Includes index.

"Updated and enhanced, the Third Edition of Skill Set: Strategies for Reading and Writing in the Canadian Classroom carries on the proven problem/ solution/ model approach. Designed by an experienced Canadian college instructor and improved through classroom feedback, this new edition continues to emphasize the development of reading and vocabulary skills as fundamental to improving writing and critical thinking skills in post-secondary students.

Part 1, Skill Development, takes a very practical, student-friendly approach. Clear and straightforward explanations of how to avoid and correct common writing problems help learners develop the confidence to express themselves in writing. A supporting lexical approach increases competency in a wide variety of vocabulary skills encompassing different abilities - identifying the parts of a word, understanding how words determine sentence structure, recognizing collocations, and seeing the relationships between words. Grammar instruction and practice is integrated throughout, where most relevant to areas of learning.

Part 2, Reading Selections, features a wide range of stimulating and topical Canadian selections which generates active interest and high motivation to engage with the varied discussion questions and assignment suggestions. Each reading provides many powerful examples as students are invited to analyze the structures and writing techniques used. Attention is given to developing paraphrase and summary skills, with detailed language study related to the reading, fostering the development of enhanced critical reasoning skills." (Book Cover)

CONTENTS:

Introduction Introduction for the Instructor
Organization of the Text
Introduction for Students: Developing Study Skills
Acknowledgements and About the Author

Part 1: Skill Development

Unit 1 - Writing Skills
Distinguishing Spoken and Written Language
Addressing Audience and Purpose
Achieving Clarity
Strengthening Content
Organizing Ideas
Writing Concisely
Striving for Correctness
Writing Personally or Impersonally
Using Appropriate Style
Understanding the Writing Process
Understanding Writing Evaluation

Unit 2 - Vocabulary Skills
Learning Pronunciation
Learning Spelling
Recognizing Parts of Speech
Distinguishing Word Classes
Understanding Word Formation
Learning Word Families
Understanding Word Meaning
Understanding Connotation
Recognizing Idioms
Using Jargon
Recognizing Inappropriate Language
Dealing with Unfamiliar Words
Recognizing Collocation
Appreciating Language Change
Using Dictionaries
Building Vocabulary

Unit 3 - Sentence Writing Skills
Understanding Basic Sentence Structure
Understanding Verb Tense and Aspect
Recognizing Different Verb Forms
Recognizing Verbals
Understanding How Verbs Determine Sentence Structure
Using Determiners
Using Pronouns
Using Prepositional Phrases
Using Coordinate Conjunctions
Writing Noun Clauses
Writing Adjective Clauses
Writing Adverb Clauses
Reducing Clauses to Phrases
Connecting Sentences
Analyzing Sentence Structure
Building Complex Sentences
Using Punctuation and Capitalization

Unit 4 - Paragraph Writing Skills
Writing Independent paragraphs
Writing Topic Sentences
Making Points
Supporting Points
Writing Concluding Sentences
Achieving Unity
Using Transition Signals
Achieving Coherence
Studying Sample Paragraphs

Unit 5 - Essay Writing Skills
Understanding Essay Structure
Planning an Essay
Writing a Thesis Statement
Writing an Introduction
Writing Body Paragraphs
Writing a Conclusion
Studying Sample Essays
Essay-Writing: Practice Topics

Unit 6 - Rhetorical Skills
Explaining and Illustrating
Narrating
Describing
Defining and Classifying
Showing Cause and Effect
Reviewing
Describing Process
Making Comparisons
Persuading

Unit 7 - Editing and Correcting skills
Understanding the Process
Recognizing Types of Errors
Correcting Vocabulary Mistakes
Correcting Grammatical Errors
Correcting Errors in Punctuation and Capitalization
Improving Structure and Style
Finding and Correcting Errors

Unit 8 - Reading Skills
Reading Textbooks
Reading from Paper and Reading from a Screen
Distinguishing Fiction and non-fiction
Identifying the Thesis of an Article
Distinguishing Writers' Opinions
Recognizing Writers' Techniques
Doing Research
Referencing Sources
Avoiding Plagiarism
Quoting
Paraphrasing
Using Reported Speech
Writing a Summary
Writing about Readings
Building Reading Skills

Part 2: Reading Selections

Unit 9 - Education
“Unplug the Digital Classroom”, by Doug Mann
“Fear Math, Not Numbers”, by Peter Martyn
“Why Study Liberal Arts?”
Additional Topics

Unit 10 - Work
“Lots of Ways to Make Canada Fairer,” by Carol Goar
“If the Artists Starve, We’ll All Go Hungry,” by Elizabeth Renzetti
“No Tips, Please”
Additional Topics

Unit 11 - Money
“Why Pay More? To Be Conspicuous,” by Peter Singer
“Online Gambling a Way to Rip off the Poor,” by Leonard Stern
“False Economy” Additional Topics

Unit 12 - Technology
“Turning the Table on Instagram”, by Emma Teitel
“Maybe It’s Time to Rewire and Unplug the Next Generation,” by Gwyn Morgan “Technology and the Generational Divide”

Unit 13 - The Environment
“The Case against Bottled Water”, by Sean Petty and Justin Trudeau “Battle of the Bag”, by Peter Shawn Taylor
“It’s Not Easy Being Green”
Additional Topics

Unit 14 - Citizenship
“No Hyphen for Me,” by Salim Sachedina
“Attention, Dual Citizens: Canada Can No Longer Afford Our Divided Loyalty,” by Rudyard Griffiths
“What Makes a Good Voter”
Additional Topics

Unit 15 - Clothing
“White Tops, Grey Bottoms”, by Bev Akerman
“Why Arcade Fire Fans Should Rise to the Occasion and Say Yes to the Dress Code,” by Robert Everett-Green
“The Lure of Costumes”
Additional Topics

Unit 16 - Fiction readings
“Why My Mother Can't Speak English”, by Garry Engkent
“Soap and Water”, by Urs Frei
“Tempest in the School Teapot”, by L.M. Montgomery
“Michael’s New Toy”, by Linwood Barclay

Appendices:

Appendix A Writing Email

Appendix B Following Format Guidelines

Appendix C Sample Research Essay in MLA Format

Appendix D Sample Research Essay in APA Format

Index

Readership : Students at the postsecondary level who are required to take an academic writing course before continuing with their program of study.