Step 3.2: Exchange ideas on web tools and writing processes

Withe the checkered flag in sight, there is still one last step to perform. The last step involves all subgroup members, which are in my case: Ruben den Boer, Nico Lerch and Bart Loer. The purpose of this step is to come up with a summary of the findings about the tools and processes used.

We found the processes to be very useful, except for the "role play the audience" method. Why we did not like this method due to the fact that it is hard to imagine how an audience is going to react. Taking a break is always useful, not only to create distance between writing and proofreading as mentioned in the assignment, but also during the writing process. Reading the paper out loud enables a writer to identify possible fluency errors that might have been left unnoticed when reading in your head and is therefore also very helpful when revising a text.

Of all tools and processes we found the Vocabulary Profiler (VP) in combination with Thesaurus the most convenient. When analysing a text by using the VP, one can easily see what type of words are used. When trying to make the text more academic, you can look up alternatives for K1 or K2 words by using the Thesaurus tool and then by copying all the synonyms into the VP the AWL words can easily be picked out and checked for contextual relevance. In addition to the Thesaurus tool, the AWL list can be used to find AWL words that might increase the academical value of your text. A disadvantage of this method is that it is time-consuming.

Another convenient tool is the self-editing worksheet, provided by the book Writing Academic English. This worksheet contains a series of questions, with which the unity and coherence of a text can be easily analysed, due to its clear overview. A method on which we could not agree is the self-check error list. It was mentioned that the list provides a long-term benefit, by identifying frequent errors a writer tends to make. However, it was also argued that it is easy to overlook an error in the text, because sometimes a sentence sounds correct, but in fact is not.

The JustTheWord (JTW) tool, assists a writer to find the correct contextual meaning of a word. However, this is not a problem I faced during the previous steps, so I did not use this tool to revise my text. But during the meeting it was mentioned that it is a very helpful method. The last tool that was used in the revision process was Concordancers, a tool that did not provide me with beneficial changes. I found its interface busy and hard to use without a guide. Therefore, I found this tool to be time-consuming.

The last tool that I used during this assignment was the VP Cloze Builder. This tool is not helpful during the revision process, but can be very helpful to maintain and establish an academic vocabulary.

To conclude, all the above mentioned tools and processes can be useful, but in their own way.