course 001: Speaking and Writing English Effectively part 1

Reading, writing and speaking are interrelated. For example, you cannot talk about writing without talking about the way readers read and construct meaning. When you write, you are, whether you are aware of it or not, thinking about your reader and the meaning your reader will be making. Therefore this course covers three areas. They are:

1. Reading and the study of texts

2. The craft of writing

3. Effective oral communication

Reading and the study of texts

A significant portion of the course focuses on reading a range of texts with comprehension, enjoyment and discrimination. The term 'text' encompasses print, visual and oral materials. This area of study involves: developing critical responses to both literary and non-literary texts comprehending, sifting, questioning and evaluating information responding to information in a thoughtful, articulate and coherent manner analysing the use of language for informative and persuasive purposes thinking critically, logically and creatively about a range of issues.

On completion of the course students should have achieved a high level of competence and confidence in writing for different purposes and audiences in a variety of forms. They should be able to demonstrate their ability to:

• engage positively, critically and confidently with different reading audiences

• demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between purpose, form and audience

• show an awareness of the way conventional features of texts may be used in varied settings, forms and styles of writing

Effective oral communication

This section of the course describes methods of: interacting positively, critically and confidently with audiences achieving a variety of purposes in speech developing an understanding of the power of oral communication

English: Writing for different purposes and audiences - Speaking and Writing English Effectively
1 / 7 English: Writing for different purposes and audiences
 English: Writing for different purposes and audiences
This course is an introduction to writing for different purposes and audiences and covers topics such as informative writing, investigative writing, reviews, journalistic writing, and instructional writing.

Effective communication involves more than just getting your ideas down on paper. Effectiveness has to do with communicating with your intended readers.
For example, an article in a scientific journal assumes knowledge and interests that are quite specific to readers of that journal.
If you were critical about some aspect of your school experience, your letter to the principal or school council would be very different in style and tone from your email to your best friend.
Caution: Some students incorrectly believe that their two pieces can be written first and then an artificial purpose and audience can be tacked on later.
to inform, provide details about the contestants, the state of the track, and best times. Fans
to persuade, or argue against holding the race in a residential area. opponents
to entertain, reflect on an experience by telling a story, describing a race. people whoi read about
Here the purpose is to report on something, or to describe an event or person. It may have an evaluative as well as an informative function.
Workplace documents come under this heading. A formal memorandum informs members of the organisation of some important information relevant to the firm.
Job application letters, copies of resumes and curriculum vitae, minutes of meetings and reports are all informative formats.
An interesting way to tackle informative writing is by interviewing an unusual person you know. Perhaps a grandfather who has World War II experience; parents who have made the difficult transition from one country to another; a friend who has had a challenging life experience. The list of possibilities is endless.

In much the same way, you can write reviews of films, theatre productions, concerts and restaurants. These can be fun to research but you must be careful when writing them up to move beyond simply describing what happened. A good review identifies the main elements of the production/experience, evaluates them honestly, and is prepared to acknowledge the strong and weak points. It is worth reading some reviews from a variety of sources before you attempt your own.

A journalistic report is an informative essay dealing with a subject in detail and at some length. It will require a lot of background preparation. You need to begin with a series of questions you want answered and then you have to search the library, newspapers and Internet to find answers to them. The secret to a good report is finding a subject that is interesting and/or controversial.
memorandum on safety practices or a change in work conditions;
letter of application for a job.
correspondence concerning a dispute about poor service.
film, theatre, concert, book, or restaurant review.
interview and write up in a news report.
biographical account of a significant person.
investigation into an issue of social importance.
In much the same way, you can write reviews of films, theatre productions, concerts and restaurants. These can be fun to research but you must be careful when writing them up to move beyond simply describing what happened. A good review identifies the main elements of the production/experience, evaluates them honestly, and is prepared to acknowledge the strong and weak points. It is worth reading some reviews from a variety of sources before you attempt your own.
A journalistic report is an informative essay dealing with a subject in detail and at some length. It will require a lot of background preparation. You need to begin with a series of questions you want answered and then you have to search the library, newspapers and Internet to find answers to them. The secret to a good report is finding a subject that is interesting and/or controversial.

This is an area where you need to be very careful. You cannot satisfy the criteria for this type of writing by simply presenting a recipe for a cake or a step-by-step guide to building a billycart. The task description states you are to write 'a non-fiction piece intended to convey complex or technical information'.

Doing something yourself and writing instructions are not the same thing. Watch the video and carefully answer the questions.

You need to present your material in a very clear manner. Divide your instructions/information into distinct stages and use clear, straightforward language. Avoid jargon where possible. I would advise you to use numbered points and set out your material in a logical sequence. Diagrams are quite acceptable so long as they help to clarify your instructions.

If you have a gift for humour, there is plenty of room to do send-up pieces. For example, 'How To Be A Politically Correct Bank Robber' or 'How To Be A Successful Games Show Host.' But you need to exercise careful control over your work. Subtlety is the name of the game - avoid becoming crass, offensive or derogatory. In this situation, your task is to entertain the reader while giving him or her information about some eccentric form of human behaviour.

In argumentative and persuasive writing the structure is logical.

In this kind of writing your purpose is to persuade your reader to your point of view, so your arguments, evidence, sequence of ideas and use of language are very important.

Some students see this as the easiest form of writing because there is a recognised structure to its basic format. That is probably the key to a good argument - clear, logical structure. State your contention, mount your supporting arguments, rebut the views of the opposition and come to a strong conclusion.

However, there are some other interesting and persuasive ways to present your viewpoints that we considered in the earlier discussion on a point of view essay. Try formatting your material differently. Instead of a formal argumentative essay, why not script a debate between two people from opposing sides. Your content remains the same, but your presentation of it is more interesting.

The key to successful persuasive writing is to have a strong opinion and to care about the issue. Some writers often use humour, satire, even irony and yet they are very successful at persuading the reader.A journalistic report is an informative essay dealing with a subject in detail and at some length. It will require a lot of background preparation. You need to begin with a series of questions you want answered and then you have to search the library, newspapers and Internet to find answers to them. The secret to a good report is finding a subject that is interesting and/or controversial.
state - specifu clearly and fully
contention - in an argument, the main point argued for
essay - any composition in prose that discusses a topic, offers an opinion, or attempts to persuade the reader to a point of view. issue - an importatn topic, something worth raising questions about.
satire -
irony -
argumentative/persuasive writing includes:
feature article for a newspaper or magazine
advertising copy
letter to the editor
interview with a major proponent
creative piece such as a fractured fairy tale with a clearly persuasive intent
scripted argument between opposing views
In this kind of writing your purpose is to persuade your reader to your point of view, so your arguments, evidence, sequence of ideas and use of language are very important.

The craft of writing - some words of advice

The task is a developmental process, which means that you are encouraged to explore and experiment with different kinds of writing. Be prepared to attempt many styles over the course of the year. You are strongly encouraged to draw on your own experiences, views and observations. Personal experiences, beliefs and interests can develop into engaging pieces of work. Strong writing shows imagination, control and a clear sense of the writer's purpose. Your voice is most important. Highly derivative pieces camouflage your own voice and ideas and do not score high marks. Statements of intention should be used as a way of focusing on the set task. They should be thought about before you commence writing. Obviously they may be revised as you reflect upon and subsequently reshape your work. They should, however, provide some control over style and language choice, and keep you focused on your intended audience. Control of expression, spelling and punctuation is very important. Sentence structure, paragraphing and fluency contribute to overall expressiveness. Your writing needs to be fluent and your language should be interesting and well selected. The most obvious way to develop a piece of writing is to build complexity. Think about the broader issues related to your material, and the values implicit in it. Consider all the angles associated with your piece. The polishing of your work is a challenging task but it can make the difference between the very good and the extraordinary. Ultimately, you are looking for a reader for your work. Your success as a writer depends on the audience's response to your work. If you get the opportunity, it is a good idea to share your writing and ideas with others. (This could be during class conferencing sessions, or it could be when the work is in the early stages of development.) Listen carefully to your audience's reactions. You don't adjust your work according to every word of criticism - but a common response from a number of people may mean you need to rethink a part of your work. Find pleasure in writing. Enjoy!