In this ELC video you will learn about hedging language. It follows on from the ELC video
on academic style. You will also learn more about IndiWork for
this subject and the first Assessment.
Right, hedging language is a skill you need when writing academic essays for ELC subjects
and in other subjects that you are taking at university. So, listen carefully!
OK, so we have this statement. Hong Kong is cold in Winter.
Is this statement true? Is it always true? What would be a better way of writing it?
How about, Hong Kong is often cold in Winter.
Or, Hong Kong is sometimes cold in Winter.
Or we could write, Some people believe that Hong Kong is cold
in Winter.
The words in red are hedging language. They are very common in academic writing. The first
two, “often” and “sometimes”, are adverbs. They help us modify our writing;
when something is not 100% true, we can use these words so that someone cannot say, “your
statement is wrong!”
The final sentence using “believe” is a little different. By using ‘some people
believe’, the statement is being transferred to a third party. It’s not you who is stating
this, but someone else. Again, this is quite common in academic writing.
OK, so that is one way you can use hedging language in academic writing.
Another way is to use citations; add referencing!
This follows on from the point before; transferring to a third party. However, now you are saying
who the third party is. Look at this example.
According to the Hong Kong Observatory (2020), the average temperature in January is around
18C.
So, now we have a reliable organisation, the Hong Kong Observatory, providing evidence
on the temperature. It’s hard to disagree with that!
OK, so adding citations will make your writing more academic and improve your academic style.
Look at the student notes for more information on hedging and for adding citations.
OK, a couple more slides to go.
IndiWork
It’s a requirement for this subject and others such as ELC1012 and ELC1013!
Now, you only need a score of 50%!
And you have two choices on how to complete IndiWork.
There are Online quizzes on Blackboard – please check the deadlines for doing the IndiWork
quizzes – there are different deadlines throughout the semester.
Or you can attend face-to-face initiatives to get an IndiWork score.
So, you can attend SAP or WAP sessions, CILL Workshops, or join EES. You get 10% of the
IndiWork score for each session attended.
Book sessions online through the ELC website. And, keep records of your bookings so that
you can submit evidence on Blackboard
Finally, let’s look at Assessment 1.
Assessment 1 is your first Draft of a ‘Problem-solution’ Essay
Please check the Information Sheet for the Due Date
And you need to first choose your topic Look under Assessment 1 on Blackboard for
the different topics. You can also find Possible Questions for your
topic on Blackboard.
Please start thinking about Assessment 1.
OK, that’s it from me. Make sure that you enjoy your learning at PolyU!