https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/L_ETBAALG006The aim of this course is to improve your academic writing skills. More specifically, you will gain insight into the specific characteristics of formal written English; learn the conventions of using sources through quoting, referring and paraphrasing; and develop your academic skills with regard to text structure, linguistic accuracy, and clarity of expression. In addition, you will be able to apply this knowledge by writing a text about an academic topic, which uses academic sources appropriately; has no major grammatical errors; uses a clear text structure; and has a style which is suitable for academic texts.In the course, we will focus on generic skills that are relevant for academic writing: creating an appropriate formal style, using standard academic phrases and creating a clear structure for your text. You will write a text about a topic from your discipline, based on academic sources, using a referencing style that is standard in your discipline. We will also pay attention to general principles of good writing, such as guiding the reader through the text and creating a good flow in the text. We will address these topics in such a way that you will be able to apply these principles in any text that you write after following the course. In addition, you will get individual feedback on your own texts, which will allow you to gain insight into your own strengths and weaknesses in terms of linguistic accuracy (grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary). The subjects covered are the following:Academic style: formality, use of academic phrasesQuoting, referring and avoiding plagiarismStructure: introduction, thesis statement, paragraph structure, conclusionLinguistic accuracy: grammar, vocabulary and punctuationClarity of formulation: linking language, clause combiningLectures (1 hour a week) and seminars (2 hours a week).A series of short writing assignments (25%) and a final, longer text (75%).Reading materials will be made available via Canvas.First-year students of Artificial IntelligenceThis course has obligatory attendance (80% of all classes)