1. To get students familiarized with different types of essays.

2. To train students to write short English essays coherently and fluently.

3. Students are required to present their essays in peer review sessions of three and revise their essays according to their reviewer’s comments. If they do not agree, they should respond in writing on the peer-review sheets.

Week 1       2/19     Last semester’s final returned, edited, and revised with the instructor’s special instructions; reintroduce yourself to the whole class (= ice-breaking; starting from the instructor herself)

Week 2       2/26     Shortened revision peer-reviewed in-class

Week 3       3/05     A dramatic monologue of (something or someone) following the example of Robert Browning or some other poets; E.g. 柯文哲, yourself, an ancient mirror, a dying person, etc. (Discussion first, followed by in-class writing)

Week 4       3/12    editing and revision (diction & sentence pattern)

Week 5       3/19    process analysis  (e. g. How to Find the Perfect Roommate; How to Cook a Particular Dish; How to Take Proper Notes in Class and Use Them during the Self-study Sessions; How to Create an Anonymous Identity on Social Media; How to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone) 

Week 6       3/26    editing and revision (diction & sentence pattern)

Week 7     4/02   Holiday (last semester’s NCHU homecoming make-up rest day)

Week 8       4/09     mid-term on IELTS writing task One

Week 9       4/16     mid-term returned & individual consultation in classroom

Week 10     4/23     Classification games & exercises (E. g. travels, clothes accessories; euthanasia standpoints or qualifications, etc.); Draft one

Week 11     4/30     Draft one returned for peer-review, editing, and revision

Week 12     5/07     Argument essay (on euthanasia, the benefit of part-time jobs, etc.)

Week 13     5/14     Revision 

Week 14     5/21     Revision from the opposite viewpoint 

Week 15  5/28   Final on IELTS writing Task One and Task Two ( no preparation time)

Week 16   6/04     Final returned and volunteers reading their own writings (extra points)

Week 17     6/11     online questionnaire posted

Week 18     6/16     (Mon.) online questionnaire closed; semester final grade posted online first & finalized to the registrar 3 days later

1. 4 essays+ mid-term + final (including your progressive revision points) (80%). (Pay more attention to your revision. It involves not just editing, but sometimes also an entire structure change.)
2. Attendance+ participation: 20% (2% deduction for each absence or extreme tardiness. Active participation counts.)
3. Peer review performance instructions: (presentation of your comments, summarizing and critical thinking ability) E. g.: provided peers with specific, constructive written feedback: 0-5 pts; participated actively in discussion (spoken feedback) of each paper: 0-5 pts; wrote specific response to peers’ feedback: 0-5 pts. Be specific. Don’t write “You have done a good job” or “Your paper was interesting.” Reviewers please always sign your Chinese name.
4. If you want to convert my final grade to a letter grade, the following is the conversion chart American Universities usually adopt: A⁺ ≥95, A≥ 90-94, A_-≥85-89, B⁺≥80-84, B≥75-79, B_-≥70-74, C≥65. D/F≤60