Foolproof Academic Writing Template

Hi Wani & Pok Chah... n all the rest out there if you are reading this, hope you're having a brilliant day! well upon special request, today i will be blogging about how to teach writing especially for the muet 350 word academic essay component of the writing paper (800/4). however, this template can be adopted or adapted to suit any academic writing class... i thin it's the perfect answer to teaching writing in the weak to average classes and it will also be good for the better students as a starting point efore you allow them to break free from the template and do their own thing.

to begin with, they need to learn to brainstorm in an organised manner. therefore, i always make them write notes using the template below:

Intro:
1. current situation -
2. agree/disagree because -

1st Point:
1. key point -
2. reason 1 -
3. reason 2 -
4. examples -

2nd Point:
1. key point -
2. reason 1 -
3. reason 2 -
4. examples -

3rd Point:
1. key point -
2. reason 1 -
3. reason 2 -
4. examples -

Conclusion
1. agree/disagree again because -
2. what can the govt do? -


You need to train them to think in various styles when coming up with the 3 crucial points:
eg.
1. Short term, Mid term and Long term (smoking: S=bad breath, M=wasting money, L=health problems like lung cancer)
2. Individual, Society and Govt (recycling: I=3Rs, S= community collection/fund raising, G=recycling campaigns)
3. Social, Economic & Political/Spiritual
4. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?


anyway, here comes the best part: the writing template that is foolproof! only completely illiterate morons cant do this!

ACADEMIC WRITING TEMPLATE
(Get students to brainstorm first then use the points to complete these phrases)

Title: _________________________________

INTRODUCTION
Nowadays,/In this era of ...
In my opinion, I strongly agree/disagree that...
In this essay, I will discuss three solid strategies for _____ which include
____________________, _____________________ and _________________.

1ST POINT
Firstly,/First and foremost,...
This is because...
Moreover,...
For example,... and so on.
Therefore,...

2ND POINT
Secondly,...
This means that...
Furthermore,...
For instance,... and many more.
Thus,...

3RD POINT
Finally,/Last but not least,...
This is due to the fact that...
In addition,...
Take for example,... and others.
Hence,...

CONCLUSION
In a nutshell, the three strategies I have suggested are _______________, ______________ and _______________.
In my opinion, I still agree/disagree that...
The government can...

Basically, it wont take just one lesson to teach writing as this is a skill that is tedious but not impossible to learn. i'm sure you'll agree with me that if you break it down into manageable proportions, the students will be less intimidated, feel a sense of achievement and the lessons will not be too insurmountable/heavy/boring for them. Like i mentioned in a previous blog, the hardest part is to oil their critical thinking skills, that is if they even have any to begin with! hahahahahhah! ;-0

Anyway, here is a sample essay:

Question 2:
Since achieving independence in 1957, Malaysia has been known for its peaceful and multiracial society. What can be done to further enhance national unity and solidarity among the various races? Elaborate and give relevant examples in more than 350 words.

Nowadays, Malaysia is considered a leading tourist destination because we are famour for our multiracial society living together in peace and harmony. In my opinion, I strongly agree that national unity can be enhanced to strengthen solidarity among all the various race in this country. In this essay, I will discuss three solid strategies for enhancing national unity which include every individual's role in being more patriotic, be respectful of each different culture and mould a racially tolerant future generation.

First and foremost, every individual can play a part in enhancing national by being more patriotic. This is because when we are patrotic we will appreciate being a Malaysian citizen who has the right to live a peaceful and war-free life. Moreover, having high patriotism will ensure that we really love our country and we will not do anything to harm the peach and harmony. For example, every one of us can respect the 'Negaraku' song and 'Rukunegara', fly our national flag during idependence Day and so on. Therefore, if everyone plays their part and becomes more patriotic, this will easily enhance the spirit of national unity.

Secondly, as a loyal Malaysian, we should always be respectful of each and every culture found in this country. This means that respecting the main races like Malays, Chinese and Indians as well as the indigenous races will ensure that we will continue to live side by side in harmony. Furthermore, every race tat makes up the Malaysian society is unique and should be cherished for its special traditions. For instance, we should visit one another during the 'Open House' or wedding celebrations, religious festivals and many more. Thus by respecting the uniqueness of every culture, this helps us promote racial solidarity and enhance national unity.

Last but not least, it is every individual's responsibility to mould the future generation to be more patriotic. This is due to the fact that by educating our own children to be good and toelrant citizens, this will help us maintain our peaceful situation long into the future. In addition, children who are taught to be respectful of other cultures will learn to be more grateful for the peace and harmony our country enjoys compared to places like Gaza where they are now suffering the effects of war. Take for example, we can send our children to 'Sekolah Wawasan' or 'Vision Schools' where they can mix with all races, join multiracial community activities and others. Hence, by educating the young on patriotism, we are ensuring that national unity will continue to exist in the future.

In a nutshell, the three strategies I have suggested are to be more patriotic and respectful of each unique culture as well as to teach our children about patriotism. In my opinion, I still strongly agree that national unity can be enhanced if we all play an active role. I hope that our government can highlight this issue in the media by organising more patriotic campaigns so that we can produce a united society that can contribute productively to the achievement of Vision 2020.

Ok... so what do you think? Workable? Pls give me some feedback on this... ;-) happy writing or more specifically, happy teaching writing! Cheers for now! ;-)