Students

EDIT8081 – Language, Writing and Editing

2020 – Session 2, Fully online/virtual

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Adam Smith
Margaret Wood
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to GradCertEditElecPub or MCrWrit or GradDipCrWrit or MAccComm or MEd
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit focuses on language, including variation in grammar, usage and punctuation, and linguistic approaches to writing style, discourse development and readability. It examines the features of different text types, spoken and written, as well as those evolving on the internet. It discusses communicative approaches to writing, including plain English for mediating complex content, and promotional writing for advertising purposes. It includes modules on editing Aboriginal English, and on academic writing and editing, especially theses and journal articles.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify a range of grammatical categories and their effectiveness in different types of text.
  • ULO3: Assess manuscripts for readability, and justify measures for their enhancement
  • ULO2: Critique alternative linguistic styles and modes of communication
  • ULO4: Define the needs of particular audiences and make appropriate language choices for them

General Assessment Information

Late assignments The policy regarding late assignments has now been standardised across postgraduate Linguistics units. 

  • Late submissions without an extension will receive a penalty of 5% of the total mark available for the assignment per day
  • Late submission of an assignment without an extension will not be permitted after marks have been released to the rest of the class.
  • Extensions will only be given in special circumstances, and can be requested by completing the Special Consideration request at ask.mq.edu.au and providing the requisite supporting documentation.
  • For more information on Special Consideration, see the university website https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration
  • Assignments submitted after the deadline, regardless of the reason, will be marked and returned at a date determined by the unit convenor.

Extensions cannot continue beyond the start of the following semester, and students should be aware that long extensions may impact graduation dates.

Academic Honesty

As a good student, you are responsible for ensuring academic integrity practices are followed at all times. Your first step is to read the University's Academic Honesty Policy, and make sure you know what constitutes good practice. Then make sure you know how to reference and cite correctly. There are other practices we need to consider, and one of these is the potential for collusion.

Informal study groups are encouraged as a good way to assist your learning, but please remember that all your independently assessed assignments must be totally independently completed. Unless you are doing a group project where each member contributes to producing one piece of work, for which you get the one mark, using part or all of someone else's work constitutes collusion and breaches the University's Academic Honesty policy.

Do not collude with any other student by selling, giving, lending, explaining or showing all or parts of your independently assessed work/answers/past or current assignments, and do not ask to buy, borrow, see and use all or parts of the work of another student.

Do not reuse any work you have presented for assessment in this or another unit. This will activate a turnitin alert.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online discussion on nominalisation 20% No Week 6
Exercise on punctuation 20% No Week 9
Online discussion on electronic communication 20% No Week 11
Exercise on promotional writing/scholarly editing 40% No Week 13

Online discussion on nominalisation

Assessment Type 1: Debate
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 6
Weighting: 20%

Identification of nominalisation and appropriateness to discourse; application of editorial skills to correct unnecessary nominalisation.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify a range of grammatical categories and their effectiveness in different types of text.
  • Critique alternative linguistic styles and modes of communication
  • Define the needs of particular audiences and make appropriate language choices for them

Exercise on punctuation

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 20%

Application of punctuation to texts, and discussion of effect of punctuation on different types of text.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess manuscripts for readability, and justify measures for their enhancement
  • Critique alternative linguistic styles and modes of communication

Online discussion on electronic communication

Assessment Type 1: Debate
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Week 11
Weighting: 20%

Analysis of features of electronic communication


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify a range of grammatical categories and their effectiveness in different types of text.
  • Assess manuscripts for readability, and justify measures for their enhancement
  • Critique alternative linguistic styles and modes of communication
  • Define the needs of particular audiences and make appropriate language choices for them

Exercise on promotional writing/scholarly editing

Assessment Type 1: Professional writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%

Creation of different types of text for promotion/presentation of a scholarly journal, and justification of approach.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify a range of grammatical categories and their effectiveness in different types of text.
  • Assess manuscripts for readability, and justify measures for their enhancement
  • Critique alternative linguistic styles and modes of communication
  • Define the needs of particular audiences and make appropriate language choices for them

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

All lectures and tutorials will be available online.

Unit Schedule

Week 1                 Grammar in the context of editing

Week 2                 Sentence patterns                                                                          

Week 3                 Nominal and verbal style

Week 4                 Cohesion and coherence in writing

Week 5                 Information delivery: topic and topical progression

Week 6                 Punctuation system and  its functions 

Week 7                 Readability and lexical density

Week 8                Writing, speech, and the language of the internet 

Week 9                Editing Indigenous texts

Week 10              Persuasive and promotional writing

Week 11              Editing theses and dissertations

Week 12              Editing scholarly articles  

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.