ZAKARYA BELABBAS

Course Overview:

This course is designed to develop L2 learners’ academic essay writing skills through a structured and progressive approach. The course is divided into four main chapters. The first chapter introduces academic writing and the fundamentals of essay writing, including the purpose of writing, types of essays, paragraph structure, and the components of an academic essay.

The second chapter focuses on the writing process, guiding students through brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, and editing. Particular attention is given to thesis statements, topic sentences, coherence, and unity.

The third chapter addresses language use in essays, including sentence structure, grammatical accuracy, academic vocabulary, cohesion devices, and appropriate use of connectors.

The final chapter concentrates on practical essay production, where students analyze model essays, identify strengths and weaknesses, and write complete essays (descriptive, narrative, and argumentative) while applying the skills learned throughout the course.

To begin, students are encouraged to actively participate in class activities and writing workshops. Continuous feedback will be provided, and students are expected to revise their work accordingly. The discussion space will be used to ask questions, share drafts, and reflect on writing progress.

Course Duration and Assessment:

The course will run for approximately 3 hours per week over 14 weeks, including lectures, guided practice, writing workshops, and assessments. The final week is dedicated to the final written examination.

Class participation, written assignments, and continuous assessment (TD + TP) represent 40% of the final grade, while the final exam accounts for the remaining 60%. Students must obtain a minimum score of 50% to successfully pass the module.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Understand the fundamental principles of academic essay writing in an L2 context.

  • Plan and organize essays using clear thesis statements and coherent paragraph structures.

  • Apply the stages of the writing process to produce well-developed essays.

  • Use appropriate academic vocabulary, grammar, and cohesive devices.

  • Analyze and revise written texts to improve clarity, coherence, and accuracy.

  • Develop confidence and autonomy in academic writing.