Meta-cognitive Analysis...

         Meta-cognitive Analysis on Report Writing

   Writing is a skill and process that takes hours and hours to master in order to obtain a well polished paper. In LEE IV, We are starting to familiarize ourselves with different written genres, especially articles, academic reports and paragraphs. After having written our first report, We have begun doing peer-editing as a way towards discovery, self correction and reflection on our performances.

   After having received feedback on my first version, I have realized that, on the one hand, I had missed the point and goals asked by the teacher; I produced a very long report with a lot of information and probably irrelevant content, instead of focusing just on one specific area and develop it fully. On the other hand, I could notice that there were aspects of format that I had not included such as a concluding paragraph. Another weak point that I see in my report is related to citing sources and authors. I find it difficult to cite and to familiarize myself with different conventions and patterns for citing, for example, information obtained from Internet sites. Knowing how to cite is a must in academic writing in order to avoid plagiarism, therefore I am convinced that in my future compositions I will have to be extra careful in this area. 

          
    If I were to highlight the positive aspects after having written a report and received feedback from my classmates, I would summarize them as follows: from the very beginning, I was conscious of the genre and the audience I was adressing to. Having had such aspects in mind, it was easier for me to follow a path or pattern in the report. 

   On the whole, I can say that I have profitted a lot from this writing experience since the task was not only to write a report, but to read a whole website, to use that information in a compressed form, then to hand it out to my classmates for feedback and to read theirs as well. The final outcome is a new perspective and reflection on my own report, which paves the way and confidence for future report writing.

Class 4- Editing and improving drafts- Report writing (second version)

                 Writing Academic Essays at College 

Introduction 

        At Toronto University, students have access to a wide range of possibilities as regarding writing proficiency. Writing centres, on-line tutoring, virtual resources and writing guides are available to help students improve their writing skills on different types of writings such as abstracts or academic essays. This report focuses on the latter, the difficult task of writing academic essays, and includes key concepts related to writing, organizing and editing college essays successfully. 

Essay writing 
General ideas on writing essays:
       Writing essays will probably be one of the main tasks students have to deal with as they enter Toronto University, therefore, mastering many of its main characteristics from the very beginning will help them write successfully the type of texts professors demand from them. The main features essay writing contains are argumentation, thesis statement and body paragraphs. The essay presents “an argument where the writer makes a claim” (Irvin.p9). Such claim stands for the writer´s viewpoint and perspective on the subject matter. The “thesis” is the promise the writer makes to the audience. Through detailed and specific evidence writers accomplish that promise and generally it is carried out in the following paragraphs. 
Some practices of good essay writers: 
 • They start writing early: Good writing does not start when all the parts are ready and gathered. Writers start putting their ideas together hours or days before they plunge into the text. 
• They do not try to write all the paper in just one sitting but write just what is ready at that moment and then put it aside for a moment. 
• Extensive revision is an unavoidable step in academic writing. Writers do not edit the first draft and submit it. What they do is drafting and redrafting, arranging and rearranging ideas and sentences and this process takes them days or weeks.
Organizing an essay
Introductions and conclusions:
       A good introduction should identify the topic, provide essential context and engage reader´s attention. As students start writing the paper, they should be aware of not spending too much time involved in the introduction. Although most students and writers find it necessary to start from an introduction, some others prefer to skip it at the beginning and write it at the very end of the process. Typically, in the introductory paragraph the topic is presented and it should start from general to specific, from broad ideas to the concept to be discussed. Some very important pieces of advice that students should take into account range from avoiding dictionary definitions in the introduction that the audience already knows, to avoiding giving details or explanations that belong in the body paragraphs. 
     As regarding the concluding paragraph, this section of essay writing apart from re-stating the introductory section and thesis statement, should remind the audience of how the evidence presented has contributed to the thesis. In the concluding stage, critical thinking is crucial and demands from students to reflect upon the significance of what they have written as well as of the larger implications of their argument. As with introductions, the length of the conclusion should reflect the length of the essay and remember that a good last sentence leaves the reader with something to think about, a concept in some way illuminated by what has been written in the paper.

Using Thesis Statement 

    When students are asked to write an essay that creates an argument, their reader will probably expect a clear statement of their position. Typically, this summary statement comes in the first paragraph of the essay, though there is no rigid rule about position. Some writers feel more comfortable or find necessary to express the thesis in two paragraphs while in some cases they formulate it at the end of paper.
Revising and editing

         This process helps students to preview their paper on behalf of their eventual audience. It means changing the shape and reasoning in the paper. 
• They check whether they have fulfilled the intention of the assignment.
• They ask themselves: Have I performed the right kind of thinking? Have I written the genre of document called for? Have I given adequate evidence? 
• Then, they look at overall organization. Is each section in the right place to reach my purpose? 
• Finally, they polish and edit style including grammar and spelling. 
Conclusion 
      Writing academically is one of the most difficult issues students encounter at universities. At Toronto College they have available a wide repertoire of support tools as regarding writing essays, how to structure and enhance them, making their writing tasks easier to accomplish.
Works cited 
“Advice on Academic Writing.” Available at http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice Irvin, Lennie. “What is Academic Writing?”

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                                  Immigration and related issues

Introduction

          Since ancient times, immigration in all its forms has been a source of conflict both for governments and societies that receive it. Immigration is not only the product of historical, religious, political and economic tensions but natural disasters and climate change may be  reasons enough for leaving one´s birthplace. Traditionally, powerful countries have characterized for receiving immigration waves while other less fortunate for producing it. Many developed nations that are considered immigration receptors like Australia, see these arrivals as a beneficial aspect of modern societies since they offer the opportunity of valuable human resources necessary for production or work force. Nevertheless, natives sometimes feel they bring poverty and unemployment and that they are a threat for local customs and religions . In this paper three aspects of immigration will be dealt with, beginning with an analysis of issues related to illegal immigration, following with a brief look at the daily struggle that newcomers experience in the new community and finally, issues concerned with refugees will be discussed.

Illegal immigration

            Generally, in order to be accepted as member in a new country, foreigners are required to fulfill certain requirements.  Since many of them do not have access to the documentation or permissions necessary, they enter the new territory illegally. This is a very informal status and it generally forces them to survive without basic access to health systems, education or formal economy. In a way they are forced to live in poverty, overexploited by unscrupulous employers who take advantage of cheap work force. Governments pass laws restricting illegal arrivals and are trying hard to deal with this tension but in general illegal settlers are the focus of deportations. In the United States alone, there are more than four million illegal residents that are waiting for any solution. Many of them will be fortunate enough to be accepted as legal residents but the immense majority will face prison charges and deportations.

Difficulties related to being an immigrant

            It might seem obvious that not all the newcomers whose status is that of an immigrant have the same opportunities when they try to establish themselves in the new country. It is true that some of them arrive with enough preparation and skills that allow them to settle fairly easily. This could be the case of professionals and students who fulfill most requirements to adapt. This it is not the case of the majority. The less fortunate ones enter with minimal preparation, unable to speak local languages and struggling with different religious beliefs and customs. An example of this would be women of Islamic origin in France where schools do not allow them to wear their traditional hijab.  In this respect, citizens who come to the United States from Spanish speaking backgrounds seem to have an advantage since that nation has a growing Hispanic community where they can interact. Different is the situation of millions of African emigrants   trying to reach Europe through the Mediterranean sea. They bring with them a wide variety of African languages and ancient traditions that are different to the standard languages and lifestyles in Europe, therefore most of them are condemned to surviving in marginal ghettos located in European cities´ poor areas.

The situation of Refugees

        Civil Wars, dictatorial systems, ethnic differences and natural disasters are the main reasons for asking asylum abroad. People who need to escape from troubles in their original nations will have to struggle in the new society trying to find accommodation, job stability and education for their children.  A good example would be that of Cuban citizens trying to establish themselves in the United States during the second half of twentieth century. They were trying to escape from Castro´s persecution of those who did not agreed with the dictatorial rules imposed. In a dictatorship context, ethnic and sexual minorities are among the first groups that decide to seek protection outside.

Conclusion

      Immigration is a general and complex term that involves many different kinds of realities. Such realities vary from those who emigrate with a certain preparation, those whose homeland has been affected by natural disasters or those whose religious beliefs are threatened .Whatever the reasons for beginning a new life in a distant different home , societies could begin to analyze conflicts and also positive aspects  related to immigration  so that  tolerance and respect are enhanced.

Class 6- Entry #3: A Paragraph on Immigration..

                      
             Reasons for Emigrating in Argentina and in Germany

         Citizens in Argentina have different reasons for emigrating than people in Germany. In the South American country, one of the main factors that force people to move abroad is related to economic conditions. Since 2001, when a tremendous and historic financial crisis devastated stability, more than two thousand argentines have decided to start again in a new nation. This migration  process can be considered a paradox, taking into account that Argentine society has always been used to welcoming immigrants from every continent, not to see them leaving. According to official statistics, the majority of these migrants were young people who felt disappointed about living and forging their futures in a place more and more prone to economic difficulties. The worst thing is that these groups of frustrated young people, were followed by many of the most brilliant, talented and skilled professionals the nation had to offer. Their destinations were varied but in general they mainly chose the ones their parents or grandparents had left a century ago like Spain and Italy. Another reason for argentines to settle abroad is in a way more positive than the previous one. Even though Argentina suffered troubles in the last decades, the situation seems to have improved and consequently, an increasing number of locals can afford travelling outside in order to begin a college degree or doctorate in some of the most expensive and prestigious universities like Oxford or Harvard. There, they become so accustomed to the new lifestyle that they no longer find it meaningful to return to Latin America. In contrast, German emigrants leave for completely different purposes. Since the republic boasts high standards of living and enjoys one of the strongest and most stable economies in the world, it is not usual for them to emigrate due to monetary problems. They decide to resettle in foreign territories in search of new experiences and exotic adventures. A recent survey carried out by Berlin Bureau of state affairs showed that learning a foreign language, meeting new cultures and even starting a new life in tropical warmer places were common answers among emigrants. As a conclusion, factors that prevail in relation to argentinian emigration are of a very different nature to those present in Germany´s emigration.