ACADEMIC WRITING FOR DOCTORAL CANDIDATES

Languages and Culture

About this course

The aim of this course is to provide Ph.D. students with the skills which will enable them to communicate professionally in writing. The course will focus on types of scientific professional writing such as found in journals and conference papers. Special emphasis will be placed on an analysis of the structure and content of academic articles. Various rhetorical techniques such as classification, comparison and contrast, description, summary writing, etc., will be covered. In addition, the course touches upon English syntax and grammatical difficulties particular to the non-native speaker. The basics of formal English letter writing will also be addressed.

Hours per week: 3

The course is not for credit. It is based on pass/fail

Attendance is compulsory

Expected learning outcomes

The course is based on the concept that writing is a complex cognitive process and that the way to improve one's writing is through continuous practice and repetition. Therefore, the curriculum attempts to afford the student with as many opportunities as possible to engage in "academic"-type writing exercises within the limited time frame of the course.