Academic English Week 9 Intensive Courses

Introduction to Academic Writing and Language

This course is designed for international students and other University members, with little or no experience in academic writing, who want to develop their basic knowledge of English syntax and academic writing. It is also designed for those who feel they need to advance their competence in using academic language to perform satisfactorily in their written course work. 

The programme introduces a foundational understanding of the organisation of ideas in common types of academic texts, as well as the skills needed to communicate effectively to the reader. It also looks to develop their competence in the use of the grammar, vocabulary, expressions, style and conventions typically used in academic writing at Oxford. 

Learning outcomes

• Develop essential knowledge of the organisation of ideas in common academic texts (e.g. essays, reports, dissertations, publications) 
• Improve the organisation and expression of arguments, evidence and stance in writing 
• Develop essential skills to integrate ideas from the literature into the student’s writing  
• Use linking words and expressions to communicate effectively with the reader 
• Develop use of essential academic grammar, vocabulary and style 
• Avoid the grammatical, vocabulary and stylistic errors common to international students 
• Receive feedback on their academic writing and advice on how to continue to develop throughout their degree course 

Key Issues in Academic Writing

This online course is designed for international postgraduate students who are looking to improve their writing for their degree course. Each lesson focuses on a specific aspect of academic writing that commonly presents difficulties for advanced writers. These include issues connected to conventional language patterns and collocations, verb choice, as well as stylistic differences between disciplines and genres of writing (e.g. reports vs. essays etc.). Throughout the course, students will have a chance to look at and discuss extracts from academic writing in different disciplines, while identifying and understanding the way in which the grammatical choices they make affect the meaning of their text. While this course focuses primarily on writing at a postgraduate level, undergraduate students, post-docs and visiting academics are all welcome.  

This course offers a solid basis for our Thesis and Dissertation course. The course is online - students will access materials and take part in seminars using Oxford’s VLE system, Canvas, and videoconferencing software. 

Learning outcomes

• Increased awareness of the key features and conventions of academic writing  
• Learn the importance of information order and how to link ideas
• Be able to choose suitable tenses and express different levels of certainty in your writing 
• Have a better understanding of the appropriate register, and expected style of writing, within the different subject areas
• Learn to use online resources (such as concordance software) for proofreading your own work.

Introduction to Academic Spoken Communication and Pronunciation

This course aims to develop further and practice a student’s ability to understand academic speech as used in a variety of academic contexts, and to participate actively in presentations, seminars and tutorials. 

Students perform a variety of spoken tasks designed to improve their use of English throughout their academic life at Oxford. These activities include simulations of seminar discussions or tutorials, mini-presentations, role plays and problem-solving tasks. Students practise aspects of pronunciation that are common in academic discourse, including the use of voice tone, pausing and stress. Moreover, a focus throughout on academic literacy skills and self-learning will continue to positively impact students following the course. 

Students are helped to identify their strengths and weaknesses and receive regular feedback on their performance to monitor progress. 

Learning outcomes

• Better perform spoken functions common in academic discourse, such as describing a process, or engaging in a debate on a contentious issue
• Interact better with fellow academics, having practised asking for clarification, polite disagreement, returning to a topic after interruption, and other conversation techniques
• Improve listening comprehension by working on macro-listening skills (listening for meaning in context) and micro-listening skills (listening to decontextualised English in fun activities)  
• Use study skills effectively to continue to grow the accuracy and fluency of their spoken language, with a focus on conversational vocabulary items that are common in academic verbal discussions but less common in written English.
• Improve their pronunciation through classroom input and self-study, while working towards the goal of comfortable intelligibility