A critique: Academic Writing – A Handbook for International Students

Academic Writing – A Handbook for International Students (Bailey, 2006) is a book specially designed for foreign students taking courses in English-speaking countries. It is intended to enhance writing skills in the academic world through a clear layout, consisting of four parts, in turn divided into units. Each part broaches different aspects of the writing process.

In Part 1, the author explores topics related to the process of writing, namely producing an introduction, the main body and a conclusion, together with rewriting and proof-reading. Particularly important is this section as it also analyses the necessary steps to be taken before writing, such as selecting keypoints, collecting information, note making and combining and acknowledging sources.

Parts 2 and 3 provide students with elements for writing – argument, cohesion, cause and effect, among others – and examine accuracy through the correct use of grammar, vocabulary and punctuation. Especially noteworthy is the fact that these items have been listed alphabetically so that students can work on the points they are weak at, which caters for individual learning styles.

Part 4 consists of models of texts students may be asked to write since the book aims at developing students’ skills for written assessment. As it is claimed in the introduction, “Writing essays and dissertations can be a major concern for overseas students studying at English-medium colleges and universities” (Bailey, 2006, p.i), thus English for Academic Purposes material represent valuable guidance for them.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that this book has certain drawbacks. The units related to letters and CVs in Part 4 could have been omitted as these types of text do not represent a major concern for students expected to write dissertations or argumentative essays at university. Despite the usefulness of the units mentioned, students will not put them into practice within the context under discussion.

Furthermore, Bailey (2006) offers students the chance of doing some activities to practise the different items developed, and he includes a key to these activities at the end of the book. Notwithstanding, this section features mostly suggested answers, which might not be conclusive enough and, as a consequence, it renders the material unsuitable for self-study.

To conclude, through his work, Bailey (2006) provides students with significant background for writing. Nonetheless, non-native English-speaking university undergraduates might find themselves overwhelmed when dealing with the production of written assignments, together with the analysis of academic writing. Therefore, it is advisable that they are aided by a teacher who can guide them in the scrutiny of the contents. 

References

Bailey, Stephen (2006). Academic Writing: A handbook for international students (2nd ed.). Taylor & Francis e-library. Retrieved October 2012 from http://npu.edu.ua/!e-book/book/djvu/A/iif_kgpm_t27.pdf .