PORTFOLIO 4/06/2013

The class academic writing has given some improvement in favour of my writing skill. As academic writing skill is an important issue in academic environment, the writing class does not only directly improve my writing skill but also increase my confidence substantially when I write academic papers or essays. Certainly, I have a lot of expectations on this course. Initially, as I am writing my research proposal, I hope this course will enhance my skill in academic writing. For example, I expect this course can teach me how to cite, paraphrase and summarize other work appropriately. Moreover, I hope the writing class can explain me how to compose my ideas to be well-structured essays. In this essay, I explain some improvement that I have acquired since I started my writing class such as .....................URUTKAN SESUAI PARAGRAPHNYA.

The first improvement is to write concise and complete conclusion. In the task of essay 1, I did not write clear and comprehensive conclusion, while in the essay 2, I write concise conclusion. This is very important improvement as conclusion is one important issue in summarizing my essays to average readers. Again, conclusion can directly help readers to summarize and understand our essays main points so that readers could easily find valuable info in essays they read.

Combination long and short sentences is another skill I have frequently practiced since I attended the writing class. Using short or simple sentences as topic sentences in my essays assist me to keep myself in organizing each paragraph so that there is only one main idea for every paragraph. If, for example, I use long or sentences as topic sentences, I and readers may confuse what the main idea as topic sentences are complex sentences. Moreover, long sentences are very useful to provide a lot of information such as supporting explanation and examples to endure my arguments. In other words, combination short and long sentences does not only provide readers well-structured paragraphs but also robust information.

Another point I want to explain is plagiarism. Practicing summarizing and paraphrasing prevents me from plagiarism and pushes me to understand intended topic. Since coping other work inapproriately may be categorized as plagiarism, principles of summarizing and paraphrasing could increase my knowledge so that I can prevent myself from inevitable plagiarism. Before I started the class, I thought that coping other work without changing

Page 1

sentence structures does not plagiarism. But, after section of paraphrasing and summarizing was taught, I have realized that paraphrasing is not only replacing word by word but also changing structure intended literatures. Thus, practicing paraphrasing, with summarizing, prevents me from academic plagiarism.

The writing class give another valuable input, that is, principle of Statement, Example and Explanation (SEE). After I read two versions of The Beginning of The Tournament, I have realized that the revised version is easier to understand, in case of explaining difference culture between Pakeha and Maori, because the revised version gives more examples and explanation than that the earlier version. Because of this, I always try to give readers clear explanation and full examples to assist them to understand my papers easily and completely.

My research proposal is one task I can confidentlywrite as I have received some helpful inputs since the first class tutorial.The first phase before doctoral students start their research journey is to submit research proposals. There are Research proposal MENINGKATKAN KEMMAPUAN BACA DAN PEMAHAMAN. MEMBANTU SAYA MENEMUKAN RESEARCH GAP KURANG DLM WAKTU 3 BULAN.

My research proposal is one task I can confidentlywrite as I have received some helpful inputs since the first class tutorial.The first phase before doctoral students start their research journey is to submit research proposals. There are Research proposal MENINGKATKAN KEMMAPUAN BACA DAN PEMAHAMAN. MEMBANTU SAYA MENEMUKAN RESEARCH GAP KURANG DLM WAKTU 3 BULAN.

Proofreading/peer feedback.

The APA reference style is another important skill I have practiced regularly. Citing other work clearly in our writing is very crucial as someone who does not cite the other work academically could be punished as a plagiarist. As my school, the Victoria Business School, uses the APA reference style, the writing class has given introduction and some highlights that have attracted me to learn the reference style further and completely.

Another academic writing skill I have gained from the course is contrasting ideas. Contrasting or comparing idea is one of valuable academic writing skills. I have increased my contrasting skill as the tutor asked me and my classmates to practice the principle of write-before-you-read for selected topics. Furthermore, the principle of contrasting ideas assist me when I do critical reading. The critical reading task requires us to organize and to

Page 2

compare some previous academic papers and then put our own opinion. In other words, the skill of contrasting ideas has assisted me to complete the literature review section as some previous researchers ideas have similarities and dissimilarities and skill of contrasting ideas help me to explain their similarities and differences.

Looping technique is another valuable tool to enhance my writing skill. As there are a lot of ideas to write when I write, looping technique helps me to write my essays faster and to ease me to organize my ideas for each paragraph. As my research proposal emerges three discipline subjects such as supply chain, climate change and system dynamics modelling, I sometimes confused to start writing as I have a lot of ideas every time I want to start my essays. The looping technique, in turn, has helped me substantially as I usually start writing anything in my head and stop each 4-5 minutes to organize written sentences into one topicsentence paragraph.

PORTFOLIO WRIT 151 WRITING CLASS : STATISTICS: 1,199 WORDS IN TOTAL MUHAMAD KHAIRUL BAHRI : STUDENT ID : 300 258 348 TUTOR : JEREMY KOAY

Page 3

Page 4