve their writing skills,
 - teachers who will have to instruct a writing course,
 - anyone who wants to write better essays or other papers
 - anyone who wants to learn to write better English.

EAP is for ESL students and native speakers alike.  Being proficient in the English language does not necessarily make everyone a good writier - that is an acquired skill and this course teaches you how to do that. As a distance learning course, students may proceed at their own pace.

The most important thing a student will learn to do during college or university years is to communicate in writing. This will include essays, book reports and summaries, precis, written assignments, research reports, theses, and dissertations.  There is a strong difference between spoken and written English.  To the native English speaker, it may not appear so.  To the ESL student, the differences are huge.  Good writing skills can make a tremendous difference in the grades students receive.

This course develops a student’s ability to write clearly and concisely. Emphasis is placed on the writing process, preparation of various drafts, proofreading and production of the final product.  It stresses the importance of adapting communication to the needs of the intended audience, proper organization and good English usage.

A Note to Teachers

This is an ideal course for ESL teachers who have students at the Upper Intermediate to Advanced levels, particularly high school students.  Follow the course, do the exercises, and watch your own writing improve as well as your ability to look for typical problems in the writings of your students.

Being able to teach academic writing to ESL students requires a good knowledge of English grammar, syntax, vocabulary, writing essentials, editing and proof-reading skills, the ability to project models for students, computer word-processing skills, formatting and a love of writing. A good imagination is a great asset as well.

Whether you can speak the first language or languages of your students, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the structure of their language.  When students write in English, they will tend to follow the writing patterns of their own language and translate those thought patterns into English.  If for example, adjectives follow the noun in their language, don’t be surprised to see the students write English the same way while they are learning.

When you complete this course, you will be able to use it again and again to teach English Writing.

Prerequisites:

This is a stand-alone course and there are no set prerequisites.  It is open to anyone with a good command of English who wants to learn how to write English essays and other forms of college level writing whether for academic purposes or not.  Upon successful completion of the course, graduates receive a Certificate of Completion.

It would also be a good lead-in for those interested in going on to a course in Creative Writing.

Course Objectives:

This is a writing course designed to improve your skills in writing academic essays and other writing that you will have to do whether in university, business or as a teacher. As a writing course, you will be expected to WRITE!  There are eight assignments. Assignments 2-7 are full essays and the final assignment is a research report. For a full outline. assignments and grading of the course, click on Course Outline in the table below.
 

Instructor

Professor Robert Taylor is Head of the International Matriculation Program at St. John’s University in Bangkok, Thailand. He is also on the faculty of the Canadian School of Management in Toronto, Canada.  In 2000, he was elected to the action learning faculty of the University of Action Learning of Boulder, Colorado as a Master Teacher.

Professor Taylor has taught ESL at most school levels, business English, technical English and English Writing.  He is published in the International Journal for teachers of English Writing Skills (IJTEWS) and the Virtual Online University Journal. He has also written textbooks on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and General Science for ESL students.

Registration:

As this is a distance learning course, students may register at any time. Although there is no set time limit to complete the assignments, we strongly recommend that you set a goal for yourself of when you want to finish the course.

    Steps to Register:

    1. Complete the Registration Form.
    2. Send the completed form along with the tuition to Sunbridge Institute of English.
    3. Purchase the course textbook. (Please go to the Course Outline page).

Tuition:

Tuition for the course is $425. USD or $475. CAD/AUD. For tuition in other currencies, please send an email to <[email protected]>. The cost of the textbook is extra.
 

Course Outline:

For a complete outline of the course, assignments and grading, please click on Course Outline in the table below.