Academic English: Speaking & Writing

This Academic English course focuses on improving students’ speaking and writing skills in an academic context. It aims to provide students with training in the skills necessary to write several short academic texts, such as an introduction or conclusion to a research report, a data commentary, comparative texts and argument texts. After this course you will be able to write clear academic texts, engage in informal and tutorial discussion, and tackle that English degree program with much more ease and confidence.

Contents

About the course

Students will practice speaking skills through tutorials, discussions, seminars and academic presentations. Writing skills are practiced through writing tasks, self-editing and correcting, and exercises on topics such as sentence structure, formality and signposting.

During the course, students are expected to give peer feedback on both writing and speaking tasks. Formative feedback will also be given by the course trainer. Students are also required to self-study and complete writing tasks for homework.

Examples of course topics

  • The features of academic writing and speaking
  • Extending your (active) academic vocabulary
  • The use of language functions
  • More complex grammar structures
  • The use of synonyms
  • Self-editing and correcting
  • Asking for information, clarification, and repetition
  • Accessing a discussion
  • Reporting on a seminar discussion
  • Giving a short presentation

Level

This course is intended for Bachelor and Premaster students who have already studied the basics of English language speaking and writing (upper-intermediate B2) and now wish to advance their skills to a higher level of competence (advanced C1).

Sign up