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Language Power helps students take control of their writing. Diagnostic activities allow students and instructors to pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement. Twenty-five tutorials give students new strategies and tools for understanding and improving vocabulary usage, grammar, and style. Whether students work through Language Power on their own or instructors integrate tutorials into class lessons, the end result is the same—students come to understand their options as writers and make confident choices to communicate with their audience and achieve their goals.

Written by UC Davis professor and ESL specialist Dana Ferris, Language Power is ideal for second language learning and first-year composition and for courses that need to address both. It can be the main text for any writing course or a robust supplement.

Features

Written for a broad range of students. Informed by author Dana Ferris’s many years of teaching in ESL/multilingual writing programs and in mainstream composition programs, Language Power is designed to reach students with varied perspectives on language and writing.

Help for key writing challenges. Twenty-five tutorials provide deep coverage of a broad range of topics, including sentence structure, vocabulary, and strategies for self-editing.

Diagnostics, practice, and reflection. Discover, Practice, and Apply activities in every tutorial help students uncover what they already know, practice new strategies, and understand how the knowledge and tools they’ve acquired are relevant for their own writing.

Easy-to-reference instruction. Focus sections in every tutorial connect activities and provide quick reference help.

Flexible content. Tutorials can be used for in-class lessons or assigned to individual students as needed.

Affordable and convenient. Its low cost and availability online or in print make Language Power an ideal main text or supplement for any writing course.

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Language Power

Dana Ferris

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Language Power

First Edition 2014

Dana Ferris

Introductions (How to use this book and overview of concepts)

Preface for teachers: Provide suggestions for integrating the material into a course syllabus and providing effective feedback. Discussion of research informing the content and structure of the lessons and other materials in the book. References to support materials online.

Introduction for students: Provide context for all material in the book. Discuss why errors matter (real-world audiences, clarity & effectiveness of communication for readers). Define and discuss global and local revision.

Finding out what you already know (Diagnostic)

Grammar knowledge questionnaire for students

Diagnostic writing/error analysis activity for students/teacher to identify initial trouble spots for individuals and the whole class

Charts for students to track their progress—also available online?

Mastering the basics (Foundation)

Parts of Speech Review

Understanding Subjects & Verbs

Clause Types & Sentence Patterns

Developing Academic Language & Style (Application)

Analyzing Vocabulary in Assigned Readings

Cohesion & Coherence Between & Within Paragraphs

Lexical Variety in Writing

Grammar Power

Punctuation Power

Tackling Problem Areas

(Practice)

Strategies for Self-Editing

Wordy Sentences

Passive Voice

Inaccurate Word Choice

Informal Word Choice

Word Form Errors

The Big 3 Comma Errors

Apostrophe Errors

Other Punctuation Problems

Pronoun Reference & Shifts

Verb Tense (Shifts and Contrasts)

Subject-Verb Agreement

Sentence Boundaries (Run-Ons, Comma Splices, & Fragments)

Noun Plurals

The Big 3 Article Errors

Verb Phrases (verb form issues; modals and other auxiliaries)

Prepositions/Prepositional Phrases

Appendix (Review)

Grammar Knowledge Questionnaire

Final Writing & Error Analysis

Reflection & Analysis Activities

Answer Keys

Index

Language Power

First Edition 2014

Dana Ferris

Find Your Rep

Dana Ferris

Dana Ferris is Professor and Associate Director for Lower-Division Writing in the University Writing Program at the University of California, Davis. An applied linguist by training (Ph.D., University of Southern California), she has many years of experience teaching in ESL/multilingual writing programs and in mainstream composition programs. She also has spent over 20 years as a teacher educator, working with future K-12 teachers, with M.A. students in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), Composition, and Reading, and with Ph.D. students in Linguistics, Education, and English.

Her research has focused extensively on response to student writing and on written corrective feedback in second language writing. Her work has been published in a range of journals including TESOL Quarterly, Research in the Teaching of English, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Journal of Second Language Writing, Across the Disciplines, Writing and Pedagogy, TESOL Journal, and CATESOL Journal. 

She has previously published seven books. These teacher preparation and reference books have focused on the needs of multilingual/second language writers and readers and on responding to student writing. Titles include Teaching L2 Composition: Purpose, Process, and Practice (3rd Ed. 2013, with John Hedgcock, Routledge), Treatment of Error in Second Language Student Writing (2nd Ed. 2011, Michigan), and Teaching Readers of English (2009, with John Hedgcock, Routledge).

Language Power

First Edition 2014

Dana Ferris

Find Your Rep