Academic Writing

Academic writing both teaches and gauges a student’s ability for critical thinking and analysis, persuasive communication, and independent thought and reasoning. These are the skills of the future and fundamental to success in a globalized world. Furthermore, these skills are imperative for strong performance on major tests like the SAT and ACT, and are the core of what universities require of prospective students. Therefore, equipping students with these skills, through academic writing curriculum, is the centerpiece of the Englist program.

All students who join Englist must first come in for a reading and writing test in order to be placed in the most appropriate course level.

Academic Writing Level 1

(Level: U.S. grades 6-8)

Level 1 focuses on the Simple Persuasive Essay (SPE), a writing curriculum developed exclusively by Englist. The purpose of the SPE is to teach students each component part of an essay, how to structure these components to convey ideas, and the logical underpinnings of communication and academic writing. Students are also introduced to simple expository and narrative essays, as well as basic stylistic features like transitions and descriptive writing.

Academic Writing Level 2

(Level: U.S. grades 6-8, 9-11)

Level 2 expands on the foundations of the Simple Persuasive Essay and uses it as a launch pad to the 5 Paragraph Essay, the format most commonly used in Western education. Students learn to drop the mechanical pattern of the SPE while retaining the features of an essay they have learned. Students learn to synthesize different types of essays and focus more heavily on content and reasoning.

Academic Writing Level 3

(Level: U.S. grades 9-11)

Level 3 tasks students with a higher level of technical prowess by learning how to research and cite sources. Furthermore, students focus on literary tools, analysis and imitation of experts, and developing descriptive writing skills along with their own voice and style.

Taipei Teen Tribune is an Englist publication founded in 2015, and is written by Taiwanese students about our world and what we think is important. We write about current events, culture, school, trends, and everything in between. All articles are written by Taiwanese students in their own words with minimal editing. These stories are theirs, and chosen because they reflect real opinions and real concerns.

Students in this class write researched articles and opinion pieces to be published in Englist’s online magazine, Taipei Teen Tribune. Students are only admitted to this class after they’ve proven to be strong enough English readers and writers, and are invited. Most of the students enrolled have studied at Englist for at least two years.