Academic Writing course LS 2024

This semester, the Institute of Social Sciences is offering a course in Academic Writing. In it we will focus on grammar, vocabulary and other areas of written language that are useful in Academic Writing, as well as the different sections of a typical research article. The course is aimed at doctoral and master’s students who are interested in publishing their research in English and who have reached at least B1 level in the language.

Course time and place: Thursdays 16:00 – 17:40, room Z273

If you would like to attend the course, but can’t manage that time, please email me at Roger.Turland@vut.cz with times when you would be free to take the course.

Roger Turland

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Syllabus*

1.CHARACTERISTICS AND TYPES OF ACADEMIC WRITING

Introduction - students’ experience with AW – genres, register and style of academic writing

2. VOCABULARY

Academic vocabulary (wordbuilding, collocation, etc.) – spelling - UK vs US English – common abbreviations

3.RESEARCH ARTICLE FORMAT

Format of typical research articles (IMRAD, etc.) – review of key tenses

4.THE INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of an Introduction section – phrases for summarising and previewing

5.THE LITERATURE REVIEW

Characteristics of a Literature Review – reporting verbs - referencing, quoting and paraphrasing - phrases for criticism

6.MATERIALS AND METHODS

Characteristics of a Materials and Methods section – the passive voice – choosing between passive and active in research articles – phrases for describing quantities

7.RESULTS

Characteristics of a Results section – phrases for describing trends and visuals

8.DISCUSSION

Characteristics of a Discussion section – comparison and contrast - linking words and when not to use them – modals of deduction

9.CONCLUSION

Characteristics of a Conclusion section – cautious language (hedging) – coherence and clarity

10.ABSTRACTS

Characteristics of an abstract – conciseness (reducing word length), phrases for describing cause and effect

11.TITLES AND HEADINGS

Titles, headings and subheadings – the definite and indefinite article - punctuation

12.REVISING AND EDITING - TEST

Revising and editing – final vocabulary and grammar points – TEST

*This is a new version of an old course, and the syllabus may need to change to some degree as the course progresses.