Class notes

Owner Person

Instructor Person

Subject Academic Writing

15 lectures

Apr 26, 2025

Lecture #1: Course Introduction

Review of paragraph, essay: Ch 5 Writing
summaries - Plagiarism
-​ Checked by AI (allow 10 %)

-​ 15% in the class + 1 test in the class

 -​ Final: about 3000 words (except Reference words) ​

+ focus on Literature review : relevant to your research + research

methodology

+ submit for Assessment Testing through email

-​ Think of the topic you’re interested in from NOW: for the minor research

+​ Evaluate the course outline

+​ Task based

+​ Pair work - Group work

+​ Technology assisted teaching

+​ Language learning: ss anxiety, motivation - factors that affect the

ss’s learning (what problem that you want to solve: maybe you want

your ss to speak more) / methods to improve ss’s skills / How to apply

AI effectively - how can you check your ss use it effectively )

*LESSON

I.​ WRITING A PARAGRAPH

1.​ Paragraph Structure : 1 topic - paragraph

-​ A para: is a group of related sentence about a single topic

*Structure

-​ Topic sentence: It's important to develop the idea.: Topic + controlling ideas /

Specific (by adding Adj + Adv: Noun phrases with Adj or Adv + V → explain on

them): not too specific - not too general

Example: AI has two benefits

Immigrants have contributed many delicious foods to US cuisine

-​ Supporting sentences : Explanation (who, what, where, why, how, in what

way), Example, Result

-​ Concluding sentences : no need to write for every paragraph in a essay,

except it’s a single paragraph, but need a transitional sentence to signal that

you’re going to talk about another idea in the essay: only one in a paragraph

+​ (in a essay) conclusion to Summarize : the main finding of your study (

not copy exactly the main finding)

4-3-9-1-6-2-5-8-10-7

The English language adopts several foreign words.

Different residents around the world use a wide range of building materials

based on their own living conditions.

10 thg 5, 2025

Lecture #2: QUOTING,

PARAPHRASING, SUMMARIZING
Coherence ( hold together)
1.​ Repeat key nouns
2.​ Use consistent pronouns
3.​ Use transitional signals to link idea
Compare:
On the other hand
In contrast
4.​ Arrange your ideas in logical order

Study abroad → not guarantee that you can find a high - paid job → no coherence.
As a result of what?

Cohesion: linking words

HOW TO READ AND SUMMARISE A RESEARCH ARTICLE

Assignment 1 : Summarise an article ( Scholar paper ): INDIVIDUAL

-​ Find a good one → summary → next assignment: use it for Critics
Structure:
-​ Introductory Paragraph : Title, authors, and date, page, publish in …. + aim
-​ Body Paragraph: 1,2,3 ,... paragraph
-​ Conclusion
* 1,5 page (Maximum 2 pages)
* Topic of the article: TESOL

W3: practice summarising in group (16th: submit group work + along with the original article)
W4: 24th : OPEN TESOL (200k/each)
W5: 30th: Submit personal summarising: tự tìm article

25% Pragiarism : Turnitin

10% AI

. What do we need to focus on when you read a research article?

-​ Title: Topic of the research ( What is it about? + Setting + Participants + Variable:
something to measure in your study )
-​ Abstract: aims + main finding + methodology + participants + implications +
recommendations
Steps to follow when summarizing an article
1.​ Read the paper thoroughly
-​ First reading: get a general idea of the article paper’s purpose , structure and main
arguments
-​ 2nd reading: focus on the abstract, introduction (background + context + relevant
references + terms ,..) , methodology, results, discussion and conclusion

2.​ Identify Key elements

-​ Title & Author(s)
-​ Research questions & Objectives
-​ Methodology
-​ Key Findings / Results: Main ones
-​ Conclusion & Implications​
 3.​ Write the summary
-​ Use your own words ( paraphrases)
-​ Be brief but complete ( 1 paragraph for a page)
-​ Maintain neutral , academic tone - NO YOUR OPINION - except it’s a critical
summary

4.​ Review and Rewrite

-​ Check for clarify , accuracy and consciences
-​ Ensure that you’ve accurately reflected the paper’s content.

Websites to read article about teaching

●​ ELF (https://elf.salu.edu.pk/index.php/elf/login?source=%2Findex.php%2Felf)
●​ WE
●​ ARAL (Annual Review of Applied Linguistics | Cambridge Core)
●​ AsiaTEFL (::: The Journal of Asia TEFL :::)
●​ ESP (English for Specific Purposes | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier)

Chapter to read next week: Chapter 5 + 6 in the book

5.1.1. Swales, J.M. & Feak, C.B. (2012). Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks
and Skills (3rd ed.). Michigan: University of Michigan Press.

17 thg 5, 2025

Lecture #3: Academic Language: Flow &

Linking: Ch. 6 Writing Critiques
1.​ REVIEW GROUP SUMMARY

-​ Don’t need to summarize the whole - just the part that you want to look for
-​ Describe a little about the gap
 -​ The literature review includes: Conceptual framework - theoretical framework
(adopt or adapt)

31 thg 5, 2025

Lecture #4: Academic Language: Flow &

Linking: Ch. 6 Writing Critiques

-​ In longer summary:
+​ The author goes on to say that …
+​ The article further states that’
+​ Author’s name also states / maintains / argues that….
+​ Author’s name also believe that ….
+​ Author’s name conclude that ……
-​ Author’s name: 3 positions : the beginning / at the end / in the midder
-​ Additionally, in addition to…, also, furthermore, further, moreover, besides,...
-​ Syntheses of more than one source : code / group from different source and named
it with a key idea
-​ Multiple sources: chart, table, diagram

Studies Research sites Writing genres / Main findings of

and topis the focus topic
participants
→ write from the table (group ideas) → showing similarities & differences

SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES

Similar to…., In contrast, B…

Similarly In contrast to…
Likewise On the other hand
However
Like A, B aslo
But
As in A, in B,,,
Unlike A, b
,,, B found the same… Whereas
 B conducted a similar While
survey To differ from
To contrast with
Tobe different from

-​ Evaluate the research article → identify the strengths and weaknesses : can use the
checklist

WRITING CRITIQUES

-​ Critiques - French word - a critical assessment ( +, -, or mix) → give comments on

something: a short summary followed by an evaluation
-​ Requirement: express your evaluative comments within field’s accepted standards
of judgement
-​ Important: being fair - reasonable - objective not subjective

●​ How to write:
1.​ Summarize the main points of the article
2.​ What do you think is working well? → best part of the paper and the
strengths of the author’s writing. (Start with positive feedback.)
3.​ Constructive criticism: respectful - delivered in a form allowing the author to
make specific improvements. ( in every sections: abstract, literature review,
findings,...: need revised or not - if yes - make some suggestions)
●​ Good critique shoul be:
-​ Objective: from scientific, without personal bias
-​ Be critical: all aspects should be examined: introduction, main ideas,...
-​ Be informative: provide the reader with a clear understanding of strengths and
weaknesses
●​ Tips
-​ Take notes while reading : write the point that you agree or disagree: maybe the
research questions may be confusing
-​ Concise - clear outline for the main points
-​ Write a paragraph: summarize
-​ Write a paragraph for each of following points, summarizing the main points and
providing your own analysis:
+​ The purpose
+​ Research Qs
+​ Method
+​ Findings
+​ Conclusion drawn by the authors
+​ Implpication : is it for students and teachers, align with the findings, relevant
to the findings?
-​ Mention the strengths - weaknesses in a separate paragraph
-​ Conclusion: summarize your thoughts about the article

●​ Structure
1.​ Introduction: a brief summary the article
2.​ Body: ( can follow the order of the article - strengths first - 2 -3
 - Strengths / Weaknesses: recommendation
3.​ Conclusion : summarize your thoughts about the article

●​ ANALYZING TO WRITE CRITIQUES

1.​ Analyzing journal abstracts: aims, methods, findings, research gap, background,
methodology, implications : to know whether the article relevant to your concern

7 thg 6, 2025

Lecture #5:
Mechanics of Style
Reference Examples
Displaying Results

1.​ PUNCTUATION P.264 APA7

2.​ SPELLING
Follow consistent style : American - British ( not mixing up)
3.​ ITALIC
4.​ CAPITALIZATION: be consistent - explain why Capital?
5.​ ABBREVIATION: implicate what for what? - make a list
-​ Write full in 1st time
6.​ NUMBERS:
-​ Less than 10 : in words
-​ More than 10: in numbers
→ Whatever way you use, be consistent
7.​ METRICATION

RESEARCH SKILLS
WRITING TEXT CITATION & REFERENCE

APA 6: use all the authors name for 1st citation / 2nd : et al., (YEAR) ( 3+ authors)
APA 7: use et al for 1st citation ( 3+ authors)
2 authors - include 2 all the time

Read Chap 8 - APA7th

14 thg 6, 2025

Lecture #6:
-​ Authors’ names: not a part of the formal structure of the sentence ( family name,
family name & family name, year).
-​ “I am hungry.”
-​ The same authors ( years in order) : Ex : A (n.d., 2000a, 200b, 2013) - (A, n.d., 2017a,
2017b, 2019)
-​ (Sampson & Hughes, 2020; see also Augustine, 2017) : the same but less important
than the first one ( alphabetical after “see also”)
-​ References: sample below

21 thg 6, 2025

Lecture #7: Literature Review

Hw: Research topic: write 2 -3 RQ
Pop up ideas:
-​ motivation in YL
-​ Game in teaching vocabulary to YL
 -​ enhance teen learners' motivation for learning English grammar through language
games
-​ Development in language acquisition through interaction strategies in very young
learners

What is literature review?

It is a comprehensive and critical summary of existing research and scholarly works, such
as books, journal articles, theses, conference papers, etc. - that relate to a specific topic,
research question, or area of study;

1.​ Key purposes

+​ Identify gaps in knowledge or an unresolved problem in the field

+​ To synthesize information from different sources and present different

perspectives

+​ To justify your research showing that it is essential

2.​ In LR, you should

+​ Define and clarify the problem.

+​ Summarize previous studies to inform readers of the state of the research.

+​ Identifies relations, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the literature

+​ Suggest next steps in solving the problem (why it’s essential to conduct the study).

+​ Examine and critically evaluate existing research related to the topic

+​ Incorporate appropriate citations and quotations to support your discussion.

+​ Synthesize ideas from various sources, ensuring proper acknowledgment of original

authors through accurate in-text citations and appropriate paraphrasing.

3.​ Getting Started:

+​ The second chapter of a thesis reviews the relevant literature

+​ The LR provides the foundation of your study

+​ Outline chapter two FIRST : the research questions must be clear. Measurable,

answerable

4.​ Before conducting the study:

-​ Create a list of keywords:

+​ List important topics if interest to you.

+​ List key variable related to you topics of interest.

-​ Format the chapter title as a question

+​ Note: this is a working title only: a guideline to keep you on track as you write

+​ It will not appear in the final version of your paper

5.​ Synthesis of the literature

-​ Begin with an introductory section: 100 words: write a narrative outline of your

structure of LR + Briefly explain the purpose of the LR

-​ Main body: divided into sections, based on the variables included in your study :

Sections + subsections

Ex: Game in teaching vocabulary to YL : 3 sections: game - teach vocab - YL

-​ APA 7th, the number of heading levels used in a research paper depends on its

length and complexity; typically, three levels are sufficient.

Level 1 : Heading

Level 2: Main heading

Level 3: Sub heading

-​ The heading should not be numbered or lettered (APA 7th)

+​ Each section of an academic paper should start with a level one heading

+​ All headings are written in title case and boldface

+​ Level one headings are centered level two & three headings are left - aligned

and level four & five headings are indented like a paragraph

+​ Levels three and five are also ilatlic

-​ The main body of chapter two is the synthesis of the lit

-​ Create a new heading for each new topic

-​ If you need to subdivide a heading, use at least two subheading. For example:

1.1

1.2

1.2.1

1.2.2

-​ Use with care in citations when an entire paragraph is from a single source :

Generally, sentences from sources must be cited.

-​ If the entire paragraph is based on a single source, use text citations carefully and

clearly to avoid abt misunderstanding about which ideas belong to that source

-​ For the same author in a paragraph : the first idea - with a year , the next following

- without a year

-​ Search the LR for existing studies that are relevant

-​ Consult w/ experts in your area of research for advice on your study

-​ Consider a novel approach or a foundation on which to develop your study
 -​ The chapter should begin with general background information ( definition,

theoretical foundations) and gradually progress toward more specific and focused

discussions (those closely related to your research questions)

-​ Starting with earlier foundational studies and moving toward more recent research

to highlight the development and current purpectives in the field

-​ Help you identify the research trends, build a strong rationale for you study

Conclusion

Point out conflicting findings in the LR → draw conclusions about the evidence that led

you to those conclusion.

Implication

The Implications section should state why the research is relevant and specific to your

area of interest, as well as the implications for future research in this topic area (not clearly

write it - just make some point in the conclusion)

Step 2: LR

-​ Provide theoretical background for the study

-​ Identify gap in our knowledge

-​ How your study relate to previous studies

-​ Make your RQ

Online resources
●​ Extensive reading
●​ World Englishes journal (open access)
●​ Applied Linguistic Review (ALR)
●​ English for Specific Purposes (paid)
●​ English today
●​ International Journal of Applied Linguistics (Open Access)
●​ Asian TEFL
Evaluating chapter 2
●​ Does the introduction clearly explain the purpose of the chapter?
●​ Is there a theoretical rationale for the chapter topic?
●​ How significant is the topic?
●​ Is the review of the literature relevant?
●​ Does the literature review include the classic studies pertaining to the topic?
●​ Does the literature review include the most recent findings on the topic?
●​ Are the conclusions presented clearly? Do the research articles support the
conclusions?
●​ Examples of in-text citations
Experiential learning
○​ Weak author prominent citation (name of the authors aren’t listed in the
sentence but are grouped together as ‘researchers’ or ‘in some studies’ or
some other appropriate synonyms
■​ (Lee, 2008; Powers, 1980; Tse, 2010; Yiu & Law, 2012)
○​ Information prominent citation (Information + References)
■​ (Ciofalo, 1988; Su, 2009)
○​ Author prominent citation (Author (last name) + Date (page number) +
Information (page number)
■​ As Tse (2010) observed … (p.251)

●​ When a literature review is finished, it is important to point out a research gap - an

important research area which isn’t investigated by other authors.
Signal
words​ Gap (present or present perfect)​ Research area
However, few studies have reported on the effects of computer-assisted instruction

-​ After discussing previous research → final part : focus on specific research problem,

you need to:

+​ Indicate the research gap

+​ Formally state the purpose of your research

Statement of purpose
●​ Orientation: may be towards the report itself - the paper (thesis, dissertation, or
report) that communicates the info about the research
●​ Orientation: towards the research activity
Language conventions
●​ Research orientation → past tense (research activity has already been completed)
○​ The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of computer-assisted
instruction on the computer literacy of fifth grade children
●​ Report orientation → present or future tenses
○​ This paper describes …
●​ Present simple - Present perfect : introduce the LR
●​ Present perfect: ongoing situations : still investigating
●​ Past simple
○​ year of publication is stated in main sentence (not in the bracket)
○​ Mention specific
●​ Reporting the findings of individual studies closely related to your study: simple
past tense

(Continue by Hien doc)

28 thg 6, 2025

Lecture #8: Developing RQs

Pop up ideas:
-​ Ways to help ss to use Ai effectively
* Steps:
1.​ Identify a broad topic of interest
An interesting, curious topic → may come from a gap in LR, classroom discussion,
or own teaching experience, etc.
2.​ Conduct a preliminary LR to understand what has been done in the area of the
study, identify the gap or debates in the field, and find theories or frameworks for
the study.
3.​ Narrow down the focus:
+​ Which specific aspect do I want to explore?
+​ Who are the participants or populations in my study?
+​ What context or setting is involved?
4.​ Define the purpose of your study
 Decide whether your study is:
+​ Descriptive (what is happening?)
+​ Explanatory (Why or how is it happening?)
+​ Evaluative (How effective is it?)
+​ Comparative (What are the differences)
5.​ Formulate research questions: ensure they are clear & specific, feasible to
investigate, aligned w/ your methods, answerable through data collection; Use
common structures such as: What is …?, To what extent …?, How do …?, Why does …?,
What are the perceptions of …?
+​ What are the lexical features? (e.g., frequency, density, the CEFR level) of
the reading texts in the Global Success 10 textbook?
+​ To what extent are these lexical features appropriate for high school
students to achieve the B1 level reading proficiency?
+​ How do English teachers perceive the suitability of the reading texts in
supporting vocabulary development at the B1 level?
6.​ Review & Refine: check if your questions are
+​ researchable (can be answered w/ evidence), not too broad or too narrow
+​ free from bias or assumptions
+​ aligned w/ your research design (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods)

From the RQs: what do you need to review in LR - methods?

Developing a conceptual / theoretical framework

●​ Conceptual framework? → a visual/narrative structure that explains the main
ideas, variables, and relationships in your research. It shows how your research
is logically grounded in existing knowledge, theories, and concepts.
●​ Key functions of a conceptual framework: It
○​ clarifies concepts: defines key terms and variables in your study
○​ guides research design: helps you decide what to measure, observe, or ask in
interviews/surveys
○​ shows relationships: illustrates how concepts influence or relate to one
another
○​ links to theory: connects your study to existing theories or models
■​ For the study above which examines lexical features of a textbook and
their suitability for B1-level students, the conceptual framework might
include:
 ●​ Lexical features (word frequency, CEFR vocabulary level, density)
●​ Students’ reading proficiency (CEFR benchmark - B1)
●​ Teachers’ perceptions (classroom challenges, appropriateness)
■​ These components are linked in the framework to explain how lexical input
from the textbook may or may not support students’ language
development, based on teachers’ insights.
●​ Theoretical framework? → set of established theories and models that form the
foundation of your research. It provides the academic lens through which you
interpret your research problems, guide your data collection, and analyze your
results. (e.g., Technology Acceptance Model (TAM))
○​ In the study “Lexical features in English reading texts and their suitability for
students, the theoretical framework might include:
■​ SLA Theory - e.g., Krashen’s Input Hypothesis (learners need
comprehensible input slightly above their current level).
■​ Lexical Threshold Hypothesis - learners need to know a certain % of
vocabulary (often 95-98%) to understand a text.
■​ CEFR framework - describes language ability levels (A1 - C2) and
vocabulary demands for each level.
○​ These theories help explain why lexical features matter and how they affect
comprehension and learning.
Differences between TF and CF

Feature TF CF

Based on Existing, published theories Researcher’s own synthetic of concepts

Purpose Provides an academic foundation Organizes and connects study variables

Form Textual explanation Often visual + explanatory

Used for Explaining the why behind the study Explaining the what and how of the study

Translanguaging vs. Code-switching

Lecture #9: WRITING DATA COMMENTARIES
(Chap 3 & 7- Book: APA 7th + Chap 4 - Book:
Sweal & Feak )
Assignment: GROUP: Conduct a minor research → analyze the date → present the
findings