Academic Writing in Brazilian Portuguese I 3305-PTAPB1-31

The graduate knows and understands
S1_W02 — basic terminology in the humanities and in academic writing, in particular concepts related to the organization of scholarly discourse, argumentation, the formulation of a research problem, summarizing, paraphrasing, citation, and text editing, as well as its application in producing short and medium-length academic texts.
S1_W05 — the principles of linguistic knowledge necessary for the analysis, interpretation, and production of texts representing various registers and functional styles of Portuguese, with particular emphasis on academic style, the differences between colloquial and scholarly language, textual coherence, the use of logical connectors, terminology, and editorial standards appropriate to academic texts.
S1_W10 — basic concepts and principles related to intellectual property protection and copyright, in particular those concerning proper citation, paraphrasing, the use of sources, avoiding plagiarism, and the ethical use of scholarly, popular-science, and critical texts in academic work.
The graduate is able to
S1_U01 — search for, analyze, evaluate, select, and use information from various sources and by various means, as needed for the preparation of academic texts, including summaries, critical commentaries, essays, and sections of course papers and theses.
S1_U03 — apply basic research skills in the process of academic writing, including the formulation of a research problem, the selection and use of source materials, the analysis of model texts, the development of argumentation, and the presentation of conclusions in short and medium-length written texts.
S1_U06 — construct substantive arguments in academic texts using the views of other authors, accurately summarize and paraphrase others’ positions, introduce quotations, build coherent paragraphs, and formulate logical conclusions in accordance with academic and stylistic standards.
S1_U08 — use Portuguese in the Brazilian norm actively and passively at an advanced level in written and spoken registers, with particular emphasis on the written academic register, enabling the preparation of course papers, academic essays, summaries, critical commentaries, and sections of a future thesis in the disciplines in which the degree programme is conducted.
The graduate is prepared to
S1_K01 — engage in lifelong learning, in particular by systematically developing competencies in academic writing, working with sources, expanding specialist vocabulary, and improving editorial skills.
S1_K02 — improve their knowledge and language skills in Portuguese, continuously develop their academic writing skills, assess their own writing competencies, and revise and proofread their own texts.
S1_K04 — set priorities for the completion of writing tasks, including planning work on a text, selecting sources, organizing argumentation, revising successive drafts, and preparing short and medium-length academic texts on time.
S1_K05 — identify and resolve dilemmas related to academic and professional work, in particular those concerning the reliable use of sources, proper citation, paraphrasing, avoiding plagiarism, responsibility for the linguistic quality of a text, and the conscious selection of style and register.

Assessment methods and criteria
Assessment methods
Portfolio of written texts - 50% of the final grade
The portfolio consists of 5-6 short written assignments prepared during the semester, such as a text summary, a paraphrase of a passage, an argumentative paragraph, a critical commentary, an essay outline, a short bibliography, and a revised version of a selected text.
The portfolio should document the writing process, including selected drafts, revisions, and a brief reflection on the changes introduced. The portfolio should include at least one assignment in both draft and revised form. Particular emphasis is placed on demonstrating the development of skills related to the organization of academic discourse, the use of terminology, coherence-building, the use of sources, and text revision.
The following will be assessed: independence of work, linguistic accuracy, coherence, text organization, appropriateness of academic style, ability to use sources, accuracy in summarizing, paraphrasing, and citation, quality of revisions introduced, and evidence of the editing process.
Final assignment — 30% of the final grade
The final assignment consists in preparing a short academic text in the Brazilian variety of Portuguese, approximately 350–500 words long, on a topic agreed with the instructor or related to the course content.
The text should include a clearly formulated topic, problem question, or simple research problem, a coherent paragraph structure, basic argumentation, logical conclusions, and at least one properly introduced reference to a source.
The student attaches to the final assignment a brief note on the writing process, including the most important editorial decisions, any difficulties encountered, the way sources were used, and the extent to which auxiliary tools were used, if applicable.
Active participation in classes and preparation for exercises — 20% of the final grade
The following will be assessed: attendance, systematic preparation for classes, completion of written exercises, participation in the analysis of model texts and discussion of examples, and readiness to work on improving one’s own text.
Assessment criteria
The final grade takes into account:
systematic preparation for classes;
timely submission of written assignments;
independence in working on the text;
linguistic and stylistic accuracy of texts;
use of the norms of the Brazilian variety of Portuguese;
appropriateness of style to the requirements of academic writing;
coherence and logical organization of the text;
ability to formulate a topic, problem question, or simple research problem;
ability to use basic academic terminology;
ability to summarize, paraphrase, and cite;
ability to build argumentation and formulate conclusions;
correct and reliable reference to sources;
quality of self-revision and justification of the changes introduced;
progress between the first and revised version of the text;
academic integrity.
Use of artificial intelligence tools
With regard to the use of artificial intelligence tools in the learning process, the general guidelines of the University Council for Education of the University of Warsaw apply.
Due to the workshop-based character of the course, limited and transparent use of artificial intelligence tools is permitted as an aid in the process of learning academic writing. AI tools may be used in a supporting role to identify possible language errors, stylistically unclear passages, problems with text coherence, colloquialisms, or questions helpful in self-revision.
It is not permitted to use AI tools to generate entire assessed assignments or substantial parts thereof, to create argumentation, to replace independent analysis, to select sources without independent verification, or to present AI-generated content as one’s own.
The object of assessment is the student’s independent work on the text: the selection of content, argumentation, organization of the text, linguistic and editorial decisions, use of sources, and ability to revise the text consciously. A text generated entirely or substantially by an AI tool cannot serve as the basis for passing a given assignment.
Any use of AI tools in work submitted for assessment should be disclosed in a brief note attached to the work, specifying the extent to which the tool was used.
Sample statement:
In preparing this assignment, I used an AI tool in the following scope: …
The tool was used to: …
The final content, argumentation, selection of sources, and editorial decisions are the result of my own independent work.

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BARROS, Susane; ROSA, Flávia; RIBEIRO, Elizabeth Matos. Princípios e técnicas para elaboração de textos acadêmicos. Salvador: UFBA, 2017.
SILVA, Rafael de Amorim; SANTOS, Duan P. C.; OMAR, Nizam; BRAGA, Rosana T. V. “Escrita científica dirigida por parágrafos: noções básicas para uma escrita clara e concisa”.
UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE SANTA CATARINA. Biblioteca Universitária. Biblioteca Central. Procedimentos para apresentação e normalização de trabalhos acadêmicos conforme ABNT (NBR 14724:2024). Florianópolis: BU/UFSC, 2025.
ACADEMIA BRASILEIRA DE LETRAS. Vocabulário Ortográfico da Língua Portuguesa — VOLP. Edição digital.
Note
Due to the workshop-based nature of the course, the instructor will indicate selected excerpts from the materials listed above as well as short practice texts adapted to the needs of the group.