Section 7. WRITING
A reference letter is usually written to testify to a person’s skills, character and/or achievements. Sometimes a reference letter is known as a recommendation letter. It is a formal document, and should be typed and written in a serious and business-like style. Reference letters are used in a wide variety of situations. Reference letters from teachers are a crucial part of the college application packet. Each letter must be unique and describe the student’s work ethic, grades, activities and awards. It is also helpful if the letter starts or ends with a quote that relates to the career the student will pursue. Crafting a strong reference letter is a task that will help the student immensely.
35. Read the information about some specific features of reference letters.
The exact structure of a reference letter will differ slightly depending on the type of reference it is, but this is a good basic outline:
1. Start using the business letter format: put the recipient’s name and address, if known, and address them as “Dear [name]”. If the recipient is currently unknown (this would be likely on an academic application, for instance), then use “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To whom it may concern”.
2. It is often helpful to introduce yourself in the first couple of lines of your letter. The recipient will not need your life history: just give a brief sentence or two explaining your position and your relationship to the candidate.
3. Your next paragraph should confirm any facts which you know the candidate will be supplying along with your letter. For example, if you are writing a reference for a job applicant, some or all of these details may be appropriate:
— the person’s job title, and role within the company;
— the person’s leaving salary when he/she was last employed by you (or your organisation).
— the dates which the person was employed from and until.
If you are writing a reference letter for an academic course, you will need to confirm the person’s academic grades.
4. In your third paragraph, you should provide your judgement upon the candidate’s skills and qualities. It is often appropriate to state that you would gladly re-employ them, or that their contributions to your college class were highly valued. Single out any exceptional qualities that the candidate has — perhaps their drive and enthusiasm, their attention to detail, or their ability to lead.
5. Close your letter on a positive note, and if you are willing to receive further correspondence about the candidate’s application, make this clear. Include your contact details too.
6. As with any business letter, you should end appropriately: “Yours sincerely” when you are writing to a named recipient, and “Yours faithfully” when you do not know who will be receiving the letter.
36. Read and translate these sample reference letters.
A. ______________________________________________________
15th October, 2011
Dear Dr Smith,
I am writing to you in support of Edward Miller and his desire to take a postgraduate course at the University of Leeds Though many students ask me to make this request on their behalf, I only recommend students whom I feel are well-suited for the programme of their choice Edward Miller is one of those students and therefore, I highly recommend that he be given the opportunity to attend your university
As professor of the Civil Engineering Department at London University, I work with many students who have substantial knowledge of civil engineering Edward Miller has consistently shown such a strong desire to learn civil engineering that I simply could not turn down his request for a recommendation
I first met Edward in my Introduction to Civil Engineering course during the autumn 2008 term Compared to the class average of 70, Edward Miller earned a 96 in the class Mr. Student was evaluated on the basis of marks in tests and exams, in which he performed exceptionally well
Edward is an outstanding individual with a strong character. He has the ability to produce impressive results in a wide variety of areas Edward is a very organized and motivated person I have seen astonishing results on complex projects that offered great attention to detail where quality was never compromised Additionally, he has a very positive attitude and truly embraces learning all there is to know about civil engineering.
Though Edward Miller has consistently exceeded in all areas of his coursework, the best example of his intelligence shone through some papers and projects on theories of civil engineering
The work clearly showed his ability to deliver a clear, concise, and wellthought presentation with a new perspective
In addition to his coursework, Edward also dedicated some of his time taking part in the Society of Young Researchers. The skills acquired through participation in the Society will be beneficial to all of Edward’s future endeavors. Edward has the ability to manage and organise his time and schedule around different activities without having them interfere with his study.
I think Edward Miller is destined to be a leader in civil engineering, and therefore is an excellent candidate for your postgraduate course I highly recommend that you consider his application, as he will be a great asset to your programme 1 am sure you will find him to be a student whose talents will only grow If you would like further information, please feel free to contact me
Yours sincerely,
John White, Ph D
Professor of Civil Engineering
London University
B, ______________________________________________________
20th November, 2011
To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to write on behalf of Jane Green, who is applying to the PhD programme in Research Psychology at the University of Bath I have interacted with Jane in several contexts: as a student, and as a teaching as- si stant
I first met Jane in 2008, when she enrolled in my Introductory Psychology class Jane immediately stood out from the crowd, even as a first-year student Just a few months out of comprehensive school, Jane demonstrated characteristics commonly held by the best college students She was attentive in class, prepared, submitted well-written and thoughtful assignments, and participated in meaningful ways, such as by debating other students. Throughout, Jane modelled critical thinking skills. Needless to say, Jane earned one of five A’s awarded in that class of 75 students Since her first term in college Jane has enrolled in six of my classes She demonstrated similar competencies, and her skills grew with each term Most striking is her ability to tackle challenging material with enthusiasm and endurance She was prepared for classes, and completed all assignments When placed in group work sessions, Jane easily adopted a leadership role, helping her peers learn how to solve problems on their own It was these competencies that led me to offer Jane a position as teaching assistant for my statistics class.
As a teaching assistant, Jane strengthened many of the skills I have articulated. In this position Jane held review sessions and offered out-of-class assistance to students She also lectured in class several times during the term Leadership, humility, the ability to see areas in need of improvement, and the willingness to do the work needed to improve — these are all characteristics we value in academia
Most important to a career in academics is research competence As I have explained, Jane has an excellent grasp of statistics and other skills critical to a successful career in research, such as tenacity and excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills.
As a supervisor of her senior thesis, I witnessed Jane in her first independent research efforts Similar to other students, Jane struggled with finding an appropriate topic Unlike other students, she conducted mini literature reviews on potential topics and discussed her ideas with a sophistication that is unusual for undergraduates After methodical study, she chose a topic that fits her academic goals. Her project earned a department award, university award, and was presented as a paper at a regional psychology association
In closing, I believe that Jane Green has the capacity in a career as a research psychologist She is one of a small handful of students that I have encountered in my 16 years’ teaching undergraduates that has this ability
Please do not hesitate to contact me with further questions
Yours faithfully,
Dr Samuel Higgings
Professor of Psychology
University of London
c.
29th March, 2011
To Whom It May Concern:
It gives me immense pleasure to write in recommendation of John Smith for admission to your graduate programme in Applied Mathematical Marketing I have known John for three years, and have instructed him in four separate courses I have also served as John’s academic adviser for the last two years
John has routinely ranked in the top 10% of his class, and is consistently one of the top students in each of his individual courses. He is hardworking, energetic and curious I have no doubt that he will succeed in his future academic endeavours.
Last semester, John presented his mathematical model for determining sales patterns amongst video game magazines. Not only did this project earn him top honours, the ABC Company took notice and has now hired John on for a summer internship This project was carried out during the course of one semester, demonstrating John’s strong work ethic.
I have no doubt that John will make a tremendous impact on the world at large I am positive he will make outstanding contributions to your programme
Yours faithfully,
Dr Thomas Cook
Professor
University of Manchester
Imagine that you have been asked to write a reference letter for one of your groupmates applying for a postgraduate programme. Using the above information, write a reference letter. You have a high opinion of a candidate and confidently recommend him/her. Supply your own details.
Unit 4.
RESEARCH METHODS
Section 1. READING FOR DETAIL
1. Before you read Text 4A “The Practice of Science”, discuss these questions with your groupmates or teacher.
a) What is scientific research?
b) What scientific methods do you know?
c) What are they characteristic of?
d) What does the choice of research methods depend on?
e) Are research methods interconnected?
f) How can scientific theories be strengthened?
Read and translate Text 4A. The Active Vocabulary List following the Text may be helpful. Find out if your answers are right or wrong. Use the introductory phrases given in Unit 1.
Text 4A. THE PRACTICE OF SCIENCE
When some people think of science, they think of formulas and facts to memorize. Many of us probably studied for a test in a science class by memorizing the names of the four nucleotides in DNA (adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine) or by practicing with one of Newton’s laws of motion, like /’ = ma (force equals mass times acceleration). While this knowledge is an important part of science, it is not all of science. In addition to a body of knowledge that includes formulas and facts, science is a practice by which we pursue answers to questions that can be approached scientifically. This practice is referred to collectively as scientific research and while the techniques that scientists use to conduct research may differ between disciplines, the underlying principles and objectives are similar. Whether you are talking about biology, chemistry, geology, physics, or any other scientific field, the body of knowledge that is built through these disciplines is based on the collection of data that is then analysed and interpreted in light of other research findings. How do we know about adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine? These were not revealed by chance, but through the work of many scientists collecting data, evaluating the results, and putting together a comprehensive theory that explained their observations.
Scientific research is a robust and dynamic practice that employs multiple methods towards investigating phenomena, including experimentation, description, comparison, and modelling. Though these methods are described separately here, many of these methods overlap or are used in combination. For example, when NASA scientists purposefully slammed a 370 kg spacecraft named Deep Impact into a passing comet in 2005, the study had some aspects of descriptive research and some aspects of experimental research. Many scientific investigations largely employ one method, but different methods may be combined in a single study, or a single study may have characteristics of more than one method. The choice of which research method to use is personal and depends on the experiences of the scientists conducting the research and the nature of the question they are seeking to address. Despite the overlap and interconnectedness of these research methods, it is useful to discuss them separately to understand their principal characteristics and the ways they can be used to investigate a question.
Experimentation. Experimental methods are used to investigate the relationship(s) between two or more variables when at least one of those variables can be intentionally controlled or manipulated. The resulting effect of that manipulation (often called a treatment) can then be measured on another variable or variables. The work of the French scientist Louis Pasteur is a classic example. Pasteur put soup broth in a series of flasks, some open to the atmosphere and others sealed. He then measured the effect that the flask type had on the appearance of microorganisms in the soup broth in an effort to study the source of those microorganisms.
Description. Description is used to gather data regarding natural phenomena and natural relationships and includes observations and measurements of behaviours. A classic example of a descriptive study is Copernicus’s observations and sketches of the movement of planets in the sky in an effort to determine if the Earth or the Sun is the orbital centre of those objects.
Comparison. Comparison is used to determine and quantify relationships between two or more variables by observing different groups that either by choice or circumstance are exposed to different treatments. Examples of comparative research are the studies that were initiated in the 1950s to investigate the relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer in which scientists compared individuals who had chosen to smoke of their own accord with nonsmokers and correlated the decision to smoke (the treatment) with various health problems including lung cancer.
Modelling. Both physical and computer-based models are built to mimic natural systems and then used to conduct experiments or make observations. Weather forecasts are an example of scientific modelling that we see every day, where data collected on temperature, wind speed, and direction are used in combination with known physics of atmospheric circulation to predict the path of storms and other weather patterns.
These methods are interconnected and are often used in combination to fully understand complex phenomena. Modelling and experimentation are ways of simplifying systems towards understanding causality and future events. However, both rely on assumptions and knowledge of existing systems that can be provided by descriptive studies or other experiments. Description and comparison are used to understand existing systems and examine the application of experimental and modeling results in real-world systems. Results from descriptive and comparative studies are often used to confirm causal relationships identified by models and experiments. While some questions lend themselves to one or another strategy due to the scope or nature of the problem under investigation, most areas of scientific research employ all of these methods as a means of complementing one another towards clarifying a specific hypothesis, theory, or idea in science. Scientific theories are clarified and strengthened through the collection of data from more than one method that generate multiple lines of evidence. Take, for example, the various research methods used to investigate what came to be known as the ozone hole [Carpi, Egger, 2008].
ACTIVE VOCABULARY LIST
pursue [pa'sju:] v — следовать, придерживаться намеченного плана; продолжать; заниматься (чем-л.)
vary ['veari] v — менять, изменять, варьировать
various ['vearias] adj — различный, разный, разнообразный variety [ va'raiati] п — разнообразие
variable [4eariab(a)l] п adj — (мат.) переменная (величина); изменчивый, непостоянный, неустойчивый
finding ['faindirj] п — вывод, заключение; (р/.) полученные данные reveal [ri'vi:l] v — показывать, обнаруживать; открывать
observe [ab'za:v] v — наблюдать, следить; соблюдать, следовать (чему-л.); вести (научные) наблюдения
observation [,obza'veif(9)n] n — наблюдение; соблюдение; (pl.) сведения, полученные путем наблюдений; результаты наблюдений, данные изучения или исследования
method [TneOad] п — метод, способ
comparative method [kam'paerativ] — сравнительный метод
descriptive method [dis'kriptiv] — описательный метод
experimental method [ik,speri'mentl] — экспериментальный метод modelling method [Tnadlirj] — метод моделирования research method — научно-исследовательский метод apply [a'plai] / employ a method — применять метод
overlap [.auva'ltep] v — частично покрывать, заходить один на другой, перекрывать; частично совпадать
measure ['теза] — и v мера; степень; измерять, иметь размеры measurement ['mejamant] п — размер, измерение relation [ri'leif(a)nl п — отношение, связь, зависимость relationship [ri'leij(a)njip] п — (взаимо)отношения, соотношение quantity ['kwantiti] п — количество
quantify [’kwontifai] v — определять количество, выражать количество, представлять в количественной форме
quality ['kwoliti] п — качество, свойство; признак, особенность
cause [ko:z] и v — причина, основание; быть причиной, служить поводом, вызывать, причинять
causal ['кэ:г(э)1] adj — причинный, выражающий причинную связь causality [кэ:'zaeliti] п — причинность, причинная обусловленность rely (on) [ri'lai] v — полагаться, надеяться; доверять assume [a'sju:m] v — предполагать, допускать; принимать
assumption [a'sAmpf(9)n] п — предположение, допущение, исходное положение
confirm [kan'fa:ni] v — подтверждать
confirmation [,konf9'nieif(9)n] п — подтверждение, доказательство
solve [solv] v — решать, разрешать
solution [s9'lu:/(a)n] п — решение, разрешение
scope ['skaup] п — пределы, рамки, границы (возможностей, знаний, понимания и т.п.); масштаб, поле (деятельности)
investigate [in'vestigeit] v — исследовать, изучать; рассматривать
investigation [in,vesti'geif(a)n] п — (научное) исследование, изыскание, изучение; рассмотрение
carry out an investigation — проводить исследовательскую работу (изыскания)
equal ['i:kwal] adj — одинаковый, равный
equality [i'kwoliti] п — равенство
treat [tri:t] v — относится; рассматривать; трактовать; обрабатывать treatment п — трактовка, обсуждение, исследование; обработка determine [di'ta:min] v — определять; обусловливать
c) more than one method.
3. According to the Text, a descriptive method is applied to collect data concerning
a) the relationships between two or more variables.
b) mimic natural systems.
c) natural phenomena and natural relationships.
4. According to the Text, what did the scientists studying the relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer compare?
a) smokers and non-smokers
b) health problems and lung cancer
c) smokers and those who gave up smoking
5. According to the Text, modeling and experimental methods help to understand
a) complex phenomena.
b) causality and future events.
c) existing systems.