Honing writing skill in English

Writing is an art which helps a person express her/him-self effectively. It is one of the ways that we translate our thoughts for other people. Some people are better at expressing themselves in writing than in any other way, and thus we get a better expression when we read what they have to say rather than hearing them speak. In the academic arena, whether we are students, teachers, researchers or other professionals, academic writing skill is necessary for producing essays, reports, presentations, research papers, reviews, articles and so on. The academic writing skill encompasses strong composition, excellent grammar, and a consistent stylistic approach. Academic writing, when used appropriately, presents a polished and professional image.

Unfortunately, in Bangladesh, many university students, teachers and researchers are still confused about how to write good academic papers of different kinds in English. Needless to say that lack of well-designed books is a major cause for this situation. In this regard, the book 'English for Academic Purposes 2: Essay and Report Writing' is a great initiative from the British Council, Bangladesh, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh.

With the aim of supporting universities in their task to offer better quality English language training modules to their students and faculties, the British Council, UGC and the consultants from Canterbury Christ Church University, UK, have sought to develop materials to strengthen English language skill in higher education in Bangladesh. These materials have been developed following an extensive Needs Analysis Survey on the current situation of teaching English language and the use of English as a medium of instruction in the higher education sector in Bangladesh. The survey covers both public and private universities (general, technical and specialised ones) as well as colleges under the National University from all geographical regions of the country. Based on the findings and recommendations of the Needs Analysis Survey, four books/modules have been developed, and 'English for Academic Purposes (EAP) 2: Essay and Report Writing' is one of them.

The book is designed in the modular style which contains 20 units, and each unit contains two sessions. The first 11 units guide students through each stage of the process of writing an academic essay or report: from brainstorming ideas, finding suitable sources, making notes from the sources, planning and structuring an essay/report, writing a draft using paraphrasing and referencing, integrating data and finally editing and proof-reading using an appropriate academic style. As the students progress through each unit they put what they have learnt into practice, collecting ideas and data for a group project essay/report which they write together in the Review (Unit 12) as part of the module assessment. Unit 13 builds on the presentation skill students have learnt in the previous units by focusing on the written skill required for effective presentations and provides the opportunity for them to present their group projects.

The subsequent units (14 to 19) focus on specific types of academic essays and writing students may need to write at university level: argumentative writing, the problem-solving mode of writing, writing book and article reviews, writing for examinations etc. The final Review unit, at the end of the book, provides the opportunity to revise the important aspects of the units as well as checking students' understanding and progress. Examples to illustrate the different types of essays, and a report, are incorporated in the Appendices and are referred to in the units. A glossary of grammatical terms that are used in the units is provided for students' reference at the end of the book.

The publication aims to facilitate meaningful and real communication by encouraging students to complete tasks and develop their skill in writing, in English in particular, for academic purposes rather than simply studying the language. It tries to encourage critical thoughts rather than rote-learning or other more mechanical approaches to learning. What is remarkable is that all the topics/units of the book put students at the centre of the learning and teaching, by emphasising students' needs and goals, as identified by the needs analysis, such as building students' confidence in writing English effectively --- not only in an academic context but also in the context of the wider world. Although the book is designed to improve the academic writing skill of university students, it can be a useful and effective resource guide for individuals interested to develop their writing skill in English. Finally, we should not forget that 'the best way to improve our writing skills is to write.'

The writer is an independent researcher.

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