Writing Academic English

Rating:
Summary: Top of the Pile
Review: Most Australian universities today are dependent on overseas students to fill admission quotas. Overseas students must first convince the universities that they have sufficient skills to deal with the rigours of academic writing. This book is designed to do just that. Writing Academic English has been written for intermediate to advanced international and English as a Second Language high school students who are writing essays to gain good marks before they enter university. This book will continue to be very useful for students who have gained admission to university because most academic writing is expository in nature. In the same way the book should appeal to native speakers of English who need to develop or refresh their basic composition skills.

The authors' straightforward writing style is reflected in the book as their personal teaching philosophy. The book has numerous attributes, the first one of which is the exclusion of double page organisational charts at the beginning of the book. These well-meaning charts dividing the book into sections, categories, or chapters have hopefully been relegated to the far flung corners of publishing houses for all eternity. Instead, the contents of Writing Academic English are clearly stated and spaciously arranged. It is crucial that books of this type are effectively organised with the important components taught in small step-by-step units. The authors' commitment to concision and clarity is again reinforced with clear illustrations and examples.

The book is divided into three parts and fourteen chapters with no less than four appendices. Intelligent use has been made of a word processor, the charts, diagrams, shading around boxes, and highlighted headings add character to the presentation without overdoing it. At all times the presentation remains clear and focused. The charming pictographic inclusion of artifacts from academies and museums, for example, the Native American symbols from Alaska on page two, add a welcome degree of relief and interest from the rigorous textual demands. Other attractive features of this book include the practice lessons and culturally appropriate model paragraphs, tips and tricks on how you can use your computer to support your essay writing, thoughtful annotations at the base of each page explaining tricky vocabulary for the non-native speaker, and a sprinkling of cross references to guide the student painlessly through.

The popularity of Writing Academic English (1999) by Oshima and Hogue and their team of assistants is universal. Educators and students everywhere use and refer to their books including the University of Western Sydney, Ohio State University, the University of Toronto to mention only three. If you want to write well and can afford a AUS$50 book, you should buy it. As an afterthought, can you afford not to buy it?