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No. 021  Oct. 2016
 
   
   
   
   

 

 
省思醒語
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
 

Communication is the real work of leadership.

~ Nitin Nohria

Nitin Nohria, born in Rajasthan, India, is the current dean of Harvard Business School. With a degree in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, he went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management and earned the outstanding doctoral thesis award in behavioral and policy sciences.

(編按: 本期特選此摘錄,以提醒溝通於各領域,尤其於管理者之重要能力。)
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知識饗宴
SPOTLIGHT
 

“Visualizing” Coherence: A Cognitive Approach to Teaching EAP

文 / Dana Liu (本中心教師) 

The purpose of this model lesson plan is to help English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students grasp two important concepts when writing coherent introductions: progressing from the general to specific (G to S) and starting from the familiar to new (F to N). Studies show that EAP students often feel intimidated, anxious and discouraged when facing the daunting task of writing academic English essays. These negative feelings reduce their production speed and prevent them from achieving greater academic success. While attending a graduate writing seminar offered by the Department of Psychology to students in the sciences at National Taiwan University, I had the privilege of observing a favorite assignment taught by Visiting Professor Arthur Woodward and co-sponsored with Professor Yunnwen Lien, Director of the Thinking Laboratory.

The design of the assignment shifts the traditional emphasis from English language proficiency to a new approach using cognitive psychology and skill-acquisition learning theories. In his course, Woodward provided challenging, domain-specific writing exercises to his students every week, and supported this with regular professional feedback in a non-threatening environment. At the end of the semester, he reported an increase in the efficiency of student learning due to a reduction in anxiety and an increase in motivation and confidence when writing in academic English.

Because a coherent introduction begins with what is general and familiar to the audience before progressing to the specific and new, authors must take care to guide their audience through a journey that begins broadly and generally with a context and background of their research topic, before delving into their own uniquely complex and specific research. The following lesson plan has been designed as a prototype that can be used by individual departments to teach scientific writing skills that can help students structure their ideas and present scientific research quickly and effectively in English.

Students must first master the concepts of reader-focused introductions with concision and cohesion, before we move into the heart of coherence. This lesson plan uses "visual essays" to introduce two theoretical concepts to students that they can master later, without anxiety. The "visual essay" is intended as a metaphor, or representation, of the progression of ideas in an academic introduction. "Visual essays" are constructed with images of a single subject delivered with a spoken narrative. The progression of images is a visual tool for students to understand the concepts of general to specific (G to S) and familiar to new (F to N) as a movement in perspective. By comparing this movement in perspective to a camera lens that can widen and narrow its focus on a subject-image, the assignment builds a visual and spatial trajectory, plotting each point on a grid. This assignment was given in two-parts, during the seven and eighth week of the semester, and can be completed within 100 minutes, using PowerPoint slides.

In the first part of the assignment we introduced the theoretical component. We showed two versions of an essay on the topic of the founding of the tenth University of California campus in Merced and asked them which essay was a better explanation of the subject, and why. Both essays consisted of five Google Maps satellite images, delivered with a spoken narrative (Table 1 and slides). Essay 1 showed a series of Google Maps of the town of Merced and nearby highways, and then ended with maps of the campus. Essay 2 began with a satellite image of earth, then gradually zoomed in to focus on the region around Merced and the campus. Students felt the second essay better explained the subject, but could not articulate why. We hinted that the second essay moves along two dimensions, and asked them to identify what these dimensions were. The audience, who were Taiwanese graduate students and knew little about the Universities of California, felt that the second essay took into account their perspective. After some discussion, they were able to identify two ways in which the second essay moved from the general to specific (G to S), and familiar to new (F to N). Unlike Essay 1, which began with directions on how to get to the campus of Merced, Essay 2 used a NASA satellite image of earth to situate Taiwan in relation to the western United States. Furthermore, the spoken narrative noted differences between Taiwanese and American students before describing the needs and demography of the population around Merced, and how the university caters to these needs.

Table 1. Comparing "Visual Essays"

Title UC Merced Where is UC Merced and what did it look like
Slide 1. Highway 99 leading to town of Merced. NASA image of earth with arrows pointing to Taiwan and Merced.
Slide 2. Highway 140 exiting town of Merced. Google map of western United States showing a rim of red mountains and the valley around Merced which is populated by poor people whom the 10th campus is intended to serve.
Slide 3. Neighboring town Le Grand. Aerial photo of farming town and campus of Merced near lake.
Slide 4. Small farming town of Merced. Closer aerial photo of the campus in relation to the larger nearby lake.
Slide 5. New University of California campus of Merced. Close-up aerial photo of campus.
 
Spoken Narrative: Describes details about University of Merced, the highways that lead to the town of Merced, and the buildings of the campus. Compared Taipei and Merced in terms of geographic location and other similarities and differences. Described the poor people living in the valley around Merced, and why the location is suited for American students.

"Visual Essay" 1. Title: "UC Merced" (5 Slides)

"Visual Essay" 2. Title: "Where is Merced and what did it look like in 2008?"
(5 Slides)

 

Instead of a lecture with technical jargon, we used a conceptual approach to help students grasp two concepts. This simple, visual method cleverly and effectively presents an idea that students can go back and master later, without anxiety. The technique simplifies the writing process by focusing on the conceptual and spatial organization of ideas, rather than micro-concerns of grammar and word choice. The interactive nature of the design, in which students guess why one essay is superior to another, trains students to differentiate strong from weak introductions in their own writing. Perhaps most importantly, the concept can be applied across disciplines, since the guiding principle can be taught without the use of specialized jargon. Finally, the images are unforgettable, which helps the idea "stick". Using this theoretical exercise, students identified the principles themselves, an enlightening experience they won't easily forget.

In part two of the assignment, we introduced a practical application. We reviewed how coherence in a paragraph is built when each sentence is logically and meaningfully related to the next sentence, and strengthened when the sentences in the paragraph progress from general to specific (G to S), and familiar to new (F to N). To illustrate this idea, students asked to look at the introduction of a prominent article in their field, and plot each sentence of the introduction onto a two-dimensional graph, whose intersecting axes were the dimensions of general to specific (G to S) and familiar to new (F to N) (Graph 1). After all the sentences were plotted and connected, the students could see an trajectory from the top left quadrant, which represented the general and familiar, to the bottom right quadrant, which represented the specific and new.

Graph 1.
Sentences within a paragraph plotted on a two-dimensional graph

By visually tracking the progression of sentences from general to specific (G to S) and familiar to new (F to N), students could easily observe the pattern of how coherence is constructed. Part two demonstrates how authors of published articles follow a logical progression by carefully ordering the ideas in their introductions. They must first establish a broad perspective and familiar context to connect with their readers before they can describe the specific findings of their studies. These concepts were lacking thus far in the students' writing in the class. However, by observing that the concept of general to specific (G to S), can easily be achieved simply by knowing the content and introducing it in order, and that the second concept of familiar to new (F to N) simply requires keeping the readers in mind by starting with what they know, and not with what the author knows, students realized that they could consciously vary these two dimensions as they write. Interestingly, part two of the assignment can also be applied to the progression of topic sentences across paragraphs. Using a multi-paragraph introduction from a published article, we plotted the topic sentences of the first six paragraphs (i.e., the first sentence of each of the first six paragraphs that formed the introduction) on a two-dimensional graph, using (G to S) and (F to N) as intersecting axes. The connected points showed a similar movement from general and familiar to specific and new, demonstrating that the topic sentences of a multi-paragraph introduction will follow the same logic as the structure of an essay, with the ordering of ideas progressing from general to specific (G to S) and familiar to new (F to N).

In conclusion, this assignment uses both theoretical and practical components to present and illustrate two important concepts in writing coherent introductions. It is designed in a way that students can easily grasp without the use of technical jargon. The "visual" and cognitive approach is an effective way to teach difficult writing concepts with a fresh perspective in a way that students can easily remember and apply to their own writing.

 

Notes:
This report was prepared based on a course offered at the Department of Psychology, NTU, co-taught by Visiting Professor Arthur Woodward and Professor Yunnwen Lien, Director of the Thinking Laboratory.

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活動訊息
NEWS & Announcements

【賀】江介維老師獲全校兼任教師優良教師獎
【演講】11/1 從國際期刊主編看論文投稿與審查
【演講工作坊】11/26 On being a Persuasive Presenter
【My Writing Clinic】寫作老師親自為您的文章看診


江介維老師獲全校兼任教師優良教師獎

恭喜本中心江介維老師榮獲首屆104學年度全校兼任優良教師獎!
此獎項係本校為鼓勵教學優良之兼任講師,肯定其努力及貢獻而設置。獲選教師經過全校符合資格審查、初選及決選會議提出(遴選流程)。

 


【演講】11/1 從國際期刊主編看論文投稿與審查

105-1【學術寫作】系列演講

講題:從國際期刊主編看論文投稿與審查
講師:蔡今中教授 (國立台灣科技大學數位學習與教育研究所)
時間:2016/11/1 (週二) 16:40-18:10
地點:新生教學館204教室

蔡今中教授自1996美國哥倫比亞大學科學教育博士畢業後,已發表200餘篇SSCI收錄之期刊論文。曾獲國科會傑出研究獎、ISI台灣經典引文獎、2006台灣十大潛力人物、教育部學術獎(2007)、教育部師鐸獎(2013) 及教育部國家講座 (2015-2017)。
現任國立台灣科技大學數位學習與教育研究所講座教授,亦擔任國際期刊 Computers & Education與 International Journal of Science Education 主編及逾40個國際期刊的編輯委員或審查委員。
 

* 報名:臺大myNTU活動報名系統(活動編號20161260_03)
* 預先報名者座位保留至活動前10分鐘,之後開放現場報名
* 活動網頁:http://www.awec.ntu.edu.tw/news.html?sn=164


【演講工作坊】11/26 On being a Persuasive Presenter: The Art of Persuasion

【Communication & Creativity】系列演講工作坊:

On being a Persuasive Presenter

日期: 2016/11/26 (週六) 

09:00-10:00 [演講]
The Art of Persuasion: Crucial Elements & Skills

10:00-12:00 [工作坊]
The Art of Persuasion: Delivering Your Idea Within 3 Minutes

講師:陳巧玲、李維晏、熊宜君 (寫作教學中心)
地點:博雅教學館405/406

* 工作坊限本校教職生報名,須參加主題演講(報名請選擇[演講+工作坊]場次)
* 演講開放一般聽眾(限額),報名時請選擇[演講]場次
* 報名:臺大myNTU活動報名系統(活動編號20161260_06,活動2週前開放)
* 預先報名者座位保留至活動前10分鐘,之後開放現場報名
* 講綱與講者簡介,請於活動前2週,查閱中心網站首頁最新消息公告
 


【My Writing Clinic】寫作老師親自為您的文章看診


老師,幫幫我!
為什麼我的文章有人看不懂? 是哪裡出了問題?

中心本學期推出 My Writing Clinic 寫作諮詢服務,由中心寫作專業老師,親自為您的文章看診!

舉凡論文、報告、提案、簡報等中文/英文文件,都歡迎帶來與老師討論。英文文章諮詢另提供以純英語諮詢之場次。

105-1 學期服務期間自 10/4 起至 12/23,預計推出 60 場次(每週約 6 場),請臺大學生把握此難得的一對一寫作諮詢機會。

服務內容與申請辦法,詳見 My Writing Clinic 服務網頁:
http://www.awec.ntu.edu.tw/mywritingclinic.html

 

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學生作品
Sample Script

學生: 鍾佩樺(臺大健管所)
作品標題:
Prevalence of Self-Reported Work-Related Injuries and Their Association with Psychological Symptoms in General Working Population of Taiwan
課程名稱: 學術英文論文寫作與發表
學期: 104-1
任課教師: 熊宜君老師
全文連結: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27137940

老師說明:
鍾同學於課堂習作即探討職業災害的相關議題,文章架構清楚,語句邏輯明確。延續上課練習的成果,本篇合著之作於今年獲得刊登,為值得一讀的實證研究。

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精彩回顧
RECAP
 
錯過了中心演講活動?
我們特別設立了本專欄,讓錯過中心演講的您,也能一睹演講的精闢內容。
 
演講摘寫
講題:求職自傳寫作技巧
講員:蘇虹菱老師(清華大學中文系兼任助理教授)
日期:2016年3月23日
整理:費約翰


求職自傳是應徵求職的第一印象,其好與壞,直接影響了求職的成功與否;然而,求職自傳的撰寫往往是讓新鮮人最頭痛的問題。講者蘇虹菱老師曾任臺大寫作教學中心教師,現為清大中文系兼任助理教授,在此次的演講當中,她以自身教學經驗,歸納出求職自傳撰寫的技巧以及常犯錯誤。演講內容分為三個部分,在第一部分主要講解求職自傳素材蒐集及撰寫步驟,如何從無到有,整理出自己的優勢,第二部分針對常見的自傳寫作問題進行討論,最後,蘇老師透過分析其他同學的自傳做範例,藉此加深聽眾印象。

一份好的求職自傳不單單是用文字介紹自己,更重要的,是在有限的文字篇幅中凸顯個人特質與優勢,才能成功推銷自己。求職自傳通常包含履歷及自傳兩份文件,履歷必須讓閱讀者在最短的時間找到有用的資訊,因此,一目了然為其撰寫原則,建議可採用條列方式呈現,留意保持標題及內層文字清楚;保持版面清爽,格式的一致等。履歷的內容應包括應徵職缺、基本資料、個人簡歷及學歷、實習與工作經歷專業能力證照、獲獎紀錄與參賽紀錄等,素材選擇與應徵職缺相關或具有代表性的項目列出即可,不必要的項目或過於冗長的陳述反而容易模糊焦點。學歷建議從最高學歷寫起,寫至大學階段即可;實習與工讀經歷必須註明起迄時間。

相較於履歷,自傳是透過文字更具體的凸顯個人的特質與能力,此外,自傳的撰寫也反映出求職者的邏輯組織能力以及文字表達能力。自傳的內容必須緊扣求職目的,簡潔明確,篇幅以一頁A4紙為原則,再視行業別增刪。寫自傳的目的在於讓對方了解求職者適合擔任該項職務,因此,自傳內容中必須清楚呈現與應徵職務有關的內容,如撰寫者所具備的知識、技巧、態度、能力等,並輔以具體的事蹟說明,藉此展現適合該項職務的能力。自傳亦可透過弱點或失敗經歷反映出自己具備克服困難的能力,但必須在內容中具體描述如何克服,以及從過程中體悟到什麼,可善用關鍵字如:克服、發現、協助、選擇、完成、發展……等正面字眼。在自傳中可適當的描述個人的休閒與興趣,藉此呈現自己具備與人相處或團隊合作的能力,以下為講者整理出常見的自傳架構:

結構A 結構B 結構C

展現熱情,經驗相關

學歷、特殊榮譽 硬性實力 (畢業科系、
論文內容、獲獎紀錄、
證照)
成績優異,學以致用 工讀經驗或社團經驗 軟性實力(人格特質、
處事態度、人際關係)
社團經歷、興趣相關 人格特質、家庭支持
(或處事態度、個性)
未來潛力(結合軟、
硬實力)
了解工作,具備實力 應徵動機、職涯規劃 職涯規劃(能力與
職缺之聯結)
職涯規劃
 

 

自傳的內容必須注意語氣的選擇,誇大、過分謙遜或者貶抑他人等皆不宜,文章內容應避免前後矛盾、自暴缺點或者向公司直接要求福利等,自傳的架構上務必把焦點放在自己,避免冗長的家庭背景描述或未能及早進入正題,在學習經驗上不應只提分數,更須強調過程中學到什麼。另外,用詞不宜含糊,如多種、各種、不同、許多……等這類詞應該避免,最後,切勿使用網路或他人範本抄襲拼貼。

搭配具體的範例練習以及親切的互動,蘇老師告訴大家如何寫出一份好的求職自傳,在眾多的求職者當中脫穎而出,成功取得面試門票。

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