{"id":6612,"date":"2023-02-03T12:52:25","date_gmt":"2023-02-03T12:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/writeit-article\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T12:07:38","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T10:07:38","slug":"writeit-article","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/writeit-article\/","title":{"rendered":"Write It: a free multilingual programme to support students with academic writing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>3 February 2023<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"googlefontscall\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"pagebuilderckparams\" data-colorpalettefromtemplate=\"\" data-colorpalettefromsettings=\",,,,\" data-styles=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"rowck ckstack3 ckstack2 ckstack1 uick-sortable\" id=\"row_ID1675428542139\" data-gutter=\"2%\" data-nb=\"1\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n<style class=\"ckcolumnwidth\">[data-gutter=\"2%\"][data-nb=\"1\"]:not(.ckadvancedlayout) [data-width=\"100\"] {width:100%;}[data-gutter=\"2%\"][data-nb=\"1\"].ckadvancedlayout [data-width=\"100\"] {width:100%;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"inner animate clearfix\">\n<div class=\"blockck\" id=\"block_ID1675428542139\" data-real-width=\"100%\" data-width=\"100\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ckstyle\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"inner animate resizable\">\n<div class=\"innercontent uick-sortable\">\n<div id=\"ID1675428546213\" class=\"cktype\" data-type=\"text\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"tab_effects ckprops\" fieldslist=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tab_blocstyles ckprops\" blocbackgroundpositionend=\"100\" blocbackgrounddirection=\"topbottom\" blocbackgroundimageattachment=\"scroll\" blocbackgroundimagerepeat=\"no-repeat\" blocbackgroundimagesize=\"auto\" blocbordertopstyle=\"solid\" blocborderrightstyle=\"solid\" blocborderbottomstyle=\"solid\" blocborderleftstyle=\"solid\" blocbordersstyle=\"solid\" blocshadowinset=\"0\" fieldslist=\"blocbackgroundpositionend,blocbackgrounddirection,blocbackgroundimageattachment,blocbackgroundimagerepeat,blocbackgroundimagesize,blocalignementleft,blocalignementcenter,blocalignementright,blocalignementjustify,blocbordertopstyle,blocborderrightstyle,blocborderbottomstyle,blocborderleftstyle,blocbordersstyle,blocshadowinset\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tab_edition ckprops\" fieldslist=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ckstyle\">\n<style><\/style>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cktext inner\" style=\"position: relative;\" spellcheck=\"false\">\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) forges ahead with an initiative to help students with basic academic writing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">SADiLaR\u2019s language development and testing node, the <a href=\"https:\/\/icelda.com\/\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/icelda.com\/\">Inter-institutional Centre for Language Development and Assessment (ICELDA)<\/a>, has developed a series of videos, called Write It, to fill the gap by guiding students through writing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Academic writing is key to academic success, but getting it right is not easy, particularly for students who are learning in a second or third language. &nbsp;Some institutions offer modules in academic literacy and academic writing support, but not all students across South Africa have access to these kinds of support.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Videos with handouts for simple reference and optional online tasks have been made accessible in sign language and all 11 of South Africa&#8217;s official languages.&nbsp; Students can watch the <a href=\"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/write-it\/\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/write-it\/\">Write It videos on SADiLaR\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Dr Detlef Cloete, lecturer at Akademia and former project manager at ICELDA says the choice of topics and how the content is presented is driven by insight and knowledge in academic writing development, as well as global and local research<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">The programme comprises 15 topics, which include, among others:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">task analysis: how to understand what a set task is requiring from you;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">introduction and conclusions: how to write them;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">discourse markers \/ logical connectors: how to logically guide your reader through the text;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">voice, stance and engagement: how to display authority over your text and involve your reader;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">referencing support: how to reference correctly; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">plagiarism avoidance: how to integrate and reference sources in such a way that you don\u2019t plagiarise.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Although videos are available in South Africa&#8217;s official languages, the ICELDA team has decided to maintain the handouts and activities in English.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Prof Tobie van Dyk from North-West University\u2019s School of Languages, and ICELDA-SADiLaR Node Manager, explains that students indicated that they would like to write and study in English with the support of their home languages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">\u201cHandouts and videos should be used as a package, moreover, in a situation where a student knows the English term used, but not the term in their mother tongue, or vice versa,\u201d says Prof van Dyk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Although the course is divided into 15 modules, students are free to pick how they want to interact with it. Therefore, students can use the materials from start to finish or just concentrate on the parts that are difficult for them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">\u201cWe are incredibly passionate about this programme as a way of supporting South African students with academic writing in their own mother tongue,\u201d says Dr Kristien Andrianatos, senior lecturer at the North-West University\u2019s School of Languages, and content developer at ICELDA.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">&nbsp;\u201cUsing academic English and completing written tasks in higher education is complex, especially for beginners and we trust that \u201cWrite It\u201d will assist students with their academic acculturation on their journey of becoming part of the academic community.\u201d Says Dr Andrianatos.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Testing and quality control<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">As part of the design and development phase, the ICELDA team worked with Prof Kris van de Poel and Dr Marilize Pretorius from the University of Antwerp, Belgium in providing universal course content explains Dr Cloete.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">ICELDA also worked with a Belgian company called InterCulturate who provided useful support for elements like the design and layout of the handouts and the online packaging.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">\u201cWe also tested the materials on local students in our Writing Centre environment and in postgraduate academic writing workshops, and the feedback is really positive,\u201d says Prof van Dyk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Access to all<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Students and lecturers can watch the videos on SADiLaR\u2019s YouTube channel, for those who wish to access the full course content or require further Learner Management System support may contact SADiLaR via info@sadilar.org<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Words by: Natalie Simone<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div id=\"ID1675428542178\" class=\"cktype\" data-type=\"text\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ckstyle\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"cktext inner\" style=\"position: relative;\" spellcheck=\"false\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ckstyle\"><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>3 February 2023 South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR) forges ahead with an initiative to help students with basic academic writing. SADiLaR\u2019s language development and testing node, the Inter-institutional Centre for Language Development and Assessment (ICELDA), has developed a series of videos, called Write It, to fill the gap by guiding students through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":246,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[733],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/246"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6612"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11327,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6612\/revisions\/11327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sadilar.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}