Amira El-Soussi

American University of Sharjah

American University of Sharjah

Academic Writing I (101) & Academic Writing II (WRI 102)

• Introduce critical writing and information literacy skills.

• Help students compose analytic essays utilizing a range of rhetorical modes such as description, compare/contrast, cause and effect, causal, and rhetorical and process analysis.

• Devise strategies to teach constructing logical, ethical, and persuasive arguments supported with a variety of rhetorical strategies

• Guide students on evaluating texts and composing essays using the principles of critique

• Develop and hone students’ academic research and library skills, using APA citation, and composing a research essay

• Advise students on ways to assess advanced principles of audience, purpose, and context for each writing, reading, and rhetorical task

• Mentor students to produce an advanced academic style (clear, persuasive, and highly varied sentences) through reflective writing

Basic Academic Writing (WRI001)

• Guide students on composing well developed and organized paragraphs and essays

• Help students identify various rhetorical strategies and incorporate them effectively into written assignments

• Hone students’ ability to analyze audience, purpose, context and write in an appropriate and effective tone of voice

• Design activities to help students identify and evaluate main ideas and supporting details in texts

• Provide contextualized grammar instructions

American University in Dubai --- English Courses

Low Intermediate Intensive English 

1. Helps students to understand and identify the main ideas in simple narrative, discursive, and academic texts.
2. Teaches students to write simple paragraphs that clearly describe past, present, and future experiences, make comparisons, and express opinions.
3. Students learn to identify the main points and details in a simple dialogue, explanation, or narrative when spoken slowly and clearly
4. Builds students’ confidence in using simple language to tell a story, describe events, and express opinions and emotions.
5. Students interact verbally with others in routine contexts, asking and answering questions, making suggestions, and giving and understanding instructions.

Intermediate English Bridge

1. Students learn to distinguish between main ideas and supporting details in simple narrative, discursive, and academic texts.
2. Teaches students to write simple, structured multi-paragraph texts on a range of familiar topics and for a variety of purposes.
3. Helps students identify a speaker’s main idea and supporting examples in a presentation intended for a general audience.
4. Builds students’ confidence to deliver an oral presentation that summarizes and responds to the views of others, developing a simple argument that is supported by reasons and examples.
5. Develop basic competence in understanding and using level-appropriate vocabulary and grammar in a range of routine and academic contexts.

Advanced English Bridge

1. Teaches students to analyze the purpose and meaning of simple narrative, discursive, and academic texts, identifying the main line of argument and/or development of a central theme.
2. Students learn to write simple, structured academic essays in a variety of rhetorical modes that adhere to the conventions of Standard Written English.
3. Helps students recognize lines of argument, organizational structure, inferred meaning, and emphasis through intonation and stress in a presentation intended for an academic audience.
4. Builds students’ confidence to deliver an effective oral presentation that summarizes information from multiple sources, develops a focused argument, and demonstrates a clear sense of organization.
5. Develops basic competence in understanding and using level-appropriate grammar for academic reading and writing purposes.

English Instructor at Dubai International School

Grades 4, 5, 6

• Participated in developing curricula and preparing yearly plans
• Taught English to multilingual ESL students at different levels
• Applied effective instructional strategies to arouse and sustain students’ curiosity and interest
• Designed activities to enable students to acquire a firm command of English as a second language
• Constructed exams and quizzes on a weekly basis for different levels taught
• Identified students’ weaknesses and strengths and devised supplementary material (for low achievers as well as outstanding students); administered remedial sessions to better meet the students’ needs and improve their English proficiency