Objectives of the Course:

• To teach students how to produce academic papers (research papers & theses);
• To develop the style and vocabulary characteristic of academic writing;
• To develop academic reading and writing skills that allow students to use material more effectively in their own academic papers; At the end of the semester, students are expected to be close to functioning at C1 (Proficient User) level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Scan long and complex texts, summarize information and reconstruct arguments in a coherent presentation;
2. Produce organized and coherent essays with clear paragraphs and use of methods for introducing and concluding an essay;
3. Write well-supported essays using different patterns of development (illustration, cause and effect, process analysis, persuasion) taking into consideration purpose and audience.
4. Write proposals, critical analyses, summaries and literature reviews;
5. Demonstrate techniques to avoid plagiarism (paraphrasing, summarizing and quoting) and produce research papers with correct parenthetical and bibliographical citations using specific documentation styles such as MLA, APA, Harvard etc.);
6. Write accurately with a wide vocabulary and few errors in spelling or punctuation.