Academic Writing & Presenting in English for Researchers and University Staff
Course Summary
This hands-on, practical one week course covers the language needed for presentations, talks and lectures, and deals with the delivery skills required in order to maximise the effectiveness of the presentations. It also introduces language for Academic Writing, focusing on vocabulary, grammar, formality, register, and style. Areas of Academic Writing tackled are Abstracts and Articles/Papers, with critical analysis of model abstracts.
Participants work up to a presentation delivery by the end of the week, with feedback on both language and performance.
Participants own writing skills are developed through feedback on their own writing, and a Language Clinic to tackle errors and develop a wider range of vocabulary and structures.
Fast Facts
| Course dates: | 25 Feb – 01 March 2019 02 – 06 Sept 2019 09 – 13 Sept 2019 |
| Max. group size: | 6 |
| Course materials: | Included |
| Hours/week: | 25 |
| Price: | £650 (includes £50 booking fee) |
| Terms and conditions |
Target Audience
This one-week group course is suitable for professors, senior lecturers, researchers and teaching staff at university level who are working on degree programmes and academic research and who are non-native speakers of English. Minimum language level for this course is B1. Max group size 6
Preparation
This course does not require any mandatory preparation but suggested reading lists will be provided. Participants will also be sent a pre-course questionnaire to assess their educational contexts and experience. This will help to fully customise the course. They will also receive information about York to prepare for their cultural experience.
Objectives
By the end of the course participants will:
- be able to deliver better presentations, with accompanying language framework
- have an increased awareness of ways of making presentations more effective in delivery
- be able to reflect on their own writing of abstracts, and analyse it with reference to models of good and bad abstracts
- have experienced writing practice with regard to writing academic articles, with the aim of increasing vocabulary range, structures and register and style as well as ability to teach writing skills
- have further developed participants’ own general language skills and increase oral fluency
- have experienced the cultural heritage of York with its rich historical linguistic environment
Methodology
Input sessions are in the form of hands-on workshops and could involve brainstorming, analysis and, at times, problem-solving. Sessions help participants develop language in a structured setting.
Participants are asked to reflect on their oral and written production, inviting discussion and feedback with regard to their own knowledge and skills. Exchange of participants’ own knowledge is encouraged through discussion. Participants are asked to reflect on the activities, inviting discussion with regard to their own pedagogical knowledge and skills, teaching methods and contexts, and on adaptation of activities to their teaching situations.
Language skills are developed and feedback given where appropriate. Participants are also introduced to appropriate websites related to the further development of their academic writing skills and personal professional development. Participants are also introduced to key websites related to the further development of their teaching skills and personal professional development.
Follow Up
The course ends with an evaluation session, where participants are asked to reflect upon the value of the knowledge gained on the course and create a Personal Development Action Plan. They are invited to join the York Associates Community, which allows networking and contact with the trainers and fellow colleagues, and with participants from other courses.
Sample Course Programme
| Session One | Session Two | Session Three | Session Four | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONDAY | Introductions Getting to Know You ICT Tools for Language Translation | Giving Lectures What makes a good presentation? | Introductions to Presentations Language Frameworks (2) | Individual Presentations Practice for Review |
| TUESDAY | Language Frameworks (2) Signposting Dealing with Questions | Language for Academic Writing (1) | Preparation of content slides for presentations | Individual Presentations Practice for Review |
| WEDNESDAY | Language for Academic Writing (2) | Writing an Abstract Register, Formality etc Critical analysis of model abstracts: Good/Bad? | Language Clinic Review: Writing & Presentations | Individual Writing Practice for Review |
| THURSDAY | Writing Articles Formality, Register & Style, including the passive voice | From Written to Verbal Differences between written language and spoken language | Language for Academic Writing (3) | Individual Writing Practice for Review |
| FRIDAY | The use of visual aids and tables | Editing and proofreading | Individual presentations with feedback | Personal Development Action Plan |
21 hour teacher development courses may use a 8.00- 12.30 or 13.30 -17.30 time slot. Afternoon programmes will finish earlier on certain days for social programme options.
