Writing Links for ESL
 
 
Academic Writing
Business/General Workplace Writing
Scientific and Technical Writing
Legal Writing
Using and Citing Sources (i.e., Avoiding Plagiarism)
  

Writing instructors interested in further info about L2 writing should see
Bibliographies in Second Language Writing, assembled by Paul Kei Matsuda of the University of New Hampshire

Academic Writing 
     
  • Writing Argumentative Essays  
  • Gives detailed guidelines for structuring and supporting an argumentative essay (ESL Planet)  
       
  • The Chronicle of Higher Education:  Career Network  
  • Offers advice for job hunters in the academic world, including "The C.V. Doctor," which critiques sample C.V.'s from the social sciences, professional schools, the humanities, fine arts, and sciences.  (The Chronicle of Higher Education) 
  
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Business/General Workplace Writing 

  • Professional Writing
    Here you will find handouts on job search writing, general business writing, and more, plus samples and models (Purdue Online Writing Lab, Purdue University).
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  • Kitty Locker: Business and Administrative Communication, 5th Edition  
  • This is the web site for an excellent business communication textbook suitable for advanced ESL students (McGraw-Hill Higher Education). 

  • Preparing an Effective Case Analysis
    This site gives tips for preparing for a class discussions of a case and for organizing an oral or written case analysis (Frederick W. Westfall, Troy State University, Florida & Western Region).
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  • Features:  Memos  
  • This site contains dozens of real-life memos notable for their ridiculous content and/or the less-than-ideal way that their message is presented (Whaddya Know). 
      
  • E-Mail Etiquette  
  • Here you will find advice on writing effective e-mail messages. 
      
  • Welcome to ResumeTutor  
  • This site offers advice on writing resumes and features sample resumes in various formats (Office of Human Resources, University of Minnesota) 
      
  • Welcome to the Dilbert Zone  
  • For fun (United Media) 
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Scientific and Technical Writing 

  • Online Technical Writing:  Online Textbook  
  • This site contains information about writing technical reports, business plans, progress reports, instructions, users guides, and more (David McMurrey, Austin Community College, Texas) 
      
  • Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students  
  • Includes sample memos, letters, proposals, progress reports, and formal reports, as well as exercises for recognizing errors in grammar, style, content, and organization (Michael Alley, Virginia Tech)

  • Technical Writing
    This page contains advice about stylistic issues in technical writing. The web page author is a former professor of electrical engineering. (Ronald B. Standler)

  • Selected RRP Case Studies and Materials
    This site from the Research Responsibility Program at the University of Michigan includes case studies dealing with ethical issues in research.  
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  • Welcome to ResumeTutor  
  • This site offers advice on writing resumes and features sample resumes in various formats (Office of Human Resources, University of Minnesota) 
      
  • E-Mail Etiquette  
  • Here you will find advice on writing effective e-mail messages. 
 
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Legal Writing 
For further Legal English links, see the links page for ELP 127, Reading and Writing for LL.M. Students.

  • Law School Web Sites for Legal Writing
    This page leads you to extensive links with advice on many aspects of legal writing (Coleen Barger, Associate Professor of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock)
  • Legal Writing Institute--LWI Online
  • As its homepage says, "The Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving legal writing by providing a forum for discussion and scholarship about legal writing, analysis, and research. "

  • Advice from Professor Berry
    This professor at Howard University School of Law has put together a site with advice on the topics of First Year Basics, Exam Skills, Advocacy Skills, a Writing Hall of Fame, and more.
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  • Law School Exams  
  • Advice on writing timed exams (Washington College of Law, American University)  
            
  • Law Student Plagiarism--You Can't Afford It!
    Definitions and examples of plagiarism with instructions about where and when to insert citations (Legal Writing Institute)

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Using and Citing Sources (i.e., Avoiding Plagiarism)


How Not to Plagiarize
This page lists some answers to frequently asked questions about citing sources (University of Toronto)

AMA Style Guide
This site shows the most common types of bibliographic entries in the format of the American Medical Association Manual of Style, 9th ed. (University of Washington)

Using APA Format
This page provides guidelines for citing sources in APA format; it's based on the 5th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (Purdue Online Writing Lab)

Basic Legal Citation
This page provides an overview of citation conventions in legal writing. (Peter W. Martin, Legal Information Institute, Cornell  Law School)

CBE Style
Here you will find instructions on using the citation format of the Council of Biology Editors (now the Council of Science Editors). (Pearson Education)

Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format
This page provides guidelines about citing sources in MLA format (Purdue Online Writing Lab)

Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals
This site gives information about formatting a bibliography and manuscript. (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors)


On the web you can find the policies on academic integrity for the Washington University College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. See Bearings to find out which policies apply to the Schools of Architecture, Art and the Olin School of Business. Note: For ELP courses, which are University College courses, the College of Arts & Sciences policy applies.


 
Karen Schwelle
Instructor, English Language Programs
Washington University
Campus Box 1083
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO  63130
kschwell@artsci.wustl.edu

Last updated August 11, 2005